Table Of ContentM
About the Book M
About the Book M MMaajojor rS Sooili lG Grorouupps s
AboSuot itlhse oBfo tohke world exhibit considerable diversity both in their features,
Soils of the world exhibit considerable diversity both in their features, Major Soil Groups
a
Soilsp roofp tehreti ews oanrldd ine xthheibiri ta gceosn asnidde graebnleet idc civoenrdsiittyio nbso.t Thh ionr otuhgehir kfneoawtulreedsg, e of a
properties and in their ages and genetic conditions. Thorough knowledge of aj
proptheretsieet sh acenhseda r iancch ttheareriaisrct atiecgrsei sst iasicn sdi n gidse inseipnteidcni scsaopbneldnesi taifboonlres . tTfhohero rstohtuuegd hys, kt unudotywi,l ilzeuadttgiiloeinz oa ft aionnd and jojo
thesceo ncshecarorvanacstteieorrvnisa ottiifco stn h eois f n taihnteud rniasapl teeunnrsavali rbeolnenv mifroeonrn tm. thTeehn its.s Ttpuhrdoisyf u,p srueoltyfiul iiszlelaultyiso tirnlal uteasdtnr dab toeodk b ook orr
consgeirvveastg iaionvne e sox afh nat hueexs thnivaauet usatrciacvloe u eanncvct oiorufo tnnhtme o pef ntrhitn.e c Tpiphriiansl ctpiyprpoaeflus t ysoepfl seyos iiollslfu ossoft irolasut ore fdp o labunore optkl. a Tnheet . The r oof ft hthe eW Woorlrdld
give“sp arno egxrhesasuivstei vdee asccecnout onft wofe tahteh eprriinngc ifpraoln ttysp” ems oodf seol,i rlse coof gonuirz pedla annedt. Tuhseed by SS of the World
“progressive descent of weathering fronts” model, recognized and used by S
o
“proegmreinsseinvte i dnetesrcneantti oonf wale sactihenertiisntgs fisr othnets g”u midoidnegl ,p rreicnocgipnliez oedf c ahnodic ues teod l ibnyk the o
eminent international scientists is the guiding principle of choice to link the
oi
eminoebnste rinvtaetrionnatsi oannadl stoci egnivties ttsh ies trheea dgeuri dai nsygn ptrhientciicp alen odf ccohhoeicree ntot lviinekw t hoef the i
observations and to give the reader a synthetic and coherent view of the l
obsedrvifafetirdoeinnfsfte iaaretnindotn ita oot figo sinov ioels ft. s hIonei lersae. caInhd eecraa scaeh ,s ctyhansete hi,n etthtrieoc dianuntcrdoto dcrouyhc rteeormreyni ntr edvmeieriswn sd uoemfr stm hsuea mrizme arize il Gl EcEolcoogloy,g Gy, eGneensiess,i Ps,r Poproeprteiretsi es
diffetrheen tipathioynsi ocfo scohielsm. Iinc aela chan cdas em, thinee inratrloodguiccatlo ryp rreinmciinpdleesr s snuemcemssaarrizye for G Ecology, Genesis, Properties
the physicochemical and mineralogical principles necessary for G
the upnhdyeurssinctdaonecrdhsietnamgn idctiahnleg attnehxdet . tmeTxihnte. e rTnahlooemg eincnoacmll aetpunrrcielnasct uirpreellesy s rsenyleysct eesmsysasattreicyma lalfytoi cra alnlyd and rr anadn Cdl Caslsaisfsicifaitciaotnio n
undseirmstuanltdaninego utshlye otenx tt.h eT htew on ommoesnt clcaotmurmeso nrleyl yu sseyds tecmlaastsiicfaiclalyti oannsd: Soil roo and Classification
simultaneously on the two most commonly used classifications: Soil
simuTlatxaonneTooamxuoysnl yaon mdoy n Wa ntohdrl edW tRowrelfode r eRmnecofees rtBe naccsoee m. BTmahsoeis.n Tlryeh fiesur serenedfce er cemlnacasesni ufmiacala ntiisuo anplsa :ir st iScpouaillr atriclyu larly ouu
Taxodniormecydt eaidrne dca ttWe sdto uraldtd e sRntutesfde oerenfn ttcshe e oB fB atashece.h TeBlhaoicrsh' ser elaofnerd'rse Mnancaeds tmMera'asns udteaerlg' sri sed epe gcaorretuiecr usceloasu,r rlbysue ts ,i sb ut is upp
direcatlesod iant tsetnuddeedn tfso ro fw thoerk Bearsc haenlodr 'ssc aienndti sMtsa sinte rt'hsi sd esgurbejee ccto aurresae s(,g beuotl oigs ists, ps
also intended for workers and scientists in this subject area (geologists, s
