Conference of Informatics and Management Sciences

ICTIC 2013

March, 25. - 29. 2013

GIS Mapping for Soil Quality Evaluation

Svitlana Kokhan, Antonina Moskalenko, Ivan Shkvir
Department of Geographic Information Systems and Technologies
National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine
e-mail: GIS_DZZ_chair@nubip.edu.ua, an_moskalenko@yahoo.com
Abstract. Geoinformation technologies are widely used for soil
survey applications. The purpose of the study is to develop a
geodatabase to provide soil quality monitoring using GIS
mapping based on data of agrochemical soil survey. The research
consisted of the following tasks: to design the structure of
geodatabase; to create geodatabase using data of agrochemical
soil survey of the pilot territory; to monitor land cover/soil
quality changes between the tours of soil survey; to use ArcGIS
capabilities to create digital cartograms. The developed
geodatabase of pilot territory provides making the strategy of soil
sampling according to the form of land ownership.
Keywords Soil Quality; GIS; Geodatabase; Soil Mapping

I.

INTRODUCTION

Land cover and soil cover is an important component in

understanding the interactions of the human activities with the
environment and thus it is necessary to be able to simulate their
changes [1].
The decrease of soil fertility has been carrying on during
the last decades. Soil cover of agricultural lands is intended to
degradation and contamination.
Privatization process of land parcels in Ukraine influenced
to the appearance of the numerous land owners and agricultural
producers of different ownership. Tasks related to the
management of agricultural production are of great importance
nowadays. Soil quality monitoring is an effective mean to
provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of soil quality
within time, to control the content of contaminants in soils
(such as heavy metals, radionuclides, etc.).
There is a vital need in informational providing for soil
quality monitoring. Digital soil mapping is essential tool due to
the decreasing, time-consuming and expensive field surveys
which are no longer affordable by the soil surveys of the
individual districts [2]. Geoinformation technologies have
become useful means in diverse range of application [3] and in
digital soil mapping as well. The GIS-based decision-support
system is described to establish potentials and limitations of
different soils for crop production [4].
Remotely sensed data, satellite imagery and other spatial
data is an important input to many analyses. It can provide
timely as well as historical information that may be impossible
to obtain in any other way. The availability of these data
provides opportunities for environmental studies particularly in
the areas of change detection, landuse mapping, land
evaluation, land survey that would have been unknown of only
a few decades ago. The problem of land mapping unit

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delineation in land evaluation is resolved in GIS environment

[5] based on various spatial data.
In this concern the aim of the research is to design structure
and components of the geodatabase as well as technological
scheme of soil mapping based on the results of agrochemical
characteristics of soils in order to evaluate the soil quality.
II.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The original soil maps of the Kyiv region as well as the

map of agricultural soil groups of the pilot territory were used
in the research. Tasks for creating a geodatabase are divided
into data capture, data organization, data derivation and data
analysis. The process of soil mapping based on GIS with the
aim to evaluate soil quality consisted of the following steps:

development of conceptual, logic and physical models

of geodatabase;

geodata input;

attribute data input related to the current data and

previous data of agrochemical surveys;

thematic mapping;

geodatabase queries and change analysis;

geovisualizing the results.

The area mapped is territory of Agronomic experimental

station of the National University of Life and Environmental
Sciences of Ukraine (Figure 1).
The Unified Modeling Language (UML) has been used to
model the soil quality of agricultural lands.
III.

GEODATABASE DEVELOPMENT AND GIS MAPPING

The study shows the part of the problem to be resolved

related to soil quality monitoring based on geodatabase design.
According to the procedure of soil qualities monitoring on
agricultural lands in Ukraine the regional centers are
responsible for development of regional databanks of soil
quality characteristics on agricultural lands as well as
information systems which provide data collection, data
analysis, regional programs development for conservation of
soil fertility and explanation of recommendations to create the
decision support scenarios.

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March, 25. - 29. 2013

A. Design the structure of geodatabase

One of the general strategies to creating geodatabase is
using UML to design the schema and the CASE tools
subsystem of ArcGIS to generate feature datasets, feature
classes, tables, and other items. ArcGIS supports the use of
CASE tools to import UML models for geodatabase design.
UML is a useful tool for documenting the relational aspects of
a geodatabase schema. Constructed scheme was imported into
ArcGIS to be used for mapping soil quality.
The starting point of the geodatabase design includes the
development of conceptual, logic and physical models. The
structure of the geodatabase in order to resolve the main task of
the research is given in Figure 2.
The components of the geodatabase are:

Figure 1. Location of study area: a) Ukraine; b) Kyiv region; c) Agronomic

experimental station of the National University of Life and Environmental
Sciences of Ukraine; d) Vasilkivskyi district.

