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[See Defining Rocks]
We follow integrative levels here in ascending order: minerals, rocks (which are aggregates of minerals and non-minerals), soil types, and ecosystems.
RM. Minerals [Link to minerals under natural resources.] Minerals are naturally-occurring substances with a particular chemical formula. Thousands of distinct minerals have been identified. But there is no consensus classification scheme. Indeed there is still disagreement about the precise definition of the term 'mineral.' Two approaches to classification might be pursued: using chemical formulae or using Cutter numbers for mineral names (and choosing controlled vocabulary for each.)
RR. Rock types [Happily, there is broad consensus regarding not just the three main types of rock but most subtypes.]
1. Igneous
al. Alkali feldspar granite
ap. Aplite
ar. Anorthosite
ba. basalt (baa. Adakite; bah. Hawaiite)
bo. Boninite
bs. Basanite
ca. Carbonatite
ch. Charnockite (che. Enderbite)
da. Dacite
di. Diorite
do. Dolerite (Diabase)
du. Dunite
es. Essexite
fo. Foidolite
ga. Gabbro
gr. granite
gt. Granodiorite
gy. Granophyre
ha. Harzburgite
ho. Hornblendite
hy. Hyaloclastite
ic. Icelandite
ig. Ignimbrite
ij. Ijolite
ki. Kimberlite
ko. Komatiite
la. Lamproite
lh. Lherzolite
lm. Lamprophyre
lt. Latite
mo. Monzogranite
mz. Monzonite
ne. Nephelinite (Nephiline syenite is very similar; nes?)
no. Norite
ob. Obsidian
pe. Pegmatite
ph. Phonolite
pi. Picrite
po. Porphyry
pr. Peridotite
pu. Pumice
py. Pyroxenite (pyw. Websterite)
qu. Quartz diorite
qz. Quartz monzonite
rh. Rhyolite (rhc. Comendite; rhp. Pantellerite)
ry. Rhyodacite
sc. Scoria
so. Sovite
sy. Syenite
ta. Tachylyte
tc. Trachyte
te. Tephrite
tj. Trondhjemite
to. Tonalite
tr. Trachyandesite (trb. Benmoreite; trs. Basaltic Trachyandesite; trsm. Mugearite; trss. Shoshonite)
tt. Troctolite
tu. Tuff
we. Wehrlite
2. Sedimentary
ar. Argillite
as. Arkose
ba. Banded iron formation
br. Breccia
ch. Chalk
cl. Claystone
cn. Conglomerate
co. Coal (rock)
cq. Coquina
cr. Chert
di. Diamictite
do. Dolomite
dt. Diatomite
ev. Evaporite
fl. Flint [technically a form of chert, but an important one; note this term is often applied also to types of tuff or jasper]
gr. Greywacke
gt. Gritstone
it. Itacolumite
ja. Jaspillite
la. Leterite
lg. Lignite
li. Limestone
ma. Marl
mu. Mudstone
oi. Oil shale
oo. Oolite.
sa. Sandstone
sh. Shale
si. Siltstone
tr. Travertine
tu. Turbidite
wa. Wackestone
3. Metamorphic
am. Amphibolite
an. Anthracite
bl. Bluechist
ca. Cataclasite
ec. Eclogite
gn. Gneiss
go. Gossan
gr. Granulite
gt. Greenschist
ho. Hornfels
ma. Marble
me. Metapelite
mi. Migmatite
mt. Metapsammite
my. Mylonite
ph. Phylite
ps. Pseudotachylite
qu. Quartzite
sc. Schist
se. Serpentine
sk. Skarn
sl. Slate
su. Suevite
ta. Talc carbonate
wh. Whiteschist
4. Others {There are types of rock that are defined according to other criteria. We may need to list some of these, though it would mean that some rocks are classified in multiple ways.]
RF. Fossils These are components of rocks worthy of special attention. Fossils are primarily classified in terms of the organism they are presumed to represent: RF(Fyyy). It is also possible to identify a fossil synthetically by linking F to terms representing size, shape, color, etc. [Transitional fossils are those that seem to have elements of both preceding and succeeding organisms evolutionarily; trace fossils are fossils not of organisms but of tracks etc.; Index fossils identify geological periods.] It is also often valuable to identify the geographic region a fossil was found in.
RS. Soils Soils reflect rock structure but even moreso climate and thus plantlife.
1.Soils with thick organic layers: Histosols
2.Soils with strong human influence
a. Anthrosols
t. Technosols
3.Soils with limited rooting due to shallow permafrost or stoniness
c. Cryosols
l. Leptosols
4.Soils influenced by water
f. Fluvisols
g. Gleysols
k. Solonchaks
s. Solonetz
v. Vertisols
5.Soils set by Fe/Al chemistry
a. Andosols
f. Ferralsols
n. Nitizols
p. Podzols
t. Plinthosols
6.Soils with stagnating water
p. Planosols
s. Stagnosols
7.Accumulation of organic matter, high base status
c. Chernozems
k. Kastanozems
p. Phaeozems
8.Accumulation of less soluble salts or non-saline substances
c. Calcisols
d. Durisols
g. Gypsisols
9.Soils with a clay-enriched subsoil
a. Albeluvisols
c. Acrisols
l. Lixisols
s. Alisols
u. Luvisols
0.Relatively young soils or soils with little or no profile development
a. Arenosols
c. Cambisols
r. Regosols
u. Umbrisols
The classification above is from the World Reference Base for Soil Resources, and reflects a wide international collaboration and consensus. It is based primarily on soil morphology.
Note that soils can also be classified by use. Engineers, for example classify soils in terms of engineering properties, distinguishing (several types of) coarse, finely grained, and organic soils. These should be handled synthetically (soil)(for)(X)(of type Y).
RE. Ecosystems
There are a host of different ways of classifying ecosystems. Some emphasize soil types, others flora, still others fauna. There is little consensus at present. Some scholars use the alternative term Biome and then tend to emphasize the climatic conditions that allow certain organisms to exist. A synthetic approach is possible but complex: a particular ecosystem can be defined in terms of soil types (above) and key flora and fauna. Such a system would have the advantage of linking the ecosystem literature to the literatures on soils, flora, and fauna. Nevertheless, it may prove necessary to adopt some classification of ecosystems. We have under NT identified some key vegetative regions. We can identify here the most common types of ecosystem/biome:
Tundra
t. Taiga
Forest
bc. Boreal Conifer
be. Temperate Evergreen
bm. Temperate Mixed
bl. Tropical Broadleaf
Woodland
s. Savanna
sh. Shrub
Grassland
Arid Lands
Aquatic
Freshwater
Marine
Anthropogenic
More particular ecosystems might be denoted as REy(combination of terms from N1-4, RB and perhaps F)
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