also piendteonplodegedidos tlsofo,g ari gswtrsoo,n arokgmerorisns toasmn, ldias ntssdc,i- leuansntedi sp-tulsa snienn p etlrhasni,s nf oesruresb,s jfteoecrrtse ,as etretecra.s) , ( aegste cwo.)le oalslg aiwsst efslo,l r a asl flo r all s o
pedothloogsies ctso,n acgerronneodm wisitths, o lar nindt-eursees tpelda ninn perrso,t feocrteiosnte orsf ,t hetec e.)n avsi wroenlml aesn fot.r all o
those concerned with or interested in protection of the environment. of
f
those concerned with or interested in protection of the environment.
ft
Jean-JPeaaunl- PLaeuglr oLse igsr aons iasg arnic augltruicruall tsucrieanl sticsite anntidst h aansd a h Daos cat oDroacteto irna Stec iienn Sccei.e nce. thth
JeanH-Pea huaHls L ese phgearnso tss ap ilesm naotn as atlm ghrioiscs eutn hlttiuisrr eea ncl atsircreieee cnra tirnise tte hare ni nIdn t hshtaeist Iu nat s DNtiotauctittoo Nnraaattlei do ienn al Salc dRieeen clach eRe.r ecchhee rche he
e
He hAasg rsopneonmt ailqmuoes (t IhNisR eAn)t iaret cMaroenetrp ienl tliheer I(nFsrtaitnucte N). a tHioen ahla dse a lals Ro etcahuegrhcht efo r a
Agronomique (INRA) at Montpellier (France). He has also taught for a e
Agrodnoozmendi oqyzueeean r(s yI NaesaR raAsn a) I sna avt niMt eInodvn Pittrpeoedfle lPisersroo fr(eF asrtsa otnhrc eae Ét) .tc ho Hele Ée P chooallyes t Peaoclshloyn tietqacuuhegn hFiqté udfeoé rrF aéalde édrea le de WW
W
dozeLna uyesaanrsn aes. aHne I nhvasit bedee Pnr Porfeesssidoer natt othf eth Éec Aolses oPcoilayttioecnh Fnriaqnuçea Fiséed péoraulre l d'Éet ude
Lausanne. He has been President of the Association Française pour l'Étude o
Lausdaun Snoel. ( H20e0 h9-a2s0 b1e0e)n, a Pnrde sPidreesnidt oenf tth oef Athses Aocciaadtiéomn iFer danesç aSicsiee pncoeusr e lt'É Lteutdtree s of o
du Sol (2009-2010), and President of the Académie des Sciences et Lettres of or
du SMolo (n20tp0e9l-l2i0er1 0(2),0 a0n8d). HPree wsidroetnet t ohfe t bhoeo Akc Madaépmpinieg d oef sth Sec Sieonilc, aelss eot f Lroemttr tehse o sfa me r
Montpellier (2008). He wrote the book Mapping of the Soil, also from the same rll
Monptupbelllipisehureb (r2l.i0s0h8e)r.. He wrote the book Mapping of the Soil, also from the same ldd
publVis.Ahe.Kr.. Sarma retired in 1994 as Principal Scientist (Pedology) from the d
V.A.K. Sarma retired in 1994 as Principal Scientist (Pedology) from the
V.A.NKa. tSioanrmal aB urerteiarued o fi nS o1i9l 9S4u ravse yP rainndci pLaaln dSc Uiesnet iPstla (nPneidnogl,o agny )in fsrtoitmut eth oef the
National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, an institute of the
NatiIonndaila InBn udCrieaoanuu nC cooifl u Sonofci liA lS guorfri vcAuegyltr uaicnruadll tLuRarenaslde a RUrecsshee. a PHrlcaehn .nh Hiandeg ,eh aaanrdl ii enersa trwiltiuoetrrek weodfo trohknee dt hoen the J J
e
Indifaanc uClftoiauecsnu cltoiilfe os tfh oAef g Irtnihcdeu ilatInun rdaAila gnRr eicsAueglatrruiccrhua.ll tHuIrnea slht iatIudnt seet aitraultit eerN awetw or NkDeewdel hoiDn, etPlhhuein, jaPbu njab Je a ea
facuAltigersi cAuoglft ruitcrhuaell tuIUrnandli ivaUenr nsAiitvyge rrisicinut ylt Luiurnad lh LiIaunndsathi, tiauantnea d, a atG nNodv eewGrn omvDeeernlnhtm i, AenPgtur incAjuaglbtr uicruall tural a n n
AgriCcuolllteuCgreoa,ll lTehUgienr,u iTvvhearinrsuaitnvyta hniaanpn utLhraaumpduh, rIinaamndai,a, I .nadniad. Government Agricultural n- -Pa -P
College, Thiruvananthapuram, India. P a
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u l l JeaJne-aPna-uPla uLle gLreogsros
l L L Jean-Paul Legros
