Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1002/jpln.200521961 |
| Title (Primary) | Topsoil characterization - recommendations for revision and expansion of the FAO-Draft (1998) with emphasis on humus forms and biological features |
| Author | Broll, G.; Brauckmann, H.J.; Overesch, M.; Junge, B.; Erber, C.; Milbert, G.; Baize, D.; Nachtergaele, F. |
| Source Titel | Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science |
| Year | 2006 |
| Department | BOCHE |
| Volume | 169 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Page From | 453 |
| Page To | 461 |
| Language | englisch |
| Keywords | topsoil; humus form; soil classification; World Reference Base for Soil Resources; qualifier |
| Abstract | The characterization of topsoils has recently received enhanced attention, particularly for environmental monitoring. Traditional national and international soil taxonomies hardly consider the topsoil in spite of its importance for soil quality. Consequently, the FAO "Topsoil Characterization for Sustainable Land Management" was developed to be used additionally for describing topsoils and to combine it with the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). In this paper, recommendations for a first step of a revision and expansion of the FAO "Topsoil Characterization" are made. On the one hand, common rules for soil description as used in the FAO "Guidelines for Profile Description" were incorporated in the FAO "Topsoil Characterization". On the other hand, new characteristics for the description of the organic matter and of biological features of the topsoils were introduced. At first, the proposed German systematics of humus forms is presented and correlated with different national systematics, for validation in the international context. Secondly, a correlation of the new German systematics of humus forms with the FAO "Topsoil Characterization for Sustainable Land Management" and other topsoil systematics is made. Thirdly, additional qualifiers are described focussing on the organic layers and the biological features. A coincidence between the characterization of humus forms and topsoils was found which appears to be an appropriate basis for the incorporation of humus forms in the FAO "Topsoil Characterization". Investigations have shown that the topsoils in forests can be described comprehensively by additional qualifiers for the organic layers. Grassland or arable land which usually lack organic layers can be characterized in detail by qualifiers concerning soil biological activity in the A horizon. The methodology was already applied successfully in temperate regions. But there is still a need for further discussion of the revision and for tests in tropical and subtropical zones and poorly drained areas. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=2551 |
| Broll, G., Brauckmann, H.J., Overesch, M., Junge, B., Erber, C., Milbert, G., Baize, D., Nachtergaele, F. (2006): Topsoil characterization - recommendations for revision and expansion of the FAO-Draft (1998) with emphasis on humus forms and biological features J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 169 (3), 453 - 461 10.1002/jpln.200521961 |
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