Examples - Soil Orders

Examples of Different Soil Orders

Brunisolic
Chernozemic
Cryosolic
Gleysolic
Luvisolic
Organic
Podzolic
Regosolic
Solonetzic

BRUNISOLIC ORDER

Melanic Brunisol

Eutric Brunisol

Sombric Brunisol

Dystric Brunisol

Thick Ah (>10 cm)

No Ah or thin Ah (<10 cm)

Thick Ah (>10 cm)

No Ah or thin Ah (<10 cm)

pH > 5.5

pH > 5.5

pH < 5.5

pH < 5.5

Sample Images

CHERNOZEMIC ORDER

Brown

Dark Brown

Black
Dark Grey

Color value (dry)
4.5-5.5

3.5-4.5

<3.5

<4.5

Chroma
>1.5

>1.5

1.5 or less

<1.5

Climate
subarid to semiarid

semiarid

subhumid

subhumid

Sample Images

CRYOSOLIC ORDER

Turbic Cryosol

Static Cryosol

Organic Cryosol

Mineral soil Mineral soil Organic soil material

Marked cryoturbation No marked cryoturbation Permafrost within 1 m of surface

Usually patterned ground Permafrost within 1 m of surface

Permafrost within 2 m of surface

Sample Images

GLEYSOLIC ORDER

Luvic Gleysol

Humic Gleysol

Gleysol

A Btg horizon Ah horizon at least 10 cm thick No Ah horizon or an Ah horizon <10 cm thick

Usually an Ahe or an Aeg horizon No Bt horizon No Bt horizon

Sample Images

LUVISOLIC ORDER

Gray Brown Luvisol

Gray Luvisol

A forest mull Ah May or may not have an Ah

Eluvial and Bt horizons Has eluvial and Bt horizon

A mean annual soil temperature > 8°C Usually has a mean annual soil temperature <8°C

Sample Images

ORGANIC ORDER

Fibrisol

Mesisol

Humisol

Folisol

Fibric middle tier

Mesic middle tier

Humic middle tier

Folic materials, rarely saturated with water

Sample Images

PODZOLIC ORDER

Humic Podzol

Ferro-Humic Podzol

Humo-Ferric Podzol

Bh at least 10 cm thick with: organic C > 1%; pyrophosphate Fe < 0.3%; organic C: pyrophosphate; Fe= 20 or more Bhf at least 10 cm thick with: organic C > 5%; pyrophospate Fe + Al = 0.6% or more (0.4% for sands) Bf, or thin Bhf + Bf at least 10 cm thick with: organic C = 0.5-5%; pyrophosphate Fe + A1 = 0.6% or more (0.4% for sands)

Sample Images

REGOSOLIC ORDER

Regosol

Humic Regosol

Ah < 10 cm Ah at least 10 cm thick

Bm, absent or < 5 cm Bm, absent or < 5 cm

Sample Images

SOLONETZIC ORDER

Solonetz

Solodized Solonetz

Solod

No continuous Ae at least 2 cm thick An Ae horizon at least 2 cm thick. An intact, columnar Bnt or Bn An Ae horizon at least 2 cm thick. A distinct AB or BA horizon (disintegrating Bnt)

Sample Images

Back to Introduction to Soils

Melanic Brunisol	Eutric Brunisol	Sombric Brunisol	Dystric Brunisol
Thick Ah (>10 cm)	No Ah or thin Ah (<10 cm)	Thick Ah (>10 cm)	No Ah or thin Ah (<10 cm)
pH > 5.5	pH > 5.5	pH < 5.5	pH < 5.5

	Brown	Dark Brown	Black	Dark Grey
Color value (dry)	4.5-5.5	3.5-4.5	<3.5	<4.5
Chroma	>1.5	>1.5	1.5 or less	<1.5
Climate	subarid to semiarid	semiarid	subhumid	subhumid

Turbic Cryosol	Static Cryosol	Organic Cryosol
Mineral soil	Mineral soil	Organic soil material
Marked cryoturbation	No marked cryoturbation	Permafrost within 1 m of surface
Usually patterned ground	Permafrost within 1 m of surface
Permafrost within 2 m of surface

Luvic Gleysol	Humic Gleysol	Gleysol
A Btg horizon	Ah horizon at least 10 cm thick	No Ah horizon or an Ah horizon <10 cm thick
Usually an Ahe or an Aeg horizon	No Bt horizon	No Bt horizon

Gray Brown Luvisol	Gray Luvisol
A forest mull Ah	May or may not have an Ah
Eluvial and Bt horizons	Has eluvial and Bt horizon
A mean annual soil temperature > 8°C	Usually has a mean annual soil temperature <8°C

Fibrisol	Mesisol	Humisol	Folisol
Fibric middle tier	Mesic middle tier	Humic middle tier	Folic materials, rarely saturated with water

Humic Podzol	Ferro-Humic Podzol	Humo-Ferric Podzol
Bh at least 10 cm thick with: organic C > 1%; pyrophosphate Fe < 0.3%; organic C: pyrophosphate; Fe= 20 or more	Bhf at least 10 cm thick with: organic C > 5%; pyrophospate Fe + Al = 0.6% or more (0.4% for sands)	Bf, or thin Bhf + Bf at least 10 cm thick with: organic C = 0.5-5%; pyrophosphate Fe + A1 = 0.6% or more (0.4% for sands)

Regosol	Humic Regosol
Ah < 10 cm	Ah at least 10 cm thick
Bm, absent or < 5 cm	Bm, absent or < 5 cm

Solonetz	Solodized Solonetz	Solod
No continuous Ae at least 2 cm thick	An Ae horizon at least 2 cm thick. An intact, columnar Bnt or Bn	An Ae horizon at least 2 cm thick. A distinct AB or BA horizon (disintegrating Bnt)