Soil Business Area Analysis Group Reactivated Following: Reactivated

ational February 1999 Issue 6 N ooperative oil C urvey SS Newsletter

In This Issue— Soil Business Area and eight issues were selected as the ones the group would deal with first. Analysis Group These eight issues include the Soil Business Area Analysis Group Reactivated following: Reactivated ...... 1 By Jon Gerken, Soil Scientist, USDA, (1) Project office connectivity Ten Laws of Soil Survey ...... 2 Natural Resources Conservation Service, Columbus, Ohio. (2) Integration of a spatial Marbles ...... 2 perspective into NASIS he Soil Business Area Analysis The Soils Explorer Project...... 3 TGroup (SBAAG) was (3) Sharing of data across MLRA State Soils ...... 4 reactivated in October 1998. The office boundaries group’s function is to analyze the (4) Support and maintenance of Icomanth Soils Tour ...... 5 overall need for automation of soil NASIS Poems About Soil Taxonomy...... 6 survey technical and operational Correlator’s Lament ...... 6 processes. The personnel working with (5) Tools for technical soil services SBAAG include the following: Horace First Approximation to the (6) Distribution of official data to Smith, executive sponsor; Jon Gerken, Seventh Approximation ...... 7 various users and applications Ohio, chair; Terry Aho, Information Urban Soils Symposium ...... 8 Technology Center (ITC), Ft. Collins, (7) Guidance and standards for data Colorado; Jodi Boyce, Colorado; base development Editor’s Note Wayne Gabriel, Texas; Ken Harward, (8) Pedon data conversion ITC, Ft. Collins; Rich Jaros, Utah; Russ Issues of this newsletter are Kelsea, National Soil Survey Center Many people have told the group available on the World Wide Web (NSSC), Lincoln, Nebraska; David members that the functions of SBAAG (www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv). Kriz, Florida; Carmen Ortiz, program should be publicized widely because Click on NCSS and then on the desired analyst from California; Johnny of the need to keep soil survey staff issue number of the NCSS Newsletter. Patterson, forester at the NSSC in informed about issues that have been You are invited to submit stories for Lincoln; Panola Rivers, Pennsylvania; identified for the group to handle, future issues of this newsletter to Kathy Swain, New Hampshire; and items that are being dealt with by the Stanley Anderson, National Soil Cleveland Watts, North Dakota. Tom group, and actions that will be taken Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Calhoun, from Division Headquarters, in response to these items. The group Phone—402-437-5357; FAX—402- and Bill Puckett, from the Southeast is very concerned that information be 437-5336; email— Regional Office, serve as advisors to made as accessible to the field as [email protected]. the group, and Bill Adams, with the possible. Several avenues are already Resource Inventory Support Branch in being used to address this concern. Ft. Worth, serves as a liaison from that We will periodically provide reports group. to the states through correspondence. During its first two meetings, the The states should distribute this group developed a list of issues that correspondence to all soil survey were identified by staff around the staff. We will be providing updates country and began the task of selecting through presentations at meetings the issues that would be addressed first. and though informational articles, The initial list includes 98 issues. These were discussed and grouped by topic, SBAAG continued on page 2

