MLRA REGION 10 NEWSLETTER--NOVEMBER 1, 1998 NEW NASIS INITIAL PICTURE Those of you that have logged into NASIS in MLRA Region 10 recently without using the "-nobitmap" have noticed that we have replaced the "Kansas wheat field" picture. Being that we now have access to the hardware and software to do this, we are hoping to change this initial picture periodically. So, we are looking for pictures. If you have a color print, slide, or negative of reasonable quality (maximum size is 11 x 14 inches) that we can scan, please submit it with a short caption or description to Al Giencke. Please indicate if you wish it returned. ######################################################################### KEYS TO SOIL TAXONOMY - Borolls/Boralfs By now you all should have the 8th addition to Keys to Soil Taxonomy. One of the main changes is the removal of soil temperature at the suborder level for Mollisols and Alfisols and the removal of soil temperture from the great group level of Histisols. For example, a Typic Eutroboralf will become a Typic Hapludalf, frigid; a Typic Haploboroll will become a Typic Hapludoll, frigid; and a Typic Borosaprist will become a Typic Haplosaprist, frigid So far so good. But, at a recent progress review in Region 10 the situation became more complicated. We were looking at the Glossoboralfs (low base status soils) from the old system and how they would be reclassified. We found the following: The criteria for low base status has changed. Low base status (by sum of cations) previsously was based any part of the argillic having a base status of less than 60 percent. Now the criteria is based on less than 60 percent base saturation at a depth of 125 cm below the top of the argillic, 180 cm below the mineral soil surface or directly above a densic, lithic or paralithic contact, which ever is shallower. So some interesting possibilities exist for reclassifying the Glossoboralfs as follows: If the new criteria for low base status is not met they could become: Glossic Hapludalfs - if they have interfinguring of albic in the argillic Typic Hapludalfs - if they lack interfinguring of albic in the argilic Typic Glossudalfs - if the have a glossic horizon over 50 cm thick Haplic Glossudalfs - if they have a glossic horizon less than 50 cm thick If the criteria for low base status if met they could become: Ultic Hapludalfs Looking at existing lab data, many of the soils that met the old criteria for low base status will no longer meet the criteria because the criteria looks at the profile at a deeper depth. In this case the diaognostic properties for classification would be the presence of interfinguring or a glossic horizon. MLRA steering committees will address this and other taxonomy changes this winter. Al Giencke Region 10 Correlator AL GIENCKE Phone=612-602-7863 REGION 10 Correlator/PSS email=mnnet!mnsol!agg USDA - NRCS Internet=agg@mn.nrcs.usda.gov 375 Jackson St. - Suite 600 Fax=612-602-7914 St. Paul, MN 55101 VOICE COM 1-800-602-7863 Box 7863 ######################################################################### SOIL SCIENTISTS PARTICIPATE IN AIR QUALITY TRAINING Air Quality Training Program To Yield Self-Study Course for Field - A recent Agricultural Air Quality Pilot Training Program was conducted to educate technical staff about the issues and regulations relating to air quality and NRCS in regions of the U.S. that have severe air quality problems. Twenty trainees (mostly engineers, but also geologists, soil scientists, and plant and animal scientists) from Texas, Florida, California, and Hawaii and 10 observers took part in the training, which included atmospheric science, soil science (relative to airborne particulates), atmospheric chemistry, particulate matter 10 and 2.5, ozone and regulatory process, and instruments and instrument citing. Representatives from the EPA stressed that regulators can only regulate what they can accurately measure. If instruments are used incorrectly or poorly maintained, then regulation will be incorrect. Materials generated from the pilot training program will be used to produce a self-study program on air quality for field staff. The course is scheduled to be on the NRCS homepage by January 1999. From NRCS This Week, August 21, 1998 ######################################################################### ERROR FREE COMPILATION DOES HAPPEN! Congratulations are in order for Tom Neuenfeldt for submitting an error free compilation job for scanning and digitizing. The folks at the Digitizing Unit in Madison initially thought that their "search