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K16058 gr o ro TranslatVe.dA fV.rK.oAm.. KS Far. erSnmachar mbya
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o s V.A.K. Sarma
s
6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW
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A ScieNce PUBLiSheRS BOOK
www.taylorandfrancisgroup.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK
Major Soil Groups
of the World
Ecology, Genesis, Properties and Classification
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Major Soil Groups
of the World
Ecology, Genesis, Properties and Classification
Jean-Paul Legros
Directeur de Recherche (h)
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)
Montpellier, France
Translated from the French by
V.A.K. Sarma
p,
A SCIENCE PUBLISHERS BOOK
GL--Prelims with new title page.indd ii 4/25/2012 9:52:40 AM
CRC Press
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Epigraph
‘Rhazes said, in his book The Physics of
Auscultation, that with time rock changes to clay
according to the action of the sun and of rain’.
In: The Book of Agriculture by IBN-AL-AWAN, Arab
author who lived in Seville in the 12th century, citing
Rhazes, Arab physician of the 10th century
[(from the French translation of
J.J. Clément-Mullet (1864)].
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Introduction
Objectives
The objectives of this book are the following:
(cid:129) to explain the mechanisms of formation of the soils seen on our
Planet;
(cid:129) for this, to present a unifying viewpoint: the weathering-front
model. This approach is introduced in Chapter 3; it is developed
later in the various chapters of the second part, except in the very
last that it does not pertain to;
(cid:129) to extend the idea to our understanding of nature; we profit
from the study of certain mechanisms for explaining what every
inquisitive naturalist can observe while strolling and travelling;
for example, the appearance of karsts, the phenomenon of will-
o’-the-wisp, the red tropical landscapes, etc. Soil Science is one
of the gateways to understand better and love our Earth.
Readership
This book is addressed to students who have soil science courses in their
studies, to geographers and geologists, to agronomists and, lastly, to
lovers of nature who wish to know it better. The essential prerequisites
are limited to some elementary concepts in chemistry.
Pedagogic aspects
This book provides a foundation. When one has read it, the vocabu-
lary and concepts being included, one should find it easy to tackle all
scientific publications, even specialized and difficult, covering the same
subjects.
It starts out with discussion of the very mature soils that required
millions of years to form and ends with the soils affected by processes
that have to be studied on the scale of a month or even a minute. Thus
there is a progressive slide from pedogenesis to dynamics. Descent of
weathering fronts explains the general differentiation of soils but does
viii Introduction
not concern present-day dynamics, for example the rapid movements of
oxygen or of salts. Thus, the unifying view is no longer mentioned in
Chapters 12 and 13. But we revisit it in the conclusion because it is central
to the concepts that underpin this book. The order of presentation is also
chosen to enable the reader to easily acquire, one by one, the ideas the
totality of which is necessary for understanding a chapter further along
in the text. Beyond that, the chapters are largely independent. Where
required, cross-references are made.
