The Polish Soil Classification () is a

soil classification Soil classification deals with the systematic categorization of soils based on distinguishing characteristics as well as criteria that dictate choices in use. Overview Soil classification is a dynamic subject, from the structure of the system, ...

system used to describe, classify and organize the knowledge about

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

s in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

Overview

Presented below the 5th edition of Polish Soil Classification was published by Soil Science Society of Poland in 2011 and was in use to 2019 when 6th edition of Polish Soil Classification was published. Previous ones were published in 1956, 1959, 1974 and 1989, and they, following Dokuchaiev's ideas, were relied mostly on the natural's criteria (quality) like soil forming processes and soil morphological features (4th edition was transient because diagnostic

soil horizons A soil horizon is a layer parallel to the soil surface whose physical, chemical and biological characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath. Horizons are defined in many cases by obvious physical features, mainly colour and texture. ...

appeared there). 5th edition of classification, where it was possible, was built on

quantitative Quantitative may refer to: * Quantitative research, scientific investigation of quantitative properties * Quantitative analysis (disambiguation) * Quantitative verse, a metrical system in poetry * Statistics, also known as quantitative analysis ...

criteria, like quantitative described diagnostic horizons, diagnostic materials and diagnostic properties. Soil forming processes are not a part of classification but the relationship between the processes and their morphological effects was taken into account during creating differentiating criteria of diagnostic horizons, materials and properties. The classification derives much of international systems:

USDA soil taxonomy USDA soil taxonomy (ST) developed by the United States Department of Agriculture and the National Cooperative Soil Survey provides an elaborate Soil classification, classification of soil types according to several parameters (most commonly their p ...

(1999) and

World Reference Base for Soil Resources The World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is an international soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps. The currently valid version is the fourth edition 2022. It is edited by a working group of the I ...

- WRB (2006). Polish soil science intellectual tradition has always maintained a balance between genetical-geographic approach (typical for the Russian scientific school) and substantional-geological-petrographic approach (characteristic for Western Europe). Multilateral look at the soil manifested, in all editions of classification, that each soil was described by three types of characteristics: * Genetical genesis described by type of soil – based on diagnostic horizons, materials and properties, *

Geological Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

origin of

bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material ( regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bed ...

described by what might be literally translated as "kind" or "sort" of soil, *

Soil texture Soil texture is a soil classification, classification instrument used both in the field and laboratory to determine soil classes based on their physical texture. Soil texture can be determined using qualitative methods such as texture by feel, and ...

described of what might be literally translated as "class" or "species" of soil. The Polish Soil Classification has a hierarchical construction. Type of soil is a basic unit of the classification. They are distinguished on a basis of specific layout of main soil genetic or diagnostic horizons, similar chemical, physical and biological properties, type of

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

, type of

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

and movement and deposition of results of that weathering. In principle, soil type is a result of main soil forming process. Types of soil are grouped into soil orders. They are identified based on the presence or absence of diagnostic horizons and properties reflecting the effect of specific groups of soil forming processes. Soil types are divided into subtypes.

Genetical classification of soils (2011-2019)

* Order 1. Initial soils (; WRB:

Leptosol A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over continuous rock or a deeper soil that is extremely rich in coarse fragments (gravelly and/or stony). Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares o ...

s; ST:

Entisol Entisols are soils, as defined under USDA soil taxonomy, that do not show any profile development other than an A-horizon (or “A” horizon). Entisols have no diagnostic horizons, and are unaltered from their parent material, which could ...

s) : The order covers all soils where there is thick organic layer or humus horizon (< 10 cm) on solid rock (carbonate or not carbonate) or unconsolidated sediment (like sand, loam, loess). Initial soils can be found both in lowland areas and in mountains. Forming factor of soils from that order can be solid bedrock resistant to weathering, dynamic geomorphologic processes (like erosion) or fluvial accumulation. : - Type 1.1 "Rocky initial soils" (; WRB: Lithic Leptosol, Nudilithic Leptosol, Lithic Leptosol (Calcaric); ST: Lithic Udorthents, Lithic Haplrendolls) : - Type 1.2 "Rubble initial soils" (; WRB: Haplic Leptosol (Dystric), Leptic Regosol (Dystric), Haplic Leptosol (Calcaric); ST: Lithic Udorthents, Typic Udorthents, Lithic Udifolists) : - Type 1.3 "Erosional initial soils" (; WRB: Haplic Regosol; ST: Typic Udorthents) : - Type 1.4 "Accumulative initial soils" (; WRB: Haplic Fluvisol; ST: Typic Udifluvents) * Order 2. Weakly developed soils (; WRB: Leptosols,

