Proposal for a spatial organization model in soil science (The example of the European Communities Soil Map)

• Published in: Journal of the American Society for Information Science Vol. 45; no. 9; pp. 705 - 717
• Main Authors: King, D., Daroussin, J., Jamagne, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, D.C Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.10.1994; American Documentation Institute; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Cartographic databases; Cartography; Classification; Communication (Thought Transfer); Computer techniques; Data Models; Digitization; European Economic Community; European Geography; Foreign Countries; Geographic Distribution; Geographic Information Systems; Geography; Illustrations; International Cooperation; Memorization; Parents & parenting; Relational Models; Science; Soil maps; Soil Science; Soil sciences; Soil structure; Soils; Space; Spatial Information; Spatial information systems; Variability
• ISSN: 0002-8231; 1097-4571
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(199410)45:9<705::AID-ASI8>3.0.CO;2-S

Before computerized techniques were used, a paper soil map had to fulfill two functions: memorization or managing a maximum of data, and communication or transmitting a minimum of pertinent data on a given problem. Computer‐based techniques and, in particular Geographic Information Systems, enable the management, analysis, and easy organization and presentation of data about soils. An apparent first step would be to take older data in paper maps and convert them into a geographic database format using digitizing and other computer techniques. However, such work may be insufficient, as is demonstrated by analysis of the specific example of the European Communities Soil Map. Therefore, we propose a new relational structure for pedological or soil science information based upon the main conceptual concepts used during conventional cartographic work. This “Soil Spatial Organization Model,” or SSOM, is a computerized framework for coherent description of the geographical variability of soils, combined with other environmental criteria. It makes no prejudgment on the type of processing of such data. It stresses the importance of starting with the determination of the type of soil organization such as the identification of spatial units and their relationships to permit cartographic representations that show specific themes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.