To provide GIS mapping for soil quality evaluation the

following procedures were used: development of conceptual
geodatabase model; spatial and attribute data input; thematic
mapping; geodatabase queries.

landuse structure of agricultural enterprise: title, code,

territory organizing, crop rotation, field number,
elementary plot number, parcel number (if available);

structure of the territory administrative organization;

soil areal on the map (soil agricultural group, soil

name, soil texture);

structure of observation network (number of soil

elementary plots).

Figure 2. Fragment of UML diagram of conceptual data model of the quality of agricultural lands.

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The heart of any geoinformation system is the data model,

which is a set of components for representation of objects and
processes in the digital environment of computer. Object
oriented design and analysis was used to create certain
representations of the general components and relations. The
UML is the object modeling and specification language used
when developing models. UML includes a standardized
graphical notation that may be used to create an abstract model
of system: the UML model. Using UML as a framework, the
schema for modeling of the quality of agricultural lands has
been developed. UML model contains classes and linkages,
which describe necessary data and relationships to a
specialized GIS.

TABLE I.
Groups
of
classes

Class name

Soil_Type

Soil_Subtype

Genetik_Soil
_Type
Soil_Texture
Degradation_
Type
Degradation_
Subtype

Agricultural lands can be described by various information,

including the location, crop rotation, soil composition and
chemical soil property, etc. This information is defined by a set
of parameters that includes both attributes and geometry.

Agrosoil
Suitability_
Soil_Scale
Crops

Model of the quality of agricultural lands consists of the

following
elements:
Soil_Type,
Soil_Subtype,
Genetik_Soil_Type,
Soil_Texture,
Degradation_Type,
Degradation_Subtype, Agrosoil, DEM (digital elevation
model), Suitability_Soil_Scale, Crops, Crop_Rotation,
Agricultural_land, Land_Users, Field, Elementary_Plot, Parcel,
Agrochemical_Indicators, Chemical_Values (Chemical_Field
& Chemical_Elementary_Plot) (Table 1). The schema of the
model of soil quality of agricultural lands is realized with
ArcGIS. UML-diagram has been imported to ArcGIS.
Therefore the appropriate structure is provided to adding
spatial and attribute data.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPATIAL LAYERS OF GEODATABASE OF

SOIL QUALITY STATUS

Soil

The capture of spatial data, processing and spatial analysis

were performed within the GIS environment. Since soil data
are spatial in nature, it can be easily handled and analyzed
using ESRI ArcGIS. The soil quality is characterized by
spatially related information. This information can be managed,
analyzed and presented in ArcGIS.

Adminis
trative
division
Land
User
DEM

Crops
Crop_
Rotation
Admin_Territ
orial_ System
Land_User

DEM

The main data represented in information system for soil

quality monitoring is given by the data of soil agrochemical
analysis; ecological and ameliorative soil survey based on total
survey as well as selected soil surveys, data obtained according
to the procedure of agrochemical passport development in
different levels: field farm (or enterprise) district region.

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Elementary_
Plot
Field
Agricultural_
Land

Chemical Values

B. Spatial and attribute data input

Different data types were entered into geodatabase. Spatial
data are represented by satellite image QuickBird for the
territory of experimental station and Alos/AVNIR for
delineation of the district boundary. Soil maps, cartograms and
plans of the territories of village communities were scanned
and digitized. Data integration from different sources and
different forms of data representation is based on the use of a
unique coordinate system and a basic set of geospatial data.
Spatial information has been complemented with attribute data.

Land plot

Parcel

For actual data analysis the object-relational model of

geodatabase has been designed to describe geometry of objects
and their development, change detection analysis, relationship
of objects with other classes in geodatabase. Such model is a
basis to provide analysis of existed data and to obtaining the
new transformed data.

Agrochemical
_Indicators

Chemical_Ele
mentary_Plot
Chemical_
Field

Description
element, which describes a large group of
soils that are formed in similar biological,
climatic, hydrological conditions
represents soil group within the type,
which has the difference between primary
and secondary processes of soil formation
element, which describes group of soils
within a soil subtype that differs in the
degree of associated process of soil
formation
determines physical texture of agricultural
soils (by particle size)
determines the types of degradation by the
source of negative phenomena: biological,
physical, water and wind erosion, etc.
defines the subtype of degradation on
etiological agent
the object, combining all characteristics of
soil by origin
describes the suitability of soils for crop
growing by properties of soils and slopes
a set of grain-crops, vegetables, forage
crops and industrial crops
determines the sequence in crop growth on
the field
the administrative division. It has the
following units: region, district, city, town,
village council, village
the owner or landholder, which determines
the form of land use
a digital elevation model (DEM), a 3D
representation of a relief. DEM obtained
from contours and height points. This
element has a type of surface
the smallest plot of land, which has
cadastral number, area, owner and defined
boundaries
a plot of land, which has area less then 30
ha and similar soil properties
a part of agricultural land, which is used
under crops
component which describes type of land by
the way of economic use
indices of the soil quality: agrophysical
(texture, soil density, productive moisture),
agrochemical (soil reaction (pH), humus,
nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, trace
elements, etc.), soil pollution (heavy
metals, pesticide residues, radionuclides,
etc.) Every index has limit value or
threshold
averaged values of soil quality indicator of
elementary plot
averaged values of soil quality parameter
within the field

