ABSTRACT
The development of soil classification in China has experienced a long progressive process. Soil characterization and attempts to group soils appeared in Chinese literature as early as two thousand years ago. Modern soil classification began around 1930, and was influenced by early American experiences. China has an area of about 9,600,000 square kilometers, extending from about 22 to 55°N and 78 to 135°E. Within the vast territory, there is various soil types developed under different bioclimatic conditions and derived from various parent materials in diversified topographical environments. The relief of China can be divided into three steps or levels. In the Tertiary and Quaternary Periods, geologic activities affected the soil formation predominantly, and consequently the formation of the main soil types is strongly influenced by their parent rocks. Thus in the mountainous regions of northeastern China, Inner Mongolia, and eastern and southern China, the soil-forming materials are mainly granite, rhyolite, andesite, and basalt.
