Color of soils is mainly due to (1) organic matter
content and (2) presence and chemical form of Fe and Mn.
1. Both of these properties are important in the
identification of hydric soils.
2. Common names for colors (e.g., light red, grayish
brown) mean different things to different people. Soil
scientists describe color using Munsell Soil Color Charts
(www.munsell.com).
The Munsell color system embodies three aspects of color
-- hue, value, and chroma.
