Harmonization of Soil Survey Classification - Blending East with West

by Wolf Eckelmann

Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)

Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover

Germany

In Germany, soil surveying is influenced by the federal character of the republic, The geological surveys of the component states of Germany are responsible for soil mapping and publishing of federal state soil maps. A working group consisting of the heads of each state soil survey and of the national soil survey of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), coordinates the pedological work of the individual states.

Radical changes in all matters concerning soil mapping, soil research and soil information were caused by the German reunification in 1990. The former German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) used different soil classifications, different soil mapping guides and soil analytical methods and thus compiled different types of soil maps and - referring to the national German view inhomogeneous soil information. This meant that great efforts had to he made in order to standardize soil surveying in Germany. In view of the new situation, the emphasis of the work done after German reunification was to create new versions of data keys, guidelines. method documentation and soil maps.

The differences existing between both soil classifications have been many, e. g. different soil typology (e.g. soil type names), different ranges of soil layers and soil horizons, and in parts different analytical methods. Many systems of soil regionalization were used in FRG but one well accepted system of soil regionalization existing in GDR. This became the basis of the soil regions' system of Germany involving soil regions, soil landscapes and soilscapes. Moreover, the data availability including soil maps covering the former German states was highly different.

To solve all these problems, West and East German soil scientists met

• to publish a new soil mapping guide (merging of both soil mapping guides including soil classification systems)
• to publish a new 1:200,000 soil map for Germany for the federal soil survey institutes as well as for BGR, using a special 1:200,000 soil mapping guide
• BGR started to produce a new digital soil map 1:1,000,000 making use of the new German and the FAO soil classifications. Using this digital soil map, the first versions of 1:2,000,000 to 1.5,000,000 soil maps have now been compiled.