Canada's first independent taxonomic system of soil classification was first introduced in 1955. Prior to 1955, systems of classification used in Canada were strongly based on methods being applied in the United States. However, the U.S. system was based on environmental conditions common to the United States. Canadian soil scientists required a new method of soil classification that focused on pedogenic processes in cool climatic environments.
Like the U.S. system, the Canadian System of Soil Classification differentiates soil types on the basis of measured properties of the profile and uses a hierarchical scheme to classify soils from general to specific. The most recent version of the classification system has five categories in its hierarchical structure. From general to specific, the major categories in this system are: orders, great groups, subgroups, families, and series. At its most general level, the Canadian System recognizes nine different soil orders:
Brunisol - is a normally immature soil commonly found under forested ecosystems. The most identifying trait of these soils is the presence of a B horizon that is brownish in color. The soils under the dry pine forests of south-central British Columbia are typically brunisols.
Chernozem - is a soil common to grassland ecosystems. This soil is dark in color (brown to black) and has an A horizon that is rich in organic matter. Chernozems are common in the Canadian prairies. The images below are from the eastern prairies where higher seasonal rainfalls produce black chernozemic soils.
Cryosol - is a high-latitudes soil common in the tundra. This soil has a layer of permafrost within one meter of the soil surface. The image in Figure 7 is of tundra landscape dominated by moss and lichen vegetation. The soil profile has a permanently frozen ice wedge beneath its surface.
Gleysol - is a soil found in an ecosystem that is frequently flooded or permanently waterlogged. Its soil horizons show the chemical signs of oxidation and reduction.