A framework for the 1:1,000,000 soil database of China

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1 Symposium no. 62 Paper no Presentation: poster A framework for the 1:1,000,000 soil database of China SHI X.Z. (1), YU D.S. (1), PAN X.Z. (1), SUN W.X. (1), GONG Z.G. (1), Warner E.D. (2) and Petersen G.W. (2) (1) Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China (2) Environmental Resources Research Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA Abstract Soil maps of The People s Republic of China have been generated at different scales through ground surveys and laboratory analyses. An extensive effort coordinated by the Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China resulted in a series of soil maps covering the extent of the country at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The map series is now being converted from its current paper form to a digital format. The digital data base for the 1:1,000,000 soil map of China will consist of three parts: spatial soil data, soil attributes and reference system for Chinese soils. The spatial data is based on the soil genetic classification of China consisting of 12 orders, 61 great groups, 235 sub-great groups, 909 families and 2,469 soil families. The 1:1,000,000 soil maps are delineated based on the soil family definitions. The sampled soil attributes included physical, chemical and fertility properties measured for the 2,469 soil series. The reference system for Chinese soils will use the attributed data for each soil series to correlate with soil names in three other soil classification systems, namely, Soil Genetic Classification of China, USDA Soil Taxonomy and the FAO World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). A cross reference system will be constructed in a relational data base so that any Chinese or international scientist can access the name of a soil for any of the other three systems. Keywords: soil database, 1:1,000,000 soil maps, soil series of China, soil reference system, soil property Introduction A nationwide series of 1:1,000,000 soil maps for China currently exist in a traditional hard copy format, i.e. paper. Conversion of these soil maps to a digital form is critical to fully exploit advantages that computer based technologies provide, such as environmental and agronomic analyses with Geographic Information Systems. This paper describes the assembly of the 1:1,000,000 Chinese soil map and concludes with an outline of the proposed structure for the generation of a digital version of the soil map series. Introduction to the second national soil survey of China The 1:1,000,000 soil maps of China were compiled based on the second national soil survey, under the direction of the Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China. The second national soil survey of China lasted 16 years, beginning in 1979, and finished in The soils in 2,444 counties, 312 national farms and 44 forest farms were surveyed. Since 1990, soil surveys have resulted in the publication of soil maps at

2 scales from 1:1,000,000 to 1:4,000,000 for the extent of China. During the soil map compilation, mapping units were delineated using a genetic soil classification system. Through a nationwide collaboration of Chinese soil scientists the classification system was initially conceived in The current form was finalized in 1978, although it was modified prior to its use in the Second National Soil Survey of China. The summary reports for the soil survey include Soils of China (The Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China, 1998; Shi, 1998), and Soil Series of China, Volumes I-VI (The Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China, ). The soil surveys also supported many publications summarizing collected information for other administrative units. In addition to the national summaries, soil maps, soil series and soil properties descriptions were published for each province. More than 5,500 summary reports were published based on the work done for the Second National Soil Survey of China. Composition of the 1:1,000,000 national soil database The Soil Genetic Classification of China is the standard system for delineating soil mapping units for the 1:1,000,000 soils map. The genetic system has a 4 level hierarchical structure, with 12 orders, 61 great groups, 235 sub-great groups and 909 families. The 61 soil great groups are listed in Table 1. Five selected families of the sub-great group (from the great group of the same name), are cited in Table 2, from among 909 possible families that compose the system. The 1:1,000,000 maps are compiled with family level detail. Soil properties are listed in Soil Series of China, Volumes I-VI. The soil properties were derived from 2,469 representative soil series profiles. The sampled soil properties included physical properties (such as soil particle composition and soil texture), chemical properties (such as, ph, OM, CEC, exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and Na, etc) and fertility (such as, total N, P, K and available P and K, etc). Reference system for chinese soils The development of the Chinese genetic classification system was begun in 1953, with modifications continuing until 1978 when the final structure was adopted. Since the genetic system was the foundation for the national level soil surveys most soil data collected in China were analyzed based on it. However, the genetic classification is quite different from Chinese Soil Taxonomy, USDA Soil Taxonomy and WRB. The differences between the systems present major difficulties when attempting to disseminate Chinese soils research or if international scientists attempt to understand Chinese soils. To translate the genetic soil family names to those of other systems, the digital soil database will include a reference system for Chinese soils. The correlation between the three different soil classification systems will be based on the soil properties of the 2,469 soil series Soil Series of China, Volumes I-VI described earlier. Table 3 lists equivalent soil classification units for the three classification systems based on an interpretation of soil series data. The data associated with each soil series will include their equivalent names in three other soil classification systems, namely, Soil Genetic Classification of China, USDA Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1994) and WRB (World Reference Base for Soil Resources, FAO, 1998), A cross reference system will be constructed in a relational data base so that any Chinese or international scientist can access the name of a soil for any of the other three systems

