Reassessment of the anthropogenic soils classification of Slovakia in the light of the newest knowledge

Problem of adequate and correct description and classification of anthropogenic soils occurs very often and can result in very different approaches in many countries. Two groups of anthropogenic soils (cultivated and technogenic) are the subject of our reassessment in terms of soil classification principles, distinguishing criteria, and ordination into the soil reference groups. The issue of re-evaluation of the current system of anthropogenic soils of the Morphogenetic Soil Classification (MSCS 2014) is observed in coincidence with anthropogenic Soil Reference Groups in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB 2015). Both observed groups are differentiated by cultivated horizon(s) (in the MSCS “in-situ” developed soil material) affected by permanent cultivation and by anthropogenic horizon(s) (in the MSCS “ex-situ” developed soil material) made from technical human activities. In the new prepared version of anthropogenic soil classification in Slovakia there is a need to highlight newly defined diagn