Soil map of Belgium according to the international World Reference Base (WRB) classification system (provisional version)

Based on the results of intensive soil mapping during the 1950s to 1970s, the Belgian soil map was drawn up. This Belgian soil map is based on the Belgian soil classification system. It is a national system designed exclusively for Belgian soils. The soil map of Belgium according to the international World Reference Base (WRB) soil classification system is a translation of the soil map according to the Belgian soil classification system. WRB consists of 2 levels of detail: on the one hand, the 32 ‘Reference Soil Groups’ (RSGs) and, on the other hand, a combination of RSGs with prefixes and suffixes, i.e. ‘qualifiers’, which allow to classify an individual soil profile. By using ‘Reference Soil Groups’ (coloured surfaces) and ‘Main qualifiers’ (blue lined polygons with labels), the main information from the bottom map of Belgium can be translated into the WRB system. drainage and substrates have been added “Texture card”, “Drainage qualifiers” and “Abruptic/Ruptic qualifiers”. The “Texture map” shows the texture class as it appears on the soil map of Belgium. The maps are preliminary versions and are the result of the project “Developing and applying a methodology for converting the Belgian soil map according to the international Word Reference Base system” carried out by S. Dondeyne, J. Deckers and E. Van Ranst van de K.U.Leuven and the U.Gent. More information can be found in the report of the study (https://www.dov.vlaanderen.be/themas/bodem). Comments or suggestions are welcome at [email protected].