ROMSOTER-200 - European Soil Database



ROMSOTER-200: a Digital Soils and Terrain Database for Romania

Abstract

ROMSOTER-200 is a digital, nation-wide geo-referenced database of the soils and terrain resources of Romania, built up on the basis of the soil map at a scale of 1:200,000 using ARC/INFO software. It combines the physiographic and taxonomic approaches, and has a hierarchical, integrative structure. The basic area unit is the Soil Mapping Unit (SMU), the second level is the Pedo-landscape Unit (PU), and the third and highest level is represented by the Physiographic Unit, which corresponds to the main Geomorphological Unit for Romania. For the sake of accuracy, each delineation on the map bears a unique identification number in the database.

I. Munteanu

C. Grigoras

Sorina Dumitru

C. Simota

Elena Dobrin

Victoria Mocanu

C. Iordachescu

Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry,

Bd. Marasti 61,

RO-71331 Bucharest 32, Romania

ROMSOTER-200 is composed of four distinctive compartments:

i. Soils and Terrain Database (area data, attributes);

ii. Points (profiles and horizons) Database;

iii. Methods and Models Database,

iv. General Database (e.g. road and hydrographic network, administrative limits, etc.).

ROMSOTER is able to generate new interpretative and thematic maps, for the purpose of deriving some missing soil characteristics. It is also able to supply private and public landowners with cartographic, tabular and statistical data about soils and terrain resources for agriculture and forestry, as well as for the protection of the environment and biodiversity.

As a result of about half a century of continuous and sustained soil survey work carried out in changing circumstances, Romania has built up a valuable pedological information base and a wide range of soil maps at different scales :

• 1:10,000 for about half of farmland (( 4.5m ha)

• 1:50,000 for the whole agricultural area (15m ha )

• nation-wide, at scales of 1:200,000, 1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000.

Several small scale (1:500,000-1:1,000,000) thematic or interpretative maps (e.g. soil erosion, excess of moisture, soil salinity, pedological microzones) have been added (Figure 1).

In recent years a Soil Geographical Information System (GIS) at a scale of 1:1,000,000 has been set up (Munteanu and Zota, 1994), and a partly-computerised soil database for agricultural land evaluation at scales of 1:10,000 and 1:50,000, and the soil profile database (Profisol) have been added.

Figure 1: System of pedological maps of Romania

|Proper pedological (genetical) maps | |Thematic/pedological maps | |Interpretative pedological maps |

| | | | | |

|1:10,000 |1:50,000 |1:200,000 | |Nation-wide cover | |Nation-wide cover |

|about 1/2 of arable land |all agricultural land (61% of the |(whole country) | |Soil erosion, excess of moisture (1:500,000) | |Pedoclimatic microzones (1 : 500,000) |

|(19%) of the country |country) |1:100,000 | |Soil salinity (1:1,000,000) | |Suitability for main crops and agricultural landuse (1:10,000 |

| | |Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve | | | |and 1:50,000) |

| | | | |Locally | | |

| | | | |Pedotechnical maps (soil permeability, water storage, | |Locally |

| | | | |resistance to ploughing) | |Suitability for different soil improvement works, irrigation |

| | | | | | |and drainage, etc. (scales between 1:10,000 and 1:50,000) |

| | | | | |

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Figure 2:

Objectives

The main aim of this work was to build up a national digital geo-referenced database of the soils and terrain resources of Romania, taking as a basis the soil map at 1:200,000 scale, using the ARC/INFO GIS package. The database was named ROMSOTER-200 after the Global Soils and Terrain Digital Database SOTER; (UNEP/ISSS/ISRIC/FAO 1995). Because the FAO soil map contains only a limited number of soil characteristics – its units being defined in taxonomic genetical terms – another important aim was to overcome this disadvantage by improving it with relevant data concerning the physical environment, (relief, lithology) and complementing the legend units with soils data, important both for agricultural land use and ecological purposes.

ROMSOTER-200 is intended to meet the needs of land use planning and the management of soils and terrain resources, at national, district (judet) and even communal level. It is well-suited to support the development of a sustainable agriculture as a basis for sound environmental protection. On the other hand, ROMSOTER will provide the necessary data in a digital compatible form for the future European Soil Map at a scale of 1:250,000, (Dudal et al, 1995) as well as for the Digital Global and National Soils and Terrain Database.

