This revised publication replaces The Canadian System of Soil Classification (second edition) published in 1987. The changes incorporated in this current publication are based on the work of the Soil Classification Working Group formerly of the Expert Committee on Soil Survey, and continued by the Land Resource Division of the former Centre for Land and Biological Resources Research, Ottawa, Ont.

Major revisions have been carried out to the Cryosolic order; a tenth order, Vertisolic, has been added; subgroups intergrading to the Vertisolic order have been added in the Chernozemic, Gleysolic, Luvisolic, and Solonetzic orders; and a complete Key to Soil Classification has been added in Chapter 3. The main reason for modifying the Cryosolic order stems from the work of Charles Tarnocai, Ottawa, and Scott Smith, Whitehorse, who assisted the International Gelisol Working Group in establishing the Gelisol order for Soil Taxonomy. The most significant changes include adding several new subgroups in both the Turbic Cryosol and Static Cryosol great groups and revising the description of all subgroups to make them as uniform as possible and to clearly identify those properties diagnostic of the particular subgroup.

The main initiative for establishing the Vertisolic order resulted from the decision by the United States Department of Agriculture to establish a new suborder Cryert in the Vertisol order of Soil Taxonomy that allows clay soils with Vertic properties that occur in cold climates to be classified as Vertisols. In light of this decision, a review of the classification of clay soils in Canada by the Soil Classification Working Group led to the recommendation to establish the Vertisolic order.

In addition to the revisions described above, a number of errors and discrepancies in the 1987 edition of The Canadian System of Soil Classification have been corrected. As well, the wording has been changed in many instances to remove ambiguity, to standardize terminology, and to make the intent more easily understood.

Most of the work relating to these changes was carried out by members of the Soil Classification Working Group: H.A. Luttmerding, British Columbia; J.A. Brierley, Alberta; A.R. Mermut and H.B. Stonehouse, Saskatchewan; W. Michalyna, Manitoba; K.B. MacDonald, Guelph, Ont.; J.A. Shields and C. Tarnocai, Ottawa, Ont.; L. Lamontagne, Quebec; K.T. Webb, Nova Scotia; and by other pedologists across Canada: C.A. Smith, Yukon; R.G. Eilers and Hugo Veldhuis, Manitoba; H.W. Rees, New Brunswick; D.A. Holmstrom, Prince Edward Island; and E.F. Woodrow, Newfoundland.

The members of the Working Group wish to express their appreciation to all other persons, both active and retired, who cooperated in this work. They would also like to thank all those who worked behind the scenes to help arrange and conduct Soil Correlation Tours that aided in establishing the Vertisolic order and revising the Cryosolic order. Also, special thanks are extended to C. Wang, Ottawa, for his work on the Key to Soil Classification.

Questions and suggestions on classification are welcomed and should be sent to the Program Manager, Land Resource Evaluation, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa, Ont., K1A 0C6.

H.B. Stonehouse
Coordinator
Soil Classification Working Group

This publication replaces The System of Soil Classification for Canada published by Canada Department of Agriculture as Publication 1455, Revised 1974. Some of the changes in the system were agreed upon at the 1973 and 1976 meetings of the Canada Soil Survey Committee (CSSC) and subsequent decisions have been made by the Subcommittee on Soil Classification.

The main changes are as follows:

1. The inclusion of a Cryosolic order for soils having permafrost close to the surface.
2. The elimination of subgroup modifiers and therefore a reduction in the number of subgroup combinations.
3. The deletion of soil type as a category in the system.
4. The increased uniformity of presentation of the soil orders.
5. The amplification of the introductory material to give more of the background and rationale of soil classification in Canada.

This publication presents the current state of soil taxonomy in Canada. The Canadian system was influenced by history, regional biases, new information on soils in Canada and elsewhere, and international concepts of soil. It represents the views of most Canadian pedologists, but not all the details are satisfactory to any one pedologist. This is a stage in the evolution of an improved system that will result from further knowledge of soils and an improved arrangement of the information.

