The Pedologic Landscape: Organization of the Soil Material

Abstract

The soil material is organized from structural, geographic, and genetic points of view. Structurally, the soil material is multiscalar with features and properties specific to each scale level. The successive structural levels are embedded in a hierarchic system of nested soil entities or holons known as the holarchy of the soil system. At each hierarchic level of perception and analysis of the soil material, distinct features are observed that are particular to the level considered. The whole of the features describes the soil body in its entirety. Each level is characterized by an element of the soil holarchy, a unit (or range of units) measuring the soil element perceived at this level, and a means of observation or measurement for identifying the features that are diagnostic at the level concerned. The levels are labelled based on a connotation with the proper dimension of the soil element into consideration at every level: nano, micro, meso, macro, and mega. The holarchy of the soil system allows highlighting relevant relationships between soil properties and geomorphic response at different hierarchic levels. These relationships form the conceptual essence of geopedology.