Extract from "Legend of the Soil Map of the World", 1974, UNESCO, Paris
HISTOSOLS
Soils having an H horizon of 40 cm or more (60 cm or more if the organic material consists mainly of sphagnum or moss or has a bulk density of less than 0.1) either extending down from the surface or taken cumulatively within the upper 80 cm of the soil; the thickness of the H horizon may be less when it rests on rocks or on fragmental material of which the interstices are filled with organic matter. |
Gelic Histosols (Ox) | Histosols having permafrost within 200 cm of the surface |
Dystic Histosols (Od) | Other Histosols having a Ph H2O, (1:5) of less than 5.5, at least in some part of the soil between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Eutric Histosols (Oe) | Other Histosols |
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LITHOSOLS (I)
Other soils which are limited in depth by continuous coherent and hard rock within 10 cm of the surface.
VERTISOLS (V)
Other soils which, after the upper 20 cm are mixed, have 30 percent or more clay in all horizons to at least 50 cm from the surface; at some period in most years have cracks at least 1 cm wide at a depth of 50 cm, unless irrigated, and have one or more of the following characteristics: gilgai microrelief, intersecting slickensides or wedge-shaped or parallelepiped structural aggregates at some depth between 25 and 100 cm from the surface. |
Pellic Vertisols (Vp) | Vertisols having moist chromas of less than 1.5 dominant in the soil matrix throughout the upper 30 cm |
Chromic Vertisols (Vc) | Other Vertisols |
FLUVISOLS (J)
Other soils developed from recent alluvial deposits, having no diagnostic horizons other than (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material) an ochric or an umbric A horizon, an H horizon, or a sulfuric horizon. |
Thionic Fluvisols (Jt) | Fluvisols having a sulfuric horizon or sulfidic material, or both, at less than 125 cm from the surface |
Calcaric Fluvisols (Jc) | Other Fluvisols which are calcareous, at least between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Dystric (Fluvisols (Jd) | Other Fluvisols having a base saturation (by NH4OAc) of less than 50 percent, at least in some part of the soil between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Eutric Fluvisols ( Je) | Other Fluvisols |
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SOLONCHAKS (Z)
Other soils having high salinity and having no diagnostic horizons other than (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material) an A horizon, an H horizon, a cambic B horizon, a calcic or a gypsic horizon |
Gleyic Solonchaks | Solonchack showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface |
Takyric Solonchaks | Other Solonchack showing takyric features |
Mollic Solonchaks | Other Solonchack having a mollic A horizon |
Orthic Solonchaks | Other Solonchack |
GLEYSOLS (G)
Other soils showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface; having no diagnostic horizons other than (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material) an A horizon, an H horizon, a cambic B horizon, a calcic or a gypsic horizon. |
Gelic Gleysols (Gx) | Gleysols having permafrost within 200 cm of the surface |
Plinthic Gleysols (Gp) | Other Gleysols having plinthite within 125 cm of the surface |
Mollic Gleysols ( Gin) | Other Gleysols having a mollic A horizon or a eutric histic H horizon |
Humic Gleysols (Gh) | Other Gleysols having an umbric A horizon or a dystric histic H horizon |
Calcaric Gleysols (Gc) | Other Gleysols having one or more of the following: a calcic horizon or a gypsic horizon within 125 cm of the surface, or are calcareous at least between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Dystric Gleysols (Gd) | Other Gleysols having a base saturation (by NH4OAc) of less than 50 per-cent, at least in some part of the soil between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Eutric Gleysols (Ge) | Other Gleysols |
ANDOSOLS (T)
