1

National

Cooperative

Soil

Survey Newsletter

Issue 10

February 2000

In This Issue—

Editor’s Note

Issues of this newsletter are

available on the World Wide Web

(www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv).

Click on NCSS and then on the desired

issue number of the NCSS Newsletter.

You are invited to submit stories for

future issues of this newsletter to

Stanley Anderson, National Soil Survey

Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Phone—

402-437-5357; FAX—402-437-5336;

email—

stan.anderson@nssc.nrcs.usda.gov.

Ancient Chinese

Representation of Soil

By Robert J. Ahrens, Director, National Soil

Survey Center, Natural Resources Conservation

Service, Lincoln, Nebraska.

L

ast year the National

 Cooperative Soil Survey

celebrated the centennial year of

providing quality information to the

American public. We in the U.S. are

very proud of our success and

commitment to the soil resource. For

obvious reasons, soil has been

important to all civilizations. The

examples below from China illustrate

another culture’s esteem for the soil

resource.

The character is an ingenious

Chinese symbol for soil (fig. 1) that has

been used for hundreds of years. The

first interpretation of the symbol comes

from Xushen (58-147 A.D.), who noted

that the upper horizontal stroke refers to

the topsoil, the lower horizontal stroke

refers to the subsoil, and the vertical

stroke refers to plant parts growing

above and below the surface of the soil.

The symbol illustrates the close

relationship between the soil and plants

and parallels modern definitions of the

soil by pedologists.

Almost every Chinese emperor used

the land and grains altar (fig. 2) to

implore the aid of the Land God and

Grain God for a good harvest and

national tranquility. The altar was first

established during the Zhou Dynasty

(1000-771 B.C.). Zhongshan Park,

Bejing, displays the land and grains

alter built during the Ming Dynasty in

1421. The colors of the altar illustrate

the general distribution of soils in

China. The soils of the northern, cool

parts of China accumulate organic

carbon and are portrayed as black. The

eastern parts of China have many

poorly drained or gleyed soils and are

represented in blue. The warmer, humid

areas of southern China have red soils.

Much of western China is arid, and the

soils with salt accumulation are shown

as white. The loess plateau of central

China has yellow soils. Thus, this altar

represents the first known general soil

map.

←

←

Figure 1.—Interpretation of the Chinese

character “soil.”

Above-ground

part of a plant

Topsoil

Underground

part of a plant

Subsoil

}

}

Plant ↓

Ancient Chinese Representation

of Soil............................................. 1

Digital General Soil Map of the

United States—STATSGO

Update FY 2000-2001 ................... 2

Scanning Soil Surveys Onto CD’s ...... 5

UnixWare Upgrade Implementation

Progressing Well ............................ 6

Note on the Field Book for

Describing and Sampling Soils ..... 6

Language Matters ............................... 6

Publication of Keys to Soil

Taxonomy for Finland.................... 7

Soil Survey Horizons .......................... 7

Figure 2.—A representation of the ancient

land and grains altar serves as a general

soil map of China.
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NCSS Newsletter

Digital General Soil Map

of the United States—

STATSGO Update FY

2000-2001

By Fred Minzenmayer and Sharon W.

Waltman with maps by Adrian Smith, United

States Department of Agriculture, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, National Soil

Survey Center.

The Soil Survey Division of theNatural Resources Conservation

Service has given high priority to the

goal of delivering an updated national

version of the State Soil Geographic

Data Base (STATSGO), called the

“Digital General Soil Map of the

United States,” by the end of FY 2001.

STATSGO is a collection of digitized

state general soil maps compiled at a

scale of 1:250,000 (1:1,000,000 for

Alaska) and covering all lands (private

and public) in the United States. It is

used as a layer in the Geographic

Information System (GIS) for making

soil interpretations, assessing soil

resources, ecoregion mapping, and

policy planning. STATSGO was

designed to provide quality soil

information for multicounty, state,

multistate, regional, and national

planning. It has been used in NRCS

river basin and state-of-the-land studies

to show the geographic distribution of

national soil resources. It is used

extensively by other federal agencies,

state agencies, universities, industry,

international governments, and the

general public. When most regional or

national soil thematic maps are made,

1994 STATSGO data are used.

Figure 1
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NCSS Newsletter

Several update issues are related to

the age and quality of these data.

STATSGO map data, attribute data, and

metadata are outdated and do not

adequately meet NRCS program needs.

