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Benchmark Soils

Benchmark Soils. A Brief Overview of Current Status and Expectations for the MLRA SSO. Rationale.

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Benchmark Soils

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  1. Benchmark Soils A Brief Overview of Current Status and Expectations for the MLRA SSO

  2. Rationale The term “Benchmark Soil” is unknown to many soil scientists. The benchmark soil concept has been used for many decades and it is important for the MLRA soil scientist to understand the term and to consider its priority in the evaluation process. This module is designed to explain what a benchmark soil is, how to apply information from a benchmark soil, to identify documentation needed to support a benchmark soil and be able to identify soils within their assigned MLRA to propose for Benchmark status

  3. Objectives • Define the term “Benchmark Soil” • Identify their criteria • Be able to locate the list of Benchmark Soils • Understand the purpose of these soils in the MLRA update

  4. Benchmark Soils • The review and evaluation of benchmark soils is an agency priority • Guidance is provided in NSSH 630 • Must be considered in the evaluation and maintenance of soil surveys

  5. Benchmark Soils Definition Application Current status Revision analysis Policy and Responsibilities

  6. DEFINITION Definition and Purpose (630.00) (a) Definition A benchmark soil is one of large extent, one that holds a key position in the soil classification system, one for which there is a large amount of data, or one that has special significance to farming, engineering, forestry, ranching, recreational development, urban development, wetland restoration, or other uses. The cost of investigation and the large number of combinations of soil uses and management practices preclude laboratory and field studies of all soils; therefore, studies of benchmark soils are essential.

  7. DEFINITION • Large extent • Key positions in Soil Taxonomy • Typically do not share same family • Large amount of data • Special significance • Specialty crops • Engineering purposes • Long history of use in NCSS

  8. DEFINITION • Research focus should be on key soils. • greatest potential for applying new technology across large areas • transferring new technologies to similar soils • Reaffirms NCSS objective • complete a representative national laboratory dataset and • concentrate investigations on benchmark soils • Benchmark soils maintenance is ongoing • List reflects geographic area representation (MLRAs)

  9. APPLICATION Why Use Benchmarks? • Cannot work with every series recognized • Benchmark series intended to maximize our effort to: • Extrapolation of data collection and research results • Ability to test predictions of properties and test interpretations

  10. assess conservation effects sites for evaluating interpretations trace element studies saturated hydraulic conductivity soil quality soil erodibility factors crop and range plant adaptation and yields soil fertility pedotransfer functions APPLICATION

  11. How many Benchmark Series do we have? CURRENT STATUS • 1407 series • By MO • Mean = 78 • Range = 15-126 • By State • Mean = 29 • Range = 2-109

  12. 1407 Benchmark Series – Where do we start? CURRENT STATUS • Short term • Concentrate on a subset of the benchmarks • Long term • Work through the list • Prioritize by project and benefits

  13. CURRENT STATUS • <2% of series • “Too many” depends on effort required to collect data and complete project • Characterization – one pedon • Manageable • Characterization of multiple pedons • More effort – longer term • Intensive research projects • More effort – longer term

  14. CURRENT STATUS • 223 benchmark series with no data • Includes data from 11 university labs • Basic data to begin to understand system • Classification • Interpretation • Basic information for design and interpretation of other studies • Multiple pedons of same series • Property means and variability

  15. REVISION ANALYSES MLRA SSO should: • Evaluate Benchmark Soils list in your area • Coordinate with the MO • Make recommendations to the MO for changes

  16. REVISION ANALYSES • Use OSD/SC and Series Extent Mapping Tool to evaluate • Use NASIS if area overlap and MLRAs have not been significantly altered • Consider Using STATSGO-related analysis

  17. REVISION ANALYSES Use the online Soil Series Classification (SC) or Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD) data access to review benchmark soils. From the OSD site (Now Linked to the Series Extent Mapping Tool): http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/osd/index.html From the SC site: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/scfile/index.html

