Abstract
International concerns about the effects of global change on permafrost-affected soils and responses of permafrost terrestrial landscapes to such change have been increasing in the last two decades. To achieve a variety of goals including the determining of soil carbon stocks and dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere, the understanding of soil degradation and the best ways to protect the fragile ecosystems in permafrost environment, further study development on Cryosol classification is being in great demand. In this paper the existing Cryosol classifications contained in three representative soil taxonomies are introduced, and the problems in the practical application of the defining criteria used for category differentiation in these taxonomic systems are discussed. Meanwhile, the resumption and reconstruction of Chinese Cryosol classification within a taxonomic frame is proposed. In dealing with Cryosol classification the advantages that Chinese pedologists have and the challenges that they have to face are analyzed. Finally, several suggestions on the study development of the further taxonomic frame of Cryosol classification are put forward.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
ACECSS (Agriculture Canada Expert Committee on Soil Survey), 1987. The Canadian System of Soil Classification (2nd ed.) [M]. Ottawa: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 20–164.
Agriculture Canada, 1974. A System of Soil Classification for Canada [M]. Ottawa: Agriculture Canada, Information Canada, 120–255.
BOCKHEIM J G, 1995. Permafrost distribution in the southern Circumpolar Region and its relation to the environment: a review and recommendations for further research[J]. Permafrost and Periglacial Proc., 6: 27–45.
BOCKHEIM J G, HALL K J, 2002. Permafrost active-layer dynamics and periglacial environments of continental Antarctica[J]. South African Journal of Science, 98: 82–90.
BOCKHEIM J G, PING C L, MOORE et al., 1994. Gelisols: a new proposed order for permafrost-affected soils [A]. In: KIMBLE J M, AHRENS R J (eds.). Proc. Meeting on Classification, Correlation, and Management of Permafrost-Affected Soils [C]. Washington D C: U.S. Dept. Agric., Soil Conserv. Serv., 25–45.
BOCKHEIM J G, TARNOCAI C, 1998. Recognition of cryoturbation for classifying permafrost-affected soils [J]. Geoderma, 81: 281–293.
BROLL G, 2000. Influence of overgrazing by reindeer on soil organic matter and soil microclimate of well-drained soils in the Finnish Subarctic [A]. In: LAL R, KIMBLE J M, STEWART B A (eds.). Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems, Advances in Soil Science [C]. Boca Raton: Fla. Lewis Publishers, 163–172.
BROWN J, FERRIANS O J, HEGINBOTTOM J J A et al., 1998. Digital circum-arctic map of permafrost and groundice conditions[A]. In: International Permafrost Association, Data and Information Working Group, Cimcumpolar Active-layer Permafrost System (CAPS) (version 1.0) [DB/OL]. Available from NSIDC User Services.
CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy), 1991. Chinese Soil Taxonomy (first proposal) [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 70–165. (in Chinese)
CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy), 1995. Chinese Soil Taxonomy (revised proposal) [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 20–187. (in Chinese)
CRGCST (Cooperative Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy). 2001. Chinese Soil Taxonomy [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 110–203. (in Chinese)
DRIESSEN P, DECKERS J, SPAARGAREN O et al., 2001. Lecture notes on the major soil of the world [R]. World Soil Resources Report No. 94[C]. Rome:FAO, 1–26.
FAO, ISRIC (International Soil Resource and Information Centre), ISSS (International Society of Soil Science), 1998. World reference base for soil resources 84 [R]. World Soil Resources Reports [C]. Rome: FAO, 1–109.
FOX C A, 1994. Micromorphology of permafrost affected soils [A]. In: KIMBLE J M, AHRENS R (eds.). Proc. Meeting on Classification. Correlation and Management of Peramfost-affected Soils [C]. Washington D C: U.S. Dept. Agrci., Soil Conserv. Serv., 51–62.
FRENCH H M, 1996. The Periglacial Environment (2nd ed.) [M]. Essex: Longmans, 15–175.
GEIGER R, 1965. The Climate Near the Ground (2nd ed.) [M]. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 56–235.
GOODRICH L E, 1982. The influence of snow cover on the ground thermal regime [J]. Canadian Geotechnical Journal, 19: 421–432.
HERTERICH K, 1988. A three-dimensional model of the Antarctic ice sheet [J]. Ann. Glaciol., 11: 32–35.
RGCST (Research Group on Chinese Soil Taxonomy), 1987. Chinese soil taxonomy (second draft) [J]. Progress in Soil Science, (Supplement): 69–104. (in Chinese)
Soil Classification Working Group, 1998. The Canadian System of Soil Classification (3rd ed.) [M]. Ottawa: Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, 18–187.
Soil Survey Staff, 1999. Soil Taxonomy (Second Edition): A Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys [M]. Washington D C: United States Department of Agriculture, 20–256.
TARNOCAI C, 1998. The amount of organic carbon in various soil orders and ecological provinces in Canada [A]. In: LAL R, KIMBLE J M et al. (eds.). Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle. Advances in Soil Science [C]. New York: CRC Press, 81–92.
TARNOCAI C, 1999. The effect of climate warming on the carbon balance of Cryosols in Canada [A]. In: TARNOCAI C, KING R, SMITH S (eds.). Cryosols and Cryogenic Environments, Special Issue of Permafrost and Periglacial Processes [C]. 10(3): 251–263.
TARNOCAI C, 2000. Carbon pools in soils of the Arctic, Subarctic and Boreal regions of Canada [A]. In: LAL R, KIMBLE J M, STEWART B A (eds.). Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems, Advances in Soil Science [C]. Boca Raton: Fla. Lewis Publishers, 91–103.
THORN C E, 1978. The geomorphic role of snow [J]. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 68:414–425.
THORN C E, DARMODY R G, 2002. Permafrost and ground temperature regimes: a challenging soil classification problem in low arctic and alpine environments [J]. Danish Journal of Geography, 102: 1–9.
WILLIAMS P J, SMITH M W, 1989. The Frozen Earth: Fundamentals of Geocryology [M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 45–216.
ZHANG T, ROGER G, BARRY K et al., 1999. Statistics and characteristics of permafrost and ground ice distribution in the Northern Hemisphere [J]. Polar Geography, 23(2): 147–169.
ZHAO Qi-guo, WANG Hao-qing, GU Guo-an, 1993. Gelisols of China [J]. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 30(4): 341–354. (in Chinese).
ZHOU You-wu, GUO Dong-xin, QIU Guo-qing et al., 2002. Frozen Ground of China [M]. Beijing: Science Press, 1–450. (in Chinese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Foundation item: Under the auspices of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40001011)
Biography: CHEN Jie (1967–), male, a native of Henan Province, professor, Ph. D., specialized in soil geography and resources, pedogeochemistry and environment. E-mail: jchen@issas.ac.cn
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, J., Gong, Zt., Chen, Zc. et al. Classification of cryosols: Significance, achievements and challenges. Chin. Geograph.Sc. 13, 352–358 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-003-0042-3
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-003-0042-3