The Harmonized World Soil Database version 2.0 (HWSD v2.0) is a unique global soil inventory providing information on the morphological, chemical and physical properties of soils at approximately 1 km resolution. Its main objective is to serve as a basis for prospective studies on agro-ecological zoning, food security and climate change.

The Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD) was established in 2008 by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and FAO, and in partnership with International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC), the European Soil Bureau Network (ESBN) and the Institute for Soil Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The data entry and harmonization within a Geographic Information System (GIS) was carried out at IIASA, with verification of the database undertaken by all partners. HWSD was then updated in 2013 (HWSD v1.2) and in 2023 (HWSD v2.0).

This updated version (HWSD v2.0) is built on the previous versions of HWSD with several improvements on (i) the data source that now includes several national soil databases, (ii) an enhanced number of soil attributes available for seven soil depth layers, instead of two in HWSD v1.2, and (iii) a common soil reference for all soil units (FAO1990 and the World Reference Base for Soil Resources). This contributes to a further harmonization of the database.

The GIS raster image file is linked to the soil attribute database. The HWSD v2.0 soil attribute database provides information on the soil unit composition for each of the near 30 000 soil association mapping units. The HWSD v2.0 Viewer, provided with the database, creates this link automatically and provides direct access to the soil attribute data and the soil association information.

Note: A tutorial for accessing HWSD ver. 2.0 using R (prepared by David Rossiter, June 2023) has been added as an 'associated resource' (NOTE: Needs the SQLite version of HWSD v2 as provided below).

soilDB is one of the Algorithms for Quantitative Pedology (AQP) suite of R packages, and comprises a collection of functions for reading data from USDA-NCSS (National Cooperative Soil Survey) soil databases including SoilWeb, Series Extent Explorer, and Soil Data Explorer. This package provides methods for extracting soils information from local PedonPC and AK Site databases (MS Access format), local NASIS databases (MS SQL Server), and the SDA webservice. Currently USDA-NCSS data sources are supported, however, there are plans to develop interfaces to outside systems such as the Global Soil Mapping project. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Website pointer to soilDB: Soil Database Interface. File Name: Web Page, url: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/soilDB/index.html

One of the obstacles in applying advanced crop simulation models such as DSSAT at a grid-based platform is the lack of gridded soil input data at various resolutions. Recently, there has been many efforts in scientific communities to develop spatially continuous soil database across the globe. The most representative example is the SoilGrids 1km released by ISRIC in 2014. In addition recent AfSIS project put a lot of efforts to develop more accurate soil database in Africa at high spatial resolution. Taking advantage of those two available high resolution soil databases (SoilGrids 1km and ISRIC-AfSIS at 1km resolution), this project aims to develop a set of DSSAT compatible soil profiles on 5 arc-minute grid (which is HarvestChoice’s standard grid). Six soil properties (bulk density, organic carbon, percentage of clay and silt, soil pH and cation exchange capacity) available from the original SoilGrids 1km or ISRIC-AfSIS were directly used as DSSAT inputs. We applied a pedo-transfer function to derive some soil hydraulic properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content at field capacity, wilting point and saturation) which are critical to simulate crop growth. For other required variables, HarvestChoice’s HC27 database are used as a reference. Final outputs are provided in *.SOL file format (DSSAT soil database) for each country at 5-min resolution. In addition, uncertainty maps for organic carbon and soil water content at wilting points at the top 15 cm soil layers were generated to provide brief idea about accuracy of the final products. The generated soil properties were evaluated by visualizing their global maps and by comparing them with IIASA-IFPRI cropland map and AfSIS-GYGA’s available water content maps.

