National Soil Information System Soil Databases National Soil Information System

National Soil Information System

Soil DatabasesNational Soil Information System

Soil Survey?

A soil survey describes the characteristics of the soils in a given area, classifies the soils according to a standard system of classification, plots the boundaries of the soils on a map, and makes predictions about the behavior of soils. The different uses of the soils and how the response of management affects them are considered. The information collected in a soil survey helps in the development of land-use plans and evaluates and predicts the effects of land use on the environment. SSM Chapter 1

Soil SurveyPedon Description

Properties

Interpretations

Lab Data

Soil Survey

What properties do you extract from a pedon description??

Think about it while we finish…

What is a Pedon?

Pedon.—The pedon is presented in Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1975) as a unit of sampling within a soil. The limits on the area of a pedon establish rules for deciding whether to consider one or two or more kinds of soil within a small-scale pattern of local lateral variability. A pedon is regarded as the smallest body of one kind of soil large enough to represent the nature and arrangement of horizons and variability in the other properties that are preserved in samples. (SSM Ch. 2, page 1)

Why Pedon?

During field operations, many soils are investigated by examining the soil material removed by a sampling tube or an auger. For rapid investigations of thin soils, a small pit can be dug and a section of soil removed with a spade. All of these are samples of pedons. Knowledge of the internal properties of a soil is derived mainly from studies of such samples. They can be studied more rapidly than entire pedons; consequently, a much larger number can be studied in many more places. For many soils, the information obtained from such a small sample describes the pedon from which it is taken with few omissions. For other soils, however, important properties of a pedon are not observable in the smaller sample, and detailed studies of entire pedons may be needed. Complete study of an entire pedon requires the exposure of a vertical section and the removal of horizontal sections layer by layer. Horizons are studied in both horizontal and vertical dimensions. (SSM Ch. 3, page 1)

Terminology

Site? Pedon? Transect? Site Association?

Site The Site describes the location information

and characteristics of a particular geographic location. A site may be a specific location such as a point where a soil profile description is taken, or it may have some spatial area that is chosen to be treated as a single point. Various kinds of data such as soil profile descriptions, lab data, vegetative data, etc. may be linked to a site.

The Pedon contains information collected at the time a soil profile description is made. It has data that relates to the profile as a whole.

A description of a pedon is commonly based on examination of a profile, and the properties of the pedon are projected from the properties of the profile.

Transect

The Transect is used to record groupings of pedons that are the stops along transects. It is common to employ transects to estimate the composition of map units. The first aspect of composition is to identify the taxonomic components because they are the things that we have learned to identify and recognize.

Site Association

The Site Association is used to record some natural or artificial grouping of sites. Various types of groupings may be recorded as needed by the user. Examples might include sites that are included in a special soil temperature or soil moisture study.

PedonPC

PedonPC on the Tablet

Entering Pedons into NASIS

See Soil Survey Lab Information Manual, page 4

Site Child Tables

NASIS Pedon Object

Link the Site and Pedon together with the same ID

AnalysisPC

Building Components

An individual component of a map unit represents the collection of polypedons or parts of polypedons that are members of the taxon or a kind of miscellaneous area. Parts of polypedons are common when phases are used to divide a taxon.

It is common to employ transects to estimate the composition of map units. The first aspect of composition is to identify the taxonomic components because they are the things that we have learned to identify and recognize. These can be translated or interpreted as responses or properties or whatever has an acceptable relationship. SSM Chapter 2 p. 7

What is a “Component”?

An individual component of a map unitrepresents the collection of polypedons or parts of polypedons that are members of the taxon or akind of miscellaneous area.

Map Units of Soil Surveys (NSSH 627.03(b)(4)) Components, whether major or minor, meet the following

criteria: exist in most delineations, add to the understanding of the map unit, are contrasting to all other components in the map

unit (do not list similar soils as components), and allow for useful and significant soil data and

interpretations to the users. Documented components that do not meet the above

criteria are similar or nonrecurring or isolated features of the map unit. If appropriate, recognize nonrecurring, contrasting components with special or ad hoc features, or point or linear map unit delineations.

Map Units of Soil Surveys (NSSH 627.03(b)(5)) The composition and purity of map units are important in the

interpretation of soil maps. Most delineations of a map unit include dissimilar soils or miscellaneous areas of minor extent that are not identified in the map unit name but may be included in the database for the unit. Practical field mapping methods cannot delineate these components at the selected scale of mapping. But they may be associated with a specific landform segment different from that of the named components of the map unit. Some of these components could be delineated if smaller management units were needed.

