Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Planning
©Vivek Srivastava
Objectives
Knowledge of purposes & uses for soil
surveys
Identify tasks for soil survey & the reports
involved
Methods of soil evaluation & interpretation
Use of electronic databases
Introduction
Soil survey – fact-finding mission, following
by a report on the findings
Description of the characteristics of the soils
in a given area
Classification of the soils
Delineate boundaries of soils on a map
Predictions of behaviors of the soils
Introduction
Contain
Data for many users
Farmers, forecasters agronomists: evaluate potential
production of the soil, management needs to
maximize that potential
Planners, community officials, engineers, developers,
home buyers: evaluate the site for building
construction purposes, strengths, limitations
Conducting a Soil Survey
Before any surveying begins, a plan is made
& information is collected
Conferences
Collect aerial photographs
Satellite images
Initial field reviews
Soil Survey Reports
Contents of a Soil Survey
Conducting a Soil Survey
Preparation of a legend
Initial field reviews conducted in soil pits in the
most extensive landforms
Soil-mapping unit: area of soil that is
delineated from adjacent areas on a map
Differences may be:
Slope
Erosion
Soil profile
Soil Survey Reports
Physical & chemical properties of the soils
Soil & water features
Chemical analysis
Clay mineralogy
Engineering index data
Soil classification
Soil Survey Reports
Natural fertility
Soil depth
Tendency to accumulate soluble salts
Soil structure
Soil engineering properties
Climate
Natural vegetation
Adapted crops & their expected productivity
Soil Survey Reports
Recreational development potential
Wildlife habitat
Building site development
Sanitary facility needs
Construction materials
Water management
Engineering index
Soil Survey Reports
Value of Detailed Soil Survey Reports
Most soil properties recorded in a soil survey
change very slowly
Typically semiperminent properties:
Land relief (topography)
Soil texture
Organic matter content
Geologic origin
Soil Survey Reports
Reasons why a resurvey may be done:
Some information was not gathered in a previous
survey
New management practices
Changes in crops grown
Yield prediction changes
http://soils.usda.gov
Land Evaluation
Land-use planning done for: urban areas,
rural areas
Major issues:
Quality of environment
Environmental sustainability of ag production
systems
Pollution of nitrate, phosphate, pesticides
Erosion of land
Declining soil fertility
Land Evaluation
Problems caused by these issues may have
various/multiple facets
Agronomic
Economic
Political
Social
Land Evaluation
LESA system – Land Evaluation and Site
Assessment
Guide the conversion of farmland to urban uses
Attempts to preserve the best farmland
Three procedures:
Land capability classification
Current category of land is documented
Soil rated according to capability
Land Evaluation
Land Capability Classification
Classification & sub classification for all soil-
mapping units
Class I Soils
Can be used continuously for intensive crop
production w/ good farming practices
No restrictions
Class II Soils
More limitations than Class I land for crop production
2-5% slope is main difference
Land Evaluation
Class III Soils
Severe limitations
Requires more special conservation practices than
Class II to keep it continually productive
Can have shallow soil
Slopes 6-10%
Shallow water tables
Land Evaluation
Class IV
Severe limitations for cropping use
Greater intensity of conservation practices for
cultivated crops that Class III
Recommend permanent crops (e.g. pastures)
Slope 12-18%
Class V
Boulders, wetness, problems impractical to correct
Not necessarily erosion risk
Can’t be cultivated
Use for pasture, range, woodland, wildlife habitat
Land Evaluation
Class VI
Slope 18-30%
Same limitations as Class V soils, except more need
for sustainable management practices
Class VII
Severe limitations
Extreme care to protect the soil
Even using grazing, wildlife, timber
Slope >30%
Land Evaluation
Class VIII
Very severe limitations
Steep slopes, rock lands, swamps, etc.
Can only be used for wildlife, recreation, watersheds,
aesthetic appreciation
Land capability subclasses – soil groups w/in
the 8 classes that explain the reasons for
limitations of intensive crop production
e – erosion hazard
w - wetness
Land Evaluation
s – shallow, droughty, stony, permafrost
c – climate too cold or dry
Land Evaluation
Ratings for Soil Potential
Indicates the relative quality of a soil for a
particular use compared with other soils in a
given area
Developed for planning purposes
Supplement land capability classes, woodland
suitability groups, range sites, soil limitation
ratings
Data Interpretation for Soil Uses
Can be rated to have slight, moderate, severe
limitations
Severe
Soil will require major soil reclamation, special
design, high costs, or intensive soil maintenance
to use for the item listed
Very Severe
Great difficulty in the soil’s use, high costs, or
both
Data Interpretation for Soil Uses
Slight & Moderate
May indicate problems w/:
Shallow
Low permeability
Strong acidity
High salt concentration
Various other problems