This book, specially prepared for soil scientistsand engineers, offers comprehensivecoverage of basic soil concepts, systematics,mapping and examination procedures forsoils. The Manual is universally useful andis the primary reference on principles andtechnical detail for local, State and Federalcontributions to authorized soil surveys.Soil scientists concerned with soil surveysin other countries have used it as well.Teachers have used it both as a text and as areference for students.

Soils are affected by human activities, such as industrial, municipal and agriculture, that often result in soil degradation and loss. In order to prevent soil degradation and to rehabilitate the potentials of degraded soils, reliable soil data are the most important prerequisites for the design of appropriate land-use systems and soil management practices as well as for a better understanding of the environment. The availability of reliable information on soil morphology and other characteristics obtained through examination and description of the soil in the field is essential, and the use of a common language is of prime importance. These guidelines, based on the latest internationally accepted systems and classifications, provide a complete procedure for soil description and for collecting field data. To help beginners, some explanatory notes are included as well as keys based on simple test and observations.--Publisher's description.

Reliable and up-to-date soil information is fundamental to guide policies and decisions in the light of challenges facing food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, further provision of ecosystem services and sustainable intensification of agriculture. This report reviews the present availability of soil information from legacy maps and reports, and from ongoing global Digital Soil Mapping efforts. It examines soil maps and soil profile databases at the global and national level, global datasets, regional and (inter)-continental soil information products, and the continental soil atlas. It also looks at the evolution of methods and tools for soil mapping, and reviews the requirements of soil information users through survey assessment. Currently, the soil science community is limited in its capacity to provide accurate and updated information to different soil users. This report concludes that there is an urgent need for traditional soil survey/mapping and DSM communities to join forces to fill this gap and meet users' expectations for soil information.