1 NCSS Newsletter

SBAAG continued from page 1 survey, then correlated into nonexistence. such as this one, whenever possible. 7. Few fine faint mottles will Also, we are looking at other avenues magically appear in at least one that might be used to keep people taxonomic unit description for informed and help them deal with classification purposes near the end of information regarding SBAAG the survey. activities. Terry Aho is leading this effort. If there are issues that require 6. Support to complete the survey attention in dealing with SBAAG will be pulled away from the Party information, Terry would welcome Leader before the last acre is mapped. comments. The group will develop 5. The soil survey office will methods that can be used to provide have the oldest computer equipment in Marbles the functions needed. the state. Three additional meetings of By Dr. Don Franzmeier, Agronomy SBAAG have been scheduled to date. 4. The District Conservationist Department, Purdue University. From “Stories, Tales, and Bald-Faced Lies,” edited by Henry They are for the weeks of April 26-30, will attempt to steal at least one new Mount. July 12-16, and October 25-29, 1999. vehicle that was supposed to be Comments, suggestions, or questions delivered to the soil survey staff. r. Bob Ruhe was involved in can be sent to any members of the the Desert Project during its 3. All notes, special studies, D group. Any of them would be happy to early phases. Some of the soils had transects, photographs, and other discuss new ideas and present them at much more carbonates than could be supporting documentation will be lost our next meeting. attributed to the parent material in the within 2 years after the survey is area. Brilliant soil scientists during that completed. period deemed that atmospheric inputs 2. All taxonomic unit in the form of dust must be the reason Ten Laws of Soil Survey descriptions will be assembled for these high amounts of carbonates. longhand and without the use of Early attempts to trap the dust By an old soil correlator who just tried to do computer tools, such as PEDON. descending into the desert resulted in his best to serve the Soils Division. From dismal failures. Dr. Ruhe came up with “Stories, Tales, and Bald-Faced Lies,” edited by 1. The State Office Soils Staff Henry Mount, Soil Scientist, USDA, Natural the idea that marbles placed in boxes will rewrite the entire soil survey would be effective in trapping the Resources Conservation Service, National Soil manuscript prepared by the Party Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. atmospheric dust. He was correct, and Leader, dismantling every instance of more research using marbles was he ten laws of soil survey creativity that was in the draft deemed necessary. (arranged in David Letterman T manuscript. An English editor will then Soon he had to order more marbles fashion) that are not mentioned in the completely rewrite the rewritten soil for this research—500 pounds of National Soil Survey Handbook are as survey manuscript, which will then be compact glass spheres. It was about a follows: published with the Party Leader’s name week later when someone from GSA as the author. 10. The Party Leader will make called him. every attempt to discredit the previous “Dr. Ruhe, I got your order, and soil survey, no matter how good it I think there must be some mistake. was. You have ordered 500 pounds of marbles.” 9. Ninety percent of the “That’s correct,” Bob replied. correlation time will be spent on twenty “Why do you need that many percent of the taxonomic unit marbles?” descriptions. “My graduate students lost theirs, 8. A “new” soil will be and I have to replace them,” he discovered during the last month of the deadpanned.

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The Soils Explorer Project Some new features are: Forty states offered to participate during the production stage of the • Tabbed pages By Adrian Smith, GIS Specialist, USDA, project. They are working with staff at Natural Resources Conservation Service, • Interpretation value tool tip the National Soil Survey Center to National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. • Interpretation for dominant condition prepare reference data and files for the • Detailed information box (shows program. In return, the states will he Soils Explorer is a digital component table) receive five copies of the Soils soils data viewer featuring a Explorer CD-ROM for their selected T • Legend for similar and dissimilar certified Soil Survey Geographic Data surveys. limitations Base (SSURGO), delivered to the The Information Technology customer on a CD-ROM. The user • Help pages for all topics Center completed the program for can browse through the digital soils • Location map for extents Phase II in November 1998. Since map and accompanying reference • Photo gallery then, the production team, located data, selected interpretations, and a at the National Geospatial and • Status bar photo gallery with pictures of soil Cartography Center, in Fort Worth, profiles, landscapes, and block • WWW hot links Texas, has created the image diagrams. Interpretations for the Soils Explorer background and Soils Explorer The Soils Explorer project is include selections for agriculture, program for nine survey areas. currently in Phase II. The technical and forestry, range, recreation, soil This team is completing about one business requirements for this phase properties, urban uses, and wildlife survey per week. The master CD- were determined with input from soil habitat. To generate yield and ROM’s are sent to the National scientists, data base managers, and suitability interpretations, states were Production Services Staff, where they evaluations of the Phase I prototype asked to identify the crop and/or tree are used to make the finished product (released October 1997) sent in from species commonly grown in chosen for the states. field staff and other customers. The survey areas. This approach will allow For more information about the program now features a cleaner look on field staff members to evaluate the Soils Explorer, please visit the web site, screen and utilizes the depth and program with data well known to located at www.statlab.iastate.edu/ richness of the data. them. soils/nssc/explorer/soilex.htm.

