From its beginnings to the second edition 2006
The World Reference Base (WRB) is based on the Legend (FAO-Unesco, 1974) and the
Revised Legend (FAO, 1988) of the Soil Map of the World (FAO-Unesco, 1971-1981).
In 1980, the International Society of Soil Science (ISSS, since 2002 the International
Union of Soil Sciences, IUSS) formed a Working Group ‘International Reference Base
for Soil Classification’ for further elaboration of a science based international soil
classification system. This Working Group was renamed ‘World Reference Base for
Soil Resources’ in 1992. The Working Group presented the first edition of the WRB
in 1998 (FAO, 1998) and the second edition in 2006 (IUSS Working Group WRB,
2006). In 1998, the ISSS Council endorsed the WRB as its officially recommended
terminology to name and classify soils.