Geology 210 Class Preparation Questions

  Soil Classification and Soil Orders

How are soils classified?

How does the modern USDA classification differ from the map-unit based classification formerly used?

What are the defining characteristics and typical climatic setting of the following soil orders?  Entisol, inceptisol, alfisol, spodosol, mollisol, histosol, aridisol, vertisol, ultisol, oxisol, andisol

How are soil orders subdivided to produce names for lower soil taxa?