HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Lentner, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Lentner, M. Agricola Articles by Edmonds, W. J. Articles by Lentner, M.

Taxonomic Variation within Three Soil Mapping Units in Virginia¹

ABSTRACT

This study examines the taxonomic variation of mapping units in second-order soil surveys and evaluates (i) taxa in Soil Taxonomy as designators of mapping unit content, (ii) phenetic similarity of soil profiles, and (iii) soil characters as class differentiae. Taxonomic purity was not attained within 7 m at any categorical level in Soil Taxonomy and four orders were necessary for objectively designating the pedologic content of a mapping unit. Comparisons of groupings of soil profiles by Soil Taxonomy and clusters defined by phenetic similarity revealed that phenetically similar soil profiles were placed in different taxa and phenetically different soil profiles were combined in the same taxon. Any given soil character was not considered to be accessory to any other character because of low covariance. No single character could be identified as an effective differentia when evaluated in light of its loading onto the eigenvectors. Numerical methods for generalizing the data encountered in these mapping units are illustrated.

¹ Contribution of the Dep. of Agronomy, Geography, and Statistics, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ., Blacksburg, Virginia 24061.

² Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, respectively, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State Univ.

Received for publication February 9, 1984. Accepted for publication November 13, 1984.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. M. Ziadat Analyzing Digital Terrain Attributes to Predict Soil Attributes for a Relatively Large Area Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., August 25, 2005; 69(5): 1590 - 1599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F.J. Young and R.D. Hammer Defining Geographic Soil Bodies by Landscape Position, Soil Taxonomy, and Cluster Analysis Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 1, 2000; 64(3): 989 - 998. [Abstract] [Full Text]