The content is centered on a dozen major soil groups. This is not
exhaustive but will suffice to explain the main principles. We have
wanted to avoid a heavy and useless ‘catalogue’.
In the matter of classification, the terminology of the World Reference
Base (WRB) that is accepted in a large part of the world serves as our
language. But the terms in Soil Taxonomy are also provided. To make
easy the decoding of the latter we have systematically split the terms
into the formative elements. For example, we write Verm-ust-oll instead
of Vermustoll (Chernozem). However, in this book, typology is simplified
and indicative. It gives only the paths for later tackling the manuals
devoted to these questions. Moreover, if knowing how to name a thing
is relevant, understanding its dynamics and functions is otherwise
exciting…
We have distinguished what has been agreed to by all from what
is poorly understood or still debatable. Pedology is a living science. Its
difficulties are not hidden.
Point of view and limitations
In this book, all that touches on humus, biology and organic matter
has been kept to the minimum. They are treated specially when it
is essential to do so, as in the case of Andosols, Podzols and soils
saturated with water. Our point of view, therefore, is partial but not
biased. When an infant takes its first steps, the psychologist says ‘He
has succeeded in learning that one can live outside his mother’s skirts’, the
physician indicates ‘He now has the mechanical means of fighting against
gravity’ and the neurologist adds ‘Coordination of movement is henceforth
established’. All of them are right. Fortunately, there is no single point of
view for admiring the Earth and its major soils.
Unless otherwise mentioned, the soils studied here are found where
there have been no disruption such as colluviation, aeolian deposition,
lateral slippage, truncation by erosion, etc. In other words, we examine
the broad mechanisms but not the infinite variety of cases in which
they weaken, particularly on slopes.
Introduction ix
Typical plan of a chapter
The following sections are always presented in a highly structured
manner:
(cid:129) prerequisites (e.g., concept of amorphous material in the case of
Andosols);
(cid:129) distinctive characteristics of the soil under study;
(cid:129) ecology and distribution in the world;
(cid:129) genesis and dynamics, age;
(cid:129) paths for an agronomic approach.
But the sequence of sections varies slightly from one chapter to
another according to pedagogic imperatives.
Acknowledgements
It is easier to accomplish a synthesis sitting at a comfortable desk than
facing mosquitoes in Amazonia, the heat in the fringes of the Sahara
or the storms in the mountains if it is required to take hydraulic
measurements when water is flowing. Thanks, therefore, firstly to the
field workers whose work I have used. Thanks also to Patrick Herrmann,
who gave me, for many years, the opportunity to teach pedogenesis
within the framework of Montpellier SupAgro. I am grateful to all
the scientists who consented to proofread the chapters according their
specialization: Messrs R. Bertrand, L. Bock, M. Bornand, G. Bourrié,
K. Djili, J-C. Favrot, F. Feder, P. Herrmann, S. Marlet, P. Quantin,
P. Ross, J.P. Rossignol, D. Schwartz and, very specially, J-P. Party who
reread the entire book. Thanks to the publishers who believed in me as
much for the French version (PPUR) as for the English version (Science
Publishers). I am particularly thankful to the INRA (Institut National de
Recherche Agronomique), where I spent my whole career, for providing
the necessary facilities so that the updating of the French version of
this book could be carried out in a good scientific environment. And
many thanks to V.A.K. Sarma who translated the text into English with
great care not only with regard to style but also to the content, as he
is a soil scientist himself. The exchanges with him were very pleasant.
I am grateful to my wife, children and grandchildren, who picked up
the habit of supporting me whether present or absent, mind elsewhere,
roaming the Earth, keeping fingers poised over a computer keyboard…
Thanks to my father whom I neglected too much during all these years
devoted to synthesis and writing.
