Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
At the beginning of the 1950s, Chinese classiÝcation still followed the Marbut concept according
to Song Daquan in the paper, ÑDiscussion on Chinese Soil ClassiÝcation Criterion.Ò A soil group
was a basic soil unit, and soil series were classes of the lowest category. At the soil order level,
there were Zonal, Azonal, and Intrazonal soils. At the second level (suborders) there were Pedocals,
Pedalfers, Hydromorphic, Halomorphic, Calcimorphic, Alpine, and Young soils. These were divided
into 18 soil groups, such as Chernozems, Chestnut, Brown, Red, and Yellow Soils. Soil subgroups
and soil series were further subdivisions of the soil groups. The unique Shangdong brown, Shajiang
black, and Paddy soils are soil groups of long standing in China, and the soil series established in
this system are still well known by many soil scientists, although they are not directly used in the
new system.
Genetic Soil Classification
In 1954 the Chinese economy was in the restoration and development period, and the working
group of soil science was expanded. The resulting genetic classiÝcation can be divided into the
following three stages:
1.
The Ýrst stage is from 1954 to 1958. The pattern of the system followed that of the Soviet Union.
A soil classiÝcation system was designed in the National Soil Congress (1954), which was based
on the geographical genesis of soils and soil-forming conditions. The soil type was the basic unit,
and the system had Ýve levels: type, subtype, genus, species, and variety. After additional study,
the following new soil types were proposed: Meadow, Drab, Yellow brown, Brown taiga, Black,
Albic bleached, Heilu, Gray brown desert, Takyric, Latosols, Lateritic red, and Mountain meadow
soils. According to zonality, soil distribution was identiÝed, and soil maps at small and medium
scales were compiled.
2.
The second stage is from 1958 to 1978. Throughout the Ýrst General Detailed Soil Survey of
the entire country (1958Ï1961) and the practice of soil improvement, in which more attention
was paid to cultivated soils, it was deemed important to distinguish natural soils and cultivated
soils at different categorical levels with their actual situation. Chao soils (cultivated Þuviogenetic
soils), Irrigated soils, Oasis soils, and Mien soils (loessial soils) were proposed, in addition to
Paddy soils. In the monograph, ÑSoils of ChinaÒ (1978), these soils were described in separate
chapters. After the Cultural Revolution, the Chinese Soil Science Society held its Ýrst soil
classiÝcation meeting in 1978 and made up a national soil classiÝcation system, ÑThe Provisional
Chinese Soil ClassiÝcation,Ò in which natural and cultivated soils were combined, and the Alpine
and Phospho-calcic soils were established. Because of wide and open discussion, this system
was accepted broadly and became the ofÝcial system used in the Second General Detailed Soil
Survey in whole country.
3.
The third stage is from 1978 to 1984. With increasing international exchanges, Soil Taxonomy
and the FAO Legend of Soil Map of the World were introduced into China. Although the soil
classiÝcation system was still based on genetic concepts, it was inÞuenced to a certain extent and
also absorbed some ideas and names. In ÑChinese Soil ClassiÝcation SystemÒ (1984), which was
edited by the OfÝce of Second General Detailed Soil Survey, there were soil orders of Humosols
and Primarisols, whose names are similar to other systems. Meanwhile, the Chinese forest soil
scientists submitted evidence for 11 soil orders, including Frostic, Organic, Primitic, and Anthric
Soils, and 13 diagnostic horizons were presented.
Undoubtedly, soil genetic concepts played vital roles in the research and application of soil
science. Besides comprehensive monographs, ÑSoils of ChinaÒ and ÑAgricultural Soils of China,Ò
a series of regional monographs, focusing on Northeast China, Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia,
North China, South China, Central China, East China, and Islands of South Sea, etc., were also
published. Some soil groups were intensively studiedÐfor example, Paddy, Black, Albic bleached,