Other soils having either a mollic or an umbric A horizon possibly overlying a cambic B horizon, or an ochric A horizon and a cambic B horizon; having no other diagnostic horizons (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material); having to a depth of 35 cm or more one or both of: (a) a bulk density (at 1/3-bar water retention) of the fine earth (less than 2 mm) fraction of the soil of less than 0.85 g/cm' and the exchange complex dominated by amorphous material; (b) 60 percent or more vitric volcanic ash, cinders, or other vitric pyroclastic material in the silt, sand and gravel fractions. |
Mollic Andosols (Tm) | Andosols having a mollic A horizon |
Humic Andosols (Th) | Other Andosols having an umbric A horizon |
Ochric Andosols (To) | Other Andosols having a smeary consistence and/or having a texture which is silt loam or finer on the weighted average for all horizons within 100 cm of the surface |
Vitric Andosols (Tv) | Other Andosols |
ARENOSOLS (Q)
Soils of coarse texture consisting of albic material occurring over a depth of at least 50 cm from the surface, or showing characteristics of argillic, cambic or oxic B horizons which, however, do not qualify as diagnostic horizons because of the textural requirements; having no diagnostic horizons other than (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material) an ochric A horizon. |
Albic Arenosols (Qa) | Arenosols consisting of albic material |
Luvic Arenosols (Q1) | Other Arenosols showing lamellae of day accumulation |
Ferralic Arenosols (Qf) | Other Arenosols showing ferralic properties |
Cambic Arenosols (Qe) | Other Arenosols |
REGOSOLS (R)
Other soils having no diagnostic horizons or none other than (unless buried by 50 cm or more new material) an ochric A horizon. |
Gelic Regosols (Rx) | Regosols having permafrost within 200 cm of the surface |
Calcaric Regosols (Rc) | Other Regosols which are calcareous at least between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Dystric Regosols (Rd) | Other Regosols having a base saturation (by NH4OAc) of less than 50 percent, at least in some part of the soil between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Eutric Regosols (Re) | Other Regosols |
RANKERS (U)
Other soils having an umbric A horizon which is not more than 25 cm thick; having no other diagnostic horizons (unless buried by 50 cm or more of new material). RENDZINAS (E)
Other soils having a mollic A horizon which contains or immediately overlies calcareous material with a calcium carbonate equivalent of more than 40 percent (when the A horizon contains a high amount of finely divided calcium carbonate the colour requirements of the mollic A horizon may be waived). |
PODZOLS (P)
Other soils having a spodic B horizon. |
Placid Podzols (Pp) | Podzols having a thin iron pan in or over the spodic B horizon |
Gleyic Podzols (Pg) | Other Podzols showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface |
Humic Podzols (Ph) | Other Podzols having a B horizon in which a subhorizon contains dispersed organic matter and lacks sufficient free iron to turn redder on ignition |
Ferric Podzols (Pf) | Other Podzols in which the ratio of percentage of free iron to percentage of carbon is 6 or more in all subhorizons of the B horizon |
Leptic Podzols (Pl) | Other Podzols lacking or having only a thin (2 cm or less) and discontinuous albic E horizon; lacking a subhorizon within the B horizon which is visibly more enriched with carbon |
Orthic Podzols (Po) | Other Podzols |
FERRALSOLS (F)
Other soils having an oxic B horizon. | Plinthic Ferrasols (Fp) | Ferrasols having plinthite within 125 cm of the surface | Humic Ferrasols (Fh) | Other Ferralsols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least a part of the B horizon within 100 cm of the surface; having an umbric A horizon or a high organic matter content in the B horizon, or both | Acric Ferrasols (Fa) | Other Ferralsols having a cation exchange capacity (from NH4C1) of 1.5 me or less per 100 g of clay in at least some part of the B horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Rhodic Ferrasols (Fr) | Other Ferralsols having a red to dusky red B horizon (rubbed soil has hues redder than 5YR with a moist value of less than 4 and a dry value not more than one unit higher than the moist value) | Xanthic Ferrasols (Fx) | Other Ferralsols having a yellow to pale yellow B horizon (rubbed soil has hues of 7.5YR or yellower with a moist value of 4 or more and a moist . chroma of 5 or more) | Orthic Ferrasols (Fo) | Other Ferralsols | |
PLANOSOLS (W)
