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Soil Interpretation in the Soil Survey – Past and Present
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- SOIL INTERPRETATION PRIOR TO 1935
- UNDER CHARLES KELLOGG
- NEW CORPORATE VISION
- CHALLENGES FOR SOIL INTERPRETATION
- Client Hierarchy
Soil Interpretation in the Soil Survey – Past and PresentBerman D. Hudson, National Leader, Soil Survey Interpretations During much of its history the Soil Survey has had an “on again off again” relationship with interpretations. During its first decade, the Soil Survey leadership emphasized their importance. Milton Whitney asserted in a 1906 speech, “…we knew that we must be able to interpret the soils we mapped or there would be little excuse for the Soil Survey.” However, Whitney soon changed his tune. In 1914, he wrote in a letter that the purpose of the Soil Survey was limited to “… the gathering of fundamental soil information to be used as a basis for experimental work by other bureaus or offices.” This view was later reinforced by Curtis Marbut, who wrote in 1924, “… the soil survey is being regarded more and more as a scientific publication and should not attempt to give practical advice.” This neglect of soil survey interpretations changed drastically when Charles Kellogg took over the Soil Survey in 1935. According to one author, “Soil survey interpretation, after a lapse of twenty years, again became recognized as an essential … function of the Soil Survey.” Kellogg wrote in 1949: “Of course, soil surveys made for predictions about land-use and management … must be practical. But they will not be practical unless they are also scientifically sound.” Under Kellogg’s direction, numerous engineering interpretations were developed and soil surveys of urbanized areas were begun. Computerized procedures (e.g., the SOI-5 and SOI-6) were utilized to interpret soils consistently nationwide and to generate interpretive tables for soil survey manuscripts. Providing computerized interpretations from a central source (the Statistical Laboratory at Ames, Iowa) provided consistency and increased the efficiency of manuscript publication. However, it had a downside. This process prevented field soil scientists from having a meaningful role in interpreting soils. It is hoped that the advent of the National Soil Information System (NASIS) will enable us to correct this. Specifically – we hope to change from a “top down” approach to one in which most soil interpretations are developed at the state or local level. In this scenario, interpretation specialists at the National Soil Survey Center (NSSC) will develop national interpretations or templates. Where appropriate, these national templates can be used unchanged at the local level. The national templates also can be modified to produce local interpretations that more closely reflect the laws, available technology and economic conditions at the state or local level. Additionally, we encourage local soil scientists to develop totally new interpretations for which no national templates exist. Interpretation specialists at the NSSC will continue to have an important role in developing national templates. They also will conduct research and development in the science and practice of soil interpretation (for example, the application of fuzzy set theory). A third important role will be to provide training and consulting services to the field. However, interpretation specialists at the NSSC will play only a supporting role. The actual process of developing soil interpretations and providing them to users will increasingly be done in the field. SOIL INTERPRETATION PRIOR TO 1935 MILTON WHITNEY (1906): “…WE MUST BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THE SOILS WE MAPPED OR THERE WOULD BE LITTLE EXCUSE FOR THE SOIL SURVEY.” MILTON WHITNEY (1914): A DIFFERENT TUNE: SOIL SURVEY SHOULD BE LIMITED TO “…THE GATHERING OF FUNDAMENTAL SOIL INFORMATION … TO BE USED BY OTHER BUREAUS OR OFFICES.” CURTIS MARBUT (1924): “…THE SOIL SURVEY IS BEING REGARDED MORE AND MORE AS A SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATION AND SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO GIVE PRACTICAL ADVICE.” SOIL INTERPRETATION AFTER 1935 – THE KELLOGG YEARS ANONYMOUS AUTHOR: “SOIL SURVEY INTERPRETATION, AFTER A LAPSE OF 20 YEARS, AGAIN BECAME RECOGNIZED AS AN ESSENTIAL FUNCTION OF THE SOIL SURVEY.” UNDER CHARLES KELLOGG: -- NUMEROUS ENGINEERING INTERPRETATIONS DEVELOPED -- SOIL SURVEYS OF URBAN AREAS WERE BEGUN -- FORESTRY, WILDLIFE AND RANGE INTERPRETATIONS INITIATED -- COMPUTERIZED INTERPRETATION SYSTEM (SOI-5 AND SOI-6) DEVELOPED COMPUTERIZED SOI-5/SOI-6 PROGRAM POSITIVES: CONSISTENCY – STATE TO STATE, ETC. EFFICIENCY – MANUSCRIPT PUBLICATION
TOP-DOWN, UNWIELDY BAD CORPORATE VISION: “SOILS ARE MAPPED LOCALLY, BUT INTERPS ARE MADE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL BY A GROUP OF SPECIALISTS.” NEW CORPORATE VISION: ROLE OF STATES: **MOST SOIL INTERPRETATIONS WILL BE DEVELOPED AT THE STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL. POSSIBLE BECAUSE INTERPRETATION FUNCTIONS OF NASIS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ALL LEVELS. ROLE OF NSSC: 1. DEVELOP NATIONAL INTERPRETATIONS TEMPLATES 2. R&D ACTIVITIES RELATED TO SOIL INTERPRETATION (ex. FUZZY SETS, CORROSION) 3. TRAINING AND CONSULTING SERVICES TO THE FIELD AND TO COOPERATORS CHALLENGES FOR SOIL INTERPRETATION: 1. DATA, INTERPRETATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION – WHAT IS THE RIGHT MIX? 2. GETTING BEYOND THE POLYGON-BASED MAPPING MODEL.
The triangle on the following page shows the relationship between the kinds of soil survey information provided and the number of potential clients. Key Points: 1. A small number of sophisticated clients use soil data. 2. A larger number of clients use soil interpretations. 3. The largest number of potential clients, typically individual landowners, can best use management information based on soils data and interpretations. 4. Conservationists in NRCS deliver much of the soil-based management information. It is important that the Soil Survey maintain good relationships with our parent agency.
  
 
DATA INTERPRETATIONS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION GETTING BEYOND THE POLYGON-BASED MAPPING MODEL LIMITATIONS: 1. LEVEL OF DETAIL (SIZE OF DELINEATION) IS LIMITED BY MAP SCALE. 2. COMPONENTS (“INCLUSIONS”) IN DELINEATIONS CANNOT BE LOCATED ON THE LANDSCAPE. 3. WE ARE FORCED TO PRETEND THAT ALL CHANGES IN SOIL TAKE PLACE SUDDENLY AT THE DELINEATION BOUNDARY. IMPLICATION LIMITATIONS 1, 2 AND 3 ABOVE LIMIT THE ACCURACY AND PRECISION WITH WHICH WE CAN INTERPRET SOIL MAPS Directory: Internet -> FSE DOCUMENTS FSE DOCUMENTS -> Applications and limitations FSE DOCUMENTS -> Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Practice Standard FSE DOCUMENTS -> Downloading gps gr-3 Surveys Summary of Procedure FSE DOCUMENTS -> All applications must be submitted by 12/01/2015 to be eligible FSE DOCUMENTS -> Indiana Conservation Programs for Copperbelly Water Snake Habitat FSE DOCUMENTS -> Administrator’s Corner FSE DOCUMENTS -> United States Department of Agriculture • Natural Resources Conservation Service FSE DOCUMENTS -> United States Department of Agriculture Soule River Hydroelectric Project FSE DOCUMENTS -> Ottawa national forest: checklist of the vascular flora of the mccormick wilderness Download 0.65 Mb. Share with your friends:
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