Toward a European humus forms reference base

Augusto Zanella (1) , Bernard Jabiol (2) , Jean-François Ponge (3) , Giacomo Sartori (4) , Rein de Waal (5) , Bas van Delft (5) , Ulfert Graefe (6) , Nathalie Cools (7) , Klaus Katzensteiner (8) , Herbert Hager (8) , Michael Englisch (9) , Alain Brêthes (10)

1 TeSAF - Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry
2 LERFoB - Laboratoire d'Etudes des Ressources Forêt-Bois
3 MAOAC - Mécanismes adaptatifs : des organismes aux communautés
4 Museo delle Scienze
5 Alterra
6 IFAB - Institut für Angewandte Bodenbiologie GmbH
7 INBO - Research Institute for Nature and Forest
8 Institute of Forest Ecology
9 Department of Forest Ecology and Soil
10 ONF - Office National des Forêts

A network of European humus researchers was founded in Trento (Italy) in 2003. The aim of the Group's work was to prepare a synthesis of the knowledge about humus forms which could be used as a field key for classifying and interpreting humus forms within an ecological framework. Stages: first European classification of terrestrial humus forms, prepared in Vienna (Austria, 2004) from a French plan, presented at EUROSOIL 2004 in Freiburg (Germany, 2004); new form (Amphi) admitted as main humus form (Italy, 2005); first European classification of semi-terrestrial humus forms, from a Dutch pattern (Italy, 2005); poster at the 18th Congress of Soil Science (USA, Philadelphia, 2006); enlargement of the Amphi category towards some Mediterranean humus forms (Italy, 2007); definitive agreement for a complete classification key, EUROSOIL (Austria, 2008). Protocols for assessment and sampling of organic and organo-mineral layers were set up, as well as definitions for specific horizons. After six years of exchanges among specialists from 12 European countries, the outcome of this European set-up is briefly presented here as a succession of figures.

Mots clés: Humus; Humus classification; Humus form; European Humus Group

Domaines: Science des sols

Augusto Zanella, Bernard Jabiol, Jean-François Ponge, Giacomo Sartori, Rein de Waal, et al.. Toward a European humus forms reference base. Studi Trentini di Scienze Naturali, 2009, 85, pp.145-151. ⟨hal-00494615⟩