The document focuses on developing a database for Digital Soil Mapping (DSM), emphasizing user-friendly features and necessary software tools. It outlines steps for obtaining and documenting soil data from various sources, creating a workspace for DSM processes, and providing examples of data acquisition methods. Additionally, it includes guidance for building a geo-database, detailing the characteristics of the data that should be documented and reported.

1. DSM TOOLS AND METHODS
Day1: Lecture 3

2. Database development
• The core of DSM
• Features
– It should be user friendly
– It should contain adequate information
– Amenable to DSM software
• Software
– MS Office
– QGIS
– ILWIS

3. Obtaining DSM data
• Clarify what is to be done (Map properties/classes)
• Specify type of data needed
• Identify sources and summarize data availability
• Document available data and check for gaps
• Obtain the data
Data Type Source
Soil Soil profiles ISRIC (http://www.isric.org/data/isric-wise-global-soil-profile-data-ver-31)
Soil maps UN-FAO (http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/soil-survey/soil-maps-and-
databases/soil-profile-databases/en/)
IIASA
(http://www.iiasa.ac.at/web/home/research/modelsData/HWSD/HWSD.en.html)
Soil legacy reports FAO (http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/soil-survey/soil-maps-and-databases/soil-
legacy-reports/en/)
Laboratory analytical
data
National soil laboratories, research institutes (e.g. NGOs, Universities, etc)
Remote
sensing image
MODIS NDVI (250 m) USDA (http://pekko.geog.umd.edu/usda/apps/)
Land cover (300 m) ESA (http://due.esrin.esa.int/globcover/)
Landsat (30 m) GLCF (http://glcf.umd.edu/data/)
Cover (< 30 m) National aerial photo missions
DEM SRTM (90 m) http://srtm.usgs.gov/
ASTER (30 m) http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gdem.asp
DEM (<30 m) National contour maps
Geology 1:1 M National geologic maps
> 1:1 M Sub-regional (sub-national) geologic maps
Climate Rainfall National meteorological departments
Create DSM workspace
 C:DSM - where we will work
 C:DSMInput - where to keep input data
 C:DSMOutput - where to keep output data

4. Example data acquisition
• Interest: to map clay content
• Identified study area – in Makueni (Kenya)
• Data sources
– ISRIC – soil profiles
– EUSOILS – Soil map
– Government soil department – soil profiles
– Academic institution – soil profile
• Document the data availability and gaps
Soil data

5. Download online data
• Soil map at
http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/esdb_archive/
eudasm/africa/index.html
• Soil profile at
http://www.isric.org/data/isric-wise-global-soil-
profile-data-ver-31
• Other soil data
– Gvt
– Academic institution

6. Obtaining data from EUSOIL
Example

7. Example of downloaded map

8. Obtaining data from ISRIC
Example

9. Other examples: online data acquisition
• Land cover
http://due.esrin.esa.int/globcover/
• DEM
http://srtm.usgs.gov/
• Other (Gvt departments)
– Rainfall
– Geology
– Landform
Environmental covariate data

10. Example: 300 m Land cover (2009)

11. Example: 30 m DEM

12. Example: Downloading MODIS

13. Which soil data is available
Which environmental covariate is available
Detailed soil map with
Legends and soil data
Soil point data with site
description
Detailed soil map
with legend
No data
All covariates
C, O, R, P
At least 3 covariates
Including R & O
At least 2 covariates
Including R
Only one covariate No data
Increasing level of data inadequacy
Climate (C)
Organism (O)
Relief (R)
Parent (P)
Relief (R)
Organism (O)
Relief (R)
Climate – mean rainfall (map or weather station data)
Organism – Land use/land cover
Relief – Elevation map (DEM)
Parent – Geology map
Soil – georeferenced soil properties, profile, map

14. Data Type Number Source

15. Assignment: Building geo-database for
DSM application-STEP 1
• Use your own data
• Explore the data
• Document the characteristics of the data:
– Source and author of data
– Data type (profile, analytical, georeferenced, maps, etc.)
– Number of samples/cases
– Use the table format (use Data, Type, Number, Source, as
column heading)
• Save the database & documentation (C:DSMInput)
• Remember to hand in your work by Next Morning
before start of the session