Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
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Single property economic evaluations: When certain soil properties are of concern to the economic
evaluation of a soil for a speciÝc use, that property dominates the philosophy of the persons seeking
to classify soils. For example, construction engineers digging a pipeline or constructing a highway
are concerned with the depth to hard rock, where excavation with a drag-line or bulldozer is not
feasible and blasting may be required. Economic concerns for speciÝc soil properties foster
philosophies of simple, single-property classiÝcation systems.
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Management response classiÝcations: Vegetative growth relies on many soil parameters. Some soil
conditions can be effectively ameliorated by cost-effective management practices, whereas others
are cost-prohibitive. Some management objectives require initial capital investments that must be
recouped over the life of the project, whereas others require recurring expenditures to sustain the
project. ClassiÝcations guided by soil response to speciÝc management practices are often transient,
as alternative technologies are implemented.
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Ecological interactions: Soil is the site of interaction between the organic and inorganic chemistries
on the land areas of earth. Soil classiÝcation based solely on undisturbed or ambient vegetative-
soil associations is useful, but it often fails to adequately convey alternative associations, especially
in human-dominated ecosystems.
BENCHMARK PHILOSOPHIES OF SOIL CLASSIFICATION
With the many and diverse expectations humans have of soil classiÝcation systems, there can
be little doubt that a single classiÝcation will not satisfy all who desire systematic identiÝcation
of soil properties. Experience in dealing with expectations, both internal and external, of soil science
has inÞuenced philosophies of soil classiÝcation.
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Indigenous classiÝcation: Tillers of the land classify the soil they till in terms of response to
the tillage practices they employ. Within the geographic conÝnes of their individual experience,
most indigenous civilizations are adept at harmonizing soil properties and locally available
management technologies. Experience with sporadic weather conditions has honed their ability
to time their management operations with temporal soil conditions. Indigenous classiÝcations
are locally useful, but they lack insight into technologies not practiced in that locale. Experienced
soil scientists have learned to communicate with and carefully evaluate indigenous classiÝca-
tions, but must expand on that base of knowledge to evaluate applicability of technology not
experienced by indigenous populations.
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Political pragmatism: A classiÝcation system that fails to deliver practical responses to a sig-
niÝcant portion of people who use soil is doomed to obsolescence, regardless of scientiÝc
innovation. Numerous scientiÝcally sound soil classiÝcation systems have been developed by
individuals and groups of individuals, but have failed to provide the practical information
necessary to capture the sustained Ýnancial support necessary to expand those systems beyond
the initial expertise of the individuals involved. Most political bodies are concerned with
inventories of soil resources. Broad groupings and small-scale maps often satisfy their needs,
and they then withdraw support for further soil study. Sustained support for soil science is best
obtained when masses of indigenous people are served by spatially detailed information to which
they can readily relate within their local community, and then communicate their satisfaction
to political entities.
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Expediency of change: All classiÝcation systems are subject to demise if they do not respond to
new information and user needs. No single individual or group of individuals has equal experience
with all soils. Intensively studied soils tend to be identiÝed by minute differences, while unfamiliar
soils tend to be broadly grouped. ClassiÝcation systems mature, and as more scientists participate,
more uniformity results. User needs are often closely related to changes in technology related to
soil use, or to politically driven land use regulations, and involve only a geographically limited
number of soils. Rapid response to user needs must be locally addressed, but each should be
carefully analyzed within the context of all that is known about soil before incorporation into more
geographically extensive classiÝcation systems.