3 Table 1 Soil orders and great groups for the 1:1,000,000 soils map. Orders Great groups Orders Great groups Ferrallisols Primarosols Limestone soils Latosolic Volcanic ash soils Red soils Purplish soils Yellow soils Phospho-calcic soils Alfisols Yellow-brown soils Lithosols Yellow-cinnamon soils Skeletal soils Brown soils Semi-aqueous soils Meadow soils Dark-brown soils Lime concretion black soils Albic soils Mountain meadow soils Brown coniferous forest soils Shrubby meadow soils Bleached podzolic soils Fluvo-aquic soils Podzolic soils Aqueous soils Bog soils Semi-Alfisols Torrid Peat soils Cinnamon soils Alkalin-saline soils Solonchaks Gray-cinnamon soils Desert solonchaks Black soils Coastal solonchaks Gray-forest soils Acid sulphate soils Pedocals Chernozems Frigid plateau solonchaks Castanozems Solonetzs Castano-cinnamon soils Anthrosols Paddy soils Dark loessial soils Irrigation-warping soils Aridisols Brown caliche soils Irrigated desert soils Sierozems Alpine soils Felty soils Desert soils Gray desert soils Dark felty soils Gray-brown desert soils Frigid calcic soils Brown desert soils Cold calcic soils Primarosols Loessial soils Cold brown calcic soils Red primitive soils Frigid desert soils Neo-alluvial soils Cold desert soils Takyr Frigid frozen soils Aeolian soils

4 Table 2 Five selected families from the great group. Orders Great groups Sub-great groups Family Ferrallisols Granitic Siliceous Red-stonic Argillitic Purplish Table 3 The reference system for nine selected soil series. Location Chinese genetic soil classification Soil WRB Great group Sub-great group Soil Series Taxonomy Jinghong, Yunnan Jinghong Typic Hapludults Alumic Acrisols Jinghong,Yunnan Jinghong clayed Humic Alumic Acrisols Hapludults Yingjiag, Yunnan Yellow Yingjiang granitic Typic Hapludults Alumic Acrisols Ruili, Yunnan Latosolic Latosolic Sandy latosolic Ultic Hapludults Dystric Luvisols Hongxiang Humic Rhoclicc Rhodic Ferralsols Latosolic red soil Hapludox Mojiang, Yunnan Mojiang latosolic Typic Kandiudox Rhodic Ferralsols Lanchuan clayed Typic Hapludults Rhodic Acrisols latosolic Menglian, Yunnan Sandy latosolic Typic Haplic Acrisols Rhodudults Lanchuan Mollic Paleudalfs Chromic Latosolic Luvisols Conclusions To date, published maps and books in hard copy format constitute the sole description of Chinese soil resources. The development of a digital soil map and associated attribute data bases will be critical for rigorous management of soil resources in China. A reference system will provide for an international understanding of Chinese soils and a broad application of the data

5 Acknowledgements The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project # ). The Chinese Academy of Sciences (Project # KZCXZ-308) and National Key Basic Research Support Foundation (Project # G ). References The Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China Soils of China, pp Agriculture Press. (in Chinese). The Officer for the Second National Soil Survey of China Soil Series of China. Vol. I-VI, Agriculture Press (in Chinese). Gong, Z.T. et al A drafting proposal for soil classification of China. Soil 5: Shi, Xuezheng Soil geography and GIS technology, pp In The Proceedings of the Workshop for Sustainable Use of Land Resources and GIS Technology. China GeoScience Press. (in Chinese). Soil Survey Staff Keys to Soil Taxonomy. 6 th ed. US Department of Agriculture Washington, DC. pp Food and Agriculture Organization World Reference Base for Soil Resources. pp World Soil Resources Reports. Shi, X.Z., D.S. Yu, X.Z. Pan, W.X. Sun and Z.G. Gong are researchers at the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China. address: xzshi@mail.issas.ac.cn E.D. Warner and G.W. Petersen are researchers at the Environmental Resources Research Institute, Penn State University, USA. address: edw103@ .psu.edu

STANDARDIZED DATABASE OF LAND EVALUATION FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

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