World Reference Base for Soil

Resources – Introduction

Mrs. Leushantha Mudaly

 Introduction
▪ Many classification systems have been developed over the years –
different views on soil formation & opinions on criteria for classification.
▪ Soil properties used as differentiating criteria.
▪ The IUSS adopted the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB)
for soil correlation.
▪ Structure, concepts and definitions are strongly influenced by the FAO-
Unesco 1:5 000 000 Soil Map of the World (taken from diagnostic
horizons and properties approach of USDA Soil Taxonomy).
▪ Initially, WRB proposed 30 reference soil groups (RSGs) (32 now).
 Introduction
▪ WRB provides a global language for classification - framework to
harmonize ongoing soil classification.
▪ Objective – international agreement on the major soil groups to be
recognized globally & criteria & methodology to define & separate
them.
▪ This facilitates info & knowledge exchange, provides a common
scientific language, strengthens soil science applications, & enhances
comms. with other disciplines.
 Elements of WRB – Diagnostic
horizons, properties & materials
▪ Taxonomic units of WRB are measurable & observable ‘Diagnostic
horizons’ - basic identifiers in soil classification.
▪ These are defined by ‘soil properties’ &/or ‘soil materials’.
▪ Diagnostic horizons, properties and materials are used by the WRB to
differentiate between reference soil groups (RSGs).

Google images
 Table 1 – Samples description of
diagnostic horizons in WRB
Surface horizons and subsurface horizons at shallow depth
Anthropogenic horizons Result from long-continued
‘anthropedogenic processes’, deep
working, intensive fertilization, addition
of earthy materials, irrigation/wet
cultivations
Histic horizon (Peaty) surface horizon/ shallow
subsurface horizon consisting of organic
soil material
Umbric horizon Well-structured, dark surface horizon with
low base saturation and moderate to high
organic matter content
Yermic horizon Rock fragments (‘desert pavement’)
usually embedded in a vesicular crust &
covered by a thin Aeolian sand/ loess
layer
 Table 1 – Samples description of
diagnostic horizons in WRB
Subsurface horizons
Cryic horizon Perennially frozen horizon in mineral or organic soil
materials.
Duric horizon Horizon with weakly cemented to indurated
(hardened) nodules cemented by silica (SiO2)
known as ‘durinodes’.

Fragic horizon Dense, non-cemented subsurface horizon that can

be penetrated only by roots & water along natural
cracks & streaks

Vertic horizon Rich in expanding clays & has polished & grooved
ped surfaces (‘slickensides’) or ‘wedge-shaped’ or
parallelpiped structural aggregates formed upon
repeated swelling & shrinking
 Table 2 – Descriptive summary of
some diagnostic properties
Descriptive summary of some diagnostic properties
Albeluvic *Tonguing iron-depleted material penetrating
into an argic horizon along ped surfaces

Alic properties Very acid soil material with a high level of

exchangeable aluminium
Permafrost Indicates that the soil temperature is perennially
at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive
years
Stagnic properties Visible evidence of prolonged waterlogging by a
perched water table
Table 2 – Descriptive summary of
some diagnostic properties
 Table 3 – Descriptive summary of
some diagnostic materials
Descriptive summary of some diagnostic materials
Anthropogenic soil Unconsolidated mineral or organic material
material produced largely by human activities and not
significantly altered by pedogenetic processes

Organic soil material Organic debris, which accumulates at the

surface and in which the mineral component
does not significantly influence soil properties

Sulfidic soil material Waterlogged deposit containing sulphur,

mostly sulphides, and not more than moderate
amounts of calcium carbonate

Tephric soil material Unconsolidated, non or slightly weathered

products of volcanic eruptions, with or without
admixtures of material from other sources
 Two-tier approach in WRB

▪ Two tiers of categorical data:

