A short guide to the soils of South Africa, their distribution and correlation with World Reference Base soil groups

摘要

The 73 soil forms of the South African classification can be placed into 14 groups (organic, humic, vertic, melanic, silicic, calcic, duplex, podzolic, plinthic, oxidic, gleyic, cumulic, lithic and anthropic) which are identified by means of an eliminative key based on the presence of defined diagnostic horizons or materials. This allows generalizations more readily to be made about properties, genesis, distribution and environmental significance. Correlation with the World Reference Base (WRB) classification reveals that 25 reference soil groups are represented and with the aid of new distribution maps the regional abundance of WRB groups in South Africa can approximately be assessed.