Soil Taxonomy

In SOIL TAXONOMY, participants will receive up-to-date information and gain knowledge about classifying soils, with a concentration on the glaciated soils of New England. The course will include classroom instruction and practice sessions, as well as classification of pedons in the field. We will travel to a variety of sites to examine and classify soils in the four soil orders that occur in New Hampshire.

Students will become familiar with the NRCS publication: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, Thirteenth Edition (2022), that has supported soil survey efforts in the USA and many countries around the world for over four decades. This course will be particularly valuable for those making soil maps and preparing related reports and those preparing to become Certified Soil Scientists at the state or national level.

UNH Professional Development and Training courses in Soil Genesis and/or Basic Soil Morphology are prerequisites for this course. Please see availability for these courses prior to enrolling in this course. You may reach out with any questions (See contact information below).

Soil Taxonomy is a prerequisite for UNH Professional Development and Training courses in Advanced Soil Mapping.

For Soil Taxonomy, students will need a copy of "Keys to Soil Taxonomy." You must order a copy ahead of time and have it available for class.

One copy per person may be ordered through the NRCS Distribution Center. Please allow 10 days for shipment.

1. Order on-line: Go to the NRCS Distribution Center
   a. Enter the keywords “keys to soil taxonomy”

2. Order by phone: 888-526-3227

3. Order by e-mail: NRCSDistributionCenter@ia.usda.gov

Questions or concerns? Please contact Sarah Lamy, Soil Science Program Manager, at Sarah.Lamy@unh.edu