Soil Series Soil Series Understanding Soil Understanding Soil - - PDF document

1

Soil Survey, GIS and New Technologies

Chris Fabian MLRA Soil Survey Leader USDA-NRCS

• Ft. Collins, CO

Objectives

Part I - Introduction to Soil Survey:

 Understand the design of soil surveys and their uses and

limitations .

Part II – MLRA (Regional) Approach to Soil Survey:

 Understand how soil scientists are using GIS to evaluate and

i il improve soil surveys.

Part III – Use of Technology in Soil Survey:

 Understand terrain modeling and how it can be used to improve

soil surveys.

 Be aware of what new technologies are being used or considered

for soil survey activities.

• NRCS Cooperative Soil Survey
• Nationwide Program led by NRCS

Soil Survey Background Part I

g y

• Private land about 99.5% complete (in lower 48)
• Public land about 92% complete ( in lower 48).
• Most extensive natural resource database in the world.
• Survey Design
• Delineate different kinds of soils across the landscape.
• Predict soil behavior for different land uses.
• Highlight limitations and hazards inherent in the soil.

What are we making surveys for ?

• Crop Productivity
• Prime Farmland
• Irrigation Management

What are we making surveys for ?

• Conservation Planning
• Erosion hazard

What are we making surveys for ?

• Engineers, land developers, land
• wners and home owners.
• Shrink swell soils
• Building foundations
• Septic tank absorption fields

2

What are we making surveys for ?

Land-use planners

Mitigating or Preventing Environmental Problems What are we making surveys for ?

• Federal and State Agencies
• Govt. and Private Forests
• Fire management and restoration
• Water Supply and Flood forecasting

Area and depth weighted (All components and horizons)

Scientist – demand for data such as soil

• rganic carbon

Understanding Soil Understanding Soil Surveys & Map Units Surveys & Map Units

• Our standard detailed Soil Survey Product is SSURGO

(Soil Survey Geographic Database) data. This is analogous to the detailed maps in our standard hard copy soil surveys.

• SSURGO data divides the landscape up into soil

mapping units.

• Soil Series are the basic building blocks of soil mapping

units.

Soil Series Soil Series

• A group of soils that have horizons

similar in arrangement and in differentiating characteristics.

• Soil Series are allowed to have a range
• f properties but look and behave
• f properties but look and behave

similarly. Example - Chippewa Series Classification - Fine-loamy, mixed, active, mesic Typic Fragiaquept

3

Map Units Map Units

Subsections of the landscape Subsections of the landscape

Each may be made up of one or more soil series

Map Units Map Units – – 2 types are most common 2 types are most common

Consociations Consociations

Mostly one soil series, but may include other soil series if they are similar and do not limit the land use These uniform areas are These uniform areas are examples where examples where examples where examples where consociations may occur consociations may occur Complexes Complexes two or more dissimilar soil series occurring in a regular, repeating pattern but each is too small to be separated at the map scale

1C Edneytown-Saurtown Complex, 8 to 15 % slopes, Very Stony 33E Peaks-Ashe-Edneyville Complex, 25 to 45% slopes, Very Stony

Soil Surveyors delineate landscapes into Map units

11A Comus-Maggodee Complex, 0 to 4 % slopes, Occasionally Flooded 39C Wintergreen loam, 8 to 15% slopes

Soil Survey Maps Soil Survey Maps show delineations of landscape

show delineations of landscape segments from a vertical, 2 segments from a vertical, 2-

• dimensional viewpoint

dimensional viewpoint

1C 33E 11A 39C

Map Scale Map Scale

Determines whether adjacent but different soils can be separated into different delineations. Minimum delineation size is about 1/16 sq. in on the original base map:

 5.7 acres on 1:24,000 scale maps  4.0 acres on 1:20,000 scale maps  2.5 acres on 1:15,840 scale maps  1.4 acres on 1:12,000 scale maps

Additional consideration is the “order of mapping.

 Order 1 – intensive, not generally published.  Order 2 – moderately intensive, eastern Colorado.  Order 3 – less intensive, forest service lands, deserts, mountainous areas.  Order 4 - Remotely sensed with occasional field verification.

The legend, map unit type, and delineation boundary are presumed accurate at the original scale ONLY!

4

Map Scales Map Scales

NOTE: enlarging the scale (for example, going from 1:24000 to 1:8000) after mapping is complete gives a false impression that the soils were mapped at the new (larger) scale 1:6000 1” = 500’

Map Scales Map Scales

Can you spot the problems by this procedure?

MO6-5 Regional Approach to Soil Survey

Objectives

Part II

Understand how we are executing soil survey activities in the future with a MLRA-based (geo- landform approach). Understand how soil scientists are using GIS to evaluate and improve soil surveys.

