open soil profiles - testbed data portal for storing soil profile data

Open Soil Pro�les

Tomislav Hengl

ISRIC � World Soil Information, Wageningen University

GSM2011.org, June 20�24th 2011

GSIF components

1. Cyber infrastructure for input, analysis and visualization of

data.

2. Global databases (legacy data, gridded covariates) thatare main inputs to global soil mapping.

3. Software tools (modules and packages) and manuals for

creation of geoinformation, for instance, according to the

GlobalSoilMap.net speci�cations.

4. Standards and protocols for data entry, map generation and

data sharing.


Hypothesis

Probably the most valuable legacy soil survey data

are the �eld records of soil properties

i.e. soil pro�le observations


De�nition

Soil �eld record1: any georeferenced observationor measurement of soil properties

(anything measured in soil medium)

1Compare with e.g. http://www.geosamples.org


http://www.geosamples.org

Book chapter


Proposed implementation

1. Build an open (real time Public access) data portal thatcan be used to collect and maintain world soil �eldobservations

2. Use it to facilitate global soil mapping activities

3. Collect millions of points. . .


Basic principles

1. Soil surveyors / contributors remain owners of the data(read/write rights)

2. Anyone can contribute

3. Anyone can use

4. (ISRIC will maintain and improve it)


GBIF


http://data.gbif.org

Global Surface Summary of the Day (GSOD)


ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/gsod/

There are probably millions of soil records out there

Figure: USDA NCSS Characterization Database, CSIRO National Soil

Archive, ISRIC WISE, SPADE, Iran National soil pro�le database,

Canadian Soil Information System, and African soil pro�les.


Lower Saxony

�Only in Lower Saxony

(federal state in northern Germany)

there are about 1.3 millions

of soil pro�les and cores.�2

2Rainer et al. (2011): Soil carbon balance in sensitive ecosystems in Europe.


Endangered species

�Legacy soil �eld records are being lost as we speak.

There is a considerable

danger of being lost to e�ective use forever (!)�


Types of soil observations (records)

1. Freeform Soil Records (FFSR)

2. Soil Pro�le Records in Original Form (SPROF)

3. Harmonized Soil Pro�le Records (HSPR)


FFSR

I Only a very limited number of basic site columns are

absolutely required.

I Freeform soil records do not need to describe a whole soil

pro�le (0�200 cm) nor do they require any pedological or

taxonomic data.

I Variable types (columns) are extendible.

I Entries are not restricted to standard measurement techniques.

I Metadata is attached to each new record and is a part of the

record.


SPROF

Soil Pro�le Records in Original Form (SPROF)

are soil pro�le records that describe complete pro�le

but are unharmonized

(do not comply with a single international standard)


HSPR

I Are complete (core columns).

I Are ready for use (mapping and analysis).

I Contain soil variables required to produce mapsaccording to GlobalSoilMap.net speci�cations.

I Do not carry any metadata (metadata is standard).


Data entry scheme

Open Soil Profiles

Complete

profile?NO YES

Freeform soil

record

(FFSR)

Harmonized

values?

NO

New entry

Harmonize

to referent

method

(ISRIC hosted enterprise DB)

SOIL

REFERENCE

LIBRARY

OSRL0

Open soil record

YES

OSPL0

Harmonized Soil

Profile Record

(HSPR)

Fill in the

missing

values

Open soil profile

Soil Profile Record

in Original Form

(SPROF)


Test-bed data portal


http://soilprofiles.org

Data display / sharing

For convenience of automated use and for consistency, we proposethe following attributes for HSPD:

I One row = one record3

I Column naming convention

I Uncertainty columns

I Access via URL or via ODBC (MySQL)

3Although in the background we work with a relational DB.


3D variables

A proposed standard naming convention. E.g. pH estimated in 1:5water solution for the initial soil depth layer becomes:

estimation model

P H I H O 5 _ A

variable type depth sequence

estimation model

T A X N U S D A

variable type


Site observations

Site information, such as soil classi�cation by the USDA system canbe coded as:

estimation model

P H I H O 5 . A

variable type depth sequence

estimation model

T A X N U S D A

variable type


Summary points

I If meteorologists, ecologists have managed to buildglobal data sets of �eld records why can't we?

I If a government agency does not intend to sell their soildata, why not contribute to OSP (distributed hosting)?

I Before we can use the OSP for soil mapping, we need toconvert FFSR and SPROF to HSPR

I There is an enormous value in legacy soil �eld data(forgotten goldmine)


Next steps

I Prepare entry templates for FFSR, SPROF and HSPR

I Focus on National soil pro�le datasets

I Invite people (IUSS, DSM, any soil surveyor) to contribute

I Popularize it


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