Other soils having an albic E horizon overlying a slowly permeable horizon (for example, an argillic or natric B horizon showing an abrupt textural change, a heavy clay, a fragipan) within 125 cm of the surface; showing hydromorphic properties at least in a part of the E horizon. | Gelic Planosols (Wx) | Planosols having permafrost within 200 cm of the surface | Solodic Planosols (Ws) | Other Planosols having more than 6 percent sodium in the exchange complex of the slowly permeable horizon | Mollic Planosols (Wm) | Other Planosols having a mollic A horizon or a eutric histic H horizon | Humic Planosols (Wh) | Other Planosols having an umbric A horizon or a dystric histic H horizon | Dystric Planosols (Wd) | Other Planosols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least a part of the slowly permeable horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Eutric Planosols (We) | Other Planosols |
SOLONETZ (S)
Other soils having a natric B horizon. | Gleyic Solonetz (Sg) | Solonetz showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface | Mollic Solonetz (Sm) | Other Solonetz having a mollic A horizon | Orthic Solonetz (So) | Other Solonetz | |
GREYZEMS (N)
Other soils having a mollic A horizon with a moist chroma of 2 or less to a depth of at least IS cm, showing bleached coatings on structural ped surfaces. | Glevic Greyzems (Mg) | Greyzems showing hydromorphic properties within 5 cm of the surface | Orthic Greyzems (Mo) | Other Greyzems | |
CHERNOZEMS (C)
Other soils having a mollic A horizon with a moist chroma of 2 or less to a depth of at least IS cm; having one or more of the following: a calcic or a gypsic horizon, or concentrations of soft powdery lime within 125 cm of the surface when the weighted average textural class is coarse, within 90 cm for medium textures, within 75 cm for fine textures. | Luvic Chernozems (Cl) | Chernozems having an argillic B horizon; a calcic or gypsic horizon may underlie the B horizon | Glossic Chernozems (Cg) | Other Chernozems showing tonguing of the A horizon into a cambic B or into a C horizon | Calcic Chernozems (Ck) | Other Chernozems having a calcic or a gyspsic horizon | Haplic Chernozems (Ch) | Other Chernozems | |
KASTANOZEMS (K)
Other soils having a mollic A horizon with a moist chroma of more than 2 to a depth of at least 15 cm. having one or more of the following: a calcic or gypsic horizon, or concentrations of soft powdery lime within 125 cm of the surface when the weighted average textural class is coarse, within 90 cm for medium textures, within 75 cm for fine textures. | Luvic Kastanozems (Kl) | Kastanozems having an argillic B horizon; a calcic horizon may underlie the B horizon | Calcic Kastanozems (Kk) | Other Kastanozems having a calcic or gypsic horizon | Haplic Kastanozems (Kh) | Other Kastanozems | |
PHAEOZEMS (H)
Other soils having a mollic A horizon. | Glevic Phaeozems (Hg) | Phaeozems, having an argillic B horizon, showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface | Luvic Phaeozems (Hl) | Other Phaeozems having an argillic B horizon | Calcaric Phaeozems (Hc) | Other Phaeozems being calcareous at least between 20 and 50 cm from the surface | Haplic Phaeozems (Hh) | Other Phaeorzems | |
PODZOLUVISOLS (D)
Other soils having an argillic B horizon showing an irregular or broken upper boundary resulting from deep tonguing of the E into the B horizon or from the formation of discrete nodules (ranging from 2 to 5 cm up to 30 cm in diameter) the exteriors of which are enriched and weakly cemented or indurated with iron and having redder hues and stronger chromas than the interiors. | Gleyic Podzoluvisols (Dg) | Podzoluvisols showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface | Dystric Podzoluvisols (Dd) | Other Podzoluvisols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least a part of the B horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Eutric Podzoluvisols (De) | Other Podzoluvisols | |
XEROSOLS (X)
Other soils having a weak ochric A horizon and an aridic moisture regime; lacking permafrost within 200 cm of the surface. | Luvic Xerosols (Xl) | Xerosols having an argillic B horizon; a calcic or gypsic horizon may underlie the B horizon | Gypsic Xerosols (Xg) | Other Xerosols having a gypsic horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Calcic Xerosols (Xk) | Other Xerosols having a calcic horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Haplic Xerosols (Xh) | Other Xerosols |
