ABSTRACT
Land classification may be defined as a classification of specific bodies of land according to their characteristics or to their capabilities for use. A natural land classification system is one in which natural land types are placed in categories according to their inherent characteristics. Some sort of land classification system was used in the transfer of public lands to private owners and users as the United States settled. However, a scientific approach was not possible until soil surveys, topographic maps, economic analyses of production, and other activities became available in the early 1900s. One of the most commonly used land classification systems for land management is the land capability classification. Hockensmith defined this classification as a systematic arrangement of different kinds of land according to those properties that determine the ability of the land to produce permanently. There are three major groupings: 1) capability classes; 2) capability subclasses; and 3) capability units.