Things I learned living in Texas

You only own four spices – salt, pepper, Tabasco and Ketchup

You think the first day of deer season is a national holiday

You find 100 degrees a “bit warm” You know all four seasons: Almost

summer, summer, still summer and Christmas

What is the “National Soil Information System”?

NASIS is the NRCS’ soils inventory (collection to publication) database system

NASIS is one part of NRCS resource information system

NASIS is a set of soil survey concepts NASIS is a data management system

(software)

Definition and Purpose (638.00) (a) Soil data systems aid the collection,

storage, manipulation, and dissemination of soil information. Soil data systems consist of multiple automated soil applications or modules that stand alone or interact with each other to provide information.

(b) The National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) collects, manages, interprets, and disseminates soil survey information using a dynamic soil information system from which many different products can be made.

NRCS Information System

NASIS PLANTS ESISClimate

DOQs Spatial

“National Soil Information System” Concepts

M ap U nit D ata Point D ata --Pedon D esc.

Lab D ata

C oncepts --N SSH , SSM ,

Soil Tax., In terps

N ASIS

Forest

SoilMap

Manuscripttext

NASISdatabase

PlantData

SoilData

ClimateData

Soil SurveyReport

CustomReports

SSURGO

Field Data CollectionPublic Data Customer

Products

Manage Soil Data

Analyze/Summarize

CropsNASIS as the

“Data Management System”

WHY NASIS ?

We need to be able to deliver data in a timely manner (10 years to publish?)

We need to improve data integrity, quality, and consistency (good “field” data)

We need the ability to modify our data base by adding new soil properties as they become a priority

NASIS Transaction Database

Soil Staging Server

Soil Data Warehouse

Soil Data Mart(s)

Web Soil Survey

On-line Soil SurveysElectronic Soil Surveys

Resource Data Gateway

NRI Models & Applications --

RUSLE2, WinPST, WEPS, etc

Pedon LIMS

Soil Data Access

Spatial Data (Dig

Units)

Product Development

“NASIS” - database NASIS software is a data management tool NASIS software does not enforce program

policy or procedures NASIS software does not make correlation

decisions - humans do “NASIS” database is “transactional”

NASIS - data management “NASIS” provides capability to :

query data add/delete data search database interpret data report data and interpretation results edit data calculate and validate data ensure data integrity export data

Pedon LIMS

Spatial Data (Dig Units)

National Soil Information SystemWhere should the data come from?

Things I learned while in Texas

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you’re two. We do like a little tea with our sugar.

“Backwards and forwards” means “I know everything about you”.

The word “jeet” is actually a phrase meaning “Did you eat?”

You don’t PUSH buttons, you MASH EM

NASIS Objects

What is a “Datamapunit”?

NSSH 639.02(b) The Data Mapunit Object The data mapunit object is a record or a collection of records

concerning composition, physical, chemical, morphological, and interpretation properties and performance for a map unit and each of its components. A data mapunit object is a set of data records and as such is not related to any geographic area or map unit delineation unless linked to a delineated area in a soil survey area legend. These records are used to document map unit characteristics and create reports of soil properties and interpretations. Data mapunit objects are created as needed and retained as part of the historical records.

What is a Datamapunit? It is the “Data” for the “Mapunit”.

Map Unit “Component” –

the lowest level spatial entity for which a range of soil property data is stored. It has known extent, but unknown spatial location, except by relative topographic position in the map unit.

Map units can have unlimited components, and components can have unlimited horizons. (with freedom comes responsibility)

“Inclusions” are contrasting components of minor extent

Soil property ranges are not limited to series or other taxonomic class limits. Soil Properties and Soil Qualities (618.03),Technical Note #4

Soil Properties and QualitiesDefinition and Purpose (NSSH 618.00) Soil properties are measured or inferred from direct observations in

the field or laboratory. Soil properties include, but are not limited to, particle-size distribution, cation exchange capacity, and salinity.

Soil qualities are behavior and performance attributes that are not directly measured. They are inferred from observations of dynamic conditions and from soil properties. Soil qualities include, but are not limited to, corrosivity, natural drainage, frost action, and wind erodibility.

Soil properties and soil qualities are the criteria used in soil interpretation rating guides, as predictors of soil behavior, and for classification and mapping of soils. The soil properties entered should be representative of the soil for the dominant land use for which interpretations will be based.

What is a “Component”?Policy and Responsibilities (618.01) Soil property data are collected, tested, and

correlated as part of soil survey operations. These data are reviewed, supplemented, and revised as necessary.