Concepts

ROMSOTER-200 is based on the Romanian experience, (Florea 1994, Teaci 1980, Munteanu 1996) and uses principles and criteria from SOTER and European Soil Data Base at a scale of 1:1,000,000 (Le Bas and Daroussin, 1995). Like SOTER it is based on the unanimously accepted concept that soil and terrain represent a single entity that incorporates processes and systems of interrelated physical, chemical, biological, geomorphological and even social phenomena. These phenomena influence both the use and evolution of the soils and terrain, as well as of the ecosystems to which they belong. Under the name of “landscape science” this idea has been largely developed in Russia and Germany and subsequently used in the land systems approach developed in Australia (Christian and Stewart, 1953; Cochrane et al., 1981, 1985; Gunn et al., 1990).

In accordance with the approach outlined above, the ROMSOTER-200 database operates with three main spatial concepts, as follows:

Physiographic unit.

This is a concept taken from physical geography and represents a large area (usually of several thousands of sq. km) characterised by the predominance of a major type of relief (e.g. mountains, hills, plains, tablelands) that has a relatively unitary geological and geomorphological evolution. Within ROMSOTER-200 the physiographic unit is used as a basis for the regional organization of the database and helps to put in context the regional peculiarities of the soils and terrain resources, in relation to the basic characteristics of relief, climate, lithology, land cover and use, and socio-economic features. This kind of unit corresponds roughly to the “Grosslandschaft” concept used in German literature. 49 physiographic uniits have been distinguished over the whole of Romania (Figure 2)

In the ROMSOTER database the physiographic units have been taken with minor modification from the physiographic maps and given the names commonly used by geographers.

Pedolandscape unit (Soil and Terrain Community Unit).

This represents an area that has a relatively uniform or repetitive pattern of landforms and soils, slope gradient, relief intensity, surface lithology, altitude, atmospheric temperature and rainfall. The soil components form a system (pedosystem) with complex interrelationships that reacts in a unitary mode to external (anthropic or natural) impacts. The Pedolandscape units often correspond to simple landform systems – e.g. terraces, alluvial fans, piedmontane plains, low mountains, etc. It correlates partly with the “pediterritory” and “pedosocion” concepts from the Romanian literature (Florea, 1994) and with the “soil community” concept as defined by the Soil Survey Manual (1993).

The reason for identification of the Pedolandscape unit is a result of its usefulness in embracing the interrelationships between soil cover characteristics (properties) and environmental-pedogenic factors. It also facilitates the regional planning of soils and terrain use, and soil and environmental protection that operates within areas larger than those of cartographic mapping units represented on the soil map of Romania at a scale of 1:200,000. The Pedolandscape unit is used for the second level of organization of the ROMSOTER database and is identified and delineated on the soil map by the soil scientist through interpretation of soil cover components and their relationships with the physical environment, mainly terrain conditions.

Soil Mapping Unit

This represents the former mapping unit described in the soil map legend 1:200,000 (defined in taxonomic terms), of which the soil components have been complemented with data about environmental factors, and soil characteristics that do not result from the soil name and now called “Soil Typological Unit”. Following this operation, a mapping unit from the original map may now be divided into several soil mapping units. A soil mapping unit may consist either of a single soil typological unit or of a group of similar soils (soil consociation) or of two or many dissimilar soils (soil association). On the map, a soil mapping unit is represented by one or many map delineations (polygons) that are the basic spatial units of the ROMSOTER-200 database.

Both “Soil Mapping Unit” and “Soil Typological Unit” are used with the same meaning as in the European Soil Database.

Structure

The ROMSOTER-200 Database is composed of four distinct components:

1. Soil/Terrain Database (area data, attributes) Points (profiles/horizons) Database

2. Methods and Models Database

3. General Database (i.e. road and hydrographic networks, river basins, administrative limits: (communes, judete), agricultural zones, etc.

