回顾中国土壤分类历史,缅怀一代宗师李连捷教授

李连捷先生是著名的土壤学家。因为有地质学的背景,他的土壤发生与分类研究特别注重地学因素,其中包括成土母质的影响。1932年他在燕京大学毕业后,跟随J.Thorp开始了他的土壤学专业生涯。J.Thorp1936的中国土壤分类系统即基于李连捷与他的同事们累积的土壤调查资料。李先生毕生从事土壤地理与土地资源研究,走遍中国许多地区,对揭示中国土壤的特性、发生和分布做出了突出贡献。解放前,李先生的土壤调查工作主要是建立土类和土系。解放后,他参加和领导了许多重大的服务于农业发展的土壤综合考察工作。通过土壤调查和教学活动,他为我国的土壤分类发展做出了突出贡献。他总是追求土壤分类的革新。他在晚年引入和介绍了美国土壤系统分类,支持建立“中国土壤系统分类”。

REVIEWING THE HISTORY OF SOIL CLASSIFICATION IN CHINA, REMEMBERING GREAT SOIL SCIENTIST LI LIANJIE

Professor Li Lianjie, a famous soil scientist, was born in 1908, died in 1992. Li Lianjie did soil geography and land resources research in his whole life, investigated many regions and made a great contribution to the genesis, classification, characteristics and distribution of soils in China. With the geological background, his soil genesis and classification studies were full of attention to the influence of geological factors or parent materials on soil formation. He began his soil survey career following J. Thorp after graduating from the Department of Geology and Geography, Yenching University in 1932. In 1930s, Li Lianjie went to many places to do soil survey in China, and established many great groups and series. J. Thorp introduced C.F. Marbut′s classification into China by establishing China soil classification system in 1936. Before 1950, the soil classification was influenced by C.F. Marbut′s classification in China. Actually, J. Thorp′s China soil classification system in 1936 was based on the material that was accumulated by Li Lianjie and his colleagues′ soil survey and classification works. After 1949, Li Lianjie participated and led many great comprehensive investigations of natural resources for agricultural development such as the Comprehensive Investigation of Xinjiang′s Natural Resources, the Comprehensive Investigation of Hainan Island′s Agriculture Development, the Comprehensive Investigation of Beijing Mountain Area′s Natural Resources, etc. He knew the genesis, classification, characteristics and distribution of soils in China very well from his field investigation throughout whole China. He also knew the characteristics of land resources very well and made many suitable and valuable advises in agricultural development. In 1950s, the Soviet Union′s soil classification was introduced to China. Because Li Lianjie deeply understood the geographical law of soil genesis and distribution from his experience of soil investigation, Li Lianjie promoted to establish the soil classification system based on the geographical law of soil genesis, according to the geographical genesis law and characteristics . In 1955, China established its first soil classification system that was based on the geographical genesis law and characteristics of China soils. After that, although there were many versions of soil classification, the principles and structure of soil classification did not change. China did the second national soil survey based on this soil classification system from 1978 to 1995. Professor Li Lianjie was a super adviser for the national soil survey and went to many places to guide the soil survey works. From this national soil survey, China got much material and data that make the possibility to develop new soil classification. Professor Li Lianjie always pursued revolution in soil classification. He appreciated the Soil Taxonomy of United States for its relatively quantitative classifying method, and introduced it to China by inviting Dr. E. Schlichting, Dr. R.W. Arnold and Dr. C. Wang to give lectures on Soil Taxonomy of United States in the early days of 1980s. For letting Chinese soil scientists understand the background of Soil Taxonomy , he translated Rationale for Concepts in Soil Taxonomy into Chinese in 1988. He also wrote a book named Soil Genesis and Classification that illustrates the soil genesis, soil classification history and logic, different siol classification systems in the world. By calling on the financial supporting for soil classification research, he supported the establishment of Chinese Soil Taxonomy that is relatively quantitative classification simulating the Soil Taxonomy of United States.