The soil survey project office is responsible for collecting, testing, and correlating soil property data and interpretive criteria.

The MLRA office is responsible for the development, maintenance, quality assurance, correlation, and coordination of the collection of soil property data that are used as interpretive criteria. This includes all data elements listed in part 618.

The National Soil Survey Center is responsible for the training, review, and periodic update of soil interpretation technologies.

The state soil scientist is responsible for ensuring that the soil interpretations are adequate for the field office technical guide and that they meet the needs of federal, state, and local programs.

What is a “Component”?Soil Properties and Soil Qualities (618.03) Previous databases of soil survey information used metric or English

units for soil properties and qualities. The National Soil Information System (NASIS) transferred English units to metric units on conversion, except for crop yields in the database. All future edits and entries in NASIS will use metric units, except yields and acreage.

Ranges of soil properties and qualities, posted in the NASIS database for map unit components, may extend beyond the established limits of the taxon from which the component gets its name, but only to the extent that interpretations do not change. However, the representative value (RV) is within the range of the taxon.

Building Components in NASIS

Map units can have unlimited components(with freedom comes responsibility)

What is a “Horizon”?

Components can have unlimited horizons. (with freedom comes responsibility)

What is included in a Horizon?

Populating NASISHorizons are grouped into layers based on similar

properties and nomenclature

NASIS Population Concepts Representative values are designated for

many soil properties, as well as high and low values.

Things I Learned in Texas

A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.

There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 of them live in Texas

There are 10,000 types of spiders and all of them live in Texas.

If it grows, it will stick ya. If it crawls, it will bite cha.

What is a Map Unit?

What is a “Map Unit”?

Map Units of Soil Surveys (NSSH 627.03)(a) DefinitionA map unit is a collection of areas defined and named the

same in terms of their soil components or miscellaneous areas or both. Each map unit differs in some respect from all others in a survey area and each map unit has a symbol that uniquely identifies the map unit on a soil map. Each individual area, point, or line so identified on the map is a delineation. The project office specifically designs map units to meet the needs of the major users in each major land resource area. Map units in adjoining survey areas are comparable especially within the same major land resource area.

What is a “Map Unit” (cont’d)?

Use any class of soil taxonomy, miscellaneous areas, and accompanying terms to name map units. A map unit has specified kinds of soil or miscellaneous areas (map unit components), each with a designated range in proportionate extent. Map units include one or more kinds of soil or miscellaneous area. Miscellaneous areas are areas that have little or no recognizable soil. The approved list is in Exhibit 627-1.

What is a “Map Unit”?From the SSM Chapter 2:A map unit is a collection of areas defined and named

the same in terms of their soil components or miscellaneous areas or both. Each map unit differs in some respect from all others in a survey area and is uniquely identified on a soil map. Each individual area on the map is a delineation….

The kinds of map units used in a survey depend primarily on the purposes of the survey and the pattern of the soils and miscellaneous areas in the landscape. The pattern in nature is fixed and it is not exactly the same in each delineation of a given map unit. In soil surveys these patterns must be recognized and map units designed to meet the major objectives of the survey. It must be remembered that soil interpretations are made for areas of land and the most useful map units are those that group similarities.

What is a “Map Unit”?In Spatial:

What is a “Map Unit”?

How is a “map unit” and it’s data linked?

The “correlation” table links the map unit to the DMU – the map unit’s “data”

Linking Sites to Map Units

Things I learned in Texas

You measure distance in minutes or hours You switch from heat to AC in the same

day All the festivals across the state are

named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal

You know what a “DAWG” is You carry jumper cables, for your own car

What is a Legend?

What is a “Legend”?

Legend Development and Data CollectionDefinition and Purpose (NSSH 627.00)Soil survey legend development and documentation are those

activities conducted in the field that organize, gather, describe, and delineate data needed to provide current and accurate soil maps and interpretations.

The purpose of soil survey legend and documentation procedures is to ensure the collection of meaningful and essential field data in the course of field activities. These data ensure that the objectives of the soil survey are met.

Policy and Responsibilities (627.01)The soil survey project office is responsible for legend

development and field data collection. The project office also initiates studies for soil performance data collection.

What is a “Legend”?

What is an “Overlap”?

MLRA119

MLRA118A

MLRA133B

MLRA131B

MLRA131D

What is an “Overlap”?Overlaps or intersections of survey areas

and other types of areas can be recorded

What is an “overlap”?

What is an “Overlap”?

What is an “area”

What is an “area”?

