FAO-UNESCO Soil Map of the World, 1:5000000 Vol. 1. Legend
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FAO-Unesco Soilmap of the world Volume I Legend FAO-Unesco Soil map of the world 1: 5 000 000 Volume I Legend FAO-Unesco Soil map of the world Volume I Legend Volume II North America Volume III Mexico and Central America Volume IV South America Volume V Europe Volume VI Africa Volume VII South Asia Volutne VIII North and Central Asia Volume IX Southeast Asia Volume X Australasia FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS NHCO UNILLD NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION FAO-Unesco Soilmap of the world 1: 5 000 000 Volume I Legend Prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Unesco-Paris 1974 Printed by Tipolitografia F. Failli, Rome for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Published in 1974 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris (I) FAO/Unesco 1974 Printed in Italy ISBN 92 - 3- 101125 - 1 PREFACE The project for a joint FAo/Unesco Soil Map of the The present volume is the first of a set of ten which, World was undertaken following a recommendation with maps, make up the complete publication of of the International Society of Soil Science.It is the Soil Map of the World.This first volume re- the first attempt to prepare, on the basis of interna- cords introductory information and presents the defi- tional cooperation, a soil map covering all the conti- nitions of th.e elements of the legend which is used nents of the world in a uniform legend, thus enabling uniformly throughout the publication.Each of the the correlation of soii units and the comparison of nine following volumescontainsanexplanatory soils on a global scale.The project, which started text and soil maps covering one of the main regions in 1961, fills a gap in present knowledge of soils and of the world. soil potentialities throughout the world, and provides FAO and Unesco wish to express their gratitude a useful instrument in planning agricultural and eco- tothe government institutions,theInternational nomic development. Society of Soil Science, and the many individual soil The project has been carried out under th.e scien- scientists who have contributed to this international tific authority of an international advisory panel, project.Acknowledgement is made in the relevant withinthe framework of FAO and Unesco pro- volumes of the assistance received in each main grammes. The different stages of the work included region. comparative studies of soil maps, field and labora- The designations employed and the presentation tory work, and the organization of international ex- of the material in this publication do not imply pert meetings and study tours.The secretariat of the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part the joint project, located at FAO Headquarters, was of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the vested with the responsibility of compiling the tech- United Nations or the United Nations Educational, nical information, correlating the studies, and draft- Scientific and Cultural Organization concerning the ing the maps and texts. FAO and Unesco shared the legal or constitutional status of any country, terri- expenses involved in the realization of the project, tory or sea area or concerning the delimitation of and Unesco undertook publication of the results. frontiers. CONTENTS Preface y 3.The soil units 10 Nomenclature and correlation 11 Introduction 1 Soil horizon designations 20 Diagnostic horizons 23 The map 3 Diagnostic properties 27 Definitions of soil units 32 Sources of information 3 Topographic base 3 Key to the soil units 43 Sheet distribution 4 Map units 4 References 55 Cartographic representation 8 Explanatory texts 9 Index 57 vii 1. INTRODUCTION History of the project Itnmediately upon the start of the project, FAO and Unesco convened an Advisory Panel, composed Following consultations which took place on the of eminent soil scientists from various parts of the occasion of the Sixth Congress of the International world, to study the scientific and methodological Society of Soil Science (isss) in Paris in 1956, it was problems relative to the preparation of a soil map decided that Commission V would give special atten- of the world. 