Humusica 1, article 5: Terrestrial humus systems and forms ‒ Keys of classification of humus systems and forms

Augusto Zanella (1) , Jean-François Ponge (2) , Bernard Jabiol (3) , Giacomo Sartori (4) , Ekart Kolb (5) , Renée-Claire Le Bayon (6) , Jean-Michel Gobat (6) , Michaël Aubert (7) , Rein de Waal (8) , Bas van Delft (8) , Andrea Vacca (9) , Gianluca Serra (10) , Silvia Chersich (10) , Anna Andreetta (11) , Raimo Kõlli (12) , Jean Jacques Brun (13) , Nathalie Cools (14) , Michael Englisch (15) , Herbert Hager (16) , Klaus Katzensteiner (16) , Alain Brêthes (17) , Cristina de Nicola (18) , Anna Testi (18) , Nicolas Bernier (19) , Ulfert Graefe (20) , Ugo Wolf (11) , Jérôme Juilleret (21) , Adriano Garlato (22) , Silvia Obber (22) , Paola Galvan (23) , Roberto Zampedri (24) , Lorenzo Frizzera (24) , Mauro Tomasi (10) , Damien Banas (25) , Fabrice Bureau (26) , Dylan Tatti (8) , Sandrine Salmon (2) , Roberto Menardi (1) , Fausto Fontanella (1) , Vinicio Carraro (1) , Diego Pizzeghello (1) , Giuseppe Concheri (1) , Andrea Squartini (1) , Dina Cattaneo (1) , Linda Scattolin (1) , Serenella Nardi (1) , Gianni Nicolini (27) , Franco Viola (28)

1 Unipd - Università degli Studi di Padova = University of Padua
2 MECADEV - Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution
3 AgroParisTech
4 MUSE – Science Museum of Trento
5 TUM - Technische Universität Munchen - Technical University Munich - Université Technique de Munich
6 UNINE - Université de Neuchâtel = University of Neuchatel
7 ECODIV - Étude et compréhension de la biodiversité
8 BFH - Bern University of Applied Sciences
9 UniCa - Università degli Studi di Cagliari = University of Cagliari
10 Chercheur indépendant
11 UniFI - Università degli Studi di Firenze = University of Florence = Université de Florence
12 EMU - Estonian University of Life Sciences
13 IRSTEA - Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies pour l'environnement et l'agriculture
14 INBO - Research Institute for Nature and Forest
15 Bundesamt für Wald
16 BOKU - Universität für Bodenkultur Wien = University of Natural Resources and Life [Vienne, Autriche]
17 ONF - Office National des Forêts
18 UNIROMA - Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" = Sapienza University [Rome]
19 MNHN - Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
20 IFAB - Institut für Angewandte Bodenbiologie GmbH
21 LIST - Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
22 ARPAV - Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of the Veneto
23 CEALP - Centro di Ecologia Alpina
24 FEM - Fondazione Edmund Mach - Edmund Mach Foundation [Italie]
25 URAFPA - Unité de Recherches Animal et Fonctionnalités des Produits Animaux
26 UNIROUEN - Université de Rouen Normandie
27 Servizio Parchi, Provincia Autonoma di Trento
28 TeSAF - Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry

This article is an as simple as possible key of classification of terrestrial (aerobic, not submerged) topsoils (organic and organic-mineral series of soil horizons). Based on the introduction exposed in Humusica 1, article 1, and using vocabulary and definitions listed in article 4, a classification is proposed for better understanding the biological functioning of the soil, partially disclosing the process of litter digestion. Five types of terrestrial topsoils, called terrestrial humus systems, are described and illustrated with the help of photographs. Within each humus system, 3–4 humus forms are also revealed, corresponding to similar series of soil horizons generated in a relatively homogeneous environment whose range of ecological factors is not so large to overstep and cause the genesis of another different humus system. The article ends with a figure that shows the relationship between Tangel and Amphi humus systems, and a dichotomous key of classification that one can easily print and bring in the field for practicing humus classification.

Mots clés: Humusica; Terrestrial humus forms; humus forms; humus systems; humus; humus classification

Domaines: Science des sols; Biodiversité et Ecologie; Ecosystèmes

Augusto Zanella, Jean-François Ponge, Bernard Jabiol, Giacomo Sartori, Ekart Kolb, et al.. Humusica 1, article 5: Terrestrial humus systems and forms ‒ Keys of classification of humus systems and forms. Applied Soil Ecology, 2018, 122 (Part 1), pp.75-86. ⟨10.1016/j.apsoil.2017.06.012⟩. ⟨hal-01658808⟩