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The Coastal PlainerSpring 2009 Volume 13, Number 1 3381 Skyway Drive, P.O. Box 311, Auburn, AL 36830
Message From The MO–Leader’s DeskBy Charles Love, MO–15 Team Leader Again, greetings everyone! This spring is providing us with exciting opportunities to apply soil science across the landscapes in the MO–15 region. Now that we have established the MLRA Soil Survey Leader positions within the region, we are hard at work preparing a workshop for these new leaders and the MO–15 State Soil Scientists. The workshop will be held the week of June 8th. The purpose of the workshop is to review our guidance documents for updating soil surveys using the MLRA concept. It is time to have this type of workshop, to bring our State Soil Scientists and MLRA Soil Survey Leaders together, and to have a conversation regarding our operating and managing procedures. One thing we really want to focus on are the roles and responsibilities of the management team for involving our cooperators in communicating priorities to our Board of Directors (BoD) and implementing the priorities in a timely manner. So, let’s briefly talk about the roles and responsibilities of the MO Management Team (the State Soil Scientists) for implementing the MLRA concept. We want to continue to develop and maintain cooperative relationships for soil survey. It is our job to let our cooperators know that they are very important players—that we need them to effectively carry out soil survey activities by MLRA. It is also our job to identify needs for soil survey update and maintenance for the MLRA Soil Survey Offices. Keep in mind that the State Soil Scientists supervise the MLRA Soil Survey Leaders and advise the State Conservationists regarding issues for the soil survey offices. We, the MO Management Team, are to provide the priorities from our cooperators and MLRA Soil Survey Offices to the BoD through a clear and comprehensive business approach. As you know, the BoD is comprised of our State Conservationists. Their responsibilities include reviewing our priorities and deciding which to fund, approving the staff years for the MLRA Soil Survey Offices, and deciding when work activities will start and end for the MLRA Soil Survey Offices. The State Conservationists also have a responsibility for ensuring administrative support for the offices. Many MOs are using specific business approaches to gain approval for soil survey priorities from their regional BoD. Again, the cooperators and MLRA Soil Survey Leaders will establish key priorities for carrying out the soil survey business requirements for the state and the region. State Soil Scientists provide leadership for annual state soil survey conferences at which soil survey activities are discussed, the priorities of all partners are considered, and state soil survey plans of operation are reviewed. It is recommended that these conferences be held by June 30th of each year. States can then forward their priorities to the MO Leader by July 15th. The MO Management Team will evaluate the states’ priorities, decide on priorities for the MLRA region, and submit the priorities to the Board of Directors for approval. The approved list of priorities will be distributed to the states and the MLRA Soil Survey Offices by September 15th. This is good business approach to gain approval from the BoD. Our vision for communicating MLRA soil survey priorities to the BoD involves an action register. The MO Management Team will develop the register as a list of priorities for the state cooperators and the MLRA Soil Survey Offices. The MO Management Team will use a ranking approach to determine which priorities are forwarded to the BoD. Along with the action register, a short issue paper will be prepared to support each of the priorities. The sample on page 3 is an example of an action register that could be used to facilitate discussion and the approval of priorities at a BoD meeting. Roles and responsibilities, priorities, and processes are just some of the topics we will be discussing at our upcoming workshop. If you want to review the agenda for the workshop, please go to the MO–15 Web site (http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/news/workshop_agenda.html). NRCS soils personnel in the MO–15 region can add comments to the agenda on the MO–15 SharePoint site (https://nrcs.sc.egov.usda.gov/ssra/mo-15/default.aspx). In closing, I want to thank our State Conservationists and State Soil Scientists for supporting this workshop and the Soil Survey Division and our national centers for participating. The workshop will get us started on effectively carrying out the MLRA concept, involving our cooperators, and advising our BoD regarding the decisions needed for the region. As always, thank you for your support! —Charles
* Approval is rated as yes, no, or pending. Upcoming Events
William Puckett, New State Conservationist for AlabamaPlease help us in welcoming Dr. William E. Puckett back to the great state of Alabama. Dr. Puckett is returning to Alabama as State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and will serve as Chair of the MO–15 Board of Directors. Dr. Puckett has held numerous positions with NRCS. Before returning to Alabama, he served as Deputy Chief for Science and Technology and Deputy Chief for Soil Survey and Resource Assessment in Washington D.C. He also served as Director of the East National Technology Support Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. He began his career in 1983 as a field soil scientist in Florida. He became State Soil Scientist in Oklahoma in 1991, and 2 years later he was named Assistant State Conservationist for Operations in Oklahoma. In 1995, he moved into an operations management position in the South Central Region Office in Ft. Worth, Texas. In 1997, he joined the Oversight and Evaluations Staff in Atlanta, Georgia. From 1999 to 2001, he served as Leader of the Major Land Resource Area Office in Auburn, Alabama. From 2001 to 2004, he served as the Director of the Soil Quality Institute in Auburn, Alabama. Dr. Puckett holds a Bachelor of Science degree in agronomy and a Master of Science degree in soil physics and mineralogy from Auburn University. He received his doctorate in soil genesis and classification from the University of Florida.