Regosol A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in Soil consolidation, unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in erosion, eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and i ...

s; ST: Entisols) : Soils from that order are the next development stage after initial soils. Humus horizon is deeper and under it are weekly developed genetic soil horizons which are not yet fulfilling all conditions of diagnostic horizons (like ''mollic'', ''cambic'', ''sideric'', ''glossic'' etc.). : - Type 2.1 "Rankers" (; WRB: Haplic Regosol (Dystric) or (Dystic, Folic), Leptic Regosol (Skeletic); ST: Lithic or Typic Udorthents, Lithic Udifolists) : - Type 2.2 "Rendzinas" (; WRB: Rendzic Leptosol, Folic Rendzic Leptosol, Haplic Leptosol (Calcaric), Folic Leptosol (Calcaric); ST: Lithic Udorthents, Typic Udorthents, Lithic Haplrendolls) : - Type 2.3 "Pararendzinas" (; WRB: Haplic Regosol (Calcaric); ST: Typie Udorthents, Typic Eutrudepts) : - Type 2.4 "Arenosols" (; WRB: Haplic Arenosol; ST: Typic Udipsamments) : - Type 2.5 "Fluvisols" (; WRB: Haplic Fluvisol; ST: Typic Udifhivents) : - Type 2.6 "Erosional weakly developed soils" (; WRB: Haplic Regosol; ST: Typic Udorthents) * Order 3. Brown forest soils (

Brown earth Brown earth is a type of soil. Brown earths are mostly located between 35° and 55° north of the Equator. The largest expanses cover western and central Europe, large areas of western and trans-Uralian Russia, the east coast of America and easte ...

s, ; WRB:

Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...

s; ST:

Inceptisol Inceptisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. They form quickly through alteration of parent material. They are more developed than Entisols. They have no accumulation of clays, iron oxide, aluminium oxide or organic matter. They have a ...

s - Udepts) : This order includes all soils with ''cambic'' horizon, which is formed by weathering process without well seen eluviation. They have various genesis, parent material, properties and agricultural fertility. : - Type 3.1 "Eutrophic brown soils" (; WRB: Haplic Cambisol, Haplic or Stagnic or Endogleyic or Vertic Cambisol (Eutric); ST: Typic or Humic or Aquic or Oxyaquic or Vertic Eutrudepts) : - Type 3.2 "Dystrophic brown soils" (; WRB: Haplic or Stagnic Cambisol (Dystric), Endogleyic or Vertic Cambisol (Eutric); ST: Typic or Humic or Spodic or Aquic Dystrudepts, Oxyaquic or Vertic Eutrudepts) : - Type 3.3 "Brown fluvisols" (; WRB: Fluvic Cambisol, Fluvic, Endogeyic Cambisol; ST: Fluventic or Oxyaquic Eutrudepts) : - Type 3.4 "Brown rendzinas" (; WRB: Cambic Leptosol (Calcaric), Haplic Cambisol; ST: Rendollic Eutrudepts) * Order 4. Rusty soils (; WRB:

Arenosol In USDA soil taxonomy, a Psamment is defined as an Entisol which consists basically of unconsolidated sand deposits,Luvisol Luvisols are a group of soils, comprising one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups in the international system of soil classification, the World Reference Base for Soil Resources The World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is an international ...

s, Albeluvisols; ST:

Alfisol Alfisols are a soil order in USDA soil taxonomy. Alfisols form in semi-arid to humid areas, typically under a hardwood forest cover. They have a clay-enriched subsoil and relatively high native fertility. "Alf" refers to aluminium (Al) and iro ...

