| Catagory |
Type |
Activities |
Contact |
| Landscape Modeling |
PURC |
A Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) agreement was initiated by
the BLM with Dr. Janis Boettinger, Utah State University, to develop
protocols and methodology for accelerating soil survey of Wyoming public
lands. Under Janis’s guidance, Nephi Cole former Utah State University
graduate student and current NRCS soil scientist, has developed a knowledge
based classification system (Pedogenic Understanding Raster-Based
Classification (PURC) Methodology) predicting soil distribution on six 7 ½
minute quads in the pilot project area. DEMs and TM band ratio data and
local knowledge of the soil-landscape relationships were used to drive the
model. Research required to complete Phase I includes further field
checking. A final accuracy assessment will be performed by developing an
error matrix, analyzing the results using the Kappa statistic (a type of
chi-square analysis), and calculating confidence intervals. Preliminary
indications suggested good correlation of the model to field verification. |
Rick Shuler
BLM
rick_shuler@blm.gov
Darrell Schroeder
NRCS
Darrell.Schroeder@wy.usda.gov
Janis Boettinger
Utah State
jlboett@cc.usu.edu |
| Landscape Modeling |
CART |
A Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) agreement was initiated by
the BLM with Dr. Janis Boettinger, Utah State University, to develop
protocols and methodology for accelerating soil survey of Wyoming public
lands. Amy Saunders, USU Graduate Research Assistant, created digital models
using GIS that represent the five soil forming factors in the 4Cs project
area in Sublette County. These models will provide preliminary maps
indicating potential changes in soil characteristics. Amy is using a
Classification and Regression Tree (CART) methodology to develop her
predictive model. Field testing of the model will begin later this field
season. |
Rick Shuler
BLM
rick_shuler@blm.gov
Darrell Schroeder
NRCS
Darrell.Schroeder@wy.usda.gov
Janis Boettinger
Utah State
jlboett@cc.usu.edu |
| Landscape Modeling |
Randomized Points |
Efforts are underway by NRCS in California, in cooperation with Humboldt
State University and BLM to develop methods for soil distribution modeling.
The goals are to accelerate soil mapping, reduce costs, extract soil-forming
factor relationships from current SSURGO data on areas adjacent to update or
new mapping, and provide value enhanced soil survey products. One test site
is the BLM Johnson Valley OHV area near Victorville, California. A
stratified random sampling scheme was used to select point data locations
which were described and sampled. Thematic mapper (TM) band ratio
combinations (3/2, 3/7, and 5/7) developed by the BLM and variables derived
from DEM data (landform, slope steepness, slope aspect, profile curvature,
plan curvature, compound slope shape, and elevation) were used to develop a
predictive model of selected soil property distribution in the test area.
Statistical analysis was conducted by Dr. Yoon Kim, Humboldt State
University of the correlation of the predicted distribution of the soil
properties to the field sampled data. |
David Howell
NRCS
david.howell@ca.usda.gov |
| Landscape Modeling |
Predictive Modeling |
Utah State University proposes to enter into an agreement with BLM to
develop, test, and implement a standard protocol for utilizing geographic
information and processing to improve the efficiency, quality, and
flexibility of soil survey on public lands in a test project area in Beaver
County, Utah. The expected product is a protocol for soil survey that can be
in other soil survey areas. |
Lisa Bryant
BLM
lisa_bryant@blm.gov |
| Landscape Modeling |
Wilderness Mapping |
Pursuing the use of advanced technology in the mapping of Death Valley
National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and Mojave National Preserve.
These parks total over 5,950,000 acres, with over 3,000,000 acres designated
as Wilderness. Issues regarding limited access and what soil survey methods
are allowable in wilderness areas lead NPS to pursue the use of advanced
technology to assist in the development of soil surveys that still will
serve as a basic inventory of soils, as well as providing a soils database
to meet current and future needs of the NPS. |
Pete Biggam
NPS
National
pete_biggam@nps.gov |
| Landscape Modeling |
Wilderness Mapping |
Pursuing the use of advanced technology in the mapping of North Cascades
National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, and Olympic National Park, Lake
Chelan National Recreation Area, and Ross Lake National Recreation Area.
