Soil qualifiers (WRB)

World Reference Base for soil resources
Key principles of classification Diagnostic horizons Properties Materials Reference soil groups RSG qualifiers RSG specifiers

Qualifiers are meant to complete the soil description through Reference soil groups (RSG).

These qualifiers are either prefixes or suffixes. For each RSG, there are several possible prefixes and suffixes.

When using qualifiers, prefixes are listed before the RSG, while suffixes are placed between brackets following the RSG name.
Example :

Prefixes	RSG	Suffixes (between brackets)
Histic Turbic	Cryosol	(Reductaquic, Dystric)

The qualifiers

• Abruptic (ap)
• Aceric (ae)
• Acric (ac)
• Albic (ab)
• Alcalic (ax)
• Alic (al)
• Aluandic (aa)
• Alumic (au)
• Andic (an)
• Anthraquic (aq)
• Anthric (am)
• Arenic (ar)
• Aric (ai)
• Aridic (ad)
• Arzic (az)
• Brunic (br)
• Calcaric (ca)
• Calcic (cc)
• Cambic (cm)
• Carbic (cb)
• Carbonatic (cn)
• Chloridic (cl)
• Chromic (cr)
• Clayic (ce)
• Colluvic (co)
• Cryic (cy)
• Cutanic (ct)
• Densic (dn)
• Drainic (dr)
• Duric (du)
• Dystric (dy)
• Ekranic (ek)
• Endoduric (nd)
• Endodystric (ny)
• Endoeutric (ne)
• Endofluvic (nf)
• Endogleyic (ng)
• Endoleptic (nl)
• Endosalic (ns)
• Entic (et)
• Epidystric (ed)
• Epieutric (ee)
• Epileptic (el)
• Episalic (ea)
• Escalic (ec)
• Eutric (eu)
• Eutrosilic (es)
• Ferralic (fl)
• Ferric (fr)
• Fibric (fi)
• Floatic (ft)
• Fluvic (fv)
• Folic (fo)
• Fractipetric (fp)
• Fractiplinthic (fa)
• Fragic (fg)
• Fulvic (fu)
• Garbic (ga)
• Gelic (ge)
• Gelistagnic (gt)
• Geric (gr)
• Gibbsic (gi)
• Glacic (gc)
• Gleyic (gl)
• Glossalbic (gb)
• Glossic (gs)
• Greyic (gz)
• Grumic (gm)
• Gypsic (gy)
• Gypsiric (gp)
• Haplic (ha)
• Hemic (hm)
• Histic (hi)
• Hortic (ht)
• Humic (hu)
• Hydragric (hg)
• Hydric (hy)
• Hydrophobic (hf)
• Hyperalbic (hb)
• Hyperalic (hl)
• Hypercalcic (hc)
• Hyperdystric (hd)
• Hypereutric (he)
• Hypergypsic (hp)
• Hyperochric (ho)
• Hypersalic (hs)
• Hyperskeletic (hk)
• Hypocalcic (wc)
• Hypogypsic(wg)
• Hypoluvic (wl)
• Hyposalic (ws)
• Hyposodic (wn)
• Irragric (ir)
• Lamellic (ll)
• Laxic (la)
• Leptic (le)
• Lignic (lg)
• Limnic (lm)
• Linic (lc)
• Lithic (li)
• Lixic (lx)
• Luvic (lv)
• Magnesic (mg)
• Manganiferric (mf)
• Mazic (mz)
• Melanic (ml)
• Mesotrophic (ms)
• Mollic (mo)
• Molliglossic (mi)
• Natric (na)
• Nitic (ni)
• Novic (nv)
• Nudiargic (na)
• Nudilithic (nt)
• Ombric (om)
• Ornithic (oc)
• Ortsteinic (os)
• Oxyaquic (oa)
• Pachic (ph)
• Pellic (pe)
• Petric (pt)
• Petrocalcic (pc)
• Petroduric (pd)
• Petrogleyic (py)
• Petrogypsic (pg)
• Petroplinthic (pp)
• Petrosalic (ps)
• Pisocalcic (cp)
• Pisoplinthic (px)
• Placic (pi)
• Plaggic (pa)
• Plinthic (pl)
• Posic (po)
• Profondic (pf)
• Protic (pr)
• Puffic (pu)
• Reductaquic (ra)
• Reductic (rd)
• Regic (rg)
• Rendzic (rz)
• Rheic (rh)
• Rhodic (ro)
• Rubic (ru)
• Ruptic (rp)
• Rustic (rs)
• Salic (sz)
• Sapric (sa)
• Silandic (sn)
• Siltic (sl)
• Skeletic (sk)
• Sodic (so)
• Solodic (sc)
• Sombric (sm)
• Spodic (sd)
• Spolic (sp)
• Stagnic (st)
• Sulphatic (su)
• Takyric (ty)
• Technic (te)
• Tephric (tf)
• Terric (tr)
• Thaptandic (ba)
• Thaptovitric (bv)
• Thionic (ti)
• Thixotropic (tp)
• Tidalic (td)
• Toxic (tx)
• Transportic (tn)
• Turbic (tu)
• Umbric (um)
• Umbriglossic (ug)
• Urbic (ub)
• Vermic (vm)
• Vertic (vr)
• Vetic (vt)
• Vitric (vi)
• Voronic (vo)
• Xanthic (xa)
• Yermic (ye)

Source

• The FAO reference text, (2007 version)