The National Soil Database has produced a national database of soil geochemistry including point and spatial distribution maps of major nutrients, major elements, essential trace elements, trace elements of special interest and minor elements. In addition, this study has generated a National Soil Archive, comprising bulk soil samples and a nucleic acids archive each of which represent a valuable resource for future soils research in Ireland. The geographical coherence of the geochemical results was considered to be predominantly underpinned by underlying parent material and glacial geology. Other factors such as soil type, land use, anthropogenic effects and climatic effects were also evident. The coherence between elements, as displayed by multivariate analyses, was evident in this study. Examples included strong relationships between Co, Fe, As, Mn and Cu. This study applied large-scale microbiological analysis of soils for the first time in Ireland and in doing so also investigated microbial community structure in a range of soil types in order to determine the relationship between soil microbiology and chemistry. The results of the microbiological analyses were consistent with geochemical analyses and demonstrated that bacterial community populations appeared to be predominantly determined by soil parent material and soil type. .hidden { display: none }

The National Cooperative Soil Survey - Soil Characterization Database (NCSS-SCD) contains laboratory data for more than 65,000 locations (i.e. xy coordinates) throughout the United States and its Territories, and about 2,100 locations from other countries. It is a compilation of data from the Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory (KSSL) and several cooperating laboratories. The data steward and distributor is the National Soil Survey Center (NSSC). Information contained within the database includes physical, chemical, biological, mineralogical, morphological, and mid infrared reflectance (MIR) soil measurements, as well a collection of calculated values. The intended use of the data is to support interpretations related to soil use and management. Data Usage Access to the data is provided via the following user interfaces: 1. Interactive Web Map 2. Lab Data Mart (LDM) for querying data and generating reports 3. Soil Data Access (SDA) web services for querying data 5. Direct download of the entire database in several formats Data at each location includes measurements at multiple depths (e.g. soil horizons). However, not all analyses have been conducted for each location and depth. Typically, a suite of measurements was collected based upon assumed or known conditions regarding the soil being analyzed. For example, soils of arid environments are routinely analyzed for salts and carbonates as part of the standard analysis suite. Standard morphological soil descriptions are available for about 60,000 of these locations. Mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy is available for about 7,000 locations. Soil fertility measurements, such as those made by Agricultural Experiment Stations, were not made. Most of the data were obtained over the last 40 years, with about 4,000 locations before 1960, 25,000 from 1960-1990, 27,000 from 1990-2010, and 13,000 from 2010 to 2021. Generally, the number of measurements recorded per location has increased over time. Typically, the data were collected to represent a soil series or map unit component concept. They may also have been sampled to determine the range of variation within a given landscape. Although strict quality-control measures are applied, the NSSC does not warrant that the data are error free. Also, in some cases the measurements are not within the applicability range of the laboratory methods. For example, dispersion of clay is incomplete in some soils by the standard method used for determining particle-size distribution. Soils producing incomplete dispersion include those that are derived from volcanic materials or that have a high content of iron oxides, gypsum, carbonates, or other cementing materials. Also note that determination of clay minerals by x-ray diffraction is relative. Measurements of very high or very low quantities by any method are not very precise. Other measurements have other limitations in some kinds of soils. Such data are retained in the database for research purposes. Also, some of the data for were obtained from cooperating laboratories within the NCSS. The accuracy of the location coordinates has not been quantified but can be inferred from the precision of their decimal degrees and the presence of a map datum. Some older records may correspond to a county centroid. When the map datum is missing it can be assumed that data prior to 1990 was recorded using NAD27 and with WGS84 after 1995. For detailed information about methods used in the KSSL and other laboratories refer to "Soil Survey Investigation Report No. 42". For information on the application of laboratory data, refer to "Soil Survey Investigation Report No. 45". If you are unfamiliar with any terms or methods feel free to consult your NRCS State Soil Scientist. Terms of Use This dataset is not designed for use as a primary regulatory tool in permitting or citing decisions but may be used as a reference source. This is public information and may be interpreted by organizations, agencies, units of government, or others based on needs; however, they are responsible for the appropriate application. Federal, State, or local regulatory bodies are not to reassign to the Natural Resources Conservation Service or the National Cooperative Soil Survey any authority for the decisions that they make. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will not perform any evaluations of these data for purposes related solely to State or local regulatory programs.

The gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO) is a USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) Soil & Plant Science Division (SPSD) composite ESRI file geodatabase that provides complete coverage of the best available soils information for all areas of the United States and Island Territories. It was created by combining data from the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO2), and Raster Soil Survey Databases (RSS) into a single seamless ESRI file geodatabase. The gNATSGO database contains a 10-meter raster of the soil map units and 70 related tables of soil properties and interpretations. It is designed to work with the SPSD gSSURGO ArcTools. Users can create full coverage thematic maps and grids of soil properties and interpretations for large geographic areas, such as the extent of a State or the conterminous United States. SSURGO is the SPSD flagship soils database that has over 100 years of field-validated detailed soil mapping data. SSURGO contains soils information for more than 90 percent of the United States and island territories, but unmapped land remains. The current completion status of SSURGO mapping is displayed (PDF). STATSGO2 is a general soil map that has soils data for all of the United States and island territories, but the data is not as detailed as the SSURGO data. The Raster Soil Surveys (RSSs) are the next generation soil survey databases developed using advanced digital soil mapping methods. The first version of gNATSGO was created in 2019. It is composed primarily of SSURGO data, but STATSGO2 data was used to fill in the gaps. Three RSSs have been published as of 2019. These were merged into the gNATSGO after combining the SSURGO and STATSGO2 data. The extent of RSS is expected to increase in the coming years. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Website Pointer for Gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO). File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcseprd1464625 The gNATSGO website provides an Overview slide presentation, Download links for gNATSGO databases (CONUS or States), ArcTools, Metadata, Technical Information, and Recommended Data Citations.

Hydric soils are defined as those soils that are sufficiently wet in the upper part to develop anaerobic conditions during the growing season. The Hydric Soils section presents the most current information about hydric soils. The lists of hydric soils were created by using National Soil Information System (NASIS) database selection criteria that were developed by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils. These criteria are selected soil properties that are documented in Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 1999) and were designed primarily to generate a list of potentially hydric soils from the National Soil Information System (NASIS) database. It updates information that was previously published in Hydric Soils of the United States and coordinates it with information that has been published in the Federal Register. It also includes the most recent set of field indicators of hydric soils. The database selection criteria are selected soil properties that are documented in Soil Taxonomy and were designed primarily to generate a list of potentially hydric soils from soil survey databases. Only criteria 1, 3, and 4 can be used in the field to determine hydric soils; however, proof of anaerobic conditions must also be obtained for criteria 1, 3, and 4 either through data or best professional judgment (from Tech Note 1). The primary purpose of these selection criteria is to generate a list of soil map unit components that are likely to meet the hydric soil definition. Caution must be used when comparing the list of hydric components to soil survey maps. Many of the soils on the list have ranges in water table depths that allow the soil component to range from hydric to nonhydric depending on the location of the soil within the landscape as described in the map unit. Lists of hydric soils along with soil survey maps are good off-site ancillary tools to assist in wetland determinations, but they are not a substitute for observations made during on-site investigations. The list of field indicators of hydric soils — The field indicators are morphological properties known to be associated with soils that meet the definition of a hydric soil. Presence of one or more field indicators suggests that the processes associated with hydric soil formation have taken place on the site being observed. The field indicators are essential for hydric soil identification because once formed, they persist in the soil during both wet and dry seasonal periods. The Hydric Soil Technical Notes — Contain National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils (NTCHS) updates, insights, standards, and clarifications. Users can query the database by State or by Soil Survey Area. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Website Pointer to Hydric Soils . File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/use/hydric/ Includes description of Criteria, Query by State or Soil Survey Area, national Technical Committee for Hydric Soils. Technical Notes, and Related Links. Report Metadata:

