ISRIC World Soil Information
Soil and Terrain Database
(SOTER)
Soil information is needed for many
purposes: policy, engineering, urban
and rural development as well as
agricultural science. Existing data are 1
often not used to their full potential
because of poor accessibility:
2 2
traditional soil maps generally do not 3
display the information that is required
or it is presented in a format that 4
cannot be used directly for a
particular interpretation. This leads to
a perceived absence of useful soil 5
and terrain information.
The Soil and Terrain database (SOTER)
is a program for storing and handling SOTER identifies areas of land
natural resources data. It consists of with a distinctive, often
a spatial and an attribute data repetitive, pattern of
component handled, respectively, landform, lithology, surface
by Geographic Information System form, slope, parent material,
and database management
and soil. These are called
software. SOTER allows for easy
SOTER-units.
retrieval and updating of the
information, as well as for generation
of different interpretations of the data
in combination with other data layers.
It is used at national level, with scales
ranging from 1:250 000 to 1:1 million 1 mountains
and globally for the update of the 2 hills
3 upper plain
Soil Map of the World at scale 1:5 4 middle plain
million. 5 lower plain
1
Since 1986, ISRIC – World Soil
Information has been the custodian
2
of SOTER, an initiative with the 2
International Union of Soil Sciences, 3
FAO and the United Nations 4
Environment Program. We have been
actively involved in the development, 5 SOTER unit 3
testing and application of the terrain
terrain component terrain component
soil component soil component soil component
SOTER status
soil profile soil profile soil profile
methodology, including the
publication of a Procedures Manual,
and the development of data entry
software in which the latest
Global SOTER National SOTER modifications of the methodology
in progress in progress have been incorporated.
The Manual defines a large number
of soil and terrain attributes that can World Data Centre for Soils
be stored in the database. These can Applied Research Program
be entered with an input program,
that creates the attribute tables and
checks for permitted codes and
database integrity. So far, SOTER Water-limited maize yield decline in Kenya
databases consist of maps and after simulated 20 years of soil erosion
associated data that have been
digitised. New techniques in the
collection of information have been
applied most recently e.g. the
interpretation and reclassification of
Digital Elevation Models in defining
and delineation of basic SOTER units.
SOTER has been applied in Africa,
Asia, Europe and South America.
The database of the global SOTER Soil erosion
contains data of over 50 countries.
Applications have been developed
either as SOTER-specific programs or
as adaptations of existing models.
Belonging to the first group is the
SOTER water erosion assessment
program. The second group contains
applications such as automated land
evaluation and crop growth
simulation, assessment of water
erosion risk and yield decline.
ISRIC – World Soil Information provides
training in the compilation and
interpretation of SOTER databases. <25 25-50 >50
Training ranges from database 0 - 5000
compilation and basic GIS and 5000 - 10000
database handling, to specialist
10000 - 15000
interpretations of SOTER data by c John Wiley & Sons 1999. Reproduced with permission
means of models.
ISRIC World Soil Information
Some uses of SOTER databases
Country/region Scale Applications ISRIC – World Soil Information is
an independent foundation.
Hainan (China) 1:250 000 Erosion risk, land suitability Our mandate is to increase the
South Benin 1:250 000 Agro-ecological characterization knowledge of the land, its soils
East Kalimantan (Indonesia) 1:250 000 Land use planning, forest zonation in particular, and to support
the sustainable use of land
Hungary 1:500 000 Acidification risk resources.
Jordan 1:500 000 Soil carbon stocks and change
SW Niger 1:500 000 Agricultural management options ISRIC - World Soil Information
North Argentina 1:1 M Impact of degradation on food productivity PO Box 353
Kenya 1:1 M Erosion risk, impact of degradation on food 6700 AJ Wageningen
The Netherlands
01-2004 c ISRIC
productivity, carbon sequestration
Uruguay 1:1 M Impact of degradation on food productivity Phone +31 (0)317 471711
Central and Eastern Europe 1:2.5 M Soil vulnerability to pollutants Fax +31 (0)317 471700
E-mail soil.isric@wur.nl
South America 1:5 M Soil organic carbon stocks Internet www.isric.org
