Soils of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho

Rodman, Ann; Rodman, Ann; Rodman, Ann

The soils of Yellowstone National Park were being mapped between 1988 and 1996 to provide better information about their nature and distribution. The coverage of the soils of Yellowstone National Park of 1996 provides baseline soil data at an Order IV level. The information can be used for site-specific work only after field verification. Aerial photography taken between 1969 and 1971, surficial geology maps completed in 1970's, existing digital maps (Habitat Types, Landforms and Parent Material, DEM etc.), and information from site observations were used. The map units delineate soil bodies that occur together in repeating patterns on the landscape. Map units include a combination of soils, mapped together to reflect the scale of mapping, standards for purity, survey objectives, and map readability (see section Entity and Attribute Information for details). Rather than making map units with predetermined interpretations in mind, major soil properties were grouped to maximize differences between groups and minimize differences within a group. This type of grouping allows the user flexibility in developing interpretations for specific interests. The location of each map unit is shown on the detailed soil maps. Each map unit and each soil in the survey area is described in detail, including soil properties that affect land use and potential. The ARC coverage contains about 5,000 polygons, and about 80 different map units, each a combination of soils. Primary attributes are in the .PAT file, described in the Entity and Attribute Information Section of this Metadataset.