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Published in Soil Sci Soc Am J 33:433-438 (1969)
© 1969 Soil Science Society of America
677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA
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Numerical Classification of Some Forested Minnesota Soils1

D. F. Grigal and H. F. Arneman2

ABSTRACT

Forty Minnesota soils were classified both by a non-numerical classification (7th Approximation) and by five numerical classifications, based on (i) all 22 properties which were measured, (ii) on properties measured in the field, (iii) on moisture-related properties, (iv) on nutrient-related properties, and (v) on horizon texture and thickness.

The numerical relationship between any two profiles was evaluated on the basis of similarity in properties and sequence of component horizons. Horizons were considered to be isotropic units, and each horizon in a given profile was compared to three horizons at a comparable depth in a second profile. Euclidean distance was used to measure horizon similarities. All primary soil properties, whether qualitative or quantitative, were made to contribute equally to distance. Properties which better described a primary property (e.g. mottles described by abundance, size, and contrast) affected the contribution of that primary property to distance. Clusters were separated from the matrices of distance coefficients by the weighted-pair group method of cluster analysis.

The resulting classifications were compared to one another. Dividing the classifications into many groups (lower levels in the hierarchies) resulted in better relationships than did reducing the number of groups. Large groups contained dissimilar individuals, so accuracy was reduced. The numerical groups were subjectively homogeneous. Because the numerical classifications did not heavily weight "diagnostic" horizons, the results of these classifications generally differed from those of the non-numerical classification. However, the non-numerical classification based on textural classes of the family and the numerical classification based on horizon texture and thickness, because they were based on nearly the same properties, did correspond.

NOTES

Contribution of Minnesota Agr. Exp. Sta. as Scientific Journal Series no. 6663. Presented before Div. S-5, Soil Science Society of America, Nov. 11, 1968, at New Orleans, La. Part of a dissertation presented by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

2 Former Research Assistant, now AEC Postdoctoral Fellow, appointed by Oak Ridge Associated Universities, assigned to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Professor, Dept. of Soil Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul.

Received for publication August 28, 1968. Accepted for publication December 23, 1968.






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Copyright © 1969 by the Soil Science Society of America.