• Area_Symbol: A symbol that uniquely identifies a single occurrence of a particular type of area (e.g. Dane Co., Wisconsin is WI025).
• Area_Name: The name given to the specified geographic area.
• mukey: A non-connotative string of characters used to uniquely identify a record in the Mapunit table.
• Mapunit_SYM: The symbol used to uniquely identify the soil mapunit in the soil survey.
• Mapunit_Name: Correlated name of the mapunit (recommended name or field name for surveys in progress).
• Comp_Name_phase: Component name - Name assigned to a component based on its range of properties. Local Phase - Phase criterion to be used at a local level, in conjunction with "component name" to help identify a soil component.
• muacres: The number of acres of a particular mapunit.
• Comp_RV_Pct: The percentage of the component of the mapunit.
• majcompflag: Indicates whether or not a component is a major component in the mapunit.
• Comp_Acres: The number of acres of a particular component in a mapunit. ((muacres*comppct_r)/100)
• Comp_Landform: A word or group of words used to name a feature on the earth's surface, expressed in the plural form. Column Physical
• Hydric_Rating: A yes/no field that indicates whether or not a map unit component is classified as a "hydric soil". If rated as hydric, the specific criteria met are listed in the Component Hydric Criteria table.
• Hydric_criteria: Criterion code for the soil characteristic(s) and/or feature(s) that cause the map unit component to be classified as a "hydric soil." These codes are the paragraph numbers in the hydric soil criteria publication.

Criteria:

1. All Histels except Folistels and Histosols except Folists; or
2. Map unit components in Aquic suborders, great groups, or subgroups, Albolls suborder, Historthels great group, Histoturbels great group, or Andic, Cumulic, Pachic, or Vitrandic subgroups that: a. Based on the range of characteristics for the soil series, will at least in part meet one or more Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, or b. Show evidence that the soil meets the definition of a hydric soil;
3. Map unit components that are frequently ponded for long duration or very long duration during the growing season that: a. Based on the range of characteristics for the soil series, will at least in part meet one or more Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, or b. Show evidence that the soil meets the definition of a hydric soil; or
4. Map unit components that are frequently flooded for long duration or very long duration during the growing season that: a. Based on the range of characteristics for the soil series, will at least in part meet one or more Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, or b. Show evidence that the soils meet the definition of a hydric soil.

ISRIC World Soil Information is compiling legacy soil profile data of Sub Saharan Africa, as a project activity of the AfSIS project (Globally integrated Africa Soil Information Service). http://africasoils.net/services/data/soil-databases/

Africa Soil Profiles database, version. 1.0 (April 2012) identifies less than 15700 unique soil profiles inventoried from a wide variety of data sources. From the less than 14600 profiles that are geo-referenced, soil layer attribute data are available for less than 12500 and soil analytical data for less than 10000 profiles. The database includes, but is not limited, to the soil attributes specified by GlobalSoilMap.net. Soil attribute values are standardized according to e-SOTER conventions and validated according to routine rules. Odd values are flagged. The degree of validation, and associated reliability of the data, varies because reference soil profile data, that are previously and thoroughly validated, are compiled together with non-reference soil profile data of lesser inherent representativeness.

Updated milestone versions of the dataset have been posted online and made available to the project serving as input to the soil property maps generated by AfSIS. The continuously growing dataset will also be made available through the World Soil Information Service upon continuation of the project activity. The version is released here is version 1.0., the latest version is 1.1.

This is a dataset download, not a document. The Open button will start the download.Detailed soil units from Soils Surveys covering nonfederal land conducted by the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) that differentiates mapped units on the basis of a range of physical, topographic, and chemical properties.

