Soil Classification – Agriculture Dictionary

Soil Classification

Soil classification is the systematic categorization of soils based on their properties, characteristics, and genesis, providing a framework for understanding soil diversity, variability, and management in agricultural and environmental contexts.

Definition:

Soil classification is the process of organizing soils into hierarchical categories or taxonomic units, utilizing criteria such as soil texture, structure, color, parent material, and diagnostic horizons to differentiate and classify soil types.

Soil Taxonomy:

1. Order: The highest taxonomic level in soil classification, representing broad soil groups based on major soil-forming processes, such as Entisols, Inceptisols, Andisols, etc.
2. Suborder: Subdivisions within soil orders, reflecting variations in soil properties, climate, vegetation, and landscape characteristics, providing more detailed classification.
3. Great Group: Further subdivisions within soil suborders, emphasizing specific soil properties, horizons, or diagnostic features that differentiate soil types within the same suborder.
4. Subgroup: Additional subdivisions within soil great groups, focusing on finer distinctions in soil properties, parent material, land use, and management implications.
5. Family: The most detailed level of soil classification, representing specific soil series or types distinguished by unique combinations of properties, horizons, and characteristics.

Soil Mapping and Survey:

1. Soil Mapping: The process of delineating and representing soil types, boundaries, and properties on maps or spatial databases, utilizing aerial photography, remote sensing, and field surveys to assess soil distribution and variability.
2. Soil Survey: Systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of soil data to generate soil maps, reports, and databases for land use planning, resource management, and agricultural decision-making.

Importance of Soil Classification:

1. Land Use Planning: Soil classification provides essential information for land use planning, site suitability assessment, and agricultural zoning, guiding decisions regarding crop selection, irrigation, drainage, and land management practices.
2. Soil Management: Understanding soil types and properties enables tailored management strategies, such as soil conservation, erosion control, fertility management, and precision agriculture techniques, to optimize soil health and productivity.
3. Environmental Assessment: Soil classification informs environmental impact assessments, soil conservation programs, and habitat restoration efforts by identifying sensitive areas, erosion-prone soils, and ecosystems requiring protection or restoration.
4. Research and Education: Soil classification serves as a framework for soil science research, education, and communication, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration, data exchange, and knowledge dissemination among scientists, educators, and stakeholders.
5. Policy Development: Soil classification informs agricultural policies, regulations, and incentives aimed at promoting sustainable land use, soil conservation, carbon sequestration, and ecosystem services, contributing to environmental sustainability and food security.

References:

1. United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Soil Taxonomy. Retrieved from https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/soils/health/classification/
2. Soil Science Society of America. (2021). Soil Classification: Principles and Applications. Retrieved from https://www.soils.org/discover-soils/soil-basics/soil-classification
3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2014). World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2014: International Soil Classification System for Naming Soils and Creating Legends for Soil Maps. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/i3794en/I3794en.pdf

Originally posted 2019-08-13 14:27:37.