STATSGO was started in 1984 and

published in 1994 on CD-ROM and the

WWW (http://www.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/

stat_data.html). The current STATSGO

data are not in sync with our general

soil maps, which are based on our

detailed soil survey data. Also, the

STATSGO attribute data model is not

compatible with the National Soil

Information System (NASIS) data

model. Figure 1 shows that 1,243 soil

surveys covering about 805 million

acres across the nation have been

correlated or published since 1983, the

year before the original STATSGO

project began. The update is needed

because the current data are becoming

obsolete and are not the best data to

provide answers to national, regional,

or state questions or to develop and test

new kinds of NASIS-based

interpretations for the nation.

To accomplish it’s goal, the Soil

Survey Division established a

STATSGO Update Team for FY 2000.

The mission of the STATSGO Update

Team is to provide standards and

guidance for the development of map

data, attribute data, and metadata into a

high-quality soil geographic data base

that will meet national agency and

customer needs. The team will focus on

data quality, data integration, data

delivery in formats compatible with

mainstream GIS software and

computer platforms, and data use,

including technical support, user guides

and documentation, and software

interfaces.

The STATSGO Update Team is

lead by Fred Minzenmayer,

(fminzenm@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov), Soil

Scientist, NSSC, Ft. Worth, Texas.

Team membership includes Chad

McGrath, State Soil Scientist/MO

Figure 2

Leader, Portland, Oregon; William

Puckett, State Soil Scientist/MO

Leader, Auburn, Alabama; Bruce

Thompson, State Soil Scientist/MO

Leader, Amherst, Massachusetts; Terry

Aho, Soil Scientist, ITC, Ft. Collins,

Colorado; Mike Kortum, Printing

Specialist, NCGC, Ft. Worth, Texas;

and Sharon Waltman, Soil Scientist,

NSSC, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The team has developed a FY 2000-

2001 update process that is designed to

be flexible enough to meet the needs

and resources of State Soil Survey and

MLRA Soil Survey Region staffs

(MO’s). The multiphase approach to

producing attribute data in a NASIS

format will include 1) conversion of

current attributes to NASIS and 2)

conversion to NASIS plus map unit

component replacement that will

represent a snapshot of current NASIS

data. This is an intermediate step to the

eventual linkage of NASIS components

to STATSGO map units.

The STATSGO update is being

coordinated with the update of

Agricultural Handbook 296—Land

Resource Regions and Major Land

Resource Areas of the United States.

This close coordination will allow new

MLRA and Common Ecological

Region concepts to be physically

reflected in the new digital general soil

map of the United States. Figure 2

illustrates this relationship in a

proposed agroecological hierarchical

framework for USDA soils data.

The national map data will be

managed in a single national layer for

the lower 48 states with separate layers

for Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Presently, the layers have been

resymbolized to reflect a single,

national legend (e.g., TX001 equals

s12345). Merging of map units and soil

areas spanning state lines has reduced

the number of existing map units, map

features, and data records for editing

and maintenance by about 15 percent.

Figure 3 (on page 4) illustrates the

division of the quality assurance and

correlation workload among MO staffs

for the STATSGO update for 1:250,000

scale USGS quadrangles. Soil

Classification File update by MO and

State Soil Staffs also is targeted in the

STATSGO update work plan to

improve the data quality for existing

and new STATSGO map unit

components.

At the end of the update period, the

data will be certified and made vailable

to the public. STATSGO update and

maintenance will be continuous as part

of general soil map development in

detailed soil survey publications with a

minimum 5-year recertification cycle

for public release.

To participate in NSSC Forum

discussions for STATSGO, MLRA,

Common Ecological Regions and

other soil geography topics, visit

http://www.nssc.nrcs.usda.gov, choose

NSSC Discussion Forums from the left

frame (near the bottom) and then Soil

Geography. 
4

NCSS Newsletter

Figure 3
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NCSS Newsletter

Scanning Soil Surveys

Onto CD’s

By Aaron Achen, Editor, MLRA Soil Survey

Region 15, Natural Resources Conservation

Service, Auburn, Alabama.

I

n many areas, printed copies of

 published soil survey reports are

not available because of the age of the

survey or because the number of copies

made in the initial printing was

insufficient. In these areas, the NRCS

field office can distribute only

photocopies of the survey. The surveys

are not reprinted because of the cost of

printing or because the printing

materials are no longer available.

