Soil Taxonomy Keys

Feb 3, 2023

Soil Taxonomy Keys

Feb 3, 2023

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th Edition, 

is Now Available Online

The Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition, has been posted to the USDA, NRCS website. The Keys to Soil Taxonomy provides the taxonomic keys necessary for the classification of soils in a form that can be used easily in the field. It also acquaints users of soil taxonomy with recent changes in the classification system.

The 13th edition incorporates the amendments approved by the regional and national conferences of the National Cooperative Soil Survey since the publication of the last edition of the Keys in 2014.

The authors of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy are identified as the “Soil Survey Staff.” This term is meant to include all of the soil classifiers in the National Cooperative Soil Survey program and in the international community who have made significant contributions to the improvement of the taxonomic system.

View or download the Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th edition, at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/guides-and-instructions/keys-to-soil-taxonomy.

Contact. Direct questions to Debbie Surabian, National Leader for Standards, at Debbie.Surabian@usda.gov.

Visit and bookmark the NRCS web page for soil science.

 

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Thirteenth Edition (5.14 MB)  Online version

The Keys to Soil Taxonomy provides the taxonomic keys necessary for the classification of soils in a form that can be used easily in the field. It also acquaints users of soil taxonomy with recent changes in the classification system.

Recommended Citation

Soil Survey Staff. 2022. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 13th ed. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Illustrated Guide to Soil Taxonomy

Illustrated Guide to Soil Taxonomy, version 2.0 (21.62 MB)

The Illustrated Guide to Soil Taxonomy was produced for use by multiple audiences and is not intended to replace the full version of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy for the professional soil classifier. Some of the more technical and complicated criteria have been omitted or referenced in notes to make the user aware that there are exceptions. More complete criteria and definitions are available in the full version of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

This edition of the illustrated guide (version 2.0) is based upon the twelfth edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy.

When using the illustrated guide, open the bookmarks tab on the left side of the screen in Adobe Acrobat to navigate the document. 


Recommended Citation

Soil Survey Staff. 2015. Illustrated guide to soil taxonomy. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Spanish Version

Claves para la Taxonomía de Suelos, Décima segunda Edición, 2014 (5.41 MB)  online

For decades, NRCS has worked with soil scientists from around the world to increase awareness and expand knowledge of the importance of soil and its impact on all aspects of life. The translation expands the horizons of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy by allowing professionals around the world to apply and interpret the system in a more uniform and consistent way. While soils differ globally, the ability to apply a system that is universally understood and accepted is a goal shared by many soil scientists.

As the world struggles with global warming and other environmental challenges, having a universally accepted method that can be applied when soil problems are addressed will contribute to successful outcomes. Soil scientists and other professionals from Latin America, the United States, and other countries will benefit from this translation effort for years to come.

The translation of the “Keys” into Spanish was performed by Carlos Alberto Ortiz-Solorio, Ma del Carmen Gutiérrez-Castorena, and Edgar V. Gutiérrez-Castorena of Área de Génesis, Morfología y Clasificación de Suelos, Programa de Edafología, Campus Montecillo, Colegio de Postgraduados en Ciencias Agrícolas.


Recommended Citation

Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Claves para la Taxonomía de Suelos, 12th ed. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, DC.

Ordering Keys to Soil Taxonomy

A printed copy is available from:

NRCS Distribution Center
Enter keywords: keys to soil taxonomy
Phone: 888-526-3227
E-mail: NRCSDistributionCenter@ia.usda.gov

 


By Ben Faber
Author - Advisor
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