I. Soils and terrain Database

This is the core of the ROMSOTER-200 database. Its organization is hierarchical (Figure 3). The basic area unit is the Soil Mapping Unit (SMU). The second level is the Pedolandscape Unit (PLU) and the third and highest level is represented by the Physiographic Unit (PGU).

Each delineation (polygon) is given a unique identification number both on the map and in the computer file. The mode of aggregation of the different levels of spatial units (Figure 4) allows either working with all units simultaneously or with each of them independently. At the country level, the spatial, soil and terrain database is organized in both formats: on each soil map sheet 1:200,000 (50 sheets) and on each physiographic sub-division of Romania (Figure 2). The attributes of the spatial units and their components are given in Annex I.

| 1. The Physiographic Unit (PGU) | |

| | |

| 1.1... The Pedolandscape Unit (PLU) | |

| (Soil and Terrain Community) | |

| | |

| | |

| 1.1.1... Soil Mapping Unit (SMU) | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | Point data | | | |

| | | | | |

| Soil Profile | | Horizons | |- morphological properties | |

| | | | |- physical properties | |

|Number | | | |- chemical properties | |

|Localization | | | | |

|Enviromental conditions | | | | |

Figure 3: Organization of Area and Point (profiles) Database

II. Point Database (profiles and horizons).

This component of ROMSOTER-200 includes all soil profiles that have relevant descriptive and analytical data. There are two categories: soil profiles that belong to the national soil profile database (PROFISOL) which generally have physical data; and other soil profile data which have not been included in PROFISOL. The soil profiles do have descriptive, particle size and chemical data. The first category bears the identification number from the PROFISOL database and the second is identified by two numbers – the sampling number and that given within the soil map sheet 1:200,000. The information assigned to the soil profile includes: identification number, ID, location, environ-mental conditions, horizons and morphological, physical and chemical properties.

For each soil profile, the number of horizons is limited to 7 and the depth to 150 cm. or bedrock, whichever is shallower. Each profile/horizon is characterized by two kinds of proformas: measured data belonging to the representative profile of the given taxonomic/typological soil unit, and estimated data, that contains minimum and maximum of each numerical attribute, derived from all existing representative profiles. Both kinds of proforma contain mandatory and optional data. The latter are filled up only if there are measured data. The attributes of profile and horizons data are shown in Annex II.

III. Methods and Models Database.

This database (Figure 5) is a collection of evaluation methods and models for generating thematic/interpretative maps (e.g. soil suitability) and for deriving new, simple or complex soil characteristics (e.g. bulk density, field capacity) from existing data. Each method contains a list of required parameters, models/pedotransfer functions used, and the connection between these data, the pedotransfer functions and the intended results. At this stage the methods database includes the expert systems and methodologies used in Romania for making thematic interpretative maps (e.g. suitability for different crops) and a set of simple models/pedotransfer functions for obtaining missing soil characteristics. Numerical simulation models have not yet been considered.

Methods for generating thematic/interpretative maps

These methods are generally empirical, and are based on selected soil and terrain characteristics, quantified and included in a system of classification related to the given purpose. The most important in use are those that refers to:

soil suitability for different crops

soil suitability for irrigation

soil suitability for drainage

soil vulnerability to chemical contaminants and to acidification

Besides the above-mentioned methods, an expert system of land evaluation and land suitability for agricultural crops has been developed (Vlad et al., 1996)

Models for deriving additional soil characteristics from existing data.

Statistical models (of regression type) with value limited by the amount of experimental data used to calculate the coefficient, used for:

assessing the field capacity from: texture, bulk density and soil organic matter content

assessing hygroscopic coefficient from: clay content, bulk density

computing saturated hydraulic conductivity from: texture and bulk density (for mineral soils).

Semi-empirical models that include both deterministic algorithms and regression equations, used for:

computing the resistance to penetration in relation to soil moisture content from bulk density and clay content

assessing the range of soil workability (Atterberg plastic limits) using the water retention curve.

computing the soil water-retention curve using the Arya-Paris model based on particle size and bulk density

Analytical models used to

describe pedotransfer function (including statistical methods for calculation of analytical equations coefficients) used for:

assessing soil water retention curve by the Van Genuchten equation, with parameters estimated on the basis of clay, silt and

sand content, bulk density and organic matter content.

estimation of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity on the basis of the Van Genuchten equation coefficients for calculation of the water retention curve.