What is a “survey area”

Soil Survey Area Designation (NSSH 608.02)(a) DefinitionA soil survey area is a geographic (spatial) area that has a size

and shape defined for efficient field operations and timely release of a final product(s). A soil survey area is an administrative unit for project management (staffing and equipment), progress reporting, and production of a final product(s). Size and shape are selected to allow for completion of an initial survey project within 3 to 5 years, and within 2 to 4 years for an update survey. Maintenance projects involving field operations require less than 2 years with adequate staffing.

Traditionally, the soil survey area was synonymous from both the administrative and the conceptual and technical perspective. The Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) is now the conceptual and technical basis for soil survey legend development to meet interpretive needs and for all related classification, correlation, and quality assurance functions.

What is a “survey area”

Populating NASIS

What is the “Minimum Data Set”

Datamapunit – 6 records 4 child tables

Component - 148 records 34 child tables

Horizon - 295 records 13 child tables

Populating NASISWhat is the “Minimum Data Set”?

Properties ??Pedon Description

Properties

Interpretations

Lab Data

What properties do you extract from a pedon

description that are populated in the component and horizon

table??

Now, tell me …

Examples

Interpretations ??

Properties ??

Texture ?

Sand, silt and clay

K factor ?

Silt, VF Sand, Sand > 0.1mm, OM, Structure, Permeability

Septic tankAdsorption fields?

PermeabilityS, Si, Cwater tablerocksflooding, etc

Required Manual Entry

1. Sand and fractions (Low, RV, High)

2. Silt (Low, RV, High)

3. Clay (Low, RV, High)

4. Coarse Fragments (L, RV, H)

5. Organic Matter (L, RV, H)

6. Bulk Densities (1/3, 15, OD, .1 for S, LS)

7. Water States (Ksat, AWC, WT, etc)

Soil Staging Server

Soil Data Warehouse

Soil Data Mart(s)

Web Soil Survey

Pedon LIMS

Soil Data Access

Spatial Data (Dig

Units)

Product Management

Staging Server Designed to merge the spatial and attribute

databases Allows SSS to manage interpretations and

metadata Soil Data Warehouse

Storage “archive” database Time stamps all databases Most recent database sent to Soil Data Mart

Staging Server

Used to send spatial and attribute data to the Soil Data Warehouse

Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time known as “goin’ Wal-Martin” or “off to Wally World”

You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as “good chicken stew weather”

Fried catfish is the “other white meat” You understand these sayings and pass

them to your Texas friends and whose who just wish they were from Texas

Soil Staging Server

Soil Data Warehouse

Soil Data Mart(s)

Web Soil Survey

Pedon LIMS

Soil Data Access

Spatial Data (Dig

Units)

Product Delivery

Soil Data Viewer

Product Delivery - HistoricalAverage 2000 manuscripts published per survey with half still in storage

Product Delivery - Historical

Adobe pdf versions of soil surveys are now available on CD-ROM and on the Soils web site.

Product Delivery - SDMSoil Data Mart

Product Delivery - eFOTG

Product Delivery - GDG

Product Delivery – SSURGO Template

Product Delivery - SDV

Product Delivery - WSS

Web Soil Survey

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

Web Soil SurveyCumulative Visits

WSS – First Year

Web Soil Survey was released in August 2005 providing easy user access to soil survey maps and tables for about 3/4 of the country and is currently receiving about 1,500 visits per day. At this rate the number of visitors in the first year will exceed the number of soil survey copies printed in the last 8 years and the number of first year unique visitors will exceed the number soil survey copies printed in the last 6 years. Additional functionality and information will be added to Web Soil Survey over the next year, reducing the number of hard copies that will need to be printed and decreasing the time it takes to make the information available to the public.

est. 3300 surveys * ~1K ea. = 3.3M books since ~1957

WSS Average visits per dayA

Web Soil SurveyAverage Visits per Day (monthly)

Product Deliver - Soil Data Access

Soil Data Access – Newest Product

“Onced” and “Twiced” are words. It is not a “shopping cart”, it is a “buggy” “Jaw-P?” means “Did all y’all go the

bathroom?” People actually grow and eat okra. “Fixinto” is one word There is no such thing as “lunch”. There is

“dinner” and then there is “supper”.

NASIS DataWhere did it come from?

NASIS Data

Soils-5

NASIS DataWhere did it come from?

Why Soil Survey?

1905, 1932 and 1979 surveys for Dallas County, Alabama – is there a trend?

NASIS Database Components

Queries Reports Validations Calculations Interpretations Edit Setups Global Editing

Queries

Two Questions:1. What data am I

looking for ?

