The Canadian System of Soi1 Classification Soi1 Classification Working Group Research Branch Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada K?Ocnac Publication 1646 NRC Research Press Third Edition 1998 Ottawa 1998 0 1998 National Research Council of Canada Al1 rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario KlA OR6, Canada. Printed in Canada on acid-free paper ISBN o-660-17404-9 NRC No. 41647 Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Canada. Soi1 Classification Working Group The Canadian system of soi1 classification 3rd ed. “Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Publication” Issued by the National Research Council of Canada. Includes bibliographical references and an index. “The changes incorporated in this current publication are based on the work of the Soi1 Classification Working Group formerly of the Expert Committee on Soi1 Survey...” Bref. ISBN o-660-17404-9 1. Soils - Canada - Classification. 2. Soils - Classification. 1. Canada. Agriculture Canada. Research Branch. II. National Research Council of Canada. III. Title. 5599.X54 1998 631.44’0971 C98-980032-6 NRC Monograph Publishing Program Editor: R.H. Haynes, OC, FRSC (York University) Editorial Board: W.G.E. Caldwell, FRSC (University of Western Ontario); P.B. Cavers (University of Western Ontario); G. Herzberg, CC, FRS, FRSC (NRC, Steacie Institute of Molecular Sciences); K.U. Ingold, OC, FRS, FRSC (NRC, Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences); W. Kaufmann (Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Annual Reviews Inc., Palo Alto, CA); M. Lecours (Université Laval); W.H. Lewis (Washington University); L.P. Milligan, FRSC (University of Guelph); G.G.E. Scudder, FRSC (University of British Columbia); E.W. Taylor, FRS (University of Chicago); B.P. Dancik, Edifor-in-Chef, NRC Research Press (University of Alberta) Inquiries: Monograph Publishing Program, NRC Research Press, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario KlA OR6, Canada. ii First published in 1974 under title A Sysfem of SoiI Classification for Canada, Agric. Can. Publ. 1455. Superseded in 1978 by The Canadian System of Soil Clnssificafion, Agric. Can. Publ. 1646. Second edition 1987, The Canadian System of Soi1 Classification, Agric. Can. Publ. 1646. Third edition 1998, correct citation as follows: Soi1 Classification Working Group. 1998. The Canadian Sysfem of SoiI Classification. Agric. and Agri-Food Can. Publ. 1646 (Revised). 187 pp. 111 iv Contents Prefaces ....................................................... ..x i Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................... 1 History of Soi1 Classification in Canada .................................. 1 The early years, 1914-1940 ........................................ 1 From 1940 to 1996 .............................................. 2 Rationale of Soi1 Taxonomy in Canada ................................... 5 5 The nature of soi1 .............................................. Nature and purpose of soi1 classification ............................... 5 Misconceptions about soi1 taxonomy .................................. 5 Attributes of the Canadian system ................................... 6 Bases of criteria for defining taxa at various categorical levels ................. 7 Relationship of taxonomie classes to environments ........................ 7 Relationship of the Canadian system to other systems of soi1 taxonomy .......... 8 Summary ...................................................... 8 Chapter 2 Soil, Pedon, Control Section, and Soi1 Horizons ........................ 9 Soi1 and Nonsoil ................................................. 9 Pedon, the Basic Unit of Soi1 ......................................... 9 Control Section ................................................. .ll Minera1 soils ................................................ .11 Organic soils ................................................ .11 Soi1 Horizons and Other Layers ...................................... .11 Minera1 horizons and layers ...................................... .12 Lowercase suffixes ............................................ .12 Named diagnostic horizons and layers of minera1 soils .16 Organic horizons .... .. .. ..... .17 Named layers and materials of Organic soils .19 Tests for distinguishing organic layers .... ............. ..............................................................................................20 von Post scale of decomposition ................................... .20 Rules concerning horizon and layer designations ........................ .21 Need for precise definitions of horizons and layers ....................... .22 Chapter 3 Outline of the System and a Key to the Classification of a Pedon ............ .23 Outline of the System ............................................. .23 Classifying a Pedon .............................................. .33 Key to Soi1 Orders ............................................... .33 Key to Soi1 Great Groups ........................................... .35 Key to Soi1 Subgroups ............................................. .37 Chapter 4 Brunisolic Order ........................................... .53 Distinguishing Brunisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ..................... .54 Melanic Brunisol ................................................ .55 Eutric Brunisol ................................................. .56 Sombric Brunisol ................................................ .57 Dystric Brunisol. ................................................ .58 V Chapter 5 Chernozemic Order ........................................ .61 Distinguishing Chernozemic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ................. .62 BrownChernozem .............................................. .63 Dark Brown Chernozem .......................................... .66 Black Chernozem ............................................... .68 Dark Gray Chernozem ........................................... .69 Chapter 6 Cryosolic Order ............................................ .73 Turbic Cryosol ................................................... .74 Static Cryosol .................................................. .77 Organic Cryosol ................................................. .79 Chapter 7 Gleysolic Order ............................................ .81 Distinguishing Gleysolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ..................... .83 Luvic Gleysol .................................................. .84 Humic Gleysol .................................................. .85 Gleysol ..................................................... ..8 6 Chapter 8 Luvisolic Order ............................................ .89 Distinguishing Luvisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ..................... .91 Gray Brown Luvisol .............................................. .91 Gray Luvisol ................................................... .93 Chapter 9 Organic Order ............................................ .97 Distinguishing Organic Soils from Soils of Other Orders .................... .99 Fibrisol .................................................... ..9 9 Mesisol .................................................... .lOl Humisol.................................................... .102 Folisol ..................................................... .104 Chapter 10 Podzolic Order ............................................ 107 Distinguishing Podzolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ...................... 109 Humic Podzol .................................................. 110 Ferro-Humic Podzol .............................................. 112 Humo-Ferric Podzol .............................................. 114 Chapter 11 Regosolic Order ......................................... 117 Distinguishing Regosolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders ................... 117 Regosol .................................................... 118 Humic Regosol ............................................... 119 Chapter 12 Solonetzic Order ........................................... 121 Distinguishing Solonetzic Soils from Soils of Other Orders .................... 123 Solonetz......................................................12 3 Solodized Solonetz ............................................... 124 Solod..........;.............................................l2 6 Vertic Solonetz ................................................. 128 Chapter 13 Vertisolic Order .......................................... 131 Distinguishing Vertisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders .................... 132 Vertisol ..................................................... 132 Humic Vertisol ................................................ 133 vi Chapter 14 Soi1 Family and Series ....................................... 135 Family Criteria and Guidelines for Minera1 Soils ........................... 136 Family Criteria and Guidelines for Organic Soils ........................... 141 Nomenclature for Soi1 Families ....................................... 144 SoilSeries.....................................................14 6 Chapter 15 Soi1 Phase .............................................. .149 Slope ...................................................... ..14 9 Water Erosion .................................................. 149 Wind Erosion .................................................. 149 Soi1 Deposition ................................................