1. The ‘Reference Base’ limited to the 1st level with 32 reference
soil groups
2. The ‘WRB Classification System’’ has combinations of prefixes
(unique qualifiers) added to the ref groups – allows precise
characterization & classification of individual profiles.
 Acrisols
▪ Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with distinct higher
clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange
capacity of less than 24 cmolc per kg clay in some part, either starting
within 100 cm from the soil surface, or within 200 cm from the soil
surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser
textures throughout. They have a base saturation (total amount of Ca,
Mg, K and Na with respect to the cation exchange capacity) of less
than 50 percent in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil
surface.
 Alisols
▪ Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with distinct higher
clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation exchange
capacity of 24 cmolc per kg clay or more, and which starts either within
100 cm from the soil surface, or within 200 cm from the soil surface if
the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand or coarser textures
throughout. They have "alic" properties (high content of exchangeable
aluminium) in the major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil
surface; moreover, only such diagnostic horizons as an ochric, albic,
andic, ferric, nitic, plinthic, or vertic horizon are present.
 Andosols
▪ Soils with a vitric or andic horizon (slightly to moderately weathered
horizons in pyroclastic deposits dominated by short-range-order
minerals, notably allophane and imogolite) starting within 25 cm from
the soil surface.
 Anthrosols
▪ Soils having either a hortic (dark, high content of organic matter and
P, high animal activity, high base saturation; resulting from long-term
cultivation, fertilization and application of organic residues), irragric
(uniformly textured, at least moderate content of organic matter, high
animal activity; gradually built up by sediment-rich irrigation water),
plaggic (dark, at least moderate content of organic matter, sandy or
loamy; resulting from application of sods and excrements) or terric
(evidence of addition of substantially different material, at least
moderate content of organic matter, high base saturation; resulting
from adding mineral material (with or without organic residues) and
cultivation) horizon 50 cm or more thick, or an anthraquic (surface
horizon that results from wet-field cultivation and comprises a puddled
layer and a plough pan) horizon and an underlying hydragric
(subsurface horizon that results from wet-field cultivation) horizon with
a combined thickness of 50 cm or more.
 Arenosols
▪ Soils with a loamy sand or coarser texture either to a depth of at least
100 cm from the soil surface, or to a (petro-)plinthic (rich in Fe &
sometimes Mn oxides and poor in humus) (petro- cemented by Fe &
Mn oxides) or salic horizon between 50 and 100 cm from the soil
surface. They contain less than 35 percent (by volume) rock fragments
or other coarse fragments within 100 cm from the soil surface
 Calcisols
▪ Soils having a (petro-)calcic horizon (horizon with accumulation of
secondary calcium carbonates). In addition, they have no diagnostic
horizons other than an ochric or cambic horizon, a calcareous argic
horizon, or a gypsic horizon beneath a petrocalcic horizon.
 Cambisols
▪ Soils having either a cambic horizon (a horizon showing evidence of
alteration with respect to the underlying material), or a mollic horizon
(relatively thick, dark-coloured surface horizon with a high base
saturation and a moderate to high content of organic matter) overlying
a subsoil, which has a base saturation of less than 50 percent in some
part within 100 cm from the soil surface, or one of the following
diagnostic horizons within the specified depth:
▪ an andic (short-range-order minerals and/or organo-metallic
complexes), vertic (clay-rich subsurface horizon that, as a result of
shrinking and swelling, has slickensides and wedge-shaped soil
aggregates), or vitric (contain glass from volcanic or industrial origin
and that contain a limited amount of short-range-order minerals or
organo-metallic complexes) horizon starting between 25 and 100 cm;
▪ a (petro-)plinthic or salic (at a shallow depth contains high amounts of
readily soluble salts, i.e. salts more soluble than gypsum) horizon
starting between 50 and 100 cm, in absence of loamy sand or coarser
textures above these horizons.
 Chernozems
▪ Soils having a very dark mollic horizon (thick, brownish or blackish
surface horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and
high base saturation) and secondary carbonates within 50 cm of the
lower limit of the Ah horizon, but within 200 cm from the soil surface.
They have no petrocalcic horizon between 25 and 100 cm from the soil
surface, no secondary gypsum and no uncoated sand and silt grains on
structural pedfaces
 Cryosols
▪ Soils having one or more cryic horizons (horizon with evidence of being
perennially frozen) within 100 cm from the soil surface.
 Durisols
▪ Soils having a (petro-)duric horizon (horizon with accumulation of
secondary silica) within 100 cm from the soil surface.
 Ferralsols
▪ Soils having a ferralic horizon (strongly weathered horizon with low-
activity clays and very low amounts of weatherable minerals) between
25 and 200 cm from the soil surface. They lack a nitic horizon (a
horizon with strongly developed, nut-shaped structure) and do not
have a layer which fulfils the requirements of an argic horizon and
