ABSTRACT
The 2006 version of the system does not avoid inflation of the number of obscure terms. Is it useful to coin words to say that the bulk density is low (laxic), that the soil is found on cultivated terraces (escalic) or that it is covered with bird droppings (ornithic)? Also seen is the accumulation of terms indicating that debris is found there: garbic (organic wastes), spolic
(mine spoils), technic (mineral wastes), urbic (urban wastes). Urbi should not be confused with orbi. It is of course the desire to move pedology closer to the users. But the latter have need of a simple vocabulary. On the other hand, there is realization that a terminology of fewer than 300 words is enough for describing all the soils of the world, including those modified by man. Also, the WRB has reached great maturity in regard to the list of References and that of diagnostic Horizons. It is easy to use. An atlas with photographs is available (Bridges et al. 1998). The system also improves the classification of tropical soils, which, excepting orthotypes, are often difficult to classify (Chap. 5). The WRB is now the standard system at the international level. It has the support of the FAO, the IUSS and the ISRIC (International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Wageningen). Thus, it cannot be ignored and, moreover, it is available on the Internet. It is practically obligatory to refer to it for identifying the soils mentioned in scientific publications.
