SIMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE VON POST HUMIFICATION SCALE
DESCRIPTION
SYMBOL PROPORTION DECAY / NATURE OF LIQUIDS
NATURE OF PLANT EXTRUDED BETWEEN DECOMPOSITION EXPRESSED ON RESIDUES FINGERS LEVEL SQUEEZING Yields only clear water Plant structure H1 None Undecomposed unaltered coloured light yellow- brown Almost clear yellow- H2 None Almost decomposed Plant structure distinct brown
Very weakly Plant structure distinct;
H3 None decomposed most identifiable Slightly turbid brown
Very weakly Plant structure distinct; Yields strongly turbid
H4 None decomposed most identifiable water
Plant structure clear but Strongly turbid contains
Moderately H5 Very little decomposed becoming indistinct a little peat in suspension