Research Guides: Soil Science Research Guide: Reference Resources

Guides to Reference Resources

Guide to Sources for Agricultural and Biological Research (Blanchard) 1981 (ref S 493 G85) Lists reference resources in agriculture, including a section on "Soil Science."
Literature of Soil Science (McDonald) 1994 (S 590.45 L58 1994) Includes updated list of reference resources originally found in Guide to Sources for Agricultural and Biological Research (Blanchard).
"Soil Science" (Casler and Schneider) IN Using the Agricultural, Environmental and Food Literature (Hutchinson and Greider) 2002 (ref S 494.5 A39 U75 2002), pp 451-487

Soil Classification

Soil Taxonomy: A Basic System of Soil Classification for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1999 (USDA Handbook #436) (print copy available in Ref S 591 U5 1999)

Soil Series of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United States: Their Taxonomic Classification (Docs A 57.2 T19.2)

Keys to Soil Taxonomy
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1998 (Eighth Edition) (ref S 592.16 K49 1999; microfiche copy available in Docs microfiche A57.2: K52/998)
Soil Series Classification Database
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) Database containing the taxonomic classification for the 19,000 soil series identified in the United States. Each entry contains information about office of responsibility, series status, dates of series origin and establishment, and number of states and MRLAs where the series is found. View the contents of individual series records or query the database on any data element and produce a report with the selected soils.

Soil Data & Statistics: Data

Agricultural Statistics
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Annual (print copy available in Docs A 1.47) Annual compendium of national and state level agricultural statistics.

Soil Laboratory Data and Descriptions of Some Soils of (state) (U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) (Docs A 57.52) Series of data reports for selected states that contain soil descriptions and laboratory data resulting from NRCS cooperative soil survey investigations.

World Soil Information Database
(International Soil Reference and Information Centre) This site is the World Data Center for Soils and is responsible for compiling, archiving and distributing data on world soil resources.
National Agricultural Statistics Service
(U.S. Department of Agriculture) Includes current and historical statistics, charts and maps on agricultural commodities at national, state, and county levels.
Official Soil Series Descriptions
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) Database containing detailed descriptions for each of the 19,000 soil series taxa in the United States. Each description includes information on taxonomic classification, typical pedon description, type location, range in characteristics, competing series, geographic setting, geographically associated soils, drainage and permeability, use and vegetation, distribution and extent, and other remarks. Search by series name or create a custom report based on geographic areas of responsibility or use, series status, or soil classification.
Soil Data Mart
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) One-stop source for digital soils data that includes over 2000 U.S. soil surveys with spatial and tabular information plus another 800 soil surveys with tabular (soil attribute) data only. Replaces the Map Unit Interpretation Records (MUIR) and the Soil Survey Geographical Database (SSURGO)databases. The spatial data is only available for downloading and is designed for GIS use. The Soil Data Mart allows you to:

Determine where spatial and tabular data are available
Download data for a soil survey
Download a MicroSoft Access template for use with the tabular data
Generate a variety of soil reports
Find contact information for a soil survey
Subscribe to update notifications for a soil survey area
US General Soil Map (STATSGO)
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) Database containing state-level soil maps made by generalizing detailed soil survey data. The level of mapping is designed to be used for broad planning and management uses covering state, regional, and multi-state areas. Data is designed for use in a GIS. Previously known as the State Soil Geographic Database.
Web Soil Survey
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) Database containing official USDA soil survey information as viewable maps and tables for more than 2300 soil surveys in the United States and its territories. Define an area of interest using an interactive map, or enter an address, county, hydrologic unit or soil survey area; view and print a map of the specified area that is overlaid on an orthophoto backdrop; access and view soil data for the area and determine its suitability for a particular use; and download soil attribute data from the Soil Data Mart.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia of Soil Science
(Chesworth) 2008 (HSU users only)

Cyclopedia of American Agriculture (Bailey) 1917 (ref S 493 B2) Classic agriculture encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science (Arntzen and Ritter) 1994 (four volumes) (Ref S 411 E713)
Encyclopedia of Soil Science (Lal) 2002 (ref S 592 E53 2002) Includes 400 "state-of-the-knowledge" articles.
Encyclopedia of Soil Science. Part I. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Fertility and Technology(Fairbridge) 1979 (ref S 592 E52)
Resource Conservation Glossary (Soil Conservation Society of America) 1982 (ref S 922 R47 1982)

Glossary of Soil Science Terms
(Soil Science Society of America) 1997 (print edition available in Ref S 592 G58 2001)

Handbooks & Manuals

Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1998 (print copy available in Docs A57.2: F45) Summarizes the current National Cooperative Soil Survey conventions for describing soils.

Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook (Goldman, Jackson and Bursztynsky) 1986 (TC 423 G645)
FAO Watershed Management Field Manual (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) 1985-90.(6 volumes) (S 900 F68 #13:1-6)
Field Guide to Soils and the Environment: Applications of Soil Surveys (Olsen) 1984 (S 592.14 O36 1984)
Guide to Interpreting Engineering Uses of Soils (U.S. Soil Conservation Service) 1971 (Docs A 57.6/2:So3/2)
Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (Chemcial Rubber Company) Annual. (ref QD 65 H3) Includes tables on properties of soil nutrients.
Handbook of Soil Science (Sumner) 2000 (Ref S 591 H23 2000)
Methods of Soil Analysis (Soil Science Society of America) 1982-1994. Part. 1. Physical and mineralogical methods (S 593 M4453 1982) and Part 2, Microbiological and biochemical properties (QR 111 M34 1994)
Methods of Analysis for Soils, Plants, and Waters (Chapman and Pratt) 1961 (S 587 C3)
Soil Erosion Research Methods (Lal) 1994 (S 626 S65 1994)
Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis (Carter) 1993 (S 593 7425 1993).
Soil Survey Interpretation for Engineering Purposes (Olsen) 1977 ( TA710 O48 1977)
Western Fertilizer Handbook (California Fertilizer Association) 1980 (S633 C26 1980)

National Soil Survey Handbook
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1993- (print copy available in Docs A57.6/2: SO3/5) Contains the main operational and procedural guidelines for the NRCS soil survey program.
Soil Survey Laboratory Methods Manual
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1996 (Soil Survey Laboratory Investigations Report # 42) (print copy available in Docs A 57.52:42)
Soil Survey Laboratory Information Manual
(U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1995 (Soil Survey Laboratory Investigations Report #45) Describes soil chararactization data reports prepared by the Soil Survey Laboratory.
Soil Survey Manual
(U.S. Soil Conservation Service) 1993 (USDA Handbook #18) (print copy available in Docs A 1.76:18)

Directories

Soil Science Sources
(Soil Science Society of America) Lists soil science agencies and professional organizations

California Agricultural Directory (ref S 409.5 C3 C3)

Soil Data & Statistics: Guides

A Compendium of On-Line Soil Survey Information: Digital Soil Survey
(Rossiter) Directory of digital data available on the Internet or as large datasets on cd-rom.
Soil Data On-line
(International Soil Reference and Information Center)

Soil Science Subject Directories/Portals/Gateways

A Compendium of On-Line Soil Survey Information
(Rossiter)
Forest and Range Soils
(Soil Science Society of American S-7)
Soil Wide Web
(Associazione Italiana Pedologi)
Soils Online
(HintzeOnline)
The World Wide Soil Jumpstation
(Fred Moore)