Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
will always be a need for local or special-purpose schemes that provide distinctions and predictions
not possible with a national, general-purpose scheme (e.g., Butler, 1980).
GENERAL-PURPOSE SOIL CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
The following case studies illustrate some of the new developments and the signiÝcant effort
being devoted to public communication by developing better visual information relating to soils.
A poster illustrating 48 common soils based on Isbell (1996) was published in 2001, and an
illustrated guide to Australian Soils will be published in 2003 (similar to Deckers et al., 1998 and
Bridges et al., 1998 for the World Reference Base). Several CDs have also been developed for
teaching purposes.
Improved Communication Through a CD-based Interactive Key
The Australian Soil ClassiÝcation has provided an excellent means for communication among
scientists, and to a lesser extent among scientists and those in allied disciplines. However, training
and access to the classiÝcation was initially restricted due to publication as a traditional key with
a supporting volume on the underlying concepts and rationale (Isbell, 1996; Isbell et al., 1997).
While this format suited pedologists, it was inappropriate for teaching and broader adoption.
The Interactive Key to the Australian Soil ClassiÝcation (Jacquier et al., 2001) aimed to change
this state of affairs.