for errors" software was malfunctioning--until they finally concluded that the compiled sheets for Hubbard County, Minnesota were perfect! Tom, what are you going to do for an encore? ######################################################################### SOILS/SCIENCE RESEARCH STUDY FOR SCHOOL GIRLS A study was done on Aug. 3rd through Aug. 7th at Lynd Elementary School by Candy Stevens, a graduate student from Southwest State University. She organized a free educational camp named: "Girls Camp", in which the purpose was to observe how girls from 3rd through 8th grade learn and react to science. The girls were given a test before the camp and another test after the camp in order to show if there are any changes in girls attitudes towards science after education. About 30 girls attended. Women from various science fields were asked to teach the girls about their jobs. Two NRCS Soil Scientists (Trudy Pink and Lenora Lemke) from Area 5 [southwestern Minnesota] taught a hands on, out door soils class on Aug 4th. The girls were able to see how a boring is taken, learn about the soil core, look at aerial photos, and had the chance to use a hand probe. The soil scientists also briefly discussed how they became interested in soils. Submitted by Trudy Pink ######################################################################### SOILS WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN LANDOWNERS On September 22, 1998 a workshop for women land owners and renters was sponsored by the Lac qui Parle, Chippewa, and Yellow Medicine Soil and Water Conservation Districts [MLRAs 102B and 103]. There were about 30 women in attendance from the three county area. The workshop focused on different land management strategies including the protective potential of native prairie and the benefits of buffer strips, filter strips and other such programs. I gave a presentation on soils and the soil survey. My presentation included local geology, soil textures and colors, landscape and drainage relationships, how soils maps are made and how to use the soil survey. Each woman was given a copy of the soils map for her farm and the county soil surveys were made available. Submitted by Trudy L. Pink Soil Scientist, Marshall AO ######################################################################### SOILS EXPLORER UPDATE NRCS has completed work on a Soils Explorer, a digital soil data viewer delivered on CD-ROM. The Soils Explorer runs under Windows 95/NT and includes a certified Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO). No additional software is required to run the viewer. The SSURGO data on the CD-ROM is in a standard format usable by popular commercial GIS packages. Initially, one Soils Explorer is being prepared for each State. User feedback on test versions of the Soils Explorer has been overwhelmingly positive, and demand for the product is expected to be very high. Data included on the Soils Explorer includes: digital soil map; roads, streams, and political boundaries; digital orthophotography; soil profile and landscape photographs; and interpretations of soil map units for agriculture, forestry, range, recreation, urban, and wildlife uses. From NRCS This Week, August 28, 1998 ######################################################################### MAPPING WITH PCs, PLGRs, AND DIGITAL ORTHO Greetings The soils staff in Vermont is currently obtaining equipment (hardware and software) to map soils using GIS in the field. The gist of our plan is to use a rugged PC loaded with Arcview and tracking software integrated with the Rockwell PLGR. We will load a digital ortho, bring it up on screen, turn on the tracking software and watch ourselves walk across the landscape in real time. We are interested in finding out who else is doing similar work and what software/hardware you are using, what problems/successes you have encountered and other information, so we do not reinvent the wheel. We seek also to collaborate with any of you so as to pass on any information learned to others who are interested. Please contact either Roger G. DeKett by one of the many ways listed below or Caroline Alves at: 802-878-7402 ext. 23 in Williston, VT or email Caroline at: caroline@vcgi.uvm.edu You can also Voice Com Caroline at 768-1135. You can expect a phone call from one of us with more detailed questions, so please leave us your phone number. If you are not currently doing GIS in the field but are interested in results or updates as to our progress please also feel free to respond and I'll keep you posted via email. Thanks