which has, in the upper 30 cm, 10 percent or more water-dispersible
clay.
 Fluvisols
▪ Soils having fluvic soil material starting within 25 cm from the soil
surface and continuing to a depth of at least 50 cm from the soil
surface.
(Fluvic material: fluviatile, marine and lacustrine sediments that receive
fresh material or have received it in the past and still show stratification.
Fluvic material shows only little soil formation after deposition.)
 Gleysols
▪ Soils having gleyic properties (properties associated with prolonged
wetness) within 50 cm from the soil surface.
 Gypsisols
▪ Soils having a (petro-)gypsic horizon (horizon with accumulation of
secondary gypsum) or 15 percent or more gypsum accumulated under
wet conditions.
 Histosols
▪ Soils having a histic or folic horizon (wet or dry organic horizons,
respectively) either 10 cm or more thick if overlying a lithic or paralithic
contact,
or
40 cm or more thick and starting within 30 cm from the soil
surface.
 Kastanozems
▪ Soils having a mollic horizon (deep, dark coloured surface horizon with
a significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation)
and accumulation of secondary calcium carbonate within 100 cm from
the soil surface.
 Leptosols
▪ Soils which are either limited in depth by continuous hard rock within
25 cm from the soil surface, or overly mayerial with a calcium
carbonate equivalent of more than 40 percent within 25 cm from the
soil surface, or contain less than 10 percent (by weight) fine earth
(mineral soil material with a diameter of 2 mm or less) to a depth of 75
cm from the soil surface.
 Lixisols
▪ Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct
higher clay content than the overlying horizon), which has a cation
exchange capacity of less than 24 cmolc per kg clay in some part,
either starting within either:
100 cm from the soil surface,
or
200 cm from the soil surface if the argic horizon is overlain by loamy sand
or coarser textures throughout.
▪ They have a base saturation (total amount of Ca, Mg, K and Na with
respect to the cation exchange capacity) of 50 percent or more in the
major part between 25 and 100 cm from the soil surface.
 Luvisols
▪ Soils having an argic horizon (a subsurface horizon with a distinct
higher clay content than the overlying horizon) with a cation exchange
capacity equal to or more than 24 cmolc per kg clay throughout.
 Nitisols
▪ Soils having a nitic horizon (a horizon with pronounced nut-shaped soil
structure and significant amount of active iron) within 100 cm from the
soil surface, and gradual to diffuse horizon boundaries between the
surface and the underlying horizons. They do not have a ferric, plinthic
or vertic horizon within 100 cm from the soil surface.
 Phaeozems
▪ Soils having:
a mollic horizon (deep, brownish or blackish surface horizon with a
significant accumulation of organic matter and high base saturation);
a base saturation of 50 percent or more between 25 and 100 cm from the
soil surface;
a calcium carbonate-free soil matrix at least to a depth of 100 cm from the
soil surface, or to a contrasting layer between 25 and 100 cm;
 Planosols
▪ Soils having an eluvial horizon, the lower boundary of which is marked.
within 100 cm from the soil surface, by an abrupt textural change
associated with stagnic properties above that boundary. The feature of
albeluvic tonguing, however, is lacking.
 Plinthosols
▪ Soils having either a petroplinthic horizon within 50 cm from the soil
surface, or a plinthic horizon which either starts within 50 cm from the
soil surface, or within 100 cm from the soil surface if it underlies an
albic horizon or a horizon with stagnic properties.
 Podzols
▪ Soils having a spodic horizon (a dark coloured subsurface horizon with
illuvial amorphous alumino-organic substances) within 200 cm from the
soil surface, underlying an albic (light-coloured horizon), histic (consists
of poorly aerated organic material), umbric (relatively thick, dark-
coloured surface horizon with a low base saturation and a moderate to
high content of organic matter) or ochric (light-cloured horizon with
low organic carbon content) horizon, or an anthropedogenic
(originating from human activity) horizon less than 50 cm thick.
 Regosols
▪ Regosols are soils in unconsolidated mineral material of some depth,
excluding coarse textured materials and materials with fluvic
properties, and have no diagnostic horizons other than an ochric (light-
coloured horizon with low organic carbon) horizon
 Retisols
▪ Soils having an argic horizon starting ≤ 100 cm from the mineral soil
surface and having retic (describe the interfingering of coarser-textured
claric material (light-coloured soil) into a finer-textured argic or natric
horizon.) properties at its upper boundary.
 Solonchaks
▪ Soils having a salic horizon (horizon with accumulation of salts more
soluble than gypsum) within 50 cm of the soil surface.
 Solonetz
▪ Soils having a natric horizon (a subsurface horizon with distinct higher
clay content than the overlying horizon and more than 15%
exchangeable sodium) within 100 cm from the soil surface.
 Stagnosols
▪ Soils having within 50 cm of the soil surface reducing conditions (soil
conditions with low redox potential (negative logarithm of the hydrogen
potential (rH) and presence of free iron (Fe2+) on freshly broken
surfaces) and in 50% of the layer a stagnic colour pattern (strong
mottling of soils in such a pattern that peds surfaces are lighter (at
least one Munsell value) and paler (at least one chroma) than ped
interiors, which are more reddish and brighter (at least one chroma)).

