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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #119172
Title: COUPLING USE-DEPENDENT AND USE-INVARIANT DATA FOR SOIL QUALITY EVALUATION

Author
item GROSSMAN, R - USDA-NAT RES CONSERV SVC
item HARMS, D - USDA-NAT RES CONSERV SVC
item SEYBOLD, C - USDA-NAT RES CONSERV SVC
item PYTLIK, L - USDA-NAT RES CONSERV SVC
item Herrick, Jeffrey - Jeff

Submitted to: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2000
Publication Date: 1/1/2001
Citation: GROSSMAN, R.B., HARMS, D.S., SEYBOLD, C.A., PYTLIK, L.A., HERRICK, J.E. COUPLING USE-DEPENDENT AND USE-INVARIANT DATA FOR SOIL QUALITY EVALUATION. JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION. 2001. V. 56(1). P. 63-68.

Interpretive Summary: Modern soil surveys are available for most cropland of the U.S. These surveys include estimated properties that are used for behavior prediction. The property estimates assigned are commonly for the major land use. The customer, however, is not informed as to differences in properties between, for example, woodland versus cropland, or rangeland versus cropland. Soil quality evaluations require a use-dependent database. We explore the integration of use-dependent and use-invariant databases for soil quality prediction.

Technical Abstract: The estimated properties for soil survey map units typically are for only the major soil use. Users are provided only one set of soil properties. We consider the combination of use-invariant and use-dependent databases to produce composite records. The use-invariant data is determined by soil origin and genesis and is at most only slightly subject to change with use. .The use-dependent data is readily subject to change by use. Near-surface properties are particularly subject to change with use. Each use-invariant property is assigned a surficial exclusion zone within which the property is considered use-dependent and hence the standard interpretive record is not applicable. Both use-dependent and use-invariant properties are placed in one of five classes. Numerical rankings for quality evaluation are obtained by combining the placements for the several properties concerned. We use the term use-invariant for properties such as texture, depth to bedrock, etc. that change little if at all among different uses. Propertie that do change with use but are not recognized as doing so are not use-invariant. Rather, they are use-dependent but not so recognized. Thus, there are two kinds of use-dependent properties: those recognized and those that are not. There is a further consideration. The present database of use-invariant properties is useful in defining the potential range of values for use-dependent properties and the susceptibility of those properties to change with use. In short, the use-invariant information is necessary but not sufficient by itself to predict the use-dependent properties for soil quality evaluation.