a comprehensive legend for soil maps

3
A COMPREHENSIVE LEGEND FOR SOIL MAPS by R. EARL STORIE University of California Following completion of the field work in the soil survey of an area I have found it desirable to make up what I have termed a comprehensive or descrip- tive legend. The term "comprehensive le- gend" appeals to me so I will use this to designate this type of legend. This type of legend, such as the one displayed of the Visalia area, California is only for illustrative purposes and does not include all the soil types of the area. Only a few have been selected from each group. In this legend the soils are group- ed on the basis of their physiographic position in the area and similar profile characteristics. All the upland residual soils are grouped together, the bottom- land soils in a second group, and the hardpan soils in the third group. In some of the other surveys we have hand- led them in additional groups when ne- cessary. Each soil type and phase is listed under the proper group, followed by the field symbol and a brief descrip- tion of the top soil, subsoil, and the substratum or parent material, pH, depth, and any other pertinent informa- tion. This gives us a general idea of the soil profile. In another column or two there is listed such features as relief, erosion, drainage, native vegetation, etc. In some cases I have Inserted still another column in which information is listed on present and potential use and soil factors influencing or limiting such uses. As the information necess- ary to properly complete this column of- ten requires a considerable number of words, I feel that it can be left off, since this legend is made to supplement the soil survey report, not to replace it. The soil ratings used are the evalu- ation of the soils on a percentage basis by means of the "Storie Soil Index Ra- ting".* This includes a weighing of such soil characteristics as depth, tex- ture, density of the surface soil and subsoil, reactions, alkali content, ero- sion conditions, and drainage. The most favorable or ideal soil conditions are rated at 100 per cent. Following this determination of the soil rating they are arbitrarily divided into six grades, on the basis of the ratings. Soil hav- ing ratings of 80 to 100$ are placed in grade 1, with ratings of 60 to 79% in grade 2, ratings of lj.0 to 59$ in grade 3, ratings of 20 to y)% in grade £, rat- ings of 10 to 19% in grade 5, and those having ratings of less than 10% in grade 6. This additional information on the soil rating and grade carries informa- tion of value to people interested in the soil evaluation field. In making up this type of legend I have usually listed all the material on a single sheet. In areas where we have 50 to 70 soil types and phases, some- times the sheet has been quite large; yet I believe this procedure is desir- able. In writing up the report of an area this sheet is valuable as a guide for reference as the type and phase de- scriptions take form. Such a legend is a material aid In using the soil survey in the interim between the completion of the survey and the publication of the maps. Many of our state men are asked to supply soil information to state en- gineers, land utilization agencies, soil conservation people and others in public service. I have found that these people are very desirous of hav- ing a comprehensive or descriptive leg- end to use with the maps. This is par- ticularly true in many cases where they may be supplied with a map and nothing else. New men entering the soil survey work for the first time can profit by having a descriptive legend of the soils in nearby areas. We have made up a num- ber of these and given them to the men who enter work in adjacent counties. They state that such a legend gives them a good idea of the soils and their re- lationship. I consider this a very im- portant item when we consider the num- ber of younger men entering the work both in the government and state ser- vices. Possibly this type of legend might have a still greater use in that of ac- companying the soil map after publica- tion; either on the face of the map or as a separate printed legend to accom- pany the map. Many of our irrigation, drainage, and agricultural engineers, and land utilization people are making use of a number of extra copies of the soil maps, I am afraid in many cases they Storie, R. Earl) An index for Rating the Agricultural Value of Soils, California Agriculture Experiment Station. Bull. 556, 109

Upload: r-earl

Post on 21-Dec-2016

212 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: A Comprehensive Legend for Soil Maps

A COMPREHENSIVE LEGEND FOR SOIL MAPS

byR. EARL STORIE

University of California

Following completion of the fieldwork in the soil survey of an area Ihave found it desirable to make up whatI have termed a comprehensive or descrip-tive legend. The term "comprehensive le-gend" appeals to me so I will use thisto designate this type of legend. Thistype of legend, such as the one displayedof the Visalia area, California is onlyfor illustrative purposes and does notinclude all the soil types of the area.Only a few have been selected from eachgroup.

In this legend the soils are group-ed on the basis of their physiographicposition in the area and similar profilecharacteristics. All the upland residualsoils are grouped together, the bottom-land soils in a second group, and thehardpan soils in the third group. Insome of the other surveys we have hand-led them in additional groups when ne-cessary. Each soil type and phase islisted under the proper group, followedby the field symbol and a brief descrip-tion of the top soil, subsoil, and thesubstratum or parent material, pH,depth, and any other pertinent informa-tion.

