Humusica 1, article 4: Terrestrial humus systems and forms—Specific terms and diagnostic horizons

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment Vol. 122; no. Part 1; pp. 56 - 74
• Main Authors: Zanella, Augusto, Ponge, Jean-François, Jabiol, Bernard, Sartori, Giacomo, Kolb, Eckart, Gobat, Jean-Michel, Bayon, Renée-Claire Le, Aubert, Michaël, Waal, Rein De, Delft, Bas Van, Vacca, Andrea, Serra, Gianluca, Chersich, Silvia, Andreetta, Anna, Cools, Nathalie, Englisch, Michael, Hager, Herbert, Katzensteiner, Klaus, Brêthes, Alain, Nicola, Cristina De, Testi, Anna, Bernier, Nicolas, Graefe, Ulfert, Juilleret, Jérôme, Banas, Damien, Garlato, Adriano, Obber, Silvia, Galvan, Paola, Zampedri, Roberto, Frizzera, Lorenzo, Tomasi, Mauro, Menardi, Roberto, Fontanella, Fausto, Filoso, Carmen, Dibona, Raffaella, Bolzonella, Cristian, Pizzeghello, Diego, Carletti, Paolo, Langohr, Roger, Cattaneo, Dina, Nardi, Serenella, Nicolini, Gianni, Viola, Franco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2018; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agricultural sciences; Biodiversity and Ecology; diagnostic horizons; Ecology, environment; Ecosystems; Environmental Sciences; Humic component; Humipedon; Humus; Humus classification; Humus diagnostic horizon; humus horizons; Humusica; Life Sciences; Recognizable remains; Soil study; Terrestrial humus; Zoogenically transformed material; Humus; Terrestrial humus; Humipedon; Recognizable remains; Zoogenically transformed material; Humus classification; Humus diagnostic horizon; Humusica; Humic component; humipedon; humic component; humus classification; Anthropogenic humus systems; zoogenically transformed material; humus diagnostic horizon; recognizable remains
• ISSN: 0929-1393; 1873-0272
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.07.005

Knowledge of a little number of specific terms is necessary to investigate and describe humipedons. This “new vocabulary” allows individuating and circumscribing particular diagnostic horizons, which are the fundamental bricks of the humipedon. Few “components” defined by specific terms characterize a specific “humipedon horizon”; few “humipedon horizons” compose a given “humus form” and some similar “humus forms” are grouped in a functional “humus system”. In this article, specific terms and humus horizons are listed and explained one by one. Field difficulties are illustrated and resolved. The aim of the article is to present in a manner as simple as possible how to distinguish in the field the soil structures allowing a morpho-functional classification of terrestrial (aerated, not submerged) humipedons.