Soil profile: layering, not soil type

The standard

The horizon-by-horizon reading judges a soil layer by layer rather than from a single sample of the surface. Only the full succession shows what roots reach and what water holds.

Criteria

• Each horizon is recorded separately by depth, colour, texture and structure
• The boundaries between layers are named, not averaged
• Rootability is described over the whole depth, and the parent rock identified

Distinction

Soil profile ≠ soil type: the soil type names the texture of a single layer, the profile its succession with depth. Soil profile ≠ terroir: the profile is one component, terroir their interplay. Without the horizon-by-horizon reading, a soil is reduced to its surface.