The history and rationale of soil classification in Canada are outlined briefly to point out the changes in concepts and the current point of view on soil taxonomy. This is followed by chapters that define soil, soil horizons, and other basic terms, and explain how to key out the classification of a soil. A chapter is devoted to each of the nine soil orders and the great groups and subgroups within each order. The orders are arranged alphabetically, but great groups and subgroups are arranged as they were in previous versions of the system. Chapters on the family and series categories and on soil phases follow. The recently developed landform classification system for soil surveys that was approved by CSSC in 1976 is included as a separate chapter. For additional information see: Canada Department of Agriculture (1976), Clayton et al. (1977), Working Group on Soil Survey Data (1975), and soil survey reports available from provincial soil survey units.

This revision was prepared by the Subcommittee on Soil Classification of the Canada Soil Survey Committee: T.M. Lord, British Columbia; W.W. Pettapiece, Alberta; R.J. St. Arnaud, Saskatchewan; R.E. Smith, Manitoba; C.J. Acton, Ontario; R. Baril, Quebec; G.J. Beke and C. Wang, Atlantic Provinces; and J.H. Day, J.A. McKeague, J.L. Nowland, and J. A. Shields, all of Ottawa.

The Subcommittee wishes to thank all those who shared in the preparation of this publication. Many pedologists critically reviewed drafts of sections and made useful suggestions. Janet Lyons typed several drafts of the manuscript. B. Baker, Graphics Section, Research Program Service, prepared the drawings.

Readers are invited to send their questions and suggestions to the chairman of the Canada Soil Survey Committee, Soil Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ont.

J. A. McKeague
Chairman
Subcommittee on Soil Classification

This revised publication replaces The Canadian System of Soil Classification published in 1978. The changes incorporated in the present publication are based on the work of the Soil Classification Working Group of the Expert Committee on Soil Survey.

Major revisions have been carried out on both the Gleysolic and Organic orders to incorporate the new information obtained on these soils and to overcome difficulties in their classification under the earlier system. Soil scientists from all over Canada requested that the classification of Gleysols be reviewed. This review resulted in the revision of the basic rationale commonly used in the past by which all poorly drained soils were identified as Gleysols. The revised classification of the Gleysolic soils presented here is based on soil properties that indicate reduction during the genesis of the soil and not on the current soil water regime. Although many Gleysolic soils are poorly or very poorly drained, some are imperfectly drained and others, in which drainage has been modified, are now well drained. Because of these changes, the section on the Gleysolic order now has a slightly longer introduction.

The main initiative for reviewing the Organic order, especially the Folisol great group, came from British Columbia, where most of these soils are found. The importance of organic soil layers in forest ecosystems has been emphasized by foresters and forest soil specialists working in that province. This view is reflected in the revised Folisol great group. With this change the Folisol great group and the other great groups of the Organic order now have a common basis for classification.

The revision of the Podzolic order was minor and was carried out to make the definitions more specific. The new definition for contrasting horizons and layers was made more detailed in an attempt to avoid the misinterpretations that occurred in the past.

In addition to the revisions described, a number of errors in the 1978 edition of The Canadian System of Soil Classification have been corrected.

Most of the work relating to these changes was carried out by members of the Soil Classification Working Group: T.M. Lord and R. Trowbridge, British Columbia; L. Turchenek, Alberta; R.J. St. Arnaud, Saskatchewan; W. Michalyna and G.F. Mills, Manitoba; L.J. Evans, Ontario; J-M. Cossette, Quebec; K.T. Webb, Nova Scotia; C.A.S. Smith, Yukon Territory; and J.A. McKeague, C.A. Fox, J.A. Shields, and C. Tarnocai, Ottawa, Ont.

The members of the Working Group wish to express their appreciation to all those who cooperated in this work, with special thanks to H.A. Luttmerding for his work on Gleysols and Folisols and to C. Wang for his work on the Gleysolic and Podzolic soil classification.

Questions and suggestions on soil classification are welcomed and should be sent to the chairperson of the Soil Classification Working Group, Expert Committee on Soil Survey, Land Resource Research Centre, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Ont., KlA 0C6.

C. Tarnocai
Chairperson
Soil Classification Working Group

 

Links:
Learning Resources > CSSC > Preface