How to deal with differences between soil classification systems?

Translating the Dutch national soil map to the international WRB (World Reference Base) classification.

The Dutch soil map is the most valuable source of nationwide high resolution soil information of the Netherlands. The map is classified using the Dutch classification system, which is specifically designed for Dutch soils and landscapes. This information is difficult to use for international soil communities and translating the map goes beyond linguistic translations or mapping a map unit to an international class. We created a translation from Dutch soil classes to international soil classes (WRB) where we estimated the certainty and spread of the class translation based on ~350.000 soil profile descriptions. The translated soil map is of a much higher resolution than the existing WRB map and the information on uncertainty can help the international soil communities understand the meaning behind the classes. We believe the method used in this research could help other countries translate their classification systems to, for example, WRB and help to harmonize fragmented soil data to create a better European soil map.