I was trying to prepare different soil maps (like soil type, soil texture etc.) for the state of Jharkhand in India. I found some of the maps in Govt. portal. However, I am finding it difficult to understand the taxonomy. Can anybody please help?
Please refer to the attached files. Please refer to the Table 1 in the analysis file.
I want to know, what does the "map unit" means? What is the soil type, order, sub order, family, series and texture of that soil according to the taxonomy given?
The soil taxonomy in Table 1 of the Bokaro pdf follows the US Department of Agricultural (USDA) definitions. You can find those definitions here:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_051232.pdf
For an example of soil taxonomy from the table here is a brief description of:
Fine loamy, mixed, hyperthermic Ultic Haplustalfs
The first part is your soil text, a loam is near equal parts sand, silt and clay (exact definition can be seen on the ternary diagram https://www.nbcsd.org/cms/lib/PA01001217/Centricity/Domain/116/Soil%20Texture%20Soil%20Activity.pdf ). This is a fine loam so it is on the finer side probably.
The next two terms are qualifiers to the classification, that in this case refer to climate characteristics. Hyperthermic, the annual temperature is greater than 22 degrees C and Ultic, the soil has some characteristics like an ultisol such as moderate to low cation exchange and an argillic or clay rich horizon. These terms are used to supplement the taxonomic name, which is the last term.
The last term is the taxonomic name and it is reversed in importance, meaning the most important group is last and the lesser group is first. In the example haplustalfs:
The last few characters of the name (alfs) tell you the main class the soil. In this case it is an alfisol (usually found in forested or treed areas). This is probably what you are most interested in.
The "ust" refers to a ustic moisture regime (at least 90 days dry but moist in at least half the days that temperatures are above 5 degrees C)
The first few letters are descriptors. Hapl refers to haploid: soil mixing or minimal horizonation or distinctions.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=stelprdb1252094&ext=pdf
Wilding, L. P., Smeck, N. E., & Hall, G. F. (1983). Pedogenesis and soil taxonomy: the soil orders. Elsevier.
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