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Soil and Terrain Database for Latin America and the Carribean - 1:5 Million Scale

Entry ID: FAO.SOTERLAC

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Summary

Abstract: Up till now the major source of geo-referenced soil data of Latin America and the Carribean at a scale of 1:5 Million was the FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World. Since the publication of the South and Cental America map sheets in the nineteen seventies, a wealth of new soil information has become available at national level in nearly every country of the region. The present publication taps this ... new material and at the same time uses the principles of the soil and terrain database (SOTER) to store and link soil information. The principles of a soil and terrain database (SOTER) were developed at the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) on intiative of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS, formerly ISSS) with support from UNEP, and later endorsed by FAO as the preferred methodology to store and update soil and terrain information at a global level. These principles are applied here to inventory the land resources in Latin America and the Carribean. This CD ROM contains information on 1490 different SOTER mapping units, with more than 2000 terrain elements, while more than 1800 soil profiles with different measured attributes are present in the database. Geographical information on mapping units is stored in Arc/Info export format. The attribute information is stored in a relational database system. Data on slope, relief intensity, major landform , general lithology , surface rockiness, rootable depth, soil classification in the FAO Revised Legend and in Soil Taxonomy, soil colour, texture, pH and Organic Carbon content are given for most of the soil profiles. In addition a viewer programme, developed by ISRIC, that runs under Windows (3.1 or 95) is included that enables one to display thematic maps and search attribute data for non-GIS users. The whole activity of collecting, correlating and storing the soil data took about 4 years and was made possible by financial contributions of UNEP, AGL's regular programme, CIP and ISRIC's internal funds. Base data and technical information were provided by a large number of national soil institutes in the region.

This CD-ROM contains information on the soil and terrain resources of Latin America and the Carribean compiled according to the soil and terrain database methodology (SOTER). Information is stored in a relational database and in Arc/Info export format. A GIS independent viewer programme allows access to all major information contained in the CD-ROM.

SOTERLAC is also available via download directly from International Soil Reference and Information Centre (http://www.isric.nl/).

Related URL

Link: VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE

Description: This URL is the location from which the Soils and Terrain database for Latin and Central America and the Caribbean (SOTERLAC) may be downloaded.

Link: VIEW RELATED INFORMATION

Description: The goal of the Global Soil and Terrain Database (WORLD-SOTER) is to provide sound soil and terrain resources information on a global scale(1:5 Million).

Geographic Coverage

(Click for Interactive Map)

Spatial coordinates

N: 36.0

S: -60.0

E: -31.0

W: -120.0

Data Set Citation

Dataset Title: FAO, Land and Water Digital Media Series n5; Soil and Terrain Database for Latin America and the Carribean - 1:5 Million scale

Dataset Release Date: 1998-12-01

Dataset Release Place: Rome, Italy

Dataset Publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Issue Identification: ISBN 92-5-104170-9

Data Presentation Form: Relational Database and ARC/INFO Export Format on CD-ROM

Online Resource: http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/lwdms.htm#cd5

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > MEXICO

OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA > CARIBBEAN

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > CENTRAL AMERICA > Latin America

CONTINENT > SOUTH AMERICA > Latin America

Science Keywords

OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN

OCEANS > OCEAN OPTICS > ATTENUATION/TRANSMISSION

ISO Topic Category

GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

OCEANS

Platform

SHIPS

Instrument

CTD > Conductivity, Temperature, Depth

MOCNESS > MOCNESS Plankton Net

TRANSMISSOMETERS

FLUOROMETERS

Project

GLOBEC > Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics, IGBP

IGBP > International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

U.S.GLOBEC-SO > U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics, Southern Ocean

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

Quality These data should be considered as raw/unedited and have not have post
cruise calibrations applied. The data are of extremely poor quality
during the initial deployment period.

Use Constraints Any person making substantial use of a data set must communicate with
the investigators who acquired the data prior to publication and
anticipate that the data collectors will be co-authors of published
results. This extends to model results and to data organized for
retrospective studies.

...

Ancillary Keywords

plankton tows

net tow characteristics

Originating Center

Data Center

U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystems Dynamics Program

Data Center URL: http://globec.whoi.edu/
Dataset ID: Southern Ocean

Data Center Personnel
Name: ROBERT C. GROMAN Phone: 508-289-2409 Fax: 508-457-2169 Email: rgroman at whoi.edu Contact Address: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Swift House MS#38 City: Woods Hole Province or State: MA Postal Code: 02543-1127 Country: USA

Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office

Data Center URL: http://www.bco-dmo.org

Data Center Personnel
Name: ROBERT C. GROMAN Phone: 508-289-2409 Fax: 508-457-2169 Email: rgroman at whoi.edu Contact Address: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Swift House MS#38 City: Woods Hole Province or State: MA Postal Code: 02543-1127 Country: USA