High-lntensity Soil Mapping wth the Ad of EMI in Northern Illnois

摘要

While electromagnetic induction (EMI) has been used extensively in site-specific management, the use of this method in soil surveys has been limited. The appropriateness of using EMI to improve the quality of high-intensity soil surveys was explored at two sites in northern Illinois. At these sites, plots of apparent conductivity (EC_a) assisted field soil scientists in reevaluating soil mapping decisions, recognizing different soils, and modifying order-one soil maps. Independent core samples were extracted from each site to confirm impressions that the use of EMI improves the quality of these two surveys. At both sites, the core data showed slight improvements in the taxonomic purity of soil polygons when EC_a data were used. The most significantcontribution of the EC_a data appears to be the increased confidence of soil scientists in their mapping decisions. As EC_a data can be rapidly collected and interpreted, the use of EMI, if available, is recommended for high-intensity or order-one soil surveys. However, the final soil map is decidedly more dependent on the expert knowledge of the soil scientist than on EC data alone.