2. What table is the data located ?

Reports

Reports are available for many different purposes

Calculations

1. Particle size estimator (use lab or estimated sand, silt and clay before considering)

2. Percent passing sieves/rock fragments3. Water content4. CEC/ECEC5. Atterberg limits (ll and pi)6. Unified7. AASHTO8. AASHTO group index9. AWC

Order of Calculations

Particle size estimator

Verify results! taxonomic particle size total clay (rv) total sand (rv) texture class (rv)

Rock fragments and sieves rock fragment volume (l,rv,h) in Horizon Fragment Table rock fragment kind in Horizon Fragment Table rock fragment size (l,rv,h) in Horizon Fragment Table rock fragment hardness in Horizon Fragment Table total sand (l,rv,h) total clay (l,rv,h) total silt (l,rv,h) very fine sand (l,rv,h) fine sand (l,rv,h) medium sand (l,rv,h) coarse sand (l,rv,h) very coarse sand (l,rv,h) one-third bar bulk density (rv) organic matter (rv)

Water content

organic matter (rv) rock_frag_greater_than_10_in (rv) rock_frag_3_to_10_in (rv) % passing #10 sieve (rv) one-third bar bulk density or one-tenth bar bulk

density (rv) total clay (rv) linear extensibility percent (rv) texture class or texture_modifier_and_class (rv)

(calculates oven-dry bulk density, 1/10 bar water for sandy soils, 1/3 bar water, 15 bar water, and satiated water)

CEC/ECEC

organic matter (l,rv,h) pH in water (l,rv,h) pH in CaCl (for organic layers) (l,rv,h) total clay (l,rv,h) clay sized carbonate (l,rv,h) total silt (l,rv,h) taxonomic family mineralogy taxonomic order taxonomic CEC-activity class

Atterberg limits

organic matter (l,rv,h) linear extensibility percent (l,rv,h) total clay (l,rv,h) clay sized carbonate (l,rv,h)

Unified and AASHTO (report only)

% passing #4 sieve (rv) % passing #10 sieve (rv) % passing #40 sieve (rv) % passing #200 sieve (rv) liquid limit (rv) plastic limit (rv) total clay (rv) organic matter (rv)

Interpretations

A soil survey describes the characteristics of the soils in a given area, classifies the soils according to a standard system of classification, plots the boundaries of the soils on a

map, and makes predictions about the behavior of soils.

EVALUATIONRULE

An Evaluation takes the property value retrieved or calculated from the database, ranks it using approximate reasoning, and graphs its membership in a class.

An evaluation produces a numerical result from 0 to 1.

A Rule is a logic diagram that describes the relationship between the evaluations and other rules that make up the rule.

A Rule produces a numerical value based on fuzzy mathematics operating on the numerical values from evaluations and other rules.

A Rule processes the evaluation results into rating classes (interpretive values).

“soil has limitations for playing fields”

“soil is too sloping”

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

SLOPE %

START OR TOO SLOPING

TOO WET

FLOODING

PROPERTY

A Property is an SQL-like statement that retrieves a specific soil value from the database, or calculates a soil property (AWC, permeability).

EXEC SQLSELECT component slope_gradient_r FROM component WHERE …

“slope”

Interpretations

(RVs) You can record representative values for some data, in addition to high and low values.

(Actual data) Interpretations are generated from the actual data that represent the soil component.

(Interactions) Interpretations can deal with interactions, such as the interaction of slope and water table where, as slope increases, the limitations associated with water table decrease.

(Weighting) Interpretations can now deal with relative weights, such as when slope may have more importance to the interpretation than depth to water table.

InterpretationsRule

InterpretationsEvaluation

InterpretationsProperty

NASIS Editing

NASIS is a “read only” database Data must be “owned” to be edited Records are “checked out” Records are “edited” Edits are “Uploaded to National Database” Records are “checked in”

Global Editing Find/Replace populates one cell of

data throughout the “selected set” Global Paste copyies at the child

table and pastes at the parent table Ctrl+C is copy cell Shift+V is paste a cell Be acutely aware of your selected set

Find/Replace

Populating NASIS – Global PasteCopy the child record, then move to the parent and highlight the rows that the edit is to be made. Then click on the Paste Inserting Rows.

Concentrate on collecting property data Compare field collected data to database properties Utilize spatial databases to focus work on areas in

need of update Emphasize the collection of the following estimated

properties on field descriptions

• Sand (and fractions)• Silt• Clay• Coarse fragments

• Organic Matter• Bulk Density• Water States

(Ksat, WT, AWC, etc)

National Soil Information System Soil Databases National Soil Information System

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