Out of the several thousand

published soil survey reports, only

about 100 are readily available in

electronic format. Essentially, all of

these available surveys were published

in the last 3 years. Older surveys are

typically available only in printed

format.

Recent advances in software have

made it possible to transfer any

published, paper-copy survey into a

common electronic format. Prototypes

have demonstrated that the process of

creating the master CD of a survey only

takes 2 to 5 days and is possible using

software and hardware already

available at many MLRA offices. The

individual pages and maps of the

survey are scanned, compressed, and

formatted so that they can be read

using an Internet browser, such as

Netscape Navigator or Microsoft

Internet Explorer. Although the

detailed soil maps do not print out with

the same quality as the originals, the

on-screen image is very good. Higher

quality printouts of the maps will

become practical as DVD technology

becomes more prevalent and less

expensive.

The primary niche for the CD’s

could be those areas where high-quality

reports suitable for public distribution

are needed but the printed soil survey

report is currently unavailable and

reprinting is not cost effective. The

CD’s could also be used to reduce the

number of copies needed during a

reprint and for those customers who

prefer an electronic product over a

printed product. Copies can be made

for as little as $2 each, have little or no

storage cost, and can be made in small

quantities as needed. The CD’s could

be distributed directly to the public or

could be used to print selected sections

on demand in field offices.

I have scanned nine surveys onto

CD, have committed to scan nine more,

and have requests for as many as I have

time for. Every State for which I have

scanned a survey has requested that I

scan others. The CD’s are labeled as

“Historical Replica” (fig. 1) to avoid

confusion with the official copy, and

users are advised that the maps do not

print out identically to those in a

printed copy of the report.

The initial investment in hardware

and software would vary, depending on

what is already available. The minimum

requirements are a Pentium-class

computer with a gigabyte of free

storage and a scanner ($200 for the

scanner), PageMaker ($500), and a CD

recorder ($250). A large number of

enhancements are available at varying

prices, including software to install

links in the files (Acrobat, $220),

software to increase scanning efficiency

(OmniPage, $500), and larger scanners

to provide single-image scans of

quarter-quad maps ($2,000) or fullquad maps (up to $20,000). 

Figure 1.—The cover of a soil survey that has been scanned onto a CD.
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NCSS Newsletter

UnixWare Upgrade

Implementation

Progressing Well

Unix servers will remain critical to

field ops for awhile longer.

From “ITC NewsFlash,” February 15, 2000,

http://www.itc.nrcs.usda.gov.

The implementation of the latestUnixWare upgrade, Version

2.1.3, is progressing well, with minimal

problems, largely because of the

extensive beta testing and joint efforts

between the NRCS and the vendor.

“We worked closely with SCO from

October right up to the end of the year,”

says Paige Niederer of the Hardware

Integration Lab at the Information

Technology Center in Fort Collins,

Colorado.

The CD containing UnixWare 2.1.3,

which was distributed to NRCS offices

two weeks ago, was tested against the

five major platforms in use throughout

the NRCS: Digital Prioris; AT&T

Globalyst 630; NCR3333; Digital

Server 1000; and Micron NetFrame.

“We did the beta testing at five sites,

on actual Field Service Center and state

office servers,” says Niederer, who

served as Project Leader for the

upgrade effort.

The upgrade was tested for its

performance on operations ranging

from DNS service and email to a

variety of web services. The

implementation of UnixWare 2.1.3

will not only enhance such functions

but also provides the agency servers

with greater security. In addition to

being certified as Y2K compliant, the

upgrade comes with beefed up security

features.

“Also, we have support for 2.1.3,

which was the biggest reason for this

upgrade” Niederer points out.

“UnixWare 2.0.3 (the previous version

running on agency UnixWare servers)

had become an unwarranted product

over two years ago.”

The beta testing itself went smoothly

with only a few minor problems that

needed fixing. Other issues that have

come up so far have been addressed

with some simple workarounds or

patches. To date, such issues have been

related to sendmail and report printing

in a couple of applications.

The UnixWare upgrade was also

tested for NT connectivity, which went

relatively smoothly, according to

Niederer.

“Any problems with NT connectivity

that existed in 2.0.3 still exist with

2.1.3, but the difference is that now we

have the support.”