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State Soils State soil Established by legislation By Gary Muckel, Soil Scientist, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Kansas...... Harney ...... April 1990 Kentucky ...... Crider ...... April 1990 oil scientists at the National Soil Survey Center are Louisiana ...... Ruston coordinating this effort with the help of other soil S Maine ...... Chesuncook scientists from the United States Department of Maryland ...... Sassafras Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Massachusetts ...... Paxton...... May 1991 including Chuck Gordon, Montana; Frank Watts, Florida; Michigan ...... Kalkaska ...... December 1990 Ronnie Taylor, New Jersey; and Dennis Potter, Missouri. Minnesota ...... Lester Each selected state soil has a picture of the landscape and a Mississippi ...... Natchez soil profile. A soil description and laboratory data are Missouri ...... Menfro provided. Teachers and students are the intended audience. Montana ...... Scobey The state soil selection process has proceeded through the Nebraska ...... Holdrege ...... June 1979 state legislature for official designation in several states. Nevada ...... Orovada Professional soil science societies or the cooperative soil New Hampshire ...... Marlow survey participants have made designations in other states. New Jersey...... Downer Approval of the state soil has yielded tremendous New Mexico ...... Penistaja marketing results within some states. New York ...... Honeoye Following is a list of the state soils of the United States North Carolina ...... Cecil and representative soils of Puerto Rico and the Virgin North Dakota ...... Barnes Islands, as of November 10, 1998: Ohio ...... Miamian Oklahoma ...... Port ...... April 1987 State soil Established by Oregon ...... Jory legislation Pennsylvania ...... Hazleton Rhode Island ...... Narragansett Alabama ...... Bama ...... April 1997 South Carolina ...... Bohicket Alaska ...... Tanana South Dakota ...... Houdek ...... February 1990 Arizona ...... Casa Grande Tennessee ...... Dickson Arkansas ...... Stuttgart ...... March 1997 Texas...... Houston Black California ...... San Joaquin ...... July 1997 Utah ...... Taylorsflat Colorado ...... Seitz Vermont ...... Tunbridge ...... March 1985 Connecticut ...... Windsor Virginia ...... Pamunkey Delaware ...... Greenwich Washington ...... Tokul Florida...... Myakka...... May 1989 West Virginia...... Monongahela...... April 1997 Georgia ...... Tifton Wisconsin ...... Antigo...... September 1983 Hawaii...... Hilo Wyoming ...... Forkwood Idaho ...... Rexburg Illinois ...... Drummer Representative soil Indiana ...... Miami Iowa ...... Tama Puerto Rico ...... Bayamon Virgin Islands ...... Victory

4 Icomanth Soils Tour

By Henry R. Mount, Soil Scientist for Classification and Standards, USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.

epresentatives of the R International Committee of Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH) met in Nevada and California for a two-week workshop and tour from September 21 to October 1, 1998. Over 40 scientists from the United States, Germany, China, Slovakia, and Russia assembled for a two-week agenda that began in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ray Bryant, Professor of Soils at Cornell University, presided over the meetings. Horace Smith, Director of the Soil Survey Division, gave the keynote address, entitled “Washington, D.C., Soil Survey.” Horace informed the The ICOMANTH tour started in Las Vagas and finished in San Francisco. The larger dots show attendees that the Washington, D.C., the stops along the way.

survey started in 1974 and was published in 1976—in time for the 1976 Bicentennial. There were 44,000 acres, or 69 square miles, in this soil survey area. The area was mapped and published at 1:12,000. Horace completed the map finishing. Nearly 150 map units were correlated in the survey because of the complex geology and the fact that the survey area occurred in two MLRA’s. Since the city of Washington is 200 years old, the survey turned out to be a research project. Eighty percent of the soils in the city are disturbed. Horace informed the attendees that NHQ leadership in the 1970’s was not willing to allow scientists to use series names for Udorthents. He stressed that it is in the best interest of science that administrators not close the door to positive changes in Soil Taxonomy. Maria Gerasimova from Russia (with microphone) discusses the significance of the San Joaquin soil, while John Kimble (NRCS, National Soil Survey Center) and Kerry Arroues (NRCS, California) compare notes. Tour continued on page 8

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Poems About Soil Taxonomy In padded cells, from which to cry At every sane man passing by tanley Anderson, the editor of this newsletter, was And sense his sympathetic sigh. Sgiven the following poems. Included with the first poem was a note by A.H. Paschall dated 12/64. The note Herr Smith now thought the time was ripe reads as follows: “This ‘Correlator’s Lament’ was found For high-brow nomenclature tripe, among W.S. Ligon’s effects. It was given to me by Mrs. While we were all too beat to gripe. Ligon—with permission to pass it on to interested people.” W.S. Ligon was a soil correlator in the agency now known Now we engage in hide-and-seek as the Natural Resources Conservation Service. With Sanskrit, Latin, Smith and Greek; The future never looked more bleak. Correlator’s Lament1 These hellic orthic Argudolls A man there was, Guy Smith by name, And those God-damic Haplaquolls Inventor of a guessing game And ruptic, cruddic Natrubolls To put all other such to shame. But friends, you haven’t heard the half. This game, though based upon the soil, Try glossudalfic Fragaqualf Consisteth chiefly of turmoil And Albaqualfic Typustalf. And is a cause of endless toil. And haplic cryptic Cryudents, This brainstorm hardly had begun— And orthustentic Psammustents Out popped Approximation 1— And hyperbolic Haplaquents. And we thought that the job was done! And rhodochruentic Typumbrults But ’ere the ink had time to dry, And typumbrultic Rodochrults Our hero made another try. And chrodotypic Brultorhults. His second draft bloomed but to die. We’ve made a lot of Pfalsistarts Then came Approximation 3; And let a lot of Psuephopharts Our weary eyes began to see And spun the wheels upon Ourcarts. The 4th would not the last one be. Despite the 7th being bound The 5th Approximation found We still cannot get off the ground; Us on the ropes and giving ground The spit and polish keeps us downed. From going round and round and round. If one of us is still alive The 6th was just a stepping stone, In 19 hundred 65 To make us swear and sweat and groan— There is no doubt that he will strive To make us want to be alone To get past sub-group and to see What he can do with family. It may be you! It won’t be me! 1 The editor made the following changes in the text of this poem: 1. Added periods at the end of line 3, stanza 1; line 2, stanza 4; and line 1, stanza 12. (Praise Allah!) 2. Deleted a period at the end of line 3, stanza 7. 3. Changed “Psammustent” to “Psammustents” in line 2, stanza 13. 4. Changed a comma to a period at the end of line 2, stanza 16. W.S. Ligon

