Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists : List I List II (Soil Type) (Salient Characteristic) A. Entisols 1. Soils having weakly or quickly developed horizons B. Inceptisols 2. Weakly developed soils with no horizons 1 C. Histosols 3. These soils are very old and highly weathered D. Oxisols 4. These soils have very high quantity of organic matter in the upper layers Code : A B C D

The classification of soil orders follows the USDA Soil Taxonomy. Entisols (A) are soils of recent origin that show little or no evidence of pedogenic horizon development, matching characteristic 2 [1]. Inceptisols (B) are young soils that exhibit minimal or weakly developed horizons, being more developed than Entisols but still lacking mature features, matching characteristic 1. Histosols (C) are primarily organic soils, often found in marshes or peat bogs, containing very high quantities of organic matter in their upper layers, matching characteristic 4. Oxisols (D) are very highly weathered, old soils found primarily in intertropical regions, characterized by intense leaching and the presence of iron and aluminum oxides, matching characteristic 3. Therefore, the correct sequence is A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3, which corresponds to option 1.

Sources

1. [1] https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/orders_hi.pdf