Land-Use Management Using a Soil Survey Geographic Database for Finney County, Kansas

Abstract

The determination of best management practices for land resources is often complicated by the lack of a means for evaluation and lack of quality data. Soil surveys are an important source of data that can be used to improve farm and ranch planning and environmental protection. In this study, we examined the use of a soil survey geographic (SSURGO) database within a geographic information system (GIS) coupled with remote sensing data for land-use management in Finney County, Kansas. The objectives were (i) to identify land-use change; (ii) to evaluate the influence of soil, groundwater, and physiography on land use; and (iii) to assess land-use potential and present management alternatives. Land-use/land-cover (LULC) maps for 1987, 1989, and 1992 were derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper data. These LULC layers were manipulated with layers: organic matter content, thickness, and texture of the surface soil horizon; land capability class; aquifer thickness (AT); and physiography. The acreage of fallow land decreased and the acreage of grassland increased from 1987 to 1992 because of an increase in the acreage of land used in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Broad cropping patterns (irrigated vs. nonirrigated) did not change significantly between 1987 and 1992 and were related to AT. Some currently cropped areas had high erosion potential, whereas some grasslands had relatively low erosion hazards. These grasslands could be used as alternatives for cropping. The study demonstrates the potential of using SSURGO within a GIS coupled with remote sensing information in planning and management for natural resources.