Comparison of Taiwan Soil Classification System to Soil Taxonomy and WRB system and its modification toward a common format of Asian Soil Information Systems

A total of 19 survey projects in Taiwan can be recorded as the important events since 1950s. The soil survey of Taiwan gave great contribution on a national soil database and good interpretation on soil management, fertilizer recommendation, and environmental quality. A total of 620 soil series of the rural lands and 432 soil series of the hill lands have been established in Taiwan, which were divided into 8 Soil Orders in Soil Taxonomy. However, Entisols and Inceptisols are clearly dominant Soil Orders which is more than 50% of the total soil series. Paddy soils in Taiwan are mainly classified into Entisols, Inceptisols, Alfisols and Ultisols, and with minor into Mollisols and Oxisols. There has been a consistent desire of the soil classification in the rural and hill lands of Taiwan by Soil Taxonomy to relate it to the World Reference Base (WRB) system to permit easy translations. As there are differences in definitions and the structure, direct equivalence may not always be possible. There are direct equivalents for some categories, while others may have more than one. We are facing to develop the new strategies of soil survey for the future. The major items will be discussed, including develop the new soil survey techniques for identify the boundary of contaminated soils, improve the soil properties in the decrease of paddy soils, use the national soil information system for more soil interpretation, and continue soil function education.