C. Monitor of agricultural land cover/soil quality

characteristics
Thematic map of elementary plots for individual soil
sampling has been created including analyses of the input
spatial data. The size of elementary plot depends on the type of

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agricultural lands, heterogeneity of the territory, variability of

soil cover and the size of the land parcel. It is recommended to
use the area of 10 to 15 ha within fields over area of 30 ha to be
an elementary plot of arable land in the Forest-Steppe zone [6].
To delineate elementary plots on the pilot territory the
variability of soil cover has been taken into account according
to agricultural groups of soils within each elementary soil
mapping unit in the field as well as data available of the
previous soil surveys.
According to the methodology of agrochemical soil survey
20 individual soil patterns are sampled from each elementary
plot for obtaining the mixed sample per plot. Soil data were
entered into the geodatabase and consisted of agrophysical,
physico-chemical, agrochemical characteristics and soil
pollution.
Digital soil mapping has been done as an alternative to
classical soil surveys for the quantitative mapping of soil
properties over agricultural areas of a certain landuser.
Soil monitoring is a system of surveillance of soil to timely
detection of changes, its evaluation, prevention and elimination
consequences of negative processes.
The main task of soil monitoring is prediction of ecological
and economic results of land degradation and development
proposals to prevent or remedy of negative processes. Digital
cartograms developed in the research were used by landuser to
optimize fertilizer rates based on soil quality characteristics.
While mapping soil quantitative characteristics to study
their distribution within the field/soil agricultural group or
elementary plot there is a choice in representation of layer
properties (e.g. categories, quantities, multiple attributes).

Figure 3. Humus content in the soil: a) humus content

per elementary plots; b) humus average value per
agricultural soil contour per field; c) average value per
field; d) average value per agricultural soil contours per
enterprise.

Using agrochemical soil data when creating cartograms the

values are grouped into classes. Soil characteristics within one
class keep their variability within the class range. They have
the same symbol which corresponds to a certain class. Setting
the range of the class determines the objectives belonging to
the class. According to the methodology of agrochemical
survey the specialized palette is used to displaying the set of
elementary plots with the same attribute values in one class.
The range of classes is established according to the level of
nutrients in the soil. The manual procedure was applied to
determine the range of classes under cartogram design. For
each elementary plot the combined spatial information and the
set of agrochemical data obtained from tours of soil
agrochemical observations were used to creating digital
cartograms (Figures 3-4).
Soil classification by humus content includes 6 classes: 1
very low (in red color), 2 low (orange), 3 medium (yellow),
4 moderate to high (green), 5 high (blue), 6 very high
(dark blue). Soil agricultural groups of the pilot territory are
characterized by high humus content.
Figure 4. Nitrogen content in the soil: a) nitrogen content
per elementary plots; b) nitrogen average value per
agricultural soil contour per field; c) average value per field;
d) average value per agricultural soil contours per enterprise.

There were no significant changes observed

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in humus and easily hydrolysable nitrogen content within the

period between the last two soil agrochemical surveys.
Creating queries is the next stage of geodatabase
functioning. Developed geodatabase provides data queries for
different levels: the level of agricultural soil group per field;
individual field; soil agricultural group within the territory of
enterprise, district, and region.
IV.

REFERENCES
[1]

CONCLUSIONS

The fundamental conceptual model of the geodatabase has

been created using UML diagram and realized in ArcGIS. The
model has been used to evaluate and analyze the soil quality of
agricultural lands.
A set of thematic maps which has the potential of visual
impression of soil properties has been created. These maps
delineate one level of indices of the soil quality rating from the
other using color coding system. That is a particular color was
used to indicate levels of agrochemical indices in the study
area.
Evaluation changes in soil quality indicators could be done
based on the results of soil agrochemical surveys in different
years using the developed geodatabase.

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The methodology and deliverables of the research allow

using the new planning guidelines to preserve and manage the
soil fertility while managing agricultural development in the
region.

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

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T. Behrens and T. Scholten, Digital Soil Mapping in Germany a
review, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, vol 169(3), 2006
pp 434443.
Eric K. Forkuo, Abrefa K. Digital Soil Mapping in GIS Environment
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Raj Setia, Vipan Verma, Pawan Sharma, Soil Informatics for
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Methods agrochemical certification of agricultural lands / edited S.M.
Rizhuk, M.V. Lsovy, D.M. Bentsarovsky. Kiev, 2003 64 p.

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