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Summary
This dataset provides agricultural lands soil property data for US
Counties within the contiguous US. Variable include with this dataset
include: high and low soil bulk density (g C/cm3 soil), high and low
clay content (fraction), high and low soil organic carbon (g C/g
soil), and soil pH.

Our source for the Soil organic carbon (SOC), clay content, and ... bulk
density data was the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [Imhoff
JC, Carsel RF, Kittle JR, Hummel PR (1990) Data base analyzer and
parameter estimator (DBAPE) interactive computer program user's
manual. EPA/600/3-89/083, USEPA Environ. Res. Lab. Athens, GA
30613-7799]. They worked from a database developed by the Soil
Conservation Service (now Natural Resource Conservation Service) [USDA
Soil Conservation Service (1985) User manual for interactive soils
databases: nation soil survey area database, soil interpretations
record database, and plant name database. USDA SCS, Fort Collins, CO].
To find this and similar data now, visit the National Soils Data
Access Facility web site
[http://www.statlab.iastate.edu/soils/nsdaf/].

Our source for the pH data was the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO) Digital Soil Map of the World and Derived
Soil Properties, Version 3.5, Nov. 1995, original scale 1:5 000 000).
See [http://www.fao.org/] for general FAO information and see
[http://www.fao.org/ag/agl/agll/index.stm] for
details on the soils data. We printed a pH map for the US, overlaid a
state boundaries map, and then read off values for each region of each
state. The coarse resolution of the map meant that most counties (and
even many states) had only a single pH value.

High and low values are reported for each county, and represent the
range in a particular soil property found in the county. Many
counties have only a single value and it is reported as both the high
and the low value. Values are from the database surface soil layer
(defined as either 'the plow layer' or 'the A, E, Ab, and EB horizons
of the solum'). Values are based only on soils for agricultural lands
in the county, not all soils.

EOS-WEBSTER provides seven datasets which provide county-level data on
agricultural management, crop production, livestock, soil properties,
geography and population. These datasets were assembled during the
mid-1990's to provide driving variables for an assessment of
greenhouse gas production from US agriculture using the DNDC
agro-ecosystem model [see, for example, Li et al. (1992),
J. Geophys. Res., 97:9759-9776; Li et al. (1996) Global
Biogeochem. Cycles, 10:297-306]. The data (except nitrogen fertilizer
use) were all derived from publicly available, national
databases. Each dataset has a separate DIF.

The US County data has been divided into seven datasets.

US County Data Datasets:

1) Agricultural Management
2) Crop Data (NASS Crop data)
3) Crop Summary (NASS Crop data)
4) Geography and Population
5) Land Use
6) Livestock Populations
7) Soil Properties

Related URL

Link: GET DATA Description: EOS-WEBSTER Earth Science Information Partner (ESIP) provides terrestrial ecosystem research data via a web-based search, subset and order system. Link: GET DATA Description: National Soils Data Access Facility

Geographic Coverage Spatial coordinates   

N: 50.0

S: 26.0

E: -66.0

W: -124.0

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 1990-01-01 Stop Date: 1990-12-31

Location Keywords

CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Science Keywords

AGRICULTURE > SOILS > CARBON > ORGANIC CARBON (G C/G SOIL) AGRICULTURE > SOILS > ORGANIC MATTER > ORGANIC CARBON (G C/G SOIL) AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL BULK DENSITY > SOIL BULK DENSITY (G C/CM3) AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL PH AGRICULTURE > SOILS > SOIL STRUCTURE > CLAY CONTENT (FRACTION) LAND SURFACE > SOILS > CARBON > ORGANIC CARBON (G C/G SOIL) LAND SURFACE > SOILS > ORGANIC MATTER > ORGANIC CARBON (G C/G SOIL) LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL BULK DENSITY > SOIL BULK DENSITY (G C/CM3) LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL PH LAND SURFACE > SOILS > SOIL STRUCTURE > CLAY CONTENT (FRACTION)

ISO Topic Category

FARMING GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Project

ESIP > Earth Science Information Partners Program

Ancillary Keywords

BULK DENSITY CARBON CLAY CONTENT ORGANIC CARBON ORGANIC MATTER SOIL PH SOIL PROPERTIES CONSERVATION

Data Center

EOS-WEBSTER, Complex Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, Univ. of New Hampshire Data Center URL: http://eos-webster.sr.unh.edu Data Center Personnel Name: DENISE BLAHA Phone: 1-603-862-3785 Fax: 603-862-0188 Email: support at cooa.sr.unh.edu Contact Address: Complex Systems Research Center Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space Morse Hall University of New Hampshire City: Durham Province or State: New Hampshire Postal Code: 03824 Country: USA

Personnel

SHANNON SPENCER Role: DIF AUTHOR Phone: 603-862-1792 Fax: 603-862-0188 Email: shannon.spencer at unh.edu Contact Address: Complex Systems Research Center Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space Morse Hall University of New Hampshire City: Durham Province or State: New Hampshire Postal Code: 03824 Country: USA

Publications/References

Imhoff JC, Carsel RF, Kittle JR, Hummel PR (1990) Data base analyzer
and parameter estimator (DBAPE) interactive computer program user's
manual. EPA/600/3-89/083, USEPA Environ. Res. Lab. Athens, GA
30613-7799

Li et al. (1992), J. Geophys. Res., 97:9759-9776;

Li et al. (1996), Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 10:297-306

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2000-07-27 Last DIF Revision Date: 2005-09-29

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