Summary of 5 most common soil groups in South African plantation forests

To be read in with the following publication

Ellis F, 2000. Soils. In Owen, DL (Ed) South African Forestry Handbook, SAIF, Pretoria pp 36-43.

South African soil Forms are shown in this picture guide with reference to equivalent soil groups in
the Forestry soils database (FSD) system, and with correlations to other international systems.

Table 1: Correlations between Ellis’ (2000) soil groups & their FSD equivalents with the highest levels
of classification used in the World Reference base (WRB) and US Dept of agric (USDA) soil taxonomy
system. We use FSD groups as main reference in FS module 356 as it is commonly used in ithe SA
forest industry.

SA Group FSD group WRB Reference Group Soil Taxonomy Order

(Ellis)
1.1 A Ferralsols, Cambisols, Acrisols Oxisols, Ultisols,
(Red & Yellow Inceptisols
1.2 Apedal soils) Mostly Ferralsols Oxisols, Ultisols
2.1 B & some C Ferralsols, Plintosols Oxisols, Ultisols
2.2 (Plinthic & Ferralsols, Luvisols, Plintosols Ultisols, Alfisols
hydromorphic soils)
3.1 D (Duplex soils) Luvisols, Stagnosols, Alfisols
Solonchaks
3.2 E (Melanic, vertic & As for C1 but in association As for C1 but in
red structured soils) with Vertisols and Cambisols association with Vertisols
and Mollisols
4 Ha, Hb, Hc, Hf Cambisols, Leptosols Inceptisols, Entisols
(youthful soils)
& Ga, Gb, Ge
(Podzols)
5 F Lithosols Arenosols, Cambisols Inceptisols, Entisols
Ellis’ Group 1: Low base status, apedal red and yellow, well drained clayey soils

Contains Red and Yellow Apedal soils from FSD group A

Ellis’ Group 2: Red, yellow and grey soils in catenary association (crest, midslope and footslope in
decending order)

– Contains soils of FSD groups B (High chroma plinthic soils) and and C (hydromorphic soils)
Ellis’ Group 3: Duplex and paraduplex soils (equivalent to FSD Group D – Duplex soils)
Group 4: Weakly developed soils on rock – Equivalent to FSD Group F - Lithosols
Ellis’ Group 5: Sandy soils

Equivalent to FSA sub-groups Ha, Hb, Hc and Hf (Youthful soils) and also Ga, Gb and Ge (Podzols)