Conversion to MLRA Update Process

Traditionally, Soil Survey was carried out on a county-by- county mapping process. Over the last 5 years, we have converted to managing soil

Kari Sever John Norman

g g surveys regionally by MLRA’s (Major Land Resource Areas).

• Ft. Collins Office - staffing:

Chris Fabian Kari Sever John Norman

Conversion to MLRA Update Process – cont.

MLRA boundaries are the spatial framework because they are areas of relatively similar soils, geology, climate, vegetation, wildlife, and land use. The new MLRA process allows us to:

Increase cost efficiency Increase cost efficiency Improve productivity by working across large areas specialize in soils of one or two regions Develop products that are consistent across political boundaries. More easily implement new technologies related to GIS, landscape modeling, remote sensing, etc.

SSURGO Databases

SSURGO (Roughly 99% private lands mapped and about 92% of public lands)

5

Area 6-5 with MLRA’s

Soil Survey Area 6-5 shown with county and MLRA boundaries. MLRA’s

Northern part of MLRA’s 48A (Southern Rocky Mountains) 48B (Southern Rocky Mountain Parks) Parks) Northern Part of 49 (Southern Rocky Mountain Foothills)

Acres

• 48A: 11,817,000
• 48B: 1,486,000
• 49: 4,878,000
• Total: 18,181,000

MO6-5 Evaluation

Relative Age of Surveys for the 6- 5 region.

Castle Rock, Boulder and Chafee-Lake area are the

• ldest published surveys.

Black line is MO6-5

• boundary. MLRA

boundaries in yellow. Also looking at the number of series used per survey area and the number map units p used per survey area to assess the detail of mapping.

6

Slope – are our soil surveys mapping slope gradient correctly? Interpretations– Are they consistent across county boundaries?

Map Unit Distribution

Using Arc to identify map units in MLRA 105 with “Fayette” as a component

Use of Technology in Soil Use of Technology in Soil Survey Survey

Part III Part III

• Use of GIS for terrain modeling & predictive mapping.
• Soil Drainage Model
• Evaluation of Slope Products
• Imagery
• Soil Mapping Equipment
• Tablets, PDA’s and Pen Technology.
• Temperature, Moisture and Water Table Monitoring.
• Geophysical Tools

DIGITAL TERRAIN MODEL (DTM) DEVELOPMENT

 Digital Elevation Models (DEM) - The spatial distribution of

• elevation. Examples include the USGS DEM’s.

 Terrain Attribute – An ordered array of numbers that  Terrain Attribute – An ordered array of numbers that

represents the spatial distribution of a particular terrain feature such as slope or curvature.

 Digital Terrain Models (DTM). A representation of terrain

attributes combined to predict the spatial distribution of geomorphic, pedologic, or other environmental features. Examples include a landform model, soil drainage model or surface thickness model.

MLRA Regional Map MLRA Regional Map

MLRA 140

MLRA 140 – – Glaciated Allegany Plateau and Catskill Mountains. Glaciated Allegany Plateau and Catskill Mountains.

Target Update/Maintenance Project: Susquehanna County, published in 1973.

Target Update/Maintenance Project: Susquehanna County, published in 1973.

• Field sheet scale 1:15,840

Field sheet scale 1:15,840

• Publication scale 1:20,000

Publication scale 1:20,000

7

1.

• 1. Slope classes.

Slope classes. 2.

• 2. Soil

Soil drainage drainage class/ water table model class/ water table model

• Derived from DEM

Derived from DEM-based terrain model. based terrain model.

Terrain Models used to address Terrain Models used to address update needs in NE Pennsylvania: update needs in NE Pennsylvania:

• Derived from DEM

Derived from DEM based terrain model. based terrain model.

3.

• 3. Depth to bedrock

Depth to bedrock 4.

• 4. Identify unstable landscapes of mixed

Identify unstable landscapes of mixed till/ lacustrine and mixed outwash/ lacustrine. till/ lacustrine and mixed outwash/ lacustrine. 5.

• 5. Update Soil Temperature regimes (Frigid

Update Soil Temperature regimes (Frigid-

• Mesic

Mesic break) based on elevation, latitude & aspect. break) based on elevation, latitude & aspect.

Tangent (contour) Curvature Tangent (contour) Curvature

Topographic Wetness Index Topographic Wetness Index

(Moore et al.) (Moore et al.)

DTM DTM – – Soil Drainage Soil Drainage

WD MWD SPD PD-VPD

DEM Slope Classes DEM Slope Classes

0 -

• 3 %

3 % 3 -

• 8 %

8 % 8 -

• 1 5 %

1 5 % 1 5 1 5 -

• 2 5 %

2 5 % 2 5 2 5 -

• 3 5 %

3 5 % 3 5 3 5 -

• 6 0 %

6 0 %

Raster Soil Mapping

ARC Soil Inference Engine (ARCSIE)

DEM Cabot

8

Local CBR: Apply a case only to its vicinity

SIE predictive model overlaid with soils field map SIE predictive model overlaid with soils field map.

