Restinga is a typical vegetation on quartzitic, sandy, nutrient-poor parent materials along the Brazilian coast. Soils under restinga vegetation on the Ilha do Cardoso (SP) were studied to understand their genesis and to improve the Brazilian Soil Classification System (SiBCS). Thus, a physical, chemical and detailed morphological characterization was carried out. The results evidenced aquic, sandy, very acid soils with variable organic matter content, in which podzolization is the main pedogenic process. Sulphidric materials also occur due to the influence of different underlying iron sulphide-bearing materials, not related to podzolization. The main factors that affect soil distribution are the age of parent material and the microtopography, which reflects the influence of the water table. The studied Spodosols are holocenic and podzolization depends on aquic conditions, which is determinant for the genesis of the spodic horizon. The SiBCS classification of the Spodosol order at the 2 nd category level (suborder) is misleading, mainly in relation to the accumulation of iron in the spodic horizon. Chemical criteria in the suborder definition of the SiBCS should be defined and the "thionic" qualifier at the 4 th category level should be included due to the possibility of formation of acid sulphate soils in artificially drained areas.
Spodosols; podzolization; acid sulphate soils; restinga vegetation
