Welcome to our educational journey through the fascinating world of soil classification and characteristics.
Soil, the foundation of Earth's biodiversity, is as complex as it is crucial for life.
World Reference base for soil resources 1998 definition, soil being defined as:' a continuous natural body which has three spatial and one temporal dimension'.
The three main features governing soil are: Mineral and organic constituents evolvement genesis that includes solid, liquid and gaseous phases.The constituents being arranged in structures, specific for the pedological medium.
These structures constitute the morphological aspect of soil cover, akin to the anatomy of a living being. They result from the history of the soil cover and from its actual dynamics and properties.
Study of the structures of the soil cover facilitates perception of the physical, chemical and biological properties; it permits understanding the past and present of the soil and predicting its future.
The soil is in constant evolution, thus giving the soil its fourth dimension, time.
Thirty two are reference group soil adding other two total being thirty four namely Acrisols, Alisols, Andosols, Arenosols, Anthrosols, Chernozems, Calcisols, Cambisols, Cryosols, Durisols, Fluvisols, Ferralsols, Gleysols, Gypsisols, Histosols, Kastanozems, Leptosols, Luvisols, Lixisols,
Nitisols, Phaeozems, Planosols, Plinthosols, Podzols, Regosols, Retisols, Solonchaks, Solonetz, Stagnosols, Technosols with significant artefacts, Umbrisols, Vertisols, Small Islands, Open Island water.
Technosols being urban soil as having significant amounts of artefacts that is, human-made, altered or excavated, consisting of sand, silt, clay weight% 41, 42, 17 respectively
Cambisols as moderately developed having sand, silt, clay constituent weight% 40, 40, 20 respectively.
Fluvisol being stratified fluviatile, marine or lacustrine sediments of the stream region soil group having sand, silt, clay weight% 39, 40, 21 respectively.
Luvisols being High-activity clays, high base status with sand, silt, clay weight% as 41, 42, 17 respectively.
Lixisols are Low-activity clays, high base status representing the southernmost plateau region having red sandy soil having sand, silt, clay% weight 56, 22, 22 respectively.
To deepen your understanding of these vital earth components, consider surfing world reference base by International Union of soil sciences.
