Map Unit Development and Approval

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Map Unit Development and Approval
MO6 Soil Scientists Workshop March 16 to 20, 2009
Tom Hahn, MO 6 Lakewood, CO
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Map Unit Development and Approval

• This is an idealized sequence of the common steps
  necessary to develop a map unit and prepare it
  for approval and progressive correlation
• Intended for initial soil surveys, and may not be
  applicable for update surveys

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1. Identify need for a new map unit

• Use premapping, remote sensing, digital analysis
  to start characterizing the unit.
• Preliminary field investigation with
  traverses/transects.
• Identify ecological sites that need to be
  recognized (Range Specialist assistance).

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2. Develop Provisional Map Unit Concept

• Record provisional composition on a form to
  provide to project staff (could be done
  immediately in NASIS).
• Assign map unit symbol for all staff to use.

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3. Refine map unit composition with additional
traverses/transects

• Space the locations of documentation to represent
  the extent of the map unit.
• Revise provisional map unit concept as needed.

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4. Collect complete pedon descriptions that are
representative of the component(s) concept

• Focus on observations of representative pedons
  (biased observations), with backhoe if necessary.
• Collect lab reference samples to resolve
  taxonomic or correlation questions.
• Identify range inventory sites for major
  components (Range Specialist).
• As a significant extent is mapped, ensure the
  amount of documentation (pedon and map unit)
  meets the local MOU and NSSH standards.

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5. Acquire assistance from the MLRA Soil Survey
Leader or MO SDQS if needed

• Resolve questions on map unit design, landforms,
  taxonomic class

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6. Select and fully describe a DMU typical pedon
for the major components

• May also serve as the survey area TUD typical
  pedon, and possibly a new OSD typical pedon.

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7. Map unit can be presented on a field review.

• Timing of the progress field review is the
  prerogative of the soil survey project leader
• If significant acreage is mapped, adequate
  documentation is collected, and the map unit is
  well-defined
• If the map unit contains the TUD typical pedon, a
  pit of that typical pedon needs to be shown.
• If a TUD typical pedon has already been observed
  on a review only the pedon descriptions (not a
  pit) of the DMU typical pedons need be shown.

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8. Address any needs identified during the
progress review

• Collecting additional documentation,
• Describe a new typical pedon,
• Answer questions with lab analyses etc.

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9. Compile and analyze documentation

• Analyze transects, traverses, notes to refine map
  unit composition.
• Populate NASIS DMU and Component data.

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10. Compile and analyze pedon data

• Analyze pedon descriptions, lab data,
  transect/traverse points.
• Run in-office analyses (CCE, sieving, hydrometer,
  etc.).
• Populate NASIS component and horizon data.

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11. Generate a Map Unit Description and
Taxonomic Unit Description

• TUD for each major component in the map unit

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12. Quality Control

• Everyone checks their own work
• The project leader checks all staff work, and
  reviews the MUD, TUD, and NASIS for accuracy and
  completeness
• The MLRA Soil Survey leader reviews all work from
  the project office

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13. MLRA Office Quality Assurance

• NASIS database is reviewed for accuracy and
  completeness,
• Map unit descriptions are reviewed,
• Taxonomic unit descriptions are reviewed and
  verified that they encompass the map unit
  components,
• Lab data from the map unit is reviewed to ensure
  it supports the characteristics of the map unit
  component.

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14. The project office performs any follow-up
edits from MO QA

• This finalizes work on the MUD, TUD, and database.

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15. Official Series Description Work

• The project staff compares the TUD to the OSD,
  proposes revisions to the OSD.
• If a new proposed series, an OSD is drafted.

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16. Edited or draft OSD are submitted to MO

• The OSD is reviewed and verified that it
  encompasses the characteristics of the TUD

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17. The OSD is processed and the map unit status
is changed to approved.

• The approved status certifies that the map unit
  meets the standards of the National Cooperative
  Soil Survey.