{SoilTaxonomy}
Taxonomic dictionaries, formative element lists, and functions related to the maintenance, development and application of U.S. Soil Taxonomy.
Data and functionality are based on official U.S. Department of Agriculture sources including the latest edition of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy. Descriptions and metadata are obtained from the National Soil Information System or Soil Survey Geographic databases. Other sources are referenced in the data documentation.
Provides tools for understanding and interacting with concepts in the U.S. Soil Taxonomic System. Most of the current utilities are for working with taxonomic concepts at the “higher” taxonomic levels: Order, Suborder, Great Group, and Subgroup.
Installation
Get the stable version from CRAN.
install.packages("SoilTaxonomy")Get the development version from GitHub.
remotes::install_github("ncss-tech/SoilTaxonomy")library(SoilTaxonomy)Soil Taxonomy Dictionaries
# hierarchy: order to subgroup
data('ST', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')
# unique taxa: just the taxon names (in order that they "key out" in the keys)
data('ST_unique_list', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')
# formative element dictionary
data('ST_formative_elements', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')
# codes denoting higher taxonomic parent-child relationships (12th Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy)
data('ST_higher_taxa_codes_12th', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')
# definitions of diagnostic features and characteristics (12th Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy)
data('ST_features', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')
# definitions of family-level classes and differentiae (12th Edition Keys to Soil Taxonomy)
data('ST_family_classes', package = 'SoilTaxonomy')Vignettes
Several vignettes are included with the package to demonstrate basic functionality:
Featured Functions
Two helpful functions that make use of the internal lookup tables are
getTaxonAtLevel(), taxonTree(), and explainST()
getTaxonAtLevel(): Get taxonomic levels within higher taxonomic groups
HHCH = Acrudoxic Plinthic Kandiudults
getTaxonAtLevel('acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults') # level = "order" # default
#> acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults
#> "ultisols"
getTaxonAtLevel('acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults', level = "suborder")
#> acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults
#> "udults"
getTaxonAtLevel('acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults', level = "greatgroup")
#> acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults
#> "kandiudults"
getTaxonAtLevel('acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults', level = "subgroup")
#> acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults
#> "acrudoxic plinthic kandiudults"BA = Folists
getTaxonAtLevel('folists')
#> folists
#> "histosols"
getTaxonAtLevel('folists', level = "suborder")
#> folists
#> "folists"
getTaxonAtLevel('folists', level = "greatgroup")
#> folists
#> NA
getTaxonAtLevel('folists', level = "subgroup")
#> folists
#> NAtaxonTree(): Create data.tree representation of Soil Taxonomy Hierarchy
# all hapludults and hapludalfs (to subgroup level)
taxonTree(c("hapludults", "hapludalfs"))
#> Loading required namespace: data.tree
#> Soil Taxonomy
#> |-ultisols
#> | |-udults
#> | |-hapludults
#> | |-lithic-ruptic-entic hapludults
#> | |-lithic hapludults
#> | |-vertic hapludults
#> | |-fragiaquic hapludults
#> | |-aquic arenic hapludults
#> | |-aquic hapludults
#> | |-fragic hapludults
#> | |-oxyaquic hapludults
#> | |-lamellic hapludults
#> | |-psammentic hapludults
#> | |-arenic hapludults
#> | |-grossarenic hapludults
#> | |-inceptic hapludults
#> | |-humic hapludults
#> | |-typic hapludults
#> |-alfisols
#> |-udalfs
#> |-hapludalfs
#> |-lithic hapludalfs
#> |-aquertic chromic hapludalfs
#> |-aquertic hapludalfs
#> |-oxyaquic vertic hapludalfs
#> |-chromic vertic hapludalfs
#> |-vertic hapludalfs
#> |-andic hapludalfs
#> |-vitrandic hapludalfs
#> |-fragiaquic hapludalfs
#> |-fragic oxyaquic hapludalfs
#> |-aquic arenic hapludalfs
#> |-arenic oxyaquic hapludalfs
#> |-anthraquic hapludalfs
#> |-albaquultic hapludalfs
#> |-albaquic hapludalfs
#> |-glossaquic hapludalfs