2 tion to developing the classification and correlation At its first meeting, held in Rome in June 1961, of the soils of great regions of the world.In conse- the Advisory Panet laid the basis for the preparation quence, soil maps covering Africa, Australia, Asia, of an international legend, tb.e organization of field Europe, South America and North America at correlation, and the selection of the scale of the scales ranging from 1: 5 000 000 to 1: 10 000 000 map and of its topographic base.The Panel met were presented at the Seventh Congress of the successively at Rome in July 1963, at Paris in Jan- Society held at Madison, Wisconsin, United States, uary 1964, at Rome in May 1964, at Moscow in in 1960.This Congress recommended that ways August 1966, and at Rome in January 1970. A and means be found to publish these maps, which first draft of definitions of soil units and of a corre- reflected a vast amount of knowledge accumulated lation table were presented to the Eighth Congress in different parts of the world on the properties of of the International Society of Soil Science held soils and on their distribution.However, it was at Bucharest in 1964.At the Advisory Panel meet- soon apparent that nomenclature, survey methods, ing held at Moscow in 1966 a general agreement legends and systems of classification varied widely was reached on the principles for constructing the and that comparisons were difficult. international legend, on the preparation of the defini- In response to the recommendation of the Con- tions of soil units, and on the adoption of a unified gress, and recognizing the need for an integrated nornenclature.It was on this basis that the first knowledge of the soils of the world, FAO and Unesco agreed in 1961 to prepare jointly a Soil Map of the 2 The participants inthisfirst meeting of the Advisory World in association with the Internationa/ Society Panelwere:G. Aubert(France),M. Camargo(Brazil), J. D'Hoore (Belgium), E.V. Lobova (U.S.S.R.), S.P. Raychaud- of Soil Science.This map was planned to be at huri (India), G.D. Smith (United States), C.G. Stephens (Aus- a scale of 1: 5 000 000 and based on the compilation tralia), R. Tavernier (Belgium), N.H. Taylor (New Zealand), of available soil survey material and on field corre- I.V.Tiurin (U.S.S.R.), F.A. Van Baren (Netherlands). V.A. Kovda and M. Batisse represented Unesco; D. Luis Bramao, lation. Dudal and F. George participated for FAO. The secretariat of the joint project was located In addition to those who participated in the first meeting at FAO Headquarters in Rome.'It was responsible of the Advisory Panel, the following, soil scientists took part in successive panel meetings or acted as hosts to regional soil for collecting and compiling the technical informa- correlation activities: F.H. Altaie (Iraq), L.J. Bartelli (United tion, undertaking the necessary soil correlation, and States), M. Brambila (Mexico), D.A. C,appannini (Argentina), F. Carlisle (United States), N. Cernescu (Romania), J.S. Clay- preparing maps and explanatory texts in cooperation ton (Canada), R. Costa Lemos (Brazil), W.A. Ehrlich (Canada), with soil scientists from different countries. P. Etchevehere (Argentina), G. Flores Mata (Mexico), F. Four- nier(France),V.M. Fridland(U.S.S.R.),I.P. Gerasimov On behalf of FAo and Unesco the coordination of the proj- (U.S.S.R.), J. K. Gitau (Kenya), S.V. Govinda Rajan (India), ect was assured by D. Luis Bramo (1961-68), L.D. Swin- E.G. Hallsworth (Australia), W.M. Johnson (United States), dale (1968-70) and R. Dudal (from 1970).The Unesco secre- Ch. E. Kellogg (United States), A. Leahey (Canada), D. Mul- tariat for the project was composed of V.A. Kovda, M. Batisse jadi (Indonesia), S.Muturi (Kenya), H.B. Obeng (Ghana), and S. Evteev.Officers who were closely associated with the M. Ohmasa (Japan), M. Oyama (Japan), R. Pacheco (Ecuador), work of the FAO and Unesco secretariats were: O. Franzle and Pereira-Barreto(Senegal),K.A. Quagraine(Ghana), K. Lange in Unesco; K.J. Beek, J. Bennema, M.J. Gardiner, B.G. Rosanov (U.S.S.R.), R.B. Tamhane (India). R.B. Miller, A.J. Pécrot, J. Riquier, A.J. Smyth, J.V.H. Van Scientists who were associated with the project for most Baten and A.C.S. Wright in FAO.General soil correlation of its duration are listed on the legendsheet asscientific was entrusted to R. Dudal. advisors. draft of the Soil Map of the World was prepared Serve as a basic document for educational, re- and presented to the Ninth Congress of the Inter- search, and development activities. national Society of Soil Science held at Adelaide in Strengthen intemational contacts in the field of 1968.This Congress approved the outline of the soil science. legend, the definitions of soil units, and the nomen- clature.In accordance with the recommendation of Quantitative and qualitative appraisals of soil re- this Congress that the Soil Map of the World be sources on a global basis have engaged the minds of published at the earliest possible date, the first sheets soilscientists from the beginning of the century. were printed in 1970. Estimates of land reserves have been made in terms Successive drafts of regional soil maps and legends of major soil groups, but the figures compiled from were prepared from a compilation of existing mate- different sources varied widely.Such a variation rial combined with systematic field correlation, to in estimates reflects the problems which arise over ensure consistent interpretation of the international the consistent interpretation of available source ma- legend.Major soil correlation activities were under- terial, problems which have been given special at- taken in South America (1962,1963,1964,1965, tention in the preparation of the Soil Map of the 1966), Mexico and Central America (1965, 1967), World.