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Figure 4:

| | | | | |

| | |Documentation of methods | | |

| | |– meta-information – | | |

| | | | | |

| |For generating thematic/interpretative maps | |For deriving additional soil characteristics | |

| |- expert systems | | - Statistical models of | |

| |e.g. land evaluation & suitability for | |regression type | |

| |different crops | |e.g. estimation of bulk | |

| | | |density | |

| |- empirical methods | | - Semiempirical models | |

| |e.g. suitability for irrigation | |e.g. assessing range of soil | |

| |- risk of soil erosion | |workability | |

| |- vulnerability to | |- Analytical models | |

| |contamination with | |e.g. estimation of water | |

| |heavy metals | |retention curve using | |

| |- risk of acidification | |Van Genuchten equation | |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| | |Area data (Soil Mapping Unit) | | |

Figure 5: ROMSOTER-200 – Methods and Models Database.

General Database (Supplementary layers)

These represent the spatial reference data necessary to provide an efficient territorial use of information offered by ROMSOTER-200. They are as follows:

Limits of administrative subdivisions, communes and districts (judete)

First order hydrographic network and main hydrographic basins

Limits of agricultural zones

Land cover / land use

Limits of ecoregions

Main road network

Network of meteorological stations

Agricultural research stations network

Data sources

Area data:

Soil map of Romania at scale 1:200,000 (50 sheets); soil reports; other soil maps at different scales

Topographical and geomorphological maps

Geological maps 1:50,000 to 1:200,000

Hydrogeological and hydrographical maps

Cadastral and Land use maps

Vegetation maps at scales 1:200,000,.1:500,000

Land cover maps (CORINE Land Cover Romania)

Point data

Soil profile Data Base (PROFISOL)

Archives

Experimental agricultural plots

Meteorological stations

Possible uses of ROMSOTER-200

This is a flexible and easily handled nation-wide digital soils and terrain database. As far as its content and structure are concerned, although somewhat different, these are compatible both with SOTER and the European Soil Database at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Some possible uses for this database are as follows:

nation-wide and local planning of the use and protection of soil and terrain resources; planning of non-agricultural land use (industry, surface mining, infrastructure, urban and rural development, recreation etc.);

regional evaluation of land suitability for different crops and uses; estimation of land productivity;

fundament programmes and strategies for development of a sustainable agriculture;

support for national policy on restructuring agricultural land use; set-aside; afforestation;

assessment of risks to the environment from: erosion, nitrate leaching, pollution with agrochemicals, salinity, compaction, water quality, waste disposal;

development of regional projects for soil conservation and erosion control; degraded land rehabilitation;

assessment of soil vulnerability to chemical contaminants; resilience and soil buffering capacity with regard to acidification, desiccation, acceptance of sludge, pesticide toxicity, heavy metal storage capacity;

estimation of soil water regimes in connection with drainage and irrigation requirements;

fundamental future strategies with regard to global climate change and competition for land from different sectors of the economy;

fundamental redevelopment of landscape and wild ecosystems;

assessment of suitability of lands for ecological habitats, recreation and conservation of biodiversity;

Romanian contribution for the planned European Soil Map at a scale of 1:250,000;

Case studies

ROMSOTER-200 methodology has been experimentally applied in two areas: Sheet 1:200,000 Arad and the Subcarpathian Hills of Buzau.

The Arad sheet comprises a wide variety of landforms (plains, hills and low mountains) and soils (Chernozems, Phaeozems, Luvisols, Solonetzes, Vertisols, Fluvisols, etc.). The original soil map legend consists of 89 units, defined in taxonomic genetical terms. By converting this map into a soil-terrain format using ROMSOTER-200 rules, 5 Physiographic units and 64 Pedolandscape units were identified.