  18. REVISION ANALYSES

  19. REVISION ANALYSES

  20. REVISION ANALYSES

  21. REVISION ANALYSES

  22. REVISION ANALYSES

  23. REVISION ANALYSES Benchmark Soils for MLRA 148

  24. REVISION ANALYSES Comparing Benchmark series to the NASIS component acreages for MLRA 148

  25. Top 20 Series by Acreage compname compacre Sharkey 4317415 Orangeburg 4263344 Dothan 4204229 Harney 3897545 Bibb 3735956 Lakeland 3658566 Valent 3617215 Pelham 3573841 Barnes 3559435 Amarillo 3437448 compname compacre Valentine 11176838 Smithdale 10728499 Cecil 6748366 Gilpin 6243903 Clarksville 5658461 Troup 5314446 Tifton 4941545 Williams 4829436 Luverne 4649799 Ector 4576722 Series highlighted in red are NOT designated as benchmark soils

  26. REVISION ANALYSES MLRA–coverage criteria • Total extent benchmark soils should be about 20 to 25 % of the total soil area of the MLRA; and, • 60 to 80 % of total soil area of the MLRA is collectively represented by benchmark and similar soils

  27. REVISION ANALYSES MLRA SSO Project Plans • Local data collection or broader research study? • Single SSO • Multiple SSO to nationwide • Priorities • Buy-in • Large project requirements • Common objectives • Uniform methods • Data management • Communication • Partnerships with cooperators • We need all the help we can get • Many Plans we have received have not included Benchmark Soils

  28. REVISION ANALYSES Making a List to Work With • Criteria will vary with project objectives • Extent • Economic importance • Ecological importance • Unique ecosystems • Unique properties

  29. REVISION ANALYSES Improved Functions • Requires data for development and testing • Property measurement • Pedon descriptions • Characterization • One pedon per benchmark series? • How many replicates? • Will depend on soil and landscape

  30. REVISION ANALYSES Landscape Relationships: A Move to Benchmark Landscape Catenas • Need to better understand soil distribution across the landscape • Field work • Pedon description, sampling, and analysis • Geophysical tools • Geospatial analysis • Benchmark landscapes (catena)

  31. REVISION ANALYSES Benchmark catena Benchmark soil and the related geographically associated soils for the representative landform on which they occur. The catena typically occurs on a continuum across unique positions on the landform within a landscape.

  32. Benchmark Soils Roles and Responsibilities

  33. MLRA SSO Role • evaluating their benchmark soils in for adherence to the benchmark soils definition and purpose, • proposing changes to the benchmark soils status of soil series, • identifying soil series that are considered similar to the benchmark soils for the extrapolation and transfer of data,

  34. MLRA SSO Role • ensuring pedon descriptions are in NASIS pedon for benchmark soil sampling sites, • Including a focus on benchmark soils in long-range, project, and investigation plans, • developing an inventory of existing data, assessing the adequacy of the data ,and developing plans to fill identified data gaps, and • developing a narrative record for each benchmark soil

  35. Additional MLRA SSO Effort • Cooperator communication • Land use/management definition • Soil/site selection • Field measurements • Lab measurements • Data compilation and analysis • Interpretation development / refinement

  36. MLRA Regional OfficesResponsibilities

  37. State Soil Scientist responsibilities

  38. National Soil Survey Center responsibilities

  39. National Geospatial Development Center responsibilities

  40. 630.03 Maintaining a Record of Benchmark Soil Data Needs • Maintenance • Access to Benchmark Soil List • Development of a Comprehensive Report • Narrative Record of Each Benchmark Soil

  41. Sample Narrative found in NSSH (Exhibit 630-1)

  42. The Bottom Line • Complexity of current and emerging questions requires multi-faceted approach and involvement • Research projects must meet local needs • Investigations staff and NSSL support • Multiple evaluations / experiments on one site • Can we multitask? • Benchmark soils will maximize our ability to extrapolate data and develop predictive functions • Benchmark Soil work is being stressed in all update work

  43. QUESTIONS ???

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