MLRA ConnectionBy Scott Anderson, Soil Data Quality Specialist, MO–15 MLRA soil survey update work within the MO–15 region will be governed by three groups: 1) the MO–15 Board of Directors, 2) the MO–15 Management Team, and 3) MLRA Technical Teams. This issue of "MLRA Connection" will focus on the technical teams. The MO–15 soil survey region includes 12 MLRAs, which have been divided between 9 Soil Survey Offices (SSOs). For those MLRAs that involve two or more SSOs, some kind of organizational group is needed to effectively carry out business and technical work across the boundaries for the SSOs. In MO–15, this effort will be handled by five MLRA Technical Teams. Each team will cover specific MLRAs. The teams will be comprised of MLRA Soil Survey Leaders, State Soil Scientists, Resource Soil Scientists, a representative from the MO, and other soil specialists. Additional specialists, such as Agronomists, Foresters, Range Conservationists, Resource Conservationists, and District Conservationists, may also be called on to contribute; and the team may choose to establish ad hoc committees for special projects. A committee chair person will be selected for each team by the management team. The chair position can be either permanent or revolving. The MLRA Technical Teams will be self governing and meet as needed. The areas of responsibility for the five MLRA Technical Teams in the MO–15 region include: Team 1: MLRA 133A
Teams 4 and 5 cover groups of MLRAs for practical reasons. The MLRAs are entirely within a single state (Florida) or area (Caribbean). They are in close proximity within the state or area. They are relatively small. And, team membership would most likely be made up of the same individuals regardless. The responsibilities of the technical teams will vary widely, but the key word here is "Technical." The MO Board of Directors and the MO Management Team will deal more with priorities, organization, administration, and budget issues. The MLRA Technical Teams will deal mainly with the science of soil survey and will spend much of their time evaluating spatial, tabular, and lab data and the classification and distribution of current Official Series Descriptions. Some of the more important responsibilities of the technical teams include:
The technical teams will also assist with the evaluation of existing published soil survey spatial and tabular data; assist with establishing goals for long-range plans, annual plans, and project plans; and carry out priority soil survey work set forth by the MO Management Team and the MO Board of Directors. For additional reading about MLRA Technical Teams, see the National Soil Survey Handbook, parts 601, 608, and 610 (http://soils.usda.gov/technical/handbook/contents.html).