The final soil mapping units are represented by 1167 polygons (delineations). At the first and second aggregation level new thematic maps, e.g. terrain type, landforms, parent material, etc. are easily issued (Figures 6, 7, 8). At the third level (soil mapping units), besides soil maps complying with FAO and Soil Taxonomy systems (Figures 8, 9) thematic maps of practical importance, such as slope, topsoil texture and topsoil depth on an impermeable layer, are relevant examples (Figures 10,11,12). As far as derivation of maps with new soil characteristics, obtained using pedotransfer functions at this stage, are concerned, the checking (Figures 13, 14, 15) has been carried out only for the Chernozems and Phaeozems for which analytical soil profile data were available.

References

Cochrane, T. T., de Castro, N.F., Netto, J.M. (1981). An explanatory manual for CIAT’S computerised land resource study of tropical America. CIAT, Cali.

Cochrane, T.T., Sanchez, L.G., de Azevedo, L.G., Porras, J.H., Garves, C.L. (1985). Land in tropical America, CIAT, Cali.

Christian, C.S., Stewart, G.A. (1953). General Report on survey of Katharina – Darwin region, 1946 CSIRO. Austr. Land. Res. Ser. No. 1.

Dudal, R., Bregt, .A. K., Finke, P. A. (1995). Feasibility of the creation of a Soil Map of Europe at a scale of 1:250,000. In: European land information systems for agro-environmental monitoring. D. King., R.J.A.Jones and A.J. Thomasson. (eds). EUR 16232 EN, 207- 220. Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.

Florea, N., Balaceanu, V., Rauta, C., Canarache, A. (eds.) (1987). Metodologia elaborarii Studiilor Pedologice. ICPA, Bucuresti.

Florea, N., Untaru, G., Berbecel, O., Teaci, D., Tudor, A., Rauta, C., Canarache, A. (1988). Microzonarea pedoclimatica a teritoriului Romaniei. Analele ICPA, Vol. XLIX, 14-36.

Florea, N. (1994). The Hierarchy of Soil Systems (A retrospective overview and future considerations). XVth World Congress of Soil Science. Acapulco, Mexico. Vol. 9 Supplement, 135-136

Gunn, R. A., Beatie, J. A., Reid, R.E., Von de Graaf, R.H.M. (1990). Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbook. Inkata Press, Melbourne, 300 pp.

Le Bas. C. and Daroussin, J. (1995). Guidelines for Soil Mapping Units and Soil Typological Units. In: European land information systems for agro-environmental monitoring. D. King., R.J.A.Jones and A.J. Thomasson. (eds). EUR 16232 EN, 267-276. Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.

McDonald, R. C., Isbell, R. F., Speight, J. G., Walker, J. and Hopkins, M.S. (1990). Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook. (Second edition.). Inkata Press, Melbourne. 198 pp.

Munteanu, I. and Zota, M. (1994). GIS in Romania. A Geographic Data Base For Agriculture and Environment, ARC NEWS. Vol. 16, No. 3, 28 pp.

Munteanu, I. (1996). Soils of the Romanian Danube Delta. Flevobericht, Lelystad, The Netherlands.

Teaci, D. (1980). Bonitarea terenurilor agricole. Ed. Ceres Bucuresti.

Vlad, V., Munteanu, I., Vasile, C. (1996). Prototip de sistem expert pentru evaluarea favorabilitatii terenurilor agricole pt. principalele folosinte si culturi agricole (ExET1.4) underprint.

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ANNEX I

AREA DATA - ATTRIBUTES

1. PHYSIOGRAPHIC UNIT (PGU) - 49 units

3 Attributes:

- No

- Code

- Area - km2

- PC country

2. PEDOLANDSCAPE UNIT (PLU) - (1000 - 1500 units (estimated))

12 Attributes:

- No

- Area - Km2

- PC/PGU

- TR - Terrain type - 3 categories (SOTER, 1995)

- LF(1,2) - Landform type - (SOTER, 1995; RISSA, 1978)

(17 categories, first level, 32 categories, second level)

1 - dominant

2 - secondary

Each of landform type is semantic defined and characterised by:

- general gradient (6 classes)

- relief intensity (7 classes)

- dissection (3 classes)

- GL(1,2) - General surface lithology (SOTER,1995)

(3 classes, first level, 21 classes, second level)

1 - dominant

2 - secondary

- Z(min, max) - Absolute altitude (concrete data are recorded)

min - minimum

max - maximum

- DS(1,2) - Main soils - ( 39 soil types of the present Romanian Soil Classification)