s - Aqualfs, Udalfs) : This order covers soils where clay leaching by snowmelt or rainy water leeds to develop eluvial horizon (''luvic'') from which clay has been leached and illuvial horizons (''argic'') in which clay has been deposited. Parent material may be from loamy sand to clay. : - Type 5.1 "Brown forest podzolic soils" (; WRB: Albic or Haplic or Stanic or Gleyic or Lamelic or Vertic Luvisol; ST: Typic or Arenic or Aquic or Oxyaquic or Mollic or Psammentic or Lamelic or Glossic or Vertic Hapludalfs) : - Type 5.2 "Streak brown forest podzolic soils" (; WRB: Haplic or Stagnic or Gleyic or Cambic Albeluvisol; ST: Typic or Arenic or Aquic or Oxyaquic or Haplic or Glossaqiuc or Vertic Glossudalfs) : - Type 5.3 "Wet brown forest podzolic soils" (; WRB: Gleyic Luvisol; ST: Typic or Umbric or Mollic Endoaqualfs, Typic Argialbolls) * Order 6. Podzol soils (; WRB:

Podzol Podzols, also known as podosols, spodosols, or espodossolos, are the typical soils of coniferous or boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathlan ...

s; ST: Spodosols) : That order groups all soils where main soil developing process was

podzolisation Podzols, also known as podosols, spodosols, or espodossolos, are the typical soils of coniferous or boreal forests and also the typical soils of eucalypt forests and heathlands in southern Australia. In Western Europe, podzols develop on heathland ...

, ''spodic'' horizon is diagnostic for that group. : - Type 6.1 "Podzolic soils" (; WRB: Haplic or Orsteinic or Gleyic Podzol; ST: Typic or Oxyaquic or Aquic Haplorthods, Spodic Udipsamments, Humaqueptic Psammaquents, Typic Duraquods, Typic or Umbric or Histic Endoaquods) : - Type 6.2 "Podzols" (; WRB: Albic Podzol, Albic Orstenic or Stagnic or Gleyic Podzol; ST: Typic Haplohumods, Spdic Udipsamments, Typic or Oxyaquic Haplorthods, Humaqueptic Psammaquents, Typic Duraquods, Typic Epiaquods, Typic Endoaquods) * Order 7. Chernozemic soils (; WRB:

Chernozem Chernozem ( ),; also called black soil, regur soil or black cotton soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compounds. Chernozem is very fertile soil and can ...

Phaeozem A Phaeozem in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a dark soil with a high Soil#Base saturation percentage, base status, but without a secondary carbonates within one metre of the soil surface. Most Phaeozems correlate with the Ud ...

s; ST:

Mollisol Mollisol is a soil type which has deep, high organic matter, nutrient-enriched surface soil ( A horizon), typically between 60 and 80 cm (24-31 in) in depth. This fertile surface horizon, called a mollic epipedon, is the defining diagnost ...

s - Aquolls, Udolls) : This order includes all soils with deep humus horizon, accumulated in both: wet or dry conditions. They are usually fertile, there is predominance of humin acids and presence of organic-mineral connections. : - Type 7.1 "Chernozems" (; WRB: Calcic or Haplic or Luvic or Stagnic Chernozem; ST: Typic or Cumulic or Entic or Aquic Hapludolls) : - Type 7.2 "Black soils" (; WRB: Gleyic or Gleyic Calcic or Luvic Chernozem, Gleyic or Haplic or Luvic Phaeozem; ST: Typic or Cumulic Endoaquolls) : - Type 7.3 "Chernozemic rendzinas" (; WRB: Rendzic Phaeozem; ST: Typic or Inceptic Haplrendolls) : - Type 7.4 "Chernoziemic fluvisols" (; WRB: Mollic Fluvisol, Endofluvic Phaeozem; ST: Fluvaquentic Endoaquolls) : - Type 7.5 "Chernoziemic deluvial soils" (; WRB: Mollic Gleysol (Colluvic); ST: Typic or Cumulic Endoaquolls) : - Type 7.6 "Mucky soils" (; WRB: Mollic or Umbric Gleysol; ST: Mollic or Histic Endoaquolls) * Order 8. Gley soils (; WRB:

Gleysol A gleysol or gley soil is a hydric soil that unless drained is saturated with groundwater for long enough to develop a characteristic colour pattern. The pattern is essentially made up of reddish, brownish, or yellowish colours at surfaces of so ...

s; ST: Entisols - Aquents) : In this order are wet soils with domination of gleyic conditions caused by shallow groundwater. : - Type 8.1 "Gley soils" (; WRB: Haplic or Molic or Histic Gleysol; ST: Typic Endoaquents, Typic Hydraquents, Mollic Haplaquents, Mollic or Humaqueptic Psammaquents) * Order 9. Vertisols (; WRB:

Vertisol A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...

s; ST: Vertisols) : This order covers soils built of swelling

clay minerals Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4), sometimes with variable amounts of iron, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and other cations found on or near some planetary surfaces. Clay mineral ...