EMI Survey in a CEAP Project in the Caribbean AreaBy Jorge L. Lugo-Camacho, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, USDA–NRCS, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico From February 18 to 26, 2009, the Caribbean Area soils staff received technical support from the National Soil Survey Center with an electromagnetic induction (EMI) survey. The survey was completed on 260 acres of agricultural fields where NRCS has established a Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) at Jobos Bay Watershed, Salinas, Puerto Rico. The Jobos Bay Watershed is an NRCS Tropical Special Emphasis Watershed. The purpose of the CEAP project is to identify and reduce the causes of soil contamination. Maps of apparent conductivity (ECa) identified spatial patterns related to physical and chemical properties of the soils. These maps were used to develop an optimal soil sampling plan. Jim Doolittle, research soil scientist, and Wes Tuttle, soil scientist, provided training to the MLRA 15–9 staff in the use of an EM38 meter. This meter was used to conduct the electromagnetic induction surveys (fig. 1). Measured ECa was found to be relatively high across the surveyed area and representative of the fine-textured and sodic soils as recognized in the Soil Survey of Humacao Area of Eastern Puerto Rico (Boccheciamp et al., 1977). Based on 50,636 measurements, ECa values ranged from 8 to 301 mS/m with a mean of 89.1 mS/m. Higher ECa values are associated with higher amounts of soluble salts and with Cartagena soils (fine, mixed, superactive, isohyperthermic Sodic Haplusterts) (Beinroth et al., 2003). Using the Response Surface Sampling Design (RSSD) of the USDA–ARS ESAP Software Suite, an optimal soil sampling plan was developed. Figure 2 provides a comparison of the soils map and the ECa map. The study demonstrated that maps of apparent conductivity can be used to correlate ECa with soil patterns and to determine map unit composition and soil boundaries. In many instances, zones on ECa maps correspond with soil polygons as shown in figure 2. According to Shaner et al. (2008), if transition zones are avoided, ECa-directed zone sampling is a cost effective alternative method to grid soil sampling. Literature citedBeinroth, F.H., R.J. Engel, J.L. Lugo, C.L. Santiago, S. Ríos, and G.R. Brannon. 2003. Updated taxonomic classification of the soils of Puerto Rico, 2002. Bulletin 303, University of Puerto Rico, Agricultural Experiment Station, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. Boccheciamp, R.A., W. Francia-Rivera, J.E. Trigo, J.A. Brunet, E. Torres-Más, W.E. Mckenzie, and L.H. Rivera. 1977. Soil Survey of the Humacao Area of Eastern Puerto Rico. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. Shaner, D.L., R. Kosla, M.K. Brodahl, G.W. Buchleiter, and H.J. Farahani. 2008. How well do zone sampling based soil electrical conductivity maps represent soil variability? Agronomy Journal 100(5): 1472–1480.
Arc Soil Inference EngineA Modern Approach to Raster-Based Digital Soil Mapping By Eddie Davis, Jr., Soil Scientist, MLRA–SSO 18–3 The Soil Inference Engine (ArcSIE) Progress Meeting was held April 14 and 15, 2009, at MLRA Soil Survey Office 12–5 in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The participants were Eddie Davis Jr., Huntsville, AL (MLRA–SSO 18–3); John Hempel, Morgantown, WV; Mike Hansen, Bozeman, MT; and Fred Young, Colombia, MO. Hosting the meeting was the staff of MLRA–SSO 12–5: Rodger Dekett, Jessica Philippe, Robert Long, and Tom Burke. Leadership was provided by the Vermont State Soil Scientist, Steve Gourley. Also in attendance was Xun Shi, Dartmouth University professor and ArcSIE programmer. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together NRCS soil scientists from our respective areas in a "think tank" setting to learn from one another, explore various methodologies, and develop creative ways to promote raster-based soil digitizing throughout the agency. The meeting was a success, and its applications seem to presage what is to come in soil survey. The Soil Inference Engine (ArcSIE) is an extension that functions as an automated, knowledge-based system for creating soil maps using ArcMap. ArcSIE creates soil maps based on the soil-environment model: S=f(E). The model generally integrates expert knowledge and geographic information about a typical soil environment to produce a soil map. The information about soil (S) is derived from information about the soils environmental (E) factors, including topography, geology, climate, vegetation, aspect, etc. The most critical component in the model, however, is the relationship (f) between the soil and its environment. ArcSIE supports a knowledge-based approach to establishing this relationship. The extension provides tools for soil scientists to formalize the relationship based on pedological knowledge of the local soils. The soil survey staff for area 12–5 did an exceptional job presenting their methodology and briefly describing their complete soil mapping process. The soil survey staff for Vermont is convinced that the technology of raster-based digital soil mapping (ArcSIE) has definitely increased their productivity and the quality of their work. The functionalities used in ArcMap and ArcSIE to assist the soil survey office are:
Although the ArcSIE analysis tool has additional functions, those listed above were especially important to the success of MLRA–SSO 12–5. The close-out session consisted of a collaborative dialog that highlighted various approaches to spread the word about the functionality of the software. Opportunities for presenting to MO leaders and state leaders at various conferences, such as the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) meeting, and for working with other universities were discussed as opportunities to not only broaden the raster-based soil mapping concept but also as chances to expose other offices to tools that could assist them in producing digital soil maps. The meeting was truly a success. I would like to thank Mr. Jon Hempel for extending the opportunity for me to attend, which allowed me to learn new methods in digital soil survey and to collaborate with other soil scientists. I would also like to thank Dr. Bill Puckett and Mr. Charles Love for affording me the time to attend. Hopefully, LiDAR and other new technologies, such as ArcSIE, will allow us to increase the quality of soil survey while "helping people help the land." Sampling Benchmark Soils in the Caribbean AreaBy Jorge L. Lugo-Camacho, MLRA Soil Survey Leader, and Samuel Ríos-Tirado, Soil Scientist; USDA–NRCS, Mayagüez Puerto Rico During the week of March 30th, 2009, the staff of MLRA Soil Survey Office 15–9 received technical support from the National Soil Survey Center with a project to sample benchmark soils. Currently, there are only two established benchmark soils in the Caribbean Area. The main purpose of the benchmark soils project in the MLRA–SSO 15–9 area is to select two benchmark soils per MLRA and extrapolate their interpretations to similar associated soils within the MLRA. After completion of the project, approximately 290,000 acres of soil survey will be updated. Dr. Ellis Benham, research soil scientist, provided support during the sampling. Five soils series were sampled. The Callabo series (clayey, mixed, superactive, isohyperthermic, shallow Typic Dystrudepts)1 was proposed as a representative soil for the Semiarid Mountains and Valleys region (MLRA 271). The Pandura series (loamy, mixed, active, isohyperthermic, shallow Dystric Eutrudepts)1 was proposed for the region having parent material derived from plutonic rocks in the Humid Mountains and Valleys region (MLRA 270). The Aceitunas series (fine, kaolinitic, isohyperthermic Typic Paleudults)1 (fig. A) was selected as a representative soil for one of two proposed new MLRAs. The Northwest Limestone Mesa region (MLRA 272A) is currently included in the Humid Coastal Plains region (MLRA 272). This region consists of sharp limestone cliffs adjacent to the coastal beaches. It covers approximately 25,821 acres, and the dominant soils are Oxisols (56 percent) and Ultisols (25 percent). In addition, the Soller series (clayey, mixed, active, isohyperthermic, shallow Typic Haprendolls)1 (fig. B) was sampled as a representative soil in the mogote landform (MLRA 270A). This differs from the findings described in the Soil Survey of Mayagüez Area of Western Puerto Rico2, which recognized the Limestone outcrop miscellaneous area at this site. The Humid Karst Haystacks region, which is currently included in the Humid Mountains and Valleys MLRA, is the second proposed new MLRA for the Caribbean Region. This region is a unique zone within the United States and features karst limestone haystacks, or mogotes. It covers over one third of the Puerto Rico territory, and the dominant map units are Mollisols, mostly of the Haprendolls suborder, and the Limestone outcrop miscellaneous area. Finally, the Toa series (fine, mixed, active, isohyperthermic Fluventic Hapludolls)1 was proposed as a representative soil for the Humid Coastal Plains region (MLRA 272). The characterization data obtained from this sampling will be extremely helpful for updating the soil survey of the Caribbean Area. Literature cited1. Beinroth, F.H., R.J. Engel, J.L. Lugo, C.L. Santiago, S. Ríos, and G.R. Brannon. 2003. Updated taxonomic classification of the soils of Puerto Rico, 2002. Bulletin 303, University of Puerto Rico, Agricultural Experiment Station, Río Piedras, Puerto Rico. 2. Gierbolini, R.E. 1975. Soil survey of the Mayagüez area of Western Puerto Rico. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service.