1 - dominant

2 - codominant

- Tm - Average annual temperature (8 classes)

- Pm - Average annual rainfall (10 classes))

- Soil temperature regimes (tentatively)

- Soil moisture regimes (tentatively)

3. SOIL MAPPING UNIT (SMU)

- The general Legend of the Soil Map 1: 200 000 comprises 471 units defined on taxonomic genetic base. (i.e. Chernozems, Luvisols, a. s. s.). At the country level one expect to have up to 6000 Soil Mapping Units (each legend unit is susceptible to be split in 5 - 15 SMU)

5 Attributes

- Number... (in the first phase within the map sheet in the final phase, within country)

- Code - ( i.e. Bd5)

- Area: - ha

- PC/ local PGU

- PC/ country

For inventory reasons each polygon (delineation) of the soil map is kept in Data Base as an independent SMU, bearing an unique number of identification per sheet/ country.

4. SOIL TYPOLOGICAL UNIT (STU)

21 Attributes

- Soil Typological Unit (number)

- Soil name Romanian classification (symbol)

- Soil name FAO- 1990 (symbol)

- Soil name Soil Taxonomy (code)

- Percent of the SMU

- TS(1,2) - Topsoil texture (six classes)

1- dominant surface textural class

2 - secondary surface textural class

- P(1,2) - Slope (8 classes)

1 - dominant slope

2 - secondary slope

- F(1,2) - Phases (5 categories)

1 - dominant phase

2 - secondary phase

- M (1,2) - Parent materials

(9 categories, first level; 37 categories, second level; 33 categories, third level)

1 - dominant parent material

2 - secondary parent material

- E(1,2,3) - Soil erosion

1. kind (type) of erosion

2. affected area (from STU)

3. erosion intensity

- A - Landslide

affected area from STU (%) - 5 levels

- AD(1,2,3) -Anthropic degradations

1 -strip mining, ballast

2 - dumps

3 - wastes, urban garbage

- W - Waterlogging

Wf - from ground water (5 classes)

Ws - from surface water (4 classes)

- U(1,2) - Land - use (9 categories)

1 - dominant landuse

2 - secondary landuse

- DT - Depth to textural changes (5 classes)

- TD(1,2) - Subsurface textural class (6 classes)

1 - dominant

2 - secondary

- RO - Depth to an obstacle to roots (4 classes)

- IL - Presence of an impermeable layer (4 classes)

- WR - Dominant annual average water soil regime (4 classes)

- LI(1,2,3) - Land improvement works

1 - endykment, drainage

2 - irrigation

3 - erosion control

- IN - Inundability (3 classes)

ANNEX II

POINT DATA - ATTRIBUTES

(SOIL PROFILE)

1. GENERAL DATA

1 - No. in Soil Data Base

2 - sampling date

3 - laboratory that made the analysis

4 - location

- longitude

- latitude

5 - absolute altitude

6 - slope

7 - parent material

8 - natural drainage class

9 - depth of ground water

- minimum

- maximum

10 - Land use / Vegetation

11 - Romanian classification

12 - FAO / UNESCO classification

13 - Soil Taxonomy Classification

2. HORIZON MORPHOLOGY DATA

14 - horizon number

15 - lithological layer

16 - horizon designation

17 - subhorizon designation

18 - associated horizon

19 - lower limit

20 - distinctness transition

21 - matrix colour, (moist)

22 - mottling

23 - grade of structure

24 - size of structure elements

25 - type of structure

26 - cracks, fissures

27 - supplementary characteristics

3. HORIZON ANALYTICAL DATA

28 - very coarse sand (2.0 - 1.0 mm) %

29 - coarse sand (1,0 - 0.5 mm) %

30 - medium sand (0.5 - 0.2 mm) %

31 - fine sand (0.2 - 0.1 mm) %

32 - very fine sand (0.1 - 0.05 mm) %

33 - very fine sand (0.05 - 0.02 mm) %

34 - Total sand (2.0 - 0.02 mm) %

35 - Silt (0.02 - 0.002 mm) %

36 - Clay ( ................
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