This gives us a general idea of thesoil profile. In another column or twothere is listed such features as relief,erosion, drainage, native vegetation,etc. In some cases I have Inserted stillanother column in which information islisted on present and potential use andsoil factors influencing or limitingsuch uses. As the information necess-ary to properly complete this column of-ten requires a considerable number ofwords, I feel that it can be left off,since this legend is made to supplementthe soil survey report, not to replaceit.

The soil ratings used are the evalu-ation of the soils on a percentage basisby means of the "Storie Soil Index Ra-ting".* This includes a weighing ofsuch soil characteristics as depth, tex-ture, density of the surface soil andsubsoil, reactions, alkali content, ero-sion conditions, and drainage. The mostfavorable or ideal soil conditions arerated at 100 per cent. Following thisdetermination of the soil rating theyare arbitrarily divided into six grades,on the basis of the ratings. Soil hav-

ing ratings of 80 to 100$ are placed ingrade 1, with ratings of 60 to 79% ingrade 2, ratings of lj.0 to 59$ in grade3, ratings of 20 to y)% in grade £, rat-ings of 10 to 19% in grade 5, and thosehaving ratings of less than 10% in grade6. This additional information on thesoil rating and grade carries informa-tion of value to people interested inthe soil evaluation field.

In making up this type of legend Ihave usually listed all the material ona single sheet. In areas where we have50 to 70 soil types and phases, some-times the sheet has been quite large;yet I believe this procedure is desir-able. In writing up the report of anarea this sheet is valuable as a guidefor reference as the type and phase de-scriptions take form. Such a legend isa material aid In using the soil surveyin the interim between the completion ofthe survey and the publication of themaps. Many of our state men are askedto supply soil information to state en-gineers, land utilization agencies,soil conservation people and others inpublic service. I have found thatthese people are very desirous of hav-ing a comprehensive or descriptive leg-end to use with the maps. This is par-ticularly true in many cases where theymay be supplied with a map and nothingelse.

New men entering the soil surveywork for the first time can profit byhaving a descriptive legend of the soilsin nearby areas. We have made up a num-ber of these and given them to the menwho enter work in adjacent counties.They state that such a legend gives thema good idea of the soils and their re-lationship. I consider this a very im-portant item when we consider the num-ber of younger men entering the workboth in the government and state ser-vices.

Possibly this type of legend mighthave a still greater use in that of ac-companying the soil map after publica-tion; either on the face of the map oras a separate printed legend to accom-pany the map. Many of our irrigation,drainage, and agricultural engineers, andland utilization people are making use ofa number of extra copies of the soilmaps, I am afraid in many cases they

Storie, R. Earl) An index for Rating the Agricultural Value of Soils,California Agriculture Experiment Station.

Bull. 556,

109

Page 2: A Comprehensive Legend for Soil Maps

tear the maps out of the reports and laythe reports aside. A comprehensive le-gend to accompany the maps would be ofreal value in such instances. Possiblyin publication an extra edition of mapsand legend could be printed and be usedfor those who need these extra copies.

In some of our areas there is a de-mand for maps for the information theycarry irrespective of soil. Extra cop-ies of the maps with accompanying com-

prehensive legend could be printed forJust such a demand where the personwants a map with some additional infor-mation on the soil.

With some of our surveys being ex-hausted at an early date, there is needfor extra maps being printed. Copies ofthe maps with the comprehensive legendwould be available after the reports areout of print if such extra copies couldbe printed.

See next page

for

Comprehensive Legend

110

Page 3: A Comprehensive Legend for Soil Maps

CAL

IFO

RN

IA

^<JCdcc*aj

<4«HJ^ajCOH^

1EH

c5

CO

HOCO

1

PS

WsMW

WBO,

00

. "1 f*^

S SCO C5

H EH C3o «i laCO K M

..

S OO MM EHCO •<0 EHK •=>:H O

** 0PT] p>

RE

LIE

F:DR

AINA

GN

ATIV

EA

LKA

LI

CO J«ajO H

£SH pi}

EHEH $CO *"