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First Approximation to the Seventh Approximation once was happy as could be I Until this fellow Smith, Guy D., Fouled up soil classification With his seventh approximation.

I can only sit and ponder Till my mind begins to wander. How can mortal mind recall Cryaqueptic Haplaquall?

Or whose mind would not be rent By Thapto Mollic Hapludent? And what strong man has never wept O’er Quartzopsammentic Haplumbrept?

But I must try to learn you all, Hapludox and Hapludoll, And Oxisol, Aridisol, And it’s enough to make me bawl.

For I had just learned Latosol. And what became of Pratosol And Entisol and Vertisol? Most people think it’s dirt, that’s all.

I must admit that I get weary, And at times my eyes get bleary, When I behold Altalf, Altoll, Aquept, Aquent, Aqualf, Aquoll.

And Altic or Histic Glossaqualf, Or Aquic, Orthic Glossudalf, Or Natric or Cumulic Haplaltoll, And is there no relief at all?

But now I’ve spent my whole vacation Learning this seventh approximation. Now I find that I can speak In terms I’m sure would choke a Greek.

I can say the whole darned list Without a slip, without a twist. Just one more thing before I quit, To learn which soils these names should fit.

Anonymous

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Tour continued from page 5

Following two full days of scientific presentations in Las Vegas, the attendees rode nearly 1,000 miles by bus throughout Nevada and California and examined 16 human- altered soils. Numerous stops illustrated that many of the soils of the Great Central Valley in California have been ripped, slipped, Urban Soils Symposium metal toxicity in urban environments. dipped, and tipped. John Kimble, Participants are encouraged to discuss Research Soil Scientist, and Robert By Joyce Mack Scheyer, Soil Scientist, procedures in urban soil mapping, Ahrens, National Leader for USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, development of soil interpretations, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. Classification and Standards, measurement of use-dependent soil coordinated these stops with assistance oils in urban areas will be the properties, or implementation of soil- from NRCS soil scientists in Nevada S focus of a symposium to be based guidelines for land-use planning. and California and members of the held during the 1999 annual meetings The oral and poster sessions will Professional Soil Scientist Association of the American Society of Agronomy, include invited as well as volunteered of California (PSSAC). the Crop Science Society of America, papers on the function of soils in At each site, protocols set up by and the Soil Science Society of urban areas (both natural and human- the organizers of the ICOMANTH America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) from affected soils), at the site, landscape, TOUR were enforced. First, a local October 31 to November 4. The and ecosystem scales. Please indicate scientist explained the human-altered symposium is sponsored by Division interest in the Urban Soils Symposium influence on the site, and then the S-6 (Soil and Water Management and on the Title-Summary Forms available attendees were allowed to take Conservation). Urban areas are defined in Crop Science-Soil Science- pictures. Next came a period to as population centers and the Agronomy News. Title-Summary Forms observe the soil, usually in a pit surrounding watersheds that support are due at ASA headquarters by March excavated with a backhoe. Each stop human communities with food, 26. For more information, contact concluded with discussions of the drinking water, storm-water outlets, Joyce Mack Scheyer, Soil Scientist, significance of the soil and how one building materials, waste disposal, USDA, Natural Resources might deal with human-altered soils recreation lands, and other natural Conservation Service, National Soil either in the present system resources. We especially welcome Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska, described in Soil Taxonomy or in a papers reporting research and 68508-3966; phone, 402-437-5698; system of new taxonomic categories. monitoring of physical, chemical, or fax, 402-437-5336; e-mail, Assigned attendees documented all biological soil processes and heavy [email protected]. discussions. Five working groups met periodically throughout the tour. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits Leaders of these groups presented discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, their recommendations during the national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual final day in Burlingame, California. orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all A collection of papers by the programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for presenters is being assembled and communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) will be distributed during 1999. In should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). the meantime, an Internet address of To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil the 1998 tour can be viewed by logging Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, on http://www.scas.cornell.edu/ Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA icomanth/. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.