▪ The stagnic color pattern develops under temporarily saturation of a

perched water table from surface water, long enough to allow reducing
conditions to arise. The topsoil can be bleached and concretions can
occur in the subsoil. They develop often in slowly permeable,
unconsolidated materials of various origins.
 Technosols
▪ Soils having properties and a pedogenesis dominated by their technic
origin. They contain 20 % or more artefacts(something in the soil
recognizably made or extracted from the earth by humans), or are
sealed by technic hard rock within 5 cm of the soil surface and covering
95% or more of the horizontal extent (hard material created by
humans, having properties unlike natural rock).
▪ They are often referred to as urban or mine soils and include soils from
wastes (landfills, sludge, cinders, mine spoils and ashes), pavements
with their underlying unconsolidated materials, soils with geo-
membranes and constructed soils in human-made materials.
▪ They are related to Anthrosols in that they are modified by human
activities.
 Umbrisols
▪ Soils having an umbric horizon (deep, brownish or blackish surface
horizon with a significant accumulation of organic matter and low base
saturation).
 Vertisols
▪ Soils having a vertic horizon (a clayey subsurface horizon with polished
and grooved ped surfaces ("slickensides") or wedge-shaped or
parallelepiped structural aggregates) within 100 cm from the soil
surface. They have 30 percent or more clay in all horizons to a depth of
100 cm or more, or to a contrasting layer (lithic or paralithic contact,
petrocalcic, petroduric or petrogypsic horizons, sedimentary
discontinuity, etc.) between 50 and 100 cm, after the upper 20 cm
have been mixed. In addition, Vertisols exhibit wide cracks, which open
and close periodically.
 WRB – Second level of classification

▪ Next level of classification – qualifiers recognized.

▪ Prefixes & suffixes in sequence of priority – unique for RSG.
▪ Qualifiers - differentiated according to secondary soil forming
processes that affect primary soil qualities.
▪ Indicate soil features that are important for land use &
management.
▪ Specifiers are also recognized – indicate the depth or intensity
of the qualifiers.