#> |-aquultic hapludalfs
#> |-aquollic hapludalfs
#> |-aquic hapludalfs
#> |-mollic oxyaquic hapludalfs
#> |-oxyaquic hapludalfs
#> |-fragic hapludalfs
#> |-lamellic hapludalfs
#> |-psammentic hapludalfs
#> |-arenic hapludalfs
#> |-glossic hapludalfs
#> |-inceptic hapludalfs
#> |-ultic hapludalfs
#> |-mollic hapludalfs
#> |-typic hapludalfs# suborders and great groups of alfisols
taxonTree("alfisols", root = "Alfisols", level = c("suborder", "greatgroup"))
#> Alfisols
#> |-aqualfs
#> | |-cryaqualfs
#> | |-plinthaqualfs
#> | |-duraqualfs
#> | |-natraqualfs
#> | |-fragiaqualfs
#> | |-kandiaqualfs
#> | |-vermaqualfs
#> | |-albaqualfs
#> | |-glossaqualfs
#> | |-epiaqualfs
#> | |-endoaqualfs
#> |-cryalfs
#> | |-palecryalfs
#> | |-glossocryalfs
#> | |-haplocryalfs
#> |-ustalfs
#> | |-durustalfs
#> | |-plinthustalfs
#> | |-natrustalfs
#> | |-kandiustalfs
#> | |-kanhaplustalfs
#> | |-paleustalfs
#> | |-rhodustalfs
#> | |-haplustalfs
#> |-xeralfs
#> | |-durixeralfs
#> | |-natrixeralfs
#> | |-fragixeralfs
#> | |-plinthoxeralfs
#> | |-rhodoxeralfs
#> | |-palexeralfs
#> | |-haploxeralfs
#> |-udalfs
#> |-natrudalfs
#> |-ferrudalfs
#> |-fraglossudalfs
#> |-fragiudalfs
#> |-kandiudalfs
#> |-kanhapludalfs
#> |-paleudalfs
#> |-rhodudalfs
#> |-glossudalfs
#> |-hapludalfsexplainST(): Label formative elements with brief explanations
explainST() provides simple narrative explanations of the formative
elements of taxa at the Order, Suborder, Great Group or Subgroup levels.
cat(explainST('folistels'))
#> folistels
#> | | |
#> mass of leaves
#> | |
#> presence of organic soil materials
#> |
#> soils with permafrost or gelic material within 100cm
cat(explainST('typic endoaqualfs'))
#> typic endoaqualfs
#> | | | |
#> central theme of subgroup concept
#> | | |
#> ground water table
#> | |
#> characteristics associated with wetness
#> |
#> soils with an argillic, kandic, or natric horizon
cat(explainST('abruptic haplic durixeralfs'))
#> abruptic haplic durixeralfs
#> | | | | |
#> abrupt textural change
#> | | | |
#> central theme of subgroup concept
#> | | |
#> presence of a duripan
#> | |
#> xeric soil moisture regime
#> |
#> soils with an argillic, kandic, or natric horizon
# convert "taxon code" to taxon name (subgroup)
cat(explainST(taxon_code_to_taxon("ABCD"))) # ABCD = gypsic anhyturbels
#> gypsic anhyturbels
#> | | | |
#> presence of gypsic horizon
#> | | |
#> very dry
#> | |
#> presence of cryoturbation
#> |
#> soils with permafrost or gelic material within 100cm
# all soil orders (LETTERS[1:12]; taxon codes A through L)
res <- lapply(LETTERS[1:12], function(l) cat(explainST(taxon_code_to_taxon(l)), "\n\n"))
#> gelisols
#> |
#> soils with permafrost or gelic material within 100cm
#>
#> histosols
#> |
#> soils with more than 30% organic matter content to a depth of 40cm or more
#>
#> spodosols
#> |
#> soils with a spodic horizon within a depth of 200cm
#>
#> andisols
#> |
#> soils with andic soils properties in 1/2 or more of the upper 60cm
#>
#> oxisols
#> |
#> soils with an oxic horizon, or >40% clay in the surface 18cm and a kandic horizon with < 10% weatherable minerals
#>
#> vertisols
#> |
#> soils containing >30% clay in all horizons and cracks that open and close periodically
#>
#> aridisols
#> |
#> soils with some diagnostic horizons and an aridic soil moisture regime
#>
#> ultisols
#> |
#> soils with an argillic or kandic horizon and a base saturation at pH 8.2 <35% at a depth of 180cm
#>
#> mollisols
#> |
#> soils with a mollic epipedon and base saturation at pH 7 >=50% in all depths above 180cm
#>
#> alfisols
#> |
#> soils with an argillic, kandic, or natric horizon
#>
#> inceptisols
#> |
#> soils with an umbric, mollic, or plaggen epipedon, or cambic horizon
#>
#> entisols
#> |
#> other soilsCitation
citation("SoilTaxonomy")
#> To cite SoilTaxonomy in publications use:
#>
#> Brown A, Beaudette D (2025). _SoilTaxonomy: A System of Soil
#> Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys_. R package
#> version 0.2.8, <https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=SoilTaxonomy>.
#>
#> A BibTeX entry for LaTeX users is
#>
#> @Manual{,
#> title = {SoilTaxonomy: A System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys},
#> author = {Andrew Brown and Dylan Beaudette},
#> note = {R package version 0.2.8},
#> url = {https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=SoilTaxonomy},
#> year = {2025},
#> }