This is a human-readable view of the FGDC XML metadata.
This data set is a digital soil survey and generally is the most detailed level of soil geographic data developed by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The information was prepared by digitizing maps, by compiling information onto a planimetric correct base and digitizing, or by revising digitized maps using remotely sensed and other information. This data set consists of georeferenced digital map data and computerized attribute data. The map data are in a soil survey area extent format and include a detailed, field verified inventory of soils and miscellaneous areas that normally occur in a repeatable pattern on the landscape and that can be cartographically shown at the scale mapped. A special soil features layer (point and line features) is optional. This layer displays the location of features too small to delineate at the mapping scale, but they are large enough and contrasting enough to significantly influence use and management. The soil map units are linked to attributes in the National Soil Information System relational database, which gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and their properties. The soil map unit delineation boundaries are subject to a cartographic standard of 19 ground meters of separation. Compared to previous nonproject (non-SSURGO- certified) mapping that was conducted at 1:4,800 in Gateway National Recreation Area, the 1:12,000 scale mapping will appear to have less detail. However, the 1:12,000 SSURGO product represents the largest-scale official soils data published by the USDA-NRCS, and supersedes nonproject mapping at larger scales that appears to provide greater detail. In the process of correlating the mapping to a smaller scale, individual map unit delineations were combined (into complexes) and some features, especially wetter areas, small water bodies, or very narrow features (e.g. short steep slopes or escarpments), may be represented by special features (in the "*_p" and "*_l" feature classes). For more information regarding nonproject surveys in New York City, please visit: http://www.nycswcd.net/soil_survey.cfm
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, should be acknowledged as the data source in products derived from these data. This data set is not designed for use as a primary regulatory tool in permitting or citing decisions, but may be used as a reference source. This is public information and may be interpreted by organizations, agencies, units of government, or others based on needs; however, they are responsible for the appropriate application. Federal, State, or local regulatory bodies are not to reassign to the Natural Resources Conservation Service any authority for the decisions that they make. The Natural Resources Conservation Service will not perform any evaluations of these maps for purposes related solely to State or local regulatory programs. Photographic or digital enlargement of these maps to scales greater than at which they were originally mapped can cause misinterpretation of the data. If enlarged, maps do not show the small areas of contrasting soils that could have been shown at a larger scale. The depicted soil boundaries, interpretations, and analysis derived from them do not eliminate the need for onsite sampling, testing, and detailed study of specific sites for intensive uses. Thus, these data and their interpretations are intended for planning purposes only. Digital data files are periodically updated. Files are dated, and users are responsible for obtaining the latest version of the data.
Certain node/geometry and topology GT- polygon/chain relationships are collected or generated to satisfy topological requirements (the GT-polygon corresponds to the soil delineation). Some of these requirements include: chains must begin and end at nodes, chains must connect to each other at nodes, chains do not extend through nodes, left and right GT-polygons are defined for each chain element and are consistent throughout, and the chains representing the limits of the file are free of gaps. The tests of logical consistency are performed using vendor software. All internal polygons are tested for closure with vendor software and are checked on hard copy plots. All data are checked for common soil lines (i.e., adjacent polygons with the same label). Edge locations generally do not deviate from centerline to centerline by more than 0.01 inch. The Soil Survey of (NY047) Kings County, New York is edge matched to all of the adjacent SSURGO certified soil surveys: NJ017 - Hudson County, New Jersey NJ025 - Monmouth County, New Jersey NY061 - New York County, New York NY081 - Queens County, New York NY085 - Richmond County, New York The soil survey boundary for Kings County matches the soil survey boundary for all of the adjacent certified soil surveys. The Soil Survey of Kings County is bordered on the north by Queens County, New York and the East River; to the east by Queens County, New York; to the south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the west by New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Exact joins as outlined in the National Soil Survey Handbook (available online), accessed 3/6/14, were achieved with all of the surrounding surveys.
