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Categorization of County Soil Survey Data Within the SFWMD Including Natural Soils Landscape Positions

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Categorization of County Soil Survey Data Within the SFWMD Including Natural Soils Landscape Positions Soil Classification Database: Categorization of County Soil Survey Data within the SFWMD Including Natural Soils Landscape Positions Technical Publication WS-06 by John Zahina, Ken Liudahl (NRCS), Tim Liebermann, Kurt Saari, Jerry Krenz, and Victor Mullen October 2001 South Florida Water Management District Soil Classification Database Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents i List of Tables iii List of Figures v Abstract vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction 1 General Methods 3 Classification by Depth and Duration of the SHWT ...............................................3 Classification by Ecological Community Type.......................................................9 Classification by NSLP Type ................................................................................15 Use of the Soil Classifications 23 Summary 25 References 27 Glossary and List of Abbreviations 29 Appendix A: SHWT Classification Codes A-1 Appendix B: Ecological Community Category Definitions B-1 Appendix C: Landscape Classification Categories C-1 Appendix D: Selected Ecological Communities D-1 South Florida Coastal Strand .............................................................................. D-1 Sand Pine Scrub .................................................................................................. D-3 South Florida Flatwoods i Table of Contents Soil Classification Database Scrub Cypress ..................................................................................................... D-7 Cypress Swamp................................................................................................... D-8 Salt Marsh ......................................................................................................... D-10 Sawgrass Marsh ................................................................................................ D-12 Freshwater Marsh and Ponds............................................................................ D-13 Slough ............................................................................................................... D-15 Appendix E: Natural Soil Landscape Positions Classification Database E-1 ii Soil Classification Database List of Tables LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Classification Codes Used to Classify Soils by Depth and Duration of the SHWT. ...............................................................................................................5 Table 2. Ecological Community Category Definitions..................................................10 Table 3. Sorting Criteria for Soils Data by NSLP Type. ...............................................16 Table 4. Dates of Publication of County Soil Surveys by NRCS..................................24 Table A-1. Category Codes and Associated Ranges for the SHWT Used in the Categorization of Duration. .......................................................................... A-2 Table B-1. Category Definitions for the Ecological Community Categories..................B-1 Table C-1. Soil Series within Each NSLP Category with the Largest Aerial Extent. .....C-1 Table C-2. Range of Map Unit Values within the NSLP Categories. ...........................C-2 Table E-1. Three Digit Map Unit Symbols Used in the MUID.......................................E-2 Table E-2. LSPOS Codes. ...............................................................................................E-3 Table E-3. Surface Soil Texture Codes. ..........................................................................E-4 Table E-4. Hydrological Group Codes. ...........................................................................E-5 Table E-5. Soil Drainage Class Codes.............................................................................E-5 iii List of Tables Soil Classification Database iv Soil Classification Database List of Figures LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map Extent of the Soils Classification Database, Indicated by the Shaded Counties. ............................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Map of the Level 1 SHWT Categories for a Sample Area on the West Side of Lake Okeechobeee.............................................................................................6 Figure 3. Map of the Ecological Community Categories for a Sample Area on the West Side of Lake Okeechobeee. .............................................................................11 Figure 4. Poster of NSLP (pullout) v List of Figures Soil Classification Database vi Soil Classification Database Abstract ABSTRACT Keywords: landscape position, soils, SSURGO, GIS An updated single soil database of soil map units in South Florida, based on groups of similar morphologic characteristics, has improved the ability to visualize the spatial patterns of soils and to extract quantitative data for modeling and other hydrologic analyses. Soil characteristics reflect the complex interaction among topography, climate, vegetation, hydrology, and parent material. In South Florida, very small changes in topography can greatly affect hydrologic response. Soil survey maps compiled by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contain a wealth of spatial and analytical data but have been difficult to apply because of the large size, use of different names, and complexity of the database for each county. As part of a previous cooperative effort by NRCS and staff at the South Florida Water Management District, spatial layers of county-level soil surveys (Soil Survey Geographic Data Base, or SSURGO) were edgematched and corrected to create a seamless Geographic Information System (GIS) database. The overall database included detailed soils for 19 counties, containing 195,000 polygons, with 909 soil mapping units and 220 distinct soil types. A set of 34 data fields (such as slope, hydric, and surface texture) was developed and checked and corrected for each mapping unit and is identified in the Natural Soils Lnadscape Positions (NSLP) database. Three classifications of the soil database were conducted, categorizing the large soils database into a relatively small number of categories (12 or less). These three classifications are based on depth and duration of the seasonal high water table, ecological community types, and NSLP types. The NSLP is a more complex classification based on the depth of the seasonal high-water table, soil morphological characteristics, and geographical location. These parameters were used to define 10 natural landscape positions that are significant to South Florida (water, tidal, marl and rocky, Everglades peat, muck depressions, sand depression, flats, flatwoods, knolls, Central Ridge & Dunes, and urban or made lands). The initial criteria were adjusted and evaluated until a consistent and useful classification was obtained. vii Abstract Soil Classification Database viii Soil Classification Database Acknowledgements ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was a cooperative effort between the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly Soil Conservation Service). The SFWMD provided Geographical Information System (GIS), graphical, and planning support. Dale Woodruff provided technical assistance in analysis of the data base and map production. Steve Traver and Rick Miessau provided technical support on the creation the website. Ellen Negley and Debra Case provided graphical support for the production of the poster and some graphical aspects of this technical publication. We would like to recognize the members of the Planning and Water Resource Evaluation Departments who converted the soils maps into digital form and updated and improved the SSURGO databases under SFWMD contract C-3119. Supporting staff includes Ed Biggs, Joe Chapa, Tim Scharff, Tim Liebermann, and Mike Rose. These coverages and databases form the foundation of the work described here. This project has been funded in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) under Assistance Agreement ID Number X9948864-96-0 to the South Florida Wetlands Conservation Strategy. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the USEPA, nor does mention of trade names or commercial product constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. ix Acknowledgements Soil Classification Database x Soil Classification Database Introduction INTRODUCTION The Soil Classification Database is a reclassification of county soil survey data published by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). A total of 907 soil map units were sorted by similar hydrological, morphological, and vegetation characteristics. New classification fields resulting from this process were added to the database to allow the user to group soils data into categories based upon specific characteristics. The purpose of developing these new classification fields was to bring the large digital county soil database into a single user-friendly database, and to provide a clearer understanding of the relationships that exist between soil, hydrology, and the vegetation community. The resulting data offers a simplified soil landscape layer within the South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) Geographical Information System (GIS) that contains 34 fields. The Soil Classification Database provides modelers, planners, and resource managers with an interpretation of the natural landscape not available from existing sources. Because the
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