The UnixWare operating system has

been an agency workhorse for half a

decade. Beginning with the 1995

implementation of Version 1.1 with the

commissioning of the NCR platforms,

UnixWare has performed well on the

succession of agency server platforms

that followed.

While partnering agency plans

include a transition to NT servers, the

UnixWare servers will remain in their

critical role for a while longer.

“We’re probably looking at a year to

18 months before those servers are

replaced,” says CCE Project Manager

Scott Snover. That timeframe,

according Snover, “is a major

justification of the current UnixWare

upgrade.”

The testing and production involved

in the upgrade project was a success on

a personal level, says Niederer. “The

teamwork involved in this project was

excellent.”

She cites SCO representatives Bob

Espesido, Warren Williams, Carl

Moses and Kumar Talluri for

“diligently helping to solve problems

as they came up.” On the government

side, Niederer credits Minnesota IT

specialist Rich Dougherty, Gloria

Weimern of the Hardware Integration

Lab, and Tom Rudnick of the ITC

Telecommunications Team for their

work on the project. 

Note on the Field Book for

Describing and Sampling

Soils

By Stanley P. Anderson, Editor, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, National Soil

Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

The Field Book for Describingand Sampling Soils, Version

1.1 (1998), has been translated into

Spanish by soil scientists of the

Federal agricultural program in

Argentina. This translation will be

published in the year 2000 by the

United States Department of

Agriculture, Natural Resources

Conservation Service. The National

Soil Survey Center in Lincoln,

Nebraska, is currently preparing the

work for publication.

The English version of the field

book, which is in high demand, is in

the process of being updated. The

updated field book will be available

for distribution in the near future.

Language Matters

By Stanley P. Anderson, Editor, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, National Soil

Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class one day.

“In English,” he said, “A double

negative forms a positive. In some

languages, though, such as Russian,

a double negative is still a negative.

However, there is no language wherein

a double positive can form a negative.”

A voice from the back of the room

piped up, “Yeah, right.” 
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NCSS Newsletter

Soil Survey Horizons

By Michael G. Ulmer, Editor, Soil Survey

Horizons, Soil Science Society of America,

Madison, Wisconsin.

The professional newsletter SoilSurvey Horizons, which is

published quarterly, is a medium for the

expression of ideas, problems, and

philosophies concerning the study of

soils in the field. It has a long history of

presenting information to the field soil

scientist in an easily understood and

readable format.

Anyone interested in subscribing to

the publication or in renewing a

subscription can use the form on page 8

of this newsletter or can access the web

page (www.soils.org) of the Soil

Science Society of America (see the

periodicals section in the Online Store).

Also, a subscription form is printed on

the last page of each issue of the

publication.

The editorial board needs

contributions of manuscripts in order to

continue to publish. Articles,

announcements, letters, and news items

are welcome. 

Publication of Keys to Soil

Taxonomy for Finland

By Henry R. Mount, Soil Scientist, Natural

Resources Conservation Service, National Soil

Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

A PDF file of the Keys to Soil Taxonomy for Finland will be

posted to the NRCS home page, under

the Deputy area “Soil Survey and

Resource Assessment,” Soil Survey

Division, World Soil Resources, Online

References, Technical References

 (http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/WSR/).

This publication, which is in English, is

taken from the eighth edition of Keys to

Soil Taxonomy (1998). It is a short

booklet (about 30 pages long) that

includes only the soil orders, suborders,

great groups, and subgroups recognized

in Finland. Paper copies are being

printed by the National Production

Services Staff in Fort Worth, Texas.

The citation for the work is as follows:

Mokma, Delbert L., and

M. Yli-Halla. 2000. Keys to

Soil Taxonomy for Finland.

United States Department

of Agriculture, Natural

Resources Conservation

Service.

In the May 1998 issue of the NCSS

Newsletter, Dr. Mokma made the

following comment about the

development of this booklet:

Because the Keys to Soil

Taxonomy is computerized,

it was easy to select the

orders and then delete the

portions that do not apply

to Finland. This process of

selection could be used in

other countries where soil

scientists are reluctant to

adopt the system described

in Soil Taxonomy as their

national soil classification

system. A state or MO

might wish to prepare

similar keys for its state or

area. This technique could

be used in teaching soil

classification to students

who are interested only in

the soils of a limited area.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all

its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,

religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family

status. (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 USDA, Director, Office of Civil

Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD).

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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NCSS Newsletter