4
Major Soil Types
Yusuke Takata, Masayuki Kawahigashi, Kimihiro Kida, Masayuki Tani,
Rintaro Kinoshita, Toyoaki Ito, Makoto Shibata, Tadashi Takahashi,
Kazumichi Fujii, Akihiro Imaya, Hiroshi Obara, Yuji Maejima,
Kazunori Kohyama, and Taku Kato
Abstract
This chapter presents the genesis, characteristics, classification,
distribution, and land uses of the 10 soil grade groups
(Human-made soils, Organic soils, Andosols, Podzols, Fluvic
soils, Red-Yellow soils, Stagnic soils, Eutrosols, Brown Forest
soils, and Regosols) in the Soil Classification System of Japan.
Human-made soils are referred to soils formed through an
anthropogenic process, especially in anthropized areas such as
urban, industrial, traffic, mining, and waste disposal areas.
Organic soils are formed under wetland conditions where the
rate of organic matter production exceeds the rate of organic
matter decomposition. Andosols are mainly derived from
volcanic ejecta or tephra and form during a long period of
pedogenetic soil formation process have unique and distinctive
properties among soils, such as their fluffy and light surface
properties, high humus content, and very high phosphorusfixing capacity. Podzols are characterized by the eluviation of
aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) from the albic E horizon and their
illuviation in the spodic B (Bs) horizon. Fluvic soils are young
soils developed from recent alluvial deposits. Red-Yellow
soils are a red or yellow color, low accumulation of organic
matter, low base saturation, and strong weathering. Stagnogley
soils are distributed in terraces, hills, and mountainous areas
having a shallow groundwater table. Eutrosols are characterized by high base saturation, that is, with a eutric condition.
Brown Forest soils are relatively young soils, are widely
distributed in a rather wide range of temperate, and warm
temperate zones in humid (high precipitation) climates
without fresh volcanic ash deposition. Regosols are very
weak weathering soils, which are divided into four groups:
Volcanogenous Regosols, Sandy Regosols, Lithosols, and
Terrestrial Regosols.
Keywords
Soil classification system of Japan Á Soil great groups Á
Soil genesis Á Soil characteristics Á Soil-land use
4.1 Human-Made Soils
4.1.1 Pedogenesis and Characteristics
of Human-Made Soils
(1) Artifactual soils and Reformed soils
The term Human-made soils refer to soils formed through an
anthropogenic process, in contrast to other soils, which are
usually named after their pedogenic processes or parent
Y. Takata (&) Á H. Obara Á Y. Maejima Á K. Kohyama
Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO, Tsukuba City,
Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
e-mail: takatay@affrc.go.jp
M. Kawahigashi Á K. Kida
Department of Geography, Tokyo Metropolitan University,
Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan
M. Tani Á R. Kinoshita
Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of
Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro City, Hokkaido,
Japan
T. Ito
Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata Agro-Food University, Tainai
City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
M. Shibata
Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto
University, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
T. Takahashi
Department of Biological Environment, Faculty of Bioresource
Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita City, Akita
Prefecture, Japan
K. Fujii
Division of Forest Soils, Forestry and Forest Products Research
Institute, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
A. Imaya
Forestry Division, Japan International Research Center for
Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
T. Kato
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Applied
Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Hatano et al. (eds.), The Soils of Japan, World Soils Book Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8229-5_4
69
Major Soil Types
Yusuke Takata, Masayuki Kawahigashi, Kimihiro Kida, Masayuki Tani,
Rintaro Kinoshita, Toyoaki Ito, Makoto Shibata, Tadashi Takahashi,
Kazumichi Fujii, Akihiro Imaya, Hiroshi Obara, Yuji Maejima,
Kazunori Kohyama, and Taku Kato
Abstract
This chapter presents the genesis, characteristics, classification,
distribution, and land uses of the 10 soil grade groups
(Human-made soils, Organic soils, Andosols, Podzols, Fluvic
soils, Red-Yellow soils, Stagnic soils, Eutrosols, Brown Forest
soils, and Regosols) in the Soil Classification System of Japan.
Human-made soils are referred to soils formed through an
anthropogenic process, especially in anthropized areas such as
urban, industrial, traffic, mining, and waste disposal areas.
Organic soils are formed under wetland conditions where the
rate of organic matter production exceeds the rate of organic
matter decomposition. Andosols are mainly derived from
volcanic ejecta or tephra and form during a long period of
pedogenetic soil formation process have unique and distinctive
properties among soils, such as their fluffy and light surface
properties, high humus content, and very high phosphorusfixing capacity. Podzols are characterized by the eluviation of
aluminum (Al) and iron (Fe) from the albic E horizon and their
illuviation in the spodic B (Bs) horizon. Fluvic soils are young
soils developed from recent alluvial deposits. Red-Yellow
soils are a red or yellow color, low accumulation of organic
matter, low base saturation, and strong weathering. Stagnogley
soils are distributed in terraces, hills, and mountainous areas
having a shallow groundwater table. Eutrosols are characterized by high base saturation, that is, with a eutric condition.
Brown Forest soils are relatively young soils, are widely
distributed in a rather wide range of temperate, and warm
temperate zones in humid (high precipitation) climates
without fresh volcanic ash deposition. Regosols are very
weak weathering soils, which are divided into four groups:
Volcanogenous Regosols, Sandy Regosols, Lithosols, and
Terrestrial Regosols.
Keywords
Soil classification system of Japan Á Soil great groups Á
Soil genesis Á Soil characteristics Á Soil-land use
4.1 Human-Made Soils
4.1.1 Pedogenesis and Characteristics
of Human-Made Soils
(1) Artifactual soils and Reformed soils
The term Human-made soils refer to soils formed through an
anthropogenic process, in contrast to other soils, which are
usually named after their pedogenic processes or parent
Y. Takata (&) Á H. Obara Á Y. Maejima Á K. Kohyama
Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, NARO, Tsukuba City,
Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
e-mail: takatay@affrc.go.jp
M. Kawahigashi Á K. Kida
Department of Geography, Tokyo Metropolitan University,
Hachioji City, Tokyo, Japan
M. Tani Á R. Kinoshita
Research Center for Global Agromedicine, Obihiro University of
Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro City, Hokkaido,
Japan
T. Ito
Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata Agro-Food University, Tainai
City, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
M. Shibata
Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Kyoto
University, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
T. Takahashi
Department of Biological Environment, Faculty of Bioresource
Sciences, Akita Prefectural University, Akita City, Akita
Prefecture, Japan
K. Fujii
Division of Forest Soils, Forestry and Forest Products Research
Institute, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
A. Imaya
Forestry Division, Japan International Research Center for
Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
T. Kato
Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Applied
Bioscience, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, Japan
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
R. Hatano et al. (eds.), The Soils of Japan, World Soils Book Series,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8229-5_4
69