World Reference Base for Soil Resources. International soil classification system for naming soils and creating legends for soil maps

The first edition of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) was released
\nat the 16th World Congress of Soil Science at Montpellier in 1998. At the same event,
\nit was also endorsed and adopted as the system for soil correlation and international
\ncommunication of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS). The second edition
\nof the WRB was released at the 18th World Congress at Philadelphia in 2006.
\nAfter an additional eight years of intensive worldwide testing and data collection,
\nthe third edition of the WRB is presented. This publication builds on and reflects the
\nvaluable work of the authors of the earlier drafts and editions of the WRB, as well as
\nthe experiences and contributions of many soil scientists who participated in the work
\nof the IUSS Working Group on the WRB.
\nThe WRB is a soil classification system for naming soils and creating soil map legends.
\nIt is hoped that this publication will contribute to the understanding of soil science in
\nthe general public and in the scientific community.
\nThe publication has been made possible by the sustained efforts of a large group of
\nexpert authors, as well as the cooperation and logistic support of the IUSS and the
\nFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).