Pedodiversity:: A case study based on 1:1 million scale SOTER of Shandong province, China

The diversity of soils derived from different parent materials and developed on different terrains in Shandong Province, China, was analyzed with the theory of pedodiversity using a 1:1000000 scale soils and terrain digital database (SOTER) of Shandong Province in a geographical information system (GIs) environment. Diversity index of soils derived from different parent materials followed the sequence of igneous rock > sedimentary rock > metamorphic rock > unconsolidated material. Diversity index of soils developed on different terrains followed the sequence of plain > medium-gradient mountain > medium-gradient hill > valley floor > medium-gradient escarpment zone > depression > high-gradient mountain. Abundance distributions of these soil groups matched the logarithmic normal distributions.