(mainly

montmorillonite Montmorillonite is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that form when they precipitate from water solution as microscopic crystals, known as clay. It is named after Montmorillon in France. Montmorillonite, a member of the smectite grou ...

) what causes cyclic soil material volume change. : - Type 9.1 "Dystrophic vertisols" (; WRB: Haplic Vertisol (Dystric); ST: Typic Dystruderts) : - Type 9.2 "Eutrophic vertisols" (; WRB: Haplic Vertisol (Eutric); ST: Chromic Hapluderts) : - Type 9.3 "Humus vertisols" (; WRB: Mollic Vertisol; ST: Typic Hapluderts) * Order 10. Organic soils (; WRB:

Histosol In both the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) and the USDA soil taxonomy, a Histosol is a soil consisting primarily of organic materials. They are defined as having or more of organic soil material starting within 40 cm from the so ...

s; ST: Histosols) : That order groups all soils built of organic material (>12–18% organic carbon), mainly accumulated in wet conditions. : - Type 10.1 "Peat fibric soils" (; WRB: Fibric or Fibric Hemic or Limnic Fibric Histosol; ST: Typic or Hemic or Limnic Haplofibrists) : - Type 10.2 "Peat hemic soils" (; WRB: Hemic or Sapric Hemic or Fibric Hemic or Limnic Hemic Histosol; ST: Typic or Sapric or Fibric or Limnic or Fluvaquentic or Terric Haplohemists) : - Type 10.3 "Peat sapric soils" (; WRB: Sapric or Fibric Sapric or Hemic Sapric or Limnic Sapric Histosol; ST: Typic or Hemic or Limnic or Fluvaquentic or Terric Haplosaprists) : - Type 10.4 "Organic detritus soils" (; WRB: Folic or Folic Leptic Histosol; ST: Typic or Lithic Udifolists) : - Type 10.5 "Organic limnic soils" (; WRB: Limnic or Hemic Limnic Histosol; ST: Limnic Haplohemists) : - Type 10.6 "Organic mucky soils" (; WRB: Fibric Sapric or Hemic Sapric or Sapric or Limnic Sapric Histosol (Drainic); ST: Muck Haplofibrists) * Order 11. Anthropogenic soils (; WRB:

Anthrosol An anthrosol (or anthropogenic soil) in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a type of soil that has been formed or heavily modified due to long-term human activity, such as from irrigation, addition of organic waste or wet-field cu ...

s, Technosols; ST: Inceptisols - Anthrept) : This order covers soils visibly changed by human activity, not only industrial and associated with urbanization but also connected with

intensive agriculture Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of ...

. : - Type 11.1 "Agriculture soils" (; WRB: Plaggic or Hortic Anthrosol, Haplic Phaeozem (Anthric), Haplic Chernozem (Anthric); ST: Typic Plagganthrepts, Typic Haplanthrepts) : - Type 11.2 "Industrial soils" (; WRB: Technic Regosol, Technic Anthrosol, Mollic Technosol; ST: Typic or Mollic Udarents) : - Type 11.3 "Urban soils" (; WRB: Urbic or Mollic or Ecranic Technosol; ST: Typic or Mollic Udarents) : - Type 11.4 "Salty and saline soils" (; WRB: Haplic Solochaks; ST: Natrudalfs, Natraquolls)

Geological origin of bedrock and soil texture

Geological origin of bedrock described by ''rodzaj gleby'' describes geological origin and properties of material from which the soil was formed. It is not the same as soil family from USDA Soil Taxonomy. Examples can be:

granitoid A granitoid is a broad term referring to a diverse group of coarse-grained igneous rocks that are widely distributed across the globe, covering a significant portion of the Earth's exposed surface and constituting a large part of the continental ...

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

amphibolite Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose ...

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

(with specified period of formation),

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...

glacial till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

, sandur

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

loess A loess (, ; from ) is a clastic rock, clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loesses or similar deposition (geology), deposits. A loess ...

and others. Sizes of soil particles and texture of soil material are very similar to USDA classification. It makes possible correlating results of particle size analysis of soils described using USDA and Polish Soil Classification systems.

Notes

References

Bibliography

{{Soil type Pedology Types of soil Soil classification Science and technology in Poland