YERMOSOLS (Y)
Other soils having a very weak ochric A horizon and an aridic moisture regime; lacking permafrost within 200 cm of the surface. | Takyric Yermosols (Yt) | Yermosols showing takyric features | Luvic Yermosols (Yl) | Other Yermosols having an argillic B horizon; a calcic or gypsic horizon may underlie the B horizon | Gypsic Yermosols (Yy) | Other Yermosols having a gypsic horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Calcic Yermosols (Yk) | Other Yermosols having a calcic horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Haplic Yermosols (Yh) | Other Yermosols |
NITOSOLS (N)
Other soils having an argillic B horizon with a clay distribution where the percentage of clay does not decrease from its maximum amount by as much as 20 percent within 150 cm of the surface; lacking plinthite within 125 cm of the surface; lacking vertic and ferric properties. | Humic Nitosols (Nh) | Nitosols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least a part of the B horizon within 125 cm of the surface; having an umbric A horizon or a high organic matter content in the B horizon, or both | Dystric Nitosols (Nd) | Other Nitosols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least a part of the B horizon within 125 cm of the surface | Eutric Nitosols (Ne) | Other Nitosols | |
ACRISOLS (A)
Other soils having an argillic B horizon; having a base saturation which is less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) in at least some part of the B horizon within 125 cm of the surface. | Plinthic Acrisols (Ap) | Acrisols having plinthite within 125 cm of the surface | Gleyic Acrisols (Ag) | Other Acrisols showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface | Humic Acrisols (Ah) | Other Acrisols having an umbric A horizon or a high organic matter content in the B horizon, or both | Ferric Acrisols (Af) | Other Acrisols showing ferric properties | Orthic Acrisols (Ao) | Other Acrisols |
LUVISOLS (L)
Other soils having an argillic B horizon. | Plinthic Luvisols (Lp) | Luvisols having plinthite within 125 cm of the surface | Gleyic Luvisols (Lg) | Other Luvisols showing hydromorphic properties within 50 cm of the surface | Albic Luvisols (La) | Other Luvisols having an albic E horizon | Vertic Luvisols (Lv) | Other Luvisols showing vertic properties | Calcic Luvisols (Lk) | Other Luvisols having a calcic horizon or concentrations of soft powdery lime within 125 cm of the surface when the weighted average textural class is coarse, within 90 cm for medium textures, within 75 cm for fine textures | Ferric Luvisols (Lf) | Other Luvisols showing ferric properties | Chromic Luvisols (Lc) | Other Luvisols having a strong brown to red B horizon (rubbed soil has a hue of 7,5YR and a chroma of more than 4, or a hue redder than 7,5YR) | Orthic Luvisols (Lo) | Other Luvisols | |
CAMBISOLS (B)
Other soils having a cambic B horizon or an umbric A horizon which is more than 25 cm thick. |
Gelic Cambisols ( Bx) | Cambisols having permafrost within 200 cm of the surface |
Gleyic Cambisols (Bg) | Other Cambisols showing hydromorphic properties within 100 cm of the surface |
Vertic Cambisols (Bv) | Other Cambisols showing vertic properties |
Calcic Cambisols (Bk) | Other Cambisols showing one or more of the following: a calcic horizon or a gypsic horizon or concentrations of soft powdery lime within 125 cm of the surface when the weighted average textural class is coarse, within 90 cm for medium textures, within 75 cm for fine textures; calcareous at least between 20 and 50 cm from the surface |
Humic Cambisols (Bh) | Other Cambisols having an umbric A horizon which is thicker than 25 cm when a cambic B horizon is lacking |
Ferralic Cambisols (Bf) | Other Cambisols having a cambic B horizon with ferralic properties |
Dystric Cambisols (Bd) | Other Cambisols having a base saturation of less than 50 percent (by NH4OAc) at least in some part of the B horizon |
Chromic Cambisols (Be) | Other Cambisols which have a strong brown to red B horizon (rubbed soil has a hue of 7.5YR and a chroma of more than 4, or a hue redder than 7.5YR) |
Eutric Cambisols (Be) | Other Cambisols |