The dataset consists of three raster GeoTIFF files describing the following soil properties in the US: available water capacity, field capacity, and soil porosity. The input data were obtained from the gridded National Soil Survey Geographic (gNATSGO) Database and the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database with Soil Data Development tools provided by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The soil characteristics derived from the databases were Available Water Capacity (AWC), Water Content (one-third bar) (WC), and Bulk Density (one-third bar) (BD) aggregated as weighted average values in the upper 1 m of soil. AWC and WC layers were converted to mm/m to express respectively available water capacity and field capacity in 1 m of soil, and BD layer was used to produce soil porosity raster assuming that the average particle density of soils is equal to 2.65 g/cm3. For each soil property, soil maps with CONUS, Alaska, and Hawaii geographic coverages were derived from s ...

This dataset is a digital soil survey and generally is the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely sensed and other information.

This dataset consists of georeferenced digital map data and computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. A special soil features layer (point and line features) is optional. This layer displays the location of features too small to delineate at the mapping scale, but they are large enough and contrasting enough to significantly influence use and management. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the National Soil Information System relational database, which gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties.

Note: This metadata record was created by MnGeo to serve as a generic record for all SSURGO data sets within Minnesota. See the individual county metadata records created by NRCS for county-specific information; these records are included in the data set download files.

The USDA-NRCS Soil Series Classification Database contains the taxonomic classification of each soil series identified in the United States, Territories, Commonwealths, and Island Nations served by USDA-NRCS. Along with the taxonomic classification, the database contains other information about the soil series, such as office of responsibility, series status, dates of origin and establishment, and geographic areas of usage. The database is maintained by the soils staff of the NRCS MLRA Soil Survey Region Offices across the country. Additions and changes are continually being made, resulting from on going soil survey work and refinement of the soil classification system. As the database is updated, the changes are immediately available to the user, so the data retrieved is always the most current. The Web access to this soil classification database provides capabilities to view the contents of individual series records, to query the database on any data element and produce a report with the selected soils, or to produce national reports with all soils in the database. The standard reports available allow the user to display the soils by series name or by taxonomic classification. The SC database was migrated into the NASIS database with version 6.2. Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: Website Pointer to Soil Series Classification Database (SC). File Name: Web Page, url: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/data/?cid=nrcs142p2_053583 Supports the following queries:

• View Classification Data by Series Name
• Create Report for a List of Series (with download option)
• Create Report by Query (with download option)
• Create National Report (with download option)
• Soil Series Name Search

This global data set shows the spatial distribution of generalized soil classes as defined for IPCC Tier-I level national greenhouse gas inventory assessments. The database was derived from the Harmonized World Soil Data Base (HWSD ver. 1.1, at scale 1:1-1:5 M) and a series of taxotransfer procedures to convert FAO soil classifications (1974, 1985 and 1990 Legend) to the seven default IPCC soil classes: high activity clay (HAC), low activity clay (LAC), Sandy (SAN), Spodic (POD), Volcanic (VOL), wetlands (WET) and Organic (ORG). The resulting GIS database may be used for exploratory assessments at national and broader scale, for regions that lack more detailed soil information; inherent limitations of the data are discussed in the documentation. This dataset has been compiled in the framework of the GEF co-funded 'Carbon Benefits Project: Measuring, modelling and monitoring', Component A ( http://carbonbenefitsproject-compa.colostate.edu/index.htm). March 2021 (version 1.2): Minor updates were applied for the 'SAN' class; for details see below and download file.

SSURGO consists of spatial data and a comprehensive relational database with tables that describe soil properties, interpretations and productivity values. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, formerly Soil Conservation Service) provides a download of the statewide SSURGO database that includes vector and raster spatial data, database tables and their relationship classes, and a user guide. To access SSURGO, go to the USDA NRCS Geospatial Data Gateway. To download the database, on the right side of the page, click on the Direct Data Download link under, I Want To... The Direct Data / NAIP Download page will then open. Click on the Soils Geographic Databases link. Then click on the folder named gSSURGO by State (date in folder name). Scroll through the list and select gSSURGO_NJ.zip. Then click on the Download button on the upper right. A message will open that Your Download is In Progress. You will then be prompted to select a file download location.

From gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO). Used Soil Data Development Toolbox > gSSURGO Mapping Toolset > Create Soil Map Tool, Exported Data Layer to TIFF, and Used Spatial Analyst > Reclass > Lookup Tool to create this data layer and display the HYDROLGRP_. Follow instructions in "How to Create an On-Demand Soil Property or Interpretation Grid from gNATSGO". Shows sSSURGO data for California. A - sand, loamy sand, sandy loam B - loam, silt, loam or silt C - sandy clay loam D - clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy clay, silty clay, or clay The gridded National Soil Survey Geographic Database (gNATSGO) is a USDA-NRCS Soil & Plant Science Division (SPSD) composite database that provides complete coverage of the best available soils information for all areas of the United States and Island Territories. It was created by combining data from the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), State Soil Geographic Database (STATSGO2), and Raster Soil Survey Databases (RSS) into a single seamless ESRI file geodatabase. The state-wide gNATSGO databases contain a 10-meter raster of the soil map units and 70 related tables of soil properties and interpretations. It is designed to work with the SPSD gSSURGO ArcTools. Users can create full coverage thematic maps and grids of soil properties and interpretations for large geographic areas, such as the extent of a State or the conterminous United States. Please note that for the CONUS database, only a 30 meter raster is included. SSURGO is the SPSD flagship soils database that has over 100 years of field-validated detailed soil mapping data. SSURGO contains soils information for more than 90 percent of the United States and island territories, but unmapped land remains. Click here for the current completion status of SSURGO mapping. STATSGO2 is a general soil map that has soils data for all of the United States and island territories, but the data is not as detailed as the SSURGO data. The Raster Soil Surveys (RSSs) are the next generation soil survey databases developed using advanced digital soil mapping methods. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcseprd1464625) Use the Create A Soil Map ArcTool from the gSSURGO Mapping Toolset in the Soil Data Development Toolbox to make a TIFF data layer (Instructions: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcseprd1464625#grid). Make a Hydrological Soils Group Map, and display it using the Hydrolgrp_ attribute. NotesThe SPSD refreshes all published soil databases annually. gNATSGO will be included in the refresh cycle, which will provide a new up-to-date version of the database each year. gNATSGO is an ESRI file geodatabase. The soil map units are delivered only as a 10-meter raster version and are uniquely identified by the mukey, which is included in the attribute table. No vectorized version of the soil map units is included in gNATSGO. The database has 70 tables that contain soil attributes, and relationship classes are built into the database to define relationships among tables. The raster can be joined to the Mapunit and Muaggatt tables in the MUKEY field. The database contains a feature class called SAPOLYGON. The “source” field in this feature class indicates whether the data was derived from SSURGO, STATSGO2, or an RSS. A gNATSGO database was created for the conterminous United States and for each state or island territory that does not have complete coverage in SSURGO or has a published RSS. If you encounter an ArcMap error when working with a gNATSGO dataset that reads “The number of unique values exceeds the limit” try increasing the maximum number of unique values to render in your Raster ArcMap Options. Specific instructions can be obtained here: https://support.esri.com/en/technical-article/000010117