M fe

W OO CL,CO CO

EH £9WP

O O CO

K [z>co

K

O

O IB rH OH co eqfe

COWCOStS (X,

H 1PL,P COo co pqPH W PW

O H |HK EH

!-q HM COOW

(O

to

CD

•Hra fcO CD Ofa tO>« ed o

c! o***r4

Rolling h

ills

Exc

elle

nt

dra

Oak

and

gra

ss

*-**.CM

C- H 4>•H CD

K O O )ft CO (M

§ co 1o BrH 3rH

O

•d edd >>ed ed HQCO H 0

0 O

pi d *dO 9 CDCD O £>0 faed f> o0 -H

eS£d ^ §S-d f<O CD CJSK

o>

10

C3>H

CD

•HCO

ft O<D faCD CD49to «

CD

rH Cdfa d

•H iH

Rolling

to

fa

Exc

elle

nt

dra

Gra

ss

cove

r

4^CDCD

OJ• HJOI

C- CM

W 1ft

•* _ f rH

1 UO 03i-IH.X

•H O>>O OOI CO faHP -00 pi CDn f>(>>0 1 34> O OCO H CD

*d t*> tbCD ed -H

O T)ci fljn -d fj• H O Pips0 A <Dfn CO 43f> -Hd CD4» S Cfl.0 -HbbfH&H

•HPQ

010

§OrH

(>>co edhH1 HM 0o eco 3 t», 0 «d H °

P -dM C nco 3 edW co coS o

al PL,Q -PK co co•3 -H edj-q > hqPH

^

H

IOO5

bOd•H ^ft CD CDO bO>rH Cd OCO C 0

•n

Sm

ooth

gently

Exc

elle

nt

dra

Oak

and

gra

ss

to'""""• rHO-H H• O ed

C- CO T)^•2 *W 3 CDft to .p

§ CD•H 4J

0<H CH -H CD^ V fa>>cd ed•d fa ft3 to t>>eo "d0 § §? O COO CD<D O "do ed CDed o iHOM <H•H B -Hg -p

C edO S t.¥ O -P0 CH W

W™

H10

CM

CM

COOOI

§CO

bO-dd ofH Oft MOH 0co .p

Sm

ooth

gently

Dra

inag

e fa

irC

iraas

co

ver

COrH•HOCO

to

CDO01 rfo s—I Bs |co pi0 HCD edfaed -dO CD

0 43K

C CD

0fa CD.Q W

C|^3 co 3COrH O•H <H Ot>>0et co afaf> 2WJJ 0

CO CD43 0fl -d edU3C o•H ed iHh^ S

IOH

(D

CO

COC 43•H CDrHed FH edH ed »ft £>

ff CD

Fla

t allu

via

lP

oorly

dra

ino'

Salt

gras

s or

Hig

h in

so

lub

oi oH rH0

CO t>>rH fa *d•HO Co 3co g co

GOno cogH g«4> CD

& O 0al ed

00, 0rH S -Hed o g0 0

co«TrH oPl CD » CD

<D ed -H a)0 fa 0 0 ged CD ni-l 3o •o f> ed 4J•H O 2 o a)

K t>>g ed coflj fj O hO 0t tOrH CO8) 4»

4>S "S)fl. W) -rlW-rl ^

3^

O)

io aco H o §J K^ ^ Q

H -d HO C r ~ >co a -d t>>co a -d^H *d co ed< f-! CO

a S o -do c - ^ 0EH ed ed oEH W 0 toOra

•*

•*CM

4>O0) fa

«H > CDf< 0 t>Elf-H O

"Hog

wal

low

" s-

Sub

drai

nage

s

Sho

rt

gras

s c

* —— s^— s.

CD IO^

to c** o•Hp-j p-* rj cl

ft 0,43 qi-• — * v™^ — K-H

to *d§ rH rH fa

•H 1 CDO O CD Ap-f co* _ ,.

X} £N 2 4» O•d ra CD rH3 E»>CH £>m edHIO ano 3p ,0 oO t»»4»HCD TJ0 CW r->ed ed -d0 C04» 5•H ed ad 4» to

O Cgftlpo g-d oh O h CDo o ed o

.C edA -d oCO (DC -H•rl fc fi S•d o•d ,C h flCO CO -rl Pfn -H Og -d faCD pafl oreCO fc =

•H CD

t-to

(O

CD

p.

?O0

fl&O h nal -3 2CH ed ed

O CDWd

0 cd^woo

IH 4>CD CD d•H CD CO> "H ftdJ 0) *̂

§ to m3© 1 rCj

co a3 O CD O OO CD S 0> rHH fa -H <<H CD

a H f>rl O CO•drH B g§ cd d VH So a o oCO ft H

4s 'r' ,rj•~~* O f-i 4^ ^>O al ed ft<d.ft fl CD ac- fi _. "d «O fl coK O O edft ^ n fa co

—— SH -rl 43 3H *Hc ed O

to CD O CDg 43 09 4^* — * Oed & <M Al ed

CO fa 2 O O OO <D W W *r4 *H

S o-d c5 •^H t= CD P ti

Cj P -PP rH fHP O X I P

JH .a -P a— '4>43 t̂ 60

4> ^ ed -HW^H c5•HlJ

COCM

§COO

CO H

O "rt mCO C 0

ed rHW coO t>»

CG JJ gj

W cr nEH ed

O edZ hj f.<j nPH C *do a «« co a<tS

111