Nonirrigated Land Capability Subclassification by Soil Type
National Park Service: Thomas Colson. 2011. Nonirrigated Land Capability Subclassification by Soil Type
Land capability classification shows, in a general way, the suitability of soils for most kinds of field crops. Crops that require special management are excluded. The soils are grouped according to their limitations for field crops, the risk of damage if they are used for crops, and the way they respond to management. The criteria used in grouping the soils do not include major and generally expensive landforming that would change slope, depth, or other characteristics of the soils, nor do they include possible but unlikely major reclamation projects. Capability classification is not a substitute for interpretations that show suitability and limitations of groups of soils for rangeland, for woodland, or for engineering purposes. In the capability system, soils are generally grouped at three levels-capability class, subclass, and unit. Only class and subclass are included in this data set. Capability subclasses are soil groups within one capability class. They are designated by adding a small letter, "e," "w," "s," or "c," to the class numeral, for example, 2e. The letter "e" shows that the main hazard is the risk of erosion unless close-growing plant cover is maintained; "w" shows that water in or on the soil interferes with plant growth or cultivation (in some soils the wetness can be partly corrected by artificial drainage); "s" shows that the soil is limited mainly because it is shallow, droughty, or stony; and "c," used in only some parts of the United States, shows that the chief limitation is climate that is very cold or very dry. In class 1 there are no subclasses because the soils of this class have few limitations. Class 5 contains only the subclasses indicated by "w," "s," or "c" because the soils in class 5 are subject to little or no erosion. They have other limitations that restrict their use to pasture, rangeland, forestland, or wildlife habitat.
- Type
- Geospatial Dataset
- Authors
- National Park Service: Thomas Colson
- Date of Issue
- 2011-10-10
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Blockhouse TN, Blount County, Bryson City NC, Bunches Bald NC, Cades Cove TN, Calderwood TN, capability subclasses, Clingmans Dome NC, Cocke County, Cove Creek Gap NC, Dellwood NC, Environment, Fines Creek NC, Fontana Dam NC, Gatlinburg TN, Graham County, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, Hartford TN, Haywood County, Jones Cove TN, Kinzel Springs TN, Luftee Knob NC, Mount Guyot TN, Mount Le Conte TN, National Standards for Spatial Digital Accuracy (NSSDA), Natural Resource Inventory And Monitoring Program, NC, Noland Creek NC, None, nonirrigated land, North Carolina, NRIM, Pigeon Forge TN, Richardson Cove TN, SERO, Sevier County, Silers Bald NC, Smokemont NC, Soil Survey, Soil Survey Geographic, Soils, Southeast Region, SSURGO, Swain County, Tallassee TN, Tapoco NC, Tennessee, Thunderhead Mountain NC, TN, Tuskeegee NC, U.S., United States, US, USA, Waterville TN, Wear Cove TN, Whittier NC