Soil Orders Study Guide Part I

These slides are to help organize in your mind:

Key diagnostic features for each Soil Order
Their developmental progression
Diagnostic surface & subsurface layers
See also for the individual orders:

the texts description and plates

Soil Orders Study Guide Part II (on course website)

Soil Orders: Key Formative Factors

Note their:
Relative order
Key formation factors

Processes Leading to Diagnostic

Surface Layers (Epipedons)

See text for full descriptions

Processes Leading to Diagnostic

Subsurface Layers
Albic

Light colored horizon

Argillic
No significant
accumulation

Weakly
developed horizon

Unweathered
material

u
Acc

o
tion
a
l
mu

f silicate clays

Accumulation of
organic matter
Acc
um

ulat
io n

Cambic

o f in

Acid weathering,
Fe, Al oxides

org
anic

t
t en t
n
co en
lay evid
c
h
ns
Hig y ski
Cla

Extreme
weath
Fe, Al ox ering
ides

Oxic

Spodic

salt
s

Modified from text: full version = Figure 3.5 (p. 83)

See text for full descriptions

Carbonate
s
primarily C
aCO
3

Calcic

Diagnostic Key to Soil Orders

In addition, see the texts

version: Figure 3.11 (p. 90)!

Missing: Andisols, Gelisols

Development of soil orders

Development of soil orders

Bk
Bo

A
AB

Bh
Bs

ice

Bt

Lo Base Sat
Lo pH

Hi Base Sat
Hi pH
Missing: Inceptisols, Andisols, Vertisols, Histosols

These are plausible, but not the only genetic profile descriptions that are possible for each soil order

Effect of time on soil

development