World Reference Base For Soil Resources

WRB 98 Soil Groups

Code	Soil type	Brief description
AC	Acrisol	Red, brown or yellow coloured soil, develops in areas of intense weathering, has a clay rich B horizon
AB	Albeluvisol
AL	Alisol
AN	Andosol	Soil developed from volcanic material, are young immature soils, characteristics depend on type of volcanic material
AT	Anthrosol
AR	Arenosol	Sandy soil with no more profile development than a A horizon
CL	Calcisol	Soil with a substantial secondary accumulation of lime
CM	Cambisol	Transformation of soil matter (Fe particularly) in situ without moving in profile. Mostly brownish color.
CH	Chernozem	Fertile black-coloured soil containing a high percentage of humus, phosphoric acids, phosphorus and ammonia
CR	Cryosol	Soil in permafrost areas, exhibits cryoturbation and is usually rich in organic matter
DU	Durisol	Soil of some arid and semi-arid environments, contains cemented secondary silica
FR	Ferralsol	Red to yellow soil rich in iron and aluminium, common in temperate to tropical humid areas
FL	Fluvisol	Soil developed above flood plain sediments, A horizon is commonly directly above C horizon
GL	Gleysol
GY	Gypsisol
HS	Histosol	Soil consisting primarily of organic materials, common in wetlands
KS	Kastanozem
LP	Leptosol	Shallow soil over bedrock, calcareous material or a deeper soil that is gravelly or stony, common in mountains
LX	Lixisol
LV	Luvisol
NT	Nitisol
PH	Phaeozem	Sod organic-accumulative
PL	Planosol
PT	Plinthosol
PZ	Podzol	Soil that presents significant podzolization, common in coniferous forests
RG	Regosol
SC	Solonchak
SN	Solonetz
UM	Umbrisol	Soil with a dark topsoil and in which organic matter has accumulated significantly within the mineral surface soil
VR	Vertisol	Shows significant and recurrent swelling with water, high content of expansive clay