Middle American Folk Soil Taxonomy*

Middle American folk soil taxonomies exhibit structures similar to those of folk biological taxonomies, but nomenclature patterns are quite unlike those found in other domains. Although many of the properties that differentiate technical soil taxa are recognized also in folk taxonomies, there is a low level of correspondence between technical and folk taxa because of differences in perception of the classificatory unit. To Spanish‐speaking campesinos, soil individuals are two‐ rather than three‐dimensional. Nevertheless, field studies indicate that folk taxa represent scientifically measurable and statistically valid discontinuities in the surface soil.