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of April 2024 and will be retired in December 2026. Please use the following layers at replacements: World Soils 250m Percent Sand, World Soils 250m Percent Silt, World Soils 250m Percent Clay. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to use the new version.Soil is a key natural resource that provides the foundation of basic ecosystem services. Soil determines the types of farms and forests that can grow on a landscape. Soil filters water. Soil helps regulate the Earth's climate by storing large amounts of carbon. Activities that degrade soils reduce the value of the ecosystem services that soil provides. For example, since 1850 35% of human caused green house gas emissions are linked to land use change. The Soil Science Society of America is a good source of of additional information. Soil texture is an important factor determining which kinds of plants can be grown in a particular location. Texture determines a soil's susceptibility to erosion or compaction and how well a soil holds nutrients and water. For example sandy soils tend to be well drained and dry quickly often holding few nutrients while clay soils may hold much more water and many more plant nutrients. Dataset SummaryThis layer provides access to a 30 arc-second (roughly 1 km) cell-sized raster with attributes related to soil texture derived from the Harmonized World Soil Database v 1.2. The values in this layer are for the dominant soil in each mapping unit (sequence field = 1). Fields for topsoil (0-30 cm) and subsoil (30-100 cm) are available for each of these attributes related to soil texture:USDA Texture ClassGravel - % volumeSand - % weightSilt - % weightClay - % weight The layer is symbolized with the topsoil texture class. The document Harmonized World Soil Database Version 1.2 provides more detail on the soil texture attributes contained in this layer. Other attributes contained in this layer include:Soil Mapping Unit Name - the name of the spatially dominant major soil groupSoil Mapping Unit Symbol - a two letter code for labeling the spatially dominant major soil group in thematic mapsData Source - the HWSD is an aggregation of datasets. The data sources are the European Soil Database (ESDB), the 1:1 million soil map of China (CHINA), the Soil and Terrain Database Program (SOTWIS), and the Digital Soil Map of the World (DSMW).Percentage of Mapping Unit covered by dominant component More information on the Harmonized World Soil Database is available here.

Retirement Notice: This item is in mature support as of April 2024 and will be retired in December 2026. A new version of this item is available for your use. Esri recommends updating your maps and apps to use the new version. Soil is a key natural resource that provides the foundation of basic ecosystem services. Soil determines the types of farms and forests that can grow on a landscape. Soil filters water. Soil helps regulate the Earth's climate by storing large amounts of carbon. Activities that degrade soils reduce the value of the ecosystem services that soil provides. For example, since 1850 35% of human caused green house gas emissions are linked to land use change. The Soil Science Society of America is a good source of of additional information. Many hydrologic processes are affected by the properties of the soil. The amount and timing or run off from a storm is related to how fast soil absorbs water. and the physical structure of the soil affects the amount of water that can be stored in the ground. Dataset SummaryThis layer provides access to a 30 arc-second (roughly 1 km) cell-sized raster with attributes related to soil hydrology derived from the Harmonized World Soil Database v 1.2. The values in this layer are for the dominant soil in each mapping unit (sequence field = 1).Fields are available for each of these attributes related to hydrology:Drainage ClassAvailable Water Storage Capacity - mm/mImpermeable Layer Depth - only in the European Soil DatabaseSoil Water Regime - only in the European Soil Database The layer is symbolized with the Drainage Class field. The document Harmonized World Soil Database Version 1.2 provides more detail on the attributes related to soil hydrology contained in this layer. Other attributes contained in this layer include:Soil Mapping Unit Name - the name of the spatially dominant major soil groupSoil Mapping Unit Symbol - a two letter code for labeling the spatially dominant major soil group in thematic mapsData Source - the HWSD is an aggregation of datasets. The data sources are the European Soil Database (ESDB), the 1:1 million soil map of China (CHINA), the Soil and Terrain Database Program (SOTWIS), and the Digital Soil Map of the World (DSMW).Percentage of Mapping Unit covered by dominant component More information on the Harmonized World Soil Database is available here.

The Africa Soil Profiles Database, Version 1.2, is compiled by ISRIC - World Soil Information (World Data Center for Soils) as a project activity for the Globally integrated- Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) project (www.africasoils.net/data/legacyprofile). It replaces version 1.1.

The Africa Soil Profiles Database is a compilation of georeferenced and standardised legacy soil profile data for Sub-Saharan Africa. Version 1.2 (November 2014) identifies 18,532 unique soil profiles inventoried from a wide variety of data sources and includes profile site and layer attribute data. Soil analytical data are available for 15,564 profiles of which 14,197 are georeferenced, including the attributes as specified by GlobalSoilMap.net. Soil attribute values are standardized according to SOTER conventions and are validated according to routine rules. Odd values are flagged. The degree of validation, and associated reliability of the data, varies because reference soil profile data, that are previously and thoroughly validated, are compiled together with non-reference soil profile data of lesser inherent representativeness.