Imagery and Imagery and Remote Remote Sensing Sensing

Infrared photography

Infrared Imagery Infrared Imagery draped over an draped over an elevation model elevation model

OTHER OTHER TECHNOLOGIES TECHNOLOGIES (Laundry List) (Laundry List) (Laundry List) (Laundry List)

Augers and Sharpshooters (tile spades) are Augers and Sharpshooters (tile spades) are still our most used Technological Devise still our most used Technological Devise

9

DIGITAL PEN DIGITAL PEN TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY (brand new for this year!) (brand new for this year!)

Digital Pen Digital Pen Technology Technology Here’s how it Here’s how it works: works:

Courtesy of Alan Price

51 51

Put the printed

Put the printed map and map and legend on your legend on your clipboard and clipboard and go to the field go to the field

Digital Pen Technology Digital Pen Technology Here’s how it works (cont.): Here’s how it works (cont.):

 Mark the

Mark the legend with the legend with the pen on the pen on the feature you feature you want to digitize want to digitize F t b F t b

 Features can be

Features can be points, lines, points, lines, polygons. polygons.

52 52

Digital Pen Technology Digital Pen Technology Here’s how it works (cont.): Here’s how it works (cont.):

 Make your

Make your edits/ additions/ edits/ additions/ notes on the notes on the map with the map with the pen pen

 You now have a

You now have a hard copy map hard copy map with your with your changes as well changes as well as a digital as a digital version stored version stored

• n the pen
• n the pen

53 53

Cut polygon 144 Add symbol 145

Digital Pen Technology Digital Pen Technology Here’s how it works (cont.): Here’s how it works (cont.):

 Return to the

Return to the

• ffice, dock the pen
• ffice, dock the pen

in the cradle in the cradle connected to your connected to your computer computer

 All recorded

All recorded features on the pen features on the pen are transferred to are transferred to the appropriate the appropriate feature class in the feature class in the geodatabase. geodatabase.

54 54

10

PDA’s PDA’s Tablet’s and GPS Tablet’s and GPS Soil Moisture Sensors Soil Moisture Sensors

Water Table Studies Water Table Studies with Water Level with Water Level Loggers Loggers

Electromagnetic Induction (EMI) Electromagnetic Induction (EMI)

 Soil salinity

Soil salinity

 Bedrock

Bedrock topography topography

 Leachate plum es, contam inants.

Leachate plum es, contam inants.

 Precision farm ing uses

Precision farm ing uses

 Depth to w ater table

Depth to w ater table

 Archaeological investigations

Archaeological investigations

 I dentify karst bedrock features

I dentify karst bedrock features

 Locate buried objects

Locate buried objects



EMI is a noninvasive technique that measures the bulk electrical conductivity, termed the apparent electrical conductivity.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

 Depth to Bedrock

Depth to Bedrock

 Depth to contrasting soil horizons

Depth to contrasting soil horizons

 Depth to w ater table

Depth to w ater table

 Archaeological investigations

Archaeological investigations

 Locate buried artifacts

Locate buried artifacts

11

Sources for Soil Survey Data

Web Soil Survey - Select your area of interest on the online map to view maps and aerial photographs; access interpretation reports, and more, for areas up to 10,000

• acres. http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Soil Data Mart - SSURGO spatial data and tabular data are available for download for use in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). Interpretation reports can be viewed

• nline. http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/

61

Soil Data Access (New) - request data for an ad hoc area of interest of any size.

• btain data in real-time.

Queries for data do not have to be by area.

• http://sdmdataaccess.nrcs.usda.gov/

Book form or hard copy – Traditional soil survey manual includes soil maps, soil descriptions and interpretation tables. Text information (map unit descriptions, etc.) may have more detail than web-based products. Note that hard copy surveys are considered legacy information that is not up-to-date.

Summary Summary

 GI S has becom e a standard part of our everyday soil survey

activities:



GPS



Digitize soil lines directly into ARCGI S



Delivery of official products are in the GI S environm ent.

 Use of GI S for terrain m odeling & predictive m apping has

been used successfully, although not yet com pletely adopted by offices.

 Tablets and PDA’s have found less use in our program than

anticipated due to issues over heat, screen quality, I T security, and the “dirty” nature of our jobs.

 Digital Pen Technology holds prom ise for our program .  Tools such as GPR, TM, soil m oisture, tem perature and w ater

table m onitoring are increasing being used in Soil Survey.

 The soil auger and sharpshooter are still our m ost used

“technology”.