Nebraska Soils Field Trip - Virginia Tech

4th IUSS Soil Classification Conference Field Tour Guidebook
1) Definition of human-transported materials added to Soil Taxonomy.
2) Definition of anthropogenic features added to Soil Taxonomy.
3) Manufactured layers and manufactured layer contact defined, added to Soil Taxonomy.
4) Proposal to add “^” (caret) before the master horizon letter of horizons and layers formed in humantransported
materials accepted. Caret added to list of Master Horizon prefixes, added to Soil
Taxonomy.
5) Proposal to add new master horizon letter M for human-manufactured impervious subsurface layers
[geotextile liners, asphalt, concrete, rubber, and plastic] accepted, added to Soil Taxonomy.
6) Proposal to add “u” as a choice of suffix lowercase letters to indicate the presence of artifacts was
accepted, added to Soil Taxonomy.
7) Definition of terms for artifacts added to NRCS soil survey system including National Soil Survey
Handbook and NASIS:
a) Artifacts defined.
1) Safety categories added (not accepted).
2) Size Categories added (not accepted).
3) Type categories defined (not accepted, individual type described).
4) Rupture resistance (use the same as for other soil material).
5) Texture Modifiers (categories added for artifactual, very artifactual, extremely artifactual using
the same percentage volume as rock fragments). Added artifacts as a term in lieu of
texture [similar to fragmental].
b) Modification of definition of fragments to include artifacts.
8) Current proposals to amend Soil Taxonomy, to be evaluated May, 2011 at the National Soil Survey
Conference in Asheville, NC:
CHAPTER 1. CHANGES TO THE DEFINITION OF “BURIED SOILS”
Proposed Action 1: Change the definition of buried soils to list plaggen epipedon and human-transported
material as equivalent to the mantle.
CHAPTER 3. CHANGES TO HORIZONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERAL SOILS
Proposed Action 2: Insert a more explicit definition before the required characteristics for the anthropic
epipedon
Proposed Action 3: Modify the definition of the anthropic epipedon to delete some requirements that are
the same as mollic epipedon, exclude evidence of long-term manuring, modify the minimum
thickness, and modify the carbon requirement.
Proposed Action 4: Change item 7 of the definition of the mollic epipedon on page 8 and the umbric
epipedon to exclude human-transported materials, anthraquic conditions, artifacts, and intentional
additions of human-applied organic amendments to meet the minimum organic carbon content.
Proposed Action 5: Change the definition of plaggen epipedon to include reference to the ad hoc proposal
to amend the National Soil Survey Handbook, Part 629: Glossary of Landform and Geologic Terms
where raised landforms are discussed, and mention of human-altered and human-transported
materials.
Proposed Action 6: Change the following parts of the definition of folistic, histic, and melanic epipedons
to exclude them from meeting the definition of anthropic epipedon.
Proposed Action 7: Add definition of Artifacts to Chapter 3.
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