The Canadian System of Soil Classification

Table of Contents

• Title page 1
• Copyright 2
• Publishing dates 3
• Contents 5
• Prefaces 11
• Chapter 1 Introduction 15
• History of Soil Classification in Canada 15
• The early years, 1914-1940 15
• From 1940 to 1996 16
• Rationale of Soil Taxonomy in Canada 19
• The nature of soil 19
• Nature and purpose of soil classification 19
• Misconceptions about soil taxonomy 19
• Attributes of the Canadian system 20
• Bases of criteria for defining taxa at various categorical levels 21
• Relationship of taxonomic classes to environments 21
• Relationship of the Canadian system to other systems of soil taxonomy 22
• Summary 22
• Chapter 2 Soil, Pedon, Control Section, and Soil Horizons 23
• Soil and Nonsoil 23
• Pedon, the Basic Unit of Soil 23
• Control Section 25
• Mineral soils 25
• Organic soils 25
• Soil Horizons and Other Layers 25
• Mineral horizons and layers 26
• Lowercase suffixes 26
• Named diagnostic horizons and layers of mineral soils 30
• Organic horizons 31
• Named layers and materials of Organic soils 33
• Tests for distinguishing organic layers 34
• von Post scale of decomposition 34
• Rules concerning horizon and layer designations 35
• Need for precise definitions of horizons and layers 36
• Chapter 3 Outline of the System and a Key to the Classification of a Pedon 37
• Outline of the System 37
• Classifying a Pedon 47
• Key to Soil Orders 47
• Key to Soil Great Groups 49
• Key to Soil Subgroups 51
• Chapter 4 Brunisolic Order 67
• Distinguishing Brunisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 68
• Melanic Brunisol 69
• Eutric Brunisol 70
• Sombric Brunisol 71
• Dystric Brunisol 72
• Chapter 5 Chernozemic Order 75
• Distinguishing Chernozemic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 76
• Brown Chernozem 77
• Dark Brown Chernozem 80
• Black Chernozem 82
• Dark Gray Chernozem 83
• Chapter 6 Cryosolic Order 87
• Turbic Cryosol 88
• Static Cryosol 91
• Organic Cryosol 93
• Chapter 7 Gleysolic Order 95
• Distinguishing Gleysolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 97
• Luvic Gleysol 98
• Humic Gleysol 99
• Gleysol 100
• Chapter 8 Luvisolic Order 103
• Distinguishing Luvisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 105
• Gray Brown Luvisol 105
• Gray Luvisol 107
• Chapter 9 Organic Order 111
• Distinguishing Organic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 113
• Fibrisol 113
• Mesisol 115
• Humisol 116
• Folisol 118
• Chapter 10 Podzolic Order 121
• Distinguishing Podzolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 123
• Humic Podzol 124
• Ferro-Humic Podzol 126
• Humo-Ferric Podzol 128
• Chapter 11 Regosolic Order 131
• Distinguishing Regosolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 131
• Regosol 132
• Humic Regosol 133
• Chapter 12 Solonetzic Order 135
• Distinguishing Solonetzic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 137
• Solonetz 137
• Solodized Solonetz 138
• Solod 140
• Vertic Solonetz 142
• Chapter 13 Vertisolic Order 145
• Distinguishing Vertisolic Soils from Soils of Other Orders 146
• Vertisol 146
• Humic Vertisol 147
• Chapter 14 Soil Family and Series 149
• Family Criteria and Guidelines for Mineral Soils 150
• Family Criteria and Guidelines for Organic Soils 155
• Nomenclature for Soil Families 158
• Soil Series 160
• Chapter 15 Soil Phase 163
• Slope 163
• Water Erosion 163
• Wind Erosion 163
• Soil Deposition 164
• Stoniness 164
• Rock Outcrop 164
• Folic 165
• Peaty 165
• Cryic 165
• Cryoturbated 165
• Other Differentiae 165
• Chapter 16 - Correlation of Canadian Soil Taxonomy with Other Systems 167
• Chapter 17 - Terminology for Describing Soils 171
• Example of a Pedon Description 172
• Chapter 18 Landform Classification 175
• History 175
• Scope 175
• Objectives 176
• Genetic Materials 176
• Material Modifiers 178
• Surface Expression 179
• Slope 188
• Modifying Processes 188
• Qualifying Descriptors 189
• Mapping Conventions 190
• References 193
• Index 197