Soil information, from the global to the local scale, has often been the one missing biophysical information layer, the absence of which has added to the uncertainties of predicting potentials and constraints for food and fiber production. The lack of reliable and harmonized soil data has considerably hampered land degradation assessments, environmental impact studies and adapted sustainable land management interventions.

Recognizing the urgent need for improved soil information worldwide, particularly in the context of the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol for soil carbon measurements and the immediate requirement for the FAO/IIASA Global Agro-ecological Assessment study (GAEZ v3.0), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) took the initiativeof combining the recently collected vast volumes of regional and national updates of soil information with the information already contained within the 1:5,000,000 scale FAOUNESCO Digital Soil Map of the World, into a new comprehensive Harmonized World Soil Database (HWSD).

This database was achieved in partnership with: • ISRIC-World Soil Information together with FAO, which were responsible for the development of regional soil and terrain databases and the WISE soil profile database; • the European Soil Bureau Network, which had recently completed a major update of soil information for Europe and northern Eurasia, and • the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences which provided the recent 1:1,000,000 scale Soil Map of China.

The SSURGO database contains information about soil as collected by the National Cooperative Soil Survey over the course of a century. The information can be displayed in tables or as maps and is available for most areas in the United States and the Territories, Commonwealths, and Island Nations served by the USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). The information was gathered by walking over the land and observing the soil. Many soil samples were analyzed in laboratories. The maps outline areas called map units. The map units describe soils and other components that have unique properties, interpretations, and productivity. The information was collected at scales ranging from 1:12,000 to 1:63,360. More details were gathered at a scale of 1:12,000 than at a scale of 1:63,360. The mapping is intended for natural resource planning and management by landowners, townships, and counties. Some knowledge of soils data and map scale is necessary to avoid misunderstandings. The maps are linked in the database to information about the component soils and their properties for each map unit. Each map unit may contain one to three major components and some minor components. The map units are typically named for the major components. Examples of information available from the database include available water capacity, soil reaction, electrical conductivity, and frequency of flooding; yields for cropland, woodland, rangeland, and pastureland; and limitations affecting recreational development, building site development, and other engineering uses. SSURGO datasets consist of map data, tabular data, and information about how the maps and tables were created. The extent of a SSURGO dataset is a soil survey area, which may consist of a single county, multiple counties, or parts of multiple counties. SSURGO map data can be viewed in the Web Soil Survey or downloaded in ESRI® Shapefile format. The coordinate systems are Geographic. Attribute data can be downloaded in text format that can be imported into a Microsoft® Access® database. A complete SSURGO dataset consists of:

GIS data (as ESRI® Shapefiles) attribute data (dbf files - a multitude of separate tables) database template (MS Access format - this helps with understanding the structure and linkages of the various tables) metadata

Resources in this dataset:Resource Title: SSURGO Metadata - Tables and Columns Report. File Name: SSURGO_Metadata_-_Tables_and_Columns.pdfResource Description: This report contains a complete listing of all columns in each database table. Please see SSURGO Metadata - Table Column Descriptions Report for more detailed descriptions of each column.

Find the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) web site at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/vt/soils/?cid=nrcs142p2_010596#Datamart Title: SSURGO Metadata - Table Column Descriptions Report. File Name: SSURGO_Metadata_-_Table_Column_Descriptions.pdfResource Description: This report contains the descriptions of all columns in each database table. Please see SSURGO Metadata - Tables and Columns Report for a complete listing of all columns in each database table.

Find the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) web site at https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/vt/soils/?cid=nrcs142p2_010596#Datamart Title: SSURGO Data Dictionary. File Name: SSURGO 2.3.2 Data Dictionary.csvResource Description: CSV version of the data dictionary