Delivering Soil Survey Information in the 21st CenturyBy Aaron Achen, Editor, MO–15 Consider this scenario: "Sally the real estate agent walks out into a proposed development area. She opens her GPS-enabled cell phone and calls a toll-free number. The screen on the phone gives a list of options. With a few key strokes she determines that the soil where she is standing is in a map unit that is severely limited as a site for buildings with basements. She is given the contact information for the nearest NRCS soil scientist and a link to more information." The scenario is fictitious; it is not, however, unimaginable. The basic GPS technology exists, and the soils data is available. "Joe the soil scientist is planning his retirement. He is inarguably the worlds premier mapper of soils in the MLRA 172 area. He had hoped to spend time training his replacement, but because of time and budget constraints his replacement hasn’t been selected yet. Instead, he writes a report about mapping in the area. He places the report in the training section of the soils intranet." "Jane, who eventually replaces Joe, reads the report before moving to the area and uses it as a starting point. A few years later, when Jane moves to a new position, the report has been expanded by Janes’s discoveries and is ready for the next scientist in line." This scenario is also fictitious, but the mechanism to make it happen is not. The software for archival, collaborative writing is already in place. An expert—rather they are considering retirement or not—could very easily place a summary report on our SharePoint site. Such a report could then become the basis for an expanding piece of institutional knowledge. The question is not "Can it be done?" The question may not even be "Should it be done?" The question is "Who will do it first?" We are moving into an era with new possibilities for delivering soil survey information. We not only have PDF documents, Web pages, paper copy, CDs, and GIS data sets, we have the Web Soil Survey, Soil Data Mart, and Geospatial Data Gateway. The opportunities before us seem limited primarily by our imagination and budget. One exciting and realistic possibility that has been proposed is the development of a Content Management System. The proposed system would be integrated with NASIS and the Web Soil Survey. It would allow for imagery and authored text to be included in the custom soil resource reports that are generated by the Web Soil Survey. The capabilities of the system would be analogous to those of a relational database, including storage, indexing, search, and retrieval. The interface for the system would be added to the interface for NASIS. The system would associate text, images, and documents with various spatial contexts, such as MLRAs, and with NASIS attributes, such as map unit symbols. Content would be delivered on demand to authorized users, such as project soil scientists, and to applications, such as the Web Soil Survey. Management capabilities would include maintaining permissions for accessing, changing, and publishing content; tracking versions of content; tracking status of processes, such as QA/QC reviews; sending notifications of process status; controlling document sharing; simplifying re-use of content, such as prewritten material; and delivering approved content to applications. The proposed priority items for the Content Management System to store and manage are:
The content management system would reduce the workload and cost of developing and delivering soil survey manuscript text; streamline time-consuming business processes; accelerate delivery time; and provide online access to new, nontraditional kinds of soil survey information. I encourage those of you who you gather, discover, create, and use soil survey information to send the MO your thoughts regarding the management and delivery of this information. We will need your enthusiasm, creativity, and imagination to get the most out of the new opportunities.
Quotes"I cannot conceive of the time when knowledge of soils will be complete. Our expectation is that our successors will build on what has been done, as we are building on the work of our predecessors." "Probably more harm has been done to the science by the almost universal attempts to look upon the soil merely as a producer of crops rather than as a natural body worth in and for itself of all the study that can be devoted to it, than most men realize."
"The soil itself must be the object of observation and experiment and the facts obtained must be soil facts before they can be incorporated into soil science. The science of zoology was developed through the study of animals, that of botany through the study of plants, and soil science must be developed through the study of the soil." Editor’s NoteIssues of this newsletter are available from the MO–15 homepage (http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/). Click on “News” and then on “The Coastal Plainer.” You are invited to submit articles for future issues to Aaron Achen, editor, MO–15, Auburn, Alabama. Voice—(402) 437-4157; FAX—(402) 437-5336; e-mail—Aaron.Achen@al.usda.gov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
2009 Hydric Soil WorkshopBy Gregory R. Brannon, Soil Data Quality Specialist, MO–15 The 2009 Annual Hydric Soil Workshop of the Florida Association of Environmental Soil Scientists (FAESS) was held on the 21st of April in central Florida in the Lake Mary area, just northeast of Orlando. The workshop consisted of 4 hours of classroom instruction and an afternoon of fieldwork. The workshop was conducted by Wade Hurt, soil scientist, Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, and retired NRCS soil scientist, and by Dr. David Lindbo, professor, Soil Science Department, North Carolina State University. The afternoon consisted of visits to seven sites showing different hydric soil indicators. Special emphasis was placed on sandy hydric soil indicators, dark surfaces, stripped matrixes, soil textures, and unique properties of Florida soils. Some of the sites had an the absence of indicators and were included to highlight the upland soils, landscape positions, and vegetative differences. Participants included NRCS soil scientists, private industry consultants, and personnel from the Florida Health Department and the Florida Water Management District.
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