A map unit is a collection of areas defined and named in terms of their soil components or miscellaneous areas or both. Each map unit differs in some respect from all others in a survey area and each map unit has a symbol that uniquely identifies the map unit on a soil map. Each individual area, point, or line so identified on the map is a delineation. Soil Scientists identify small areas of soils or miscellaneous areas that have properties and behavior significantly different than the named soils in the surrounding map unit. These minor components may be indicated as special features. If they have a minimal effect on use and management, or could not be precisely located, they may not be indicated on the map. A map unit has specified kinds of soils or miscellaneous areas (map unit components), each with a designated range in proportionate extent. Map units include one or more kinds of soil or miscellaneous area. Miscellaneous areas are areas that have little or no recognizable soil. Specific National Cooperative Soil Survey standards and procedures were used in the classification of soils, design and name of map units, and location of special soil features. These standards are outlined in Agricultural Handbook 18, Soil Survey Manual, 1993, USDA, NRCS; Agricultural Handbook 436, Soil Taxonomy, 1995, USDA, NRCS; and all Amendments; Keys to Soil Taxonomy, (current issue) USDA, NRCS; National Soil Survey Handbook, title 430-VI,(current issue) USDA, NRCS. The actual composition and interpretive purity of the map unit delineations were based on data collected by scientists during the course of preparing the soil maps. Adherence to National Cooperative Soil Survey standards and procedures is based on peer review, quality control, and quality assurance. Quality control is outlined in the memorandum of understanding for the soil survey area and in documents that reside with the Natural Resources Conservation Service state soil scientist. Four kinds of map units are used in soil surveys: consociations, complexes, associations, and undifferentiated groups. Consociations - Consociations are named for the dominant soil. In a consociation, delineated areas use a single name from the dominant component in the map unit. Dissimilar components are minor in extent. The soil component in a consociation may be identified at any taxonomic level. Soil series is the lowest taxonomic level. A consociation that is named as a miscellaneous area is dominantly that kind of area and minor components do not significantly affect the use of the map unit. The total amount of dissimilar inclusions of other components in a map unit generally does not exceed about 15 percent if limiting and 25 percent if nonlimiting. A single component of a dissimilar limiting inclusion generally does not exceed 10 percent if very contrasting. Complexes and associations - Complexes and associations consist of two or more dissimilar components that occur in a regularly repeating pattern. The total amount of other dissimilar components is minor extent. The following arbitrary rule determines whether complex or association is used in the name. The major components of an association can be separated at the scale of mapping. In either case, because the major components are sufficiently different in morphology or behavior, the map unit cannot be called a consociation. In each delineation of a complex or an association, each major component is normally present though their proportions may vary appreciably from one delineation to another. The total amount of inclusions in a map unit that are dissimilar to any of the major components does not exceed 15 percent if limiting and 25 percent if nonlimiting. A single kind of dissimilar limiting inclusion usually does not exceed 10 percent. Undifferentiated groups - Undifferentiated groups consist of two or more components that are not consistently associated geographically and, therefore, do not always occur together in the same map delineation. These components are included in the same named map unit because their use and management are the same or very similar for common uses. Generally they are grouped together because some common feature, such as steepness, stoniness, or flooding, determines their use and management. If two or more additional map units would serve no useful purpose, they may be included in the same unit. Each delineation has at least one of the major components, and some may have all of them. The same principles regarding the proportion of minor components that apply to consociations also apply to undifferentiated groups. The same principles regarding proportion of inclusion apply to undifferentiated groups as to consociations. This soil survey is a subset of Major Land Resource Area (MLRA) 149B. Profile Descriptions and transects from the entire MLRA, supplement documentation from Within the subset. Minimum documentation consists of three complete soil profile descriptions that are collected for each soil added to the legend, one additional per 3,000 acres mapped; three 10 observation transects for each map unit, one additional 10 point transect per 3,000 acres. A defined standard or level of confidence in the interpretive purity of the map unit delineations is attained by adjusting the kind and intensity of field investigations. Field investigations and data collection are carried out in sufficient detail to name map units and to identify accurately and consistently areas of about 1.5 acres.
The accuracy of these digital data is based upon their compilation to base maps that meet National Map Accuracy Standards at a scale of 1 inch equals 1,000 feet. The difference in positional accuracy between the soil boundaries and special soil features locations in the field and their digitized map locations is unknown. The locational accuracy of soil delineations on the ground varies with the transition between map units. For example, on long gently sloping landscapes the transition occurs gradually over many feet. Where landscapes change abruptly from steep to level, the transition will be very narrow. Soil delineation boundaries and special soil features generally were digitized within 0.01 inch of their locations on the digitizing source. The digital map elements are edge matched between data sets. The data along each quadrangle edge are matched against the data for the adjacent quadrangle. Edge locations generally do not deviate from centerline to centerline by more than 0.01 inch.
| Name | Description | Values |
|---|---|---|
| Special Soil Features Codes | Special Soil Features labels represent specific Special Soil Features. These features are identified with a descriptive label. The label is assigned to the point or line assigned to represent the feature on maps. |
Classification and Correlation of the Soils of Kings County,
New York
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service |
Map Unit Delineations are closed polygons that may be dominated by a single soil or miscellaneous area component plus allowable similar or dissimilar soils, or they can be geographic mixtures of groups of soils or soils and miscellaneous areas. The map unit symbol uniquely identifies each closed map unit delineation. Each symbol corresponds to a map unit name. The map unit key is used to link to information in the National Soil Information System tables. Map Unit Delineations are described by the National Soil Information System database. This attribute database gives the proportionate extent of the component soils and the properties for each soil. The database contains both estimated and measured data on the physical and chemical soil properties and soil interpretations for engineering, water management, recreation, agronomic, woodland, range, and wildlife uses of the soil. The National Soil Information System database contains static metadata. It documents the data structure and includes such information as what tables, columns, indexes, and relationships are defined as well as a variety of attributes of each of these database objects. Attributes include table and column descriptions and detailed domain information. The National Soil Information System database also contains a distribution metadata. It records the criteria used for selecting map units and components for inclusion in the set of distributed data. Special features are described in the feature table. It includes an area symbol, feature label, feature name, and feature description for each special and ad hoc feature in the survey area.
Soil Taxonomy: A basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys. Agricultural Handbook 436, 1999, USDA, SCS. Keys to Soil Taxonomy (current issue), USDA, SCS. National Soil Survey Handbook, Title 430-VI, part 647 (current issue), USDA, NRCS. Agricultural Handbook 18, Soil Survey Manual, 1993, USDA, SCS.
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the Agency regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will warrant the delivery of this product in computer readable format, and will offer appropriate adjustment of credit when the product is determined unreadable by correctly adjusted computer input peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition. Request for adjustment of credit must be made within 90 days from the date of this shipment from the ordering site. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor any of its agencies are liable for misuse of the data, for damage, for transmission of viruses, or for computer contamination through the distribution of these data sets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)