for your time. Roger ************************************** Roger G. DeKett, Soil Scientist 26 Main Street St. Johnsbury, VT 05819 Phone: 802-748-3885 Ext 111 Fax: 802-748-1621 Voice Com: 768-1145 Email: rdekett@vtstjohnsb.fsc.usda.gov Contributed by: Tom Calhoun tcalhoun@nrcs.usda.gov ######################################################################### ORDERING INFORMATION FOR KEYS TO SOIL TAXONOMY AND SOIL SURVEY MANUAL The Soil Survey Manual and the Keys to Soil Taxonomy are available through the Superintendent of Documents. Order as follows: BY MAIL Superintendent of Documents US Government Print Office PO Box 371954 Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 BY PHONE: 202-512-1800 BY FAX: 202-512-2250 Publication: Soil Survey Manual USDA Handbook Number 18 Stock Number: 001-000-04611-0 Price: $33.00 per copy The Keys to Soil Taxonomy Publication - Keys to Soil Taxonomy Eighth Edition Stock Number: 001-000-04658-6 Price $28.00 WEB SITE: www.gpo.gov Contributed by: Margaret Hitz 1-402-437-4002 mhitz@gw.nssc.nrcs.usda.gov ######################################################################### NRCS PLANTS DATABASE AN AWARD WINNER Zdnet's "Yahoo! Internet Life" web site recently picked the National Plant Data Center's PLANTS database as its "Most Incredibly Useful Site Of the Day." We were unable to get permission to re-print their review by our publication deadline, but readers can see for themselves what Zdnet said by visiting http://www.zdnet.com/yil/content/depts/useful/use9807/useful0706.html. You can also visit the PLANTS database at: http://plants.usda.gov. From NRCS This Week, July 17, 1998 [This is the plant database used by the soil survey database.] ######################################################################### STATUS OF CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR COMPILATION NRCS has opened its first Center for Excellence to be located at an American Indian land grant institution. The center was opened recently at the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota. The center will be staffed by NRCS Soil Scientist Tom Neuenfeldt and approximately six students who are currently recompiling soil maps for eight Wisconsin counties. ######################################################################### STATUS OF NRCS SOIL SURVEY DIGITIZING INITIATIVE NRCS plans to digitize approximately 2,600 high priority soil surveys over the next 5 to 8 years, depending on available resources. In order to accomplish this enormous task, NRCS has established seven regional Digitizing Units across the country. Eventually, all of the approximately 3,250 soil survey areas Nation-wide will be digitized. Initial soils mapping must be completed for the entire Nation before this goal is reached. In fiscal year 1995, the NRCS Soil Survey Division began a special initiative to digitize high priority soil surveys Nation-wide. This initiative, which began with 100 soil surveys, has expanded to more than 900 projects today. From: NRCS This Week, July 10, 1998 ######################################################################### WEB SITES OF INTEREST http://www.oh.nrcs.usda.gov/soils/findlay/index.html Northwestern Ohio Soil Survey Project home page. http://pestilence.itc.nrcs.usda.gov/nasis/v4.0/index.shtml NASIS Version 4.0 home page. http://www.nscss.org National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists, Inc. home page. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nssc/field_gd/field_gd.htm Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils. Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 is needed to view this document (beyond this home page). http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/soildiv/ncss "issue3.pdf" and "issue4.pdf" are issues 3 and 4 of the National Cooperative Soil Suurvey Newsletter which contain articles on MLRA approach to soil surveys. Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 is needed to view the newsletters. http://vmhost.cdp.state.ne.us/~nslsoil/soil.html USDA NRCS Soil Survey Laboratory Database. The "Data Acqusition Method" has nine different ways of retrieving data. http://www2.nrcs.usda.gov/soils.htm On-line soil surveys. http://www.ag.auburn.edu/alric/minmap/contents.html Soil Mineral Associations of the Southern United states. http://www.statlab.iastate.edu:2000 NSSC Soil Survey Discussion Forums. This page is a place where soil survey ideas and other related issues can be exchanged and addressed. All readers can post new messages and can reply to messages posted by others. Major subjects include data population, editing and publishing, interpretations, soil survey laboratory, and soil taxonomy. A search engine in also provided. ######################################################################### ADDRESS, OFFICE, AND PHONE NUMBER CHANGES 1. Richland Center Soil Survey Office has moved. New mailing address: USDA-NRCS 1850 Bohman Drive Suite C Richland Center, WI 53581-2978 New email address: [logname]@wirichland.fsc.usda.gov New telepnone number: 608-647-8874. Soil Scientist logname phone extension Duane Simonsom dsimonso 116 Phil Meyer pmeyer 118 Matt Otto motto 117 Chanc Vogel cvogel 131 New UNIX node: wia4353 Submitted by: Duane Simonson 2. The following persons involved with the soil survey in South Dakota have new email addresses: Jim Millar james.millar@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Eugene Preston eugene.preston@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Bruce Kunze bruce.kunze@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Jerome Schaar jerome.schaar@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Doug Malo Malod@ur.sdstate.edu Kim Kempton kim.kempton@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Loren Schultz loren.schultz@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Steve Winter steven.winter@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Reg Vialle regis.vialle@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Barb Hall barbara.hall@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Dan Shurtliff daniel.shurtliff@sdso1.sd.nrcs.usda.gov Submitted by: Jerry Schaar ######################################################################### Last month, the following x3780 files were sent to offices having SSSD: x3780.403frig on Oct 15 ( 1 updated OSD ) @ x3780.404mes on Oct 19 ( 1 updated OSD ) * x3780.405mes on Oct 20 ( 6 updated OSDs) * x3780.405frig on Oct 21 ( 1 updated OSD ) @ (1) @ Sent to offices using soils in the frigid soil temperature regime. * Sent to offices using soils in the mesic soil temperature regime. # Sent to all offices. (1) This x3780 was inadvertently sent twice (install in SSSD only once). If you have a backlog of x3780s to load into SSSD, please remember to do so in chronological order, which is not necessarily numerical order. Soil Series included in the above x3780s: frigid: Soderville, Wallace mesic: Adder, Boots, Caron, Klossner, Medo, Muskego, Rockton ######################################################################### ACTIVITY SCHEDULE (through December 15--subject to change) MLRA DATE ACTIVITY LOCATION MO 10 STAFF ---- --------- ---------------------------- ----------------- ----------- 90 Nov 30-04 NASIS Introductory Training Wisconsin DesLauriers Jahnke 102A Dec 08-10 NASIS Introductory Training Marshall Handler 105 Dec 07-11 Final Field Review La Crosse Jahnke 108B Nov 02-06 Final Field Review Rock Falls Hempel Handler All Nov 09-10 MLRA Region 10 Staff Meeting St. Paul All All Nov 30-04 NASIS Soil Survey Sched Trng Lincoln, NE Handler ######################################################################### CONTRIBUTIONS, IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS, AND QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME Thanks to those individuals who participated this month. It is your efforts that are making this newsletter a success. * * * * * Please submit your articles at least five days before the end of the month for inclusion in the following month's newsletter. Otherwise it will appear the following month. Occasionally, due to other workload demands, it may be an additional month before the article appears. Generally, articles are inserted in the order they are received. Articles in an electronic format can be submitted to: jfh@mn.nrcs.usda.gov It is best if electronic articles are prepared in a "text only" format. Articles in a paper format can be sent or faxed to: John Handler MLRA Region 10 Office USDA - NRCS 375 Jackson Street - Suite 600 St. Paul, Minnesota 55101-1854 FAX: 1-651-602-7914 * * * * * This newsletter is intended to be a forum to distribute information of a general nature that will benefit soil scientists in soil survey project offices. It is hoped that it will foster communications and sharing of knowledge among those soil scientists in MLRA Region 10. * * * * * The format of this newsletter is intentionally simple so that it can be received, read, and printed by the project office having the least sophisticated computer setup. #########################################################################