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Information About SoilsSoil Maps, Interpretations and PropertiesThe National Cooperative Soil Survey Program has been providing accurate soil information for Pennsylvania for 100 years. Soil Surveys provide a field-based scientific inventory of soil resources, including soil maps, data about the physical and chemical properties of soils and information on the potentials and limitations of each soil. NRCS is the lead federal agency responsible for soil mapping on private lands. Many other state and local agency partners also contribute both staff and resources to the soil mapping effort. Soil Surveys exist to help people make informed decisions on the use of the land. Soil information can determine highly erodible land, existing hydric (wetland) soils, potential wetland sites, prime and important farmland soils, soil capability class and soil suitability for many agricultural, rural, and urban land uses. Soil maps can be used to plan the locations of buildings and roads and to determine hazards and limitations for any area. Soil information is critical for sound land use management. Digital Soil SurveysSoil Surveys are digitized to provide quick access to soil maps
and information and allow soil data to be used with a variety of other data in
Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Digital soil surveys can provide the
answers to "What is Where?" and help answer "What will happen if
…?" when used with the many computer models that currently exist. Soil
data should be the "ground floor" for any GIS. It provides the basis
for all decisions about the land. The Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)
contains digital data that are developed from detailed soil maps at scales of
1:12,000 to 1:24,000. SSURGO data is the National Standard for Digital Soil
Survey Information. SSURGOSSURGO data consists of: Technical Soil ServicesNRCS Soil Scientists in Pennsylvania provide expertise in using soil surveys. They can provide assistance in the proper application of soil survey information and in generating soil ratings based on customer developed criteria. They review and maintain our soil data and interpretations such as prime and important farmland lists, hydric soil lists, soil productivity data and soil capability. They provide onsite assistance for NRCS programs and training in the use of soil surveys and data. Soil Scientists serve on interdisciplinary teams to identify and address resource problems and implement NRCS programs. The National Soil Information System (NASIS)In Pennsylvania, the value of the soil database is more than $75,000,000. All soil information is maintained in the NASIS database. NASIS is a relational database that stores and manages all the information about soil survey areas, map units, soil components, soil horizons, site and point data and interpretations. The database contains more that 1,200 data elements for each of the more than 5,000 soil types mapped in Pennsylvania. It can generate soil interpretations based on either national or user defined criteria. Soil Scientists maintain and update the database based on field observation, soil studies and soil performance records. Laboratory measured, site specific soil properties for more that 1000 soil characterization sites are also in a relational database, through cooperation with the Pennsylvania State University. A subset of the database in available in each county NRCS office computer and as a part of the PA Technical Guide. Soil Survey PublicationsSoil Survey reports have been published for every county in Pennsylvania. Some survey areas are in the process of being updated, with major revisions to both the maps and soil information. Other soil survey areas are considered out of date and are in need of major revisions to bring them up to current standards and improve their usability in addressing current environmental issues and concerns. The increasing demands for soil information make it essential that they be continually improved. New technology allows soil surveys to be published, and soil information to be distributed in many formats: on CD-ROM as a soil data viewer, from a server through web browsers, in loose-leaf binders, or on a request basis for small geographic areas. Soil databases help people make informed environmental and land use decisions by allowing them to determine the economic and environmental costs of those decisions.
Call your local USDA-NRCS Service Center for soil survey information. USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service |
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