These parks total over 1,750,000 acres, with over 1,650,000 acres designated
as Wilderness. Issues regarding limited access and what soil survey methods
are allowable in wilderness areas lead NPS to pursue the use of advanced
technology to assist in the development of soil surveys that still will
serve as a basic inventory of soils, as well as providing a soils database
to meet current and future needs of the NPS. Also are interested in what our
USFS neighbors will be acquiring on their lands, under similar situations.
Will be pursuing methods utilized in the mapping of the USFS Pasayten
Wilderness by Toby Rodgers, NRCS, as well as those developed by Crystal
Briggs, Washington State University, in the Thunder Creek Watershed Project,
North Cascades National Park. |
Pete Biggam
NPS
National
pete_biggam@nps.gov |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI and ECOMAP |
Initial discussions with USFS and NRCS to discuss the use of advanced
technology to address the update of soils mapping for Yellowstone National
Park, Grand Teton National Park, and John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway.
These parks total over 2,600,000 acres, with over 2,250,000 acres designated
as Wilderness. Looking at developing a soil resource inventory to support
multi-agency needs for soils information within the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem. Interested in pursuing the use of the TEUI Toolkit to assist
mapping of soils across landscapes irregardless to agency ownerships. Also
interested in the incorporation of the National Hierarchical Framework of
Ecological Units (ECOMAP) within the soil mapping process to address the
relationships of soils to other components of the ecosystems, and the
processes that affect them. |
Pete Biggam
NPS
National
pete_biggam@nps.gov |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit was first tested on the Custer National Forest. The
Custer National Forest was the first location where the TEUI toolkit was
field tested. |
John Lane
USFS
jlane@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit will be used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the survey on the
Shoshoni National Forest in Wyoming. Dr. Janis Boettinger, Utah State
University, has been contracted to assist in the use of the TEUI toolkit. |
Kent Houston
USFS
khouston@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit will be used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the survey on the
Tonto National Forest in Arizona. |
George Robertson
USFS
grobertson@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit will be used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the survey on the
Humboldt National Forest in Nevada. |
Jim Hurja
USFS
jhurja@fed.fs.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit will be used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the survey on the
Modoc National Forest in California. |
Sidney Smith
USFS |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit will be used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the survey on the
Klamath National Forest in California. |
Max Cressing
USFS
Bonnie Allison
USFS
ballison@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI and LANDSAT |
The TEUI toolkit is being used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the land type
association survey on the Fremont National Forest. Landsat imagery was used
to help determine plant community relationships the on landscape, especially
on a large area that had been burned by wildfire. |
Eric Nicita
USFS
enicita@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI toolkit is being used to pre-process digital information and
digitize soil polygons for the pre-mapping product for the TEUI survey on
the Uinta National Forest in Utah. |
Bob Davidson
USFS
radavidson@fs.fed.us |
| Landscape Modeling |
TEUI |
The TEUI-Geospatial Toolkit was designed to implement and maintain the
FS mapping standards of TEUI. The application was built on Erdas Imagine 8.5
and ArcInfo platforms to provide resource specialists the ability to: load
geospatial data; visualize landscapes, delineate land units; analyze
environmental variables; and generate hard-copy map products. Types of data
currently used by the Toolkit include: Cartographic Feature Files, Digital
Elevation Models (DEMs), Digital orthophoto Quadranges (DOQs), and Landsat
Enhanced Thematic Mapper satellite imagery. Currently the TEUI-Geospatial
Toolkit is in the transition from prototype phase to operational phase. One
of the features of the new design would be to provide a large geospatial
data storage capability on a server that could be accessed by TEUI toolkit
users to retrieve data off a menu. The data would be pre-processed and
merged to meet user requirements and delivered to the user upon request.
Another development is the creation of functions currently performed by
Erdas Imagine within the ArcGIS platform for the toolkit. The cooperation of
other Federal agencies in the reconfiguration of the TEUI toolkit to allow
easy use by those other agencies is being explored. The issues of
configuration, business needs, and standard data available to the potential
user agencies have been identified. A non-Forest Service installation
package has been prepared for some agencies and universities on a limited
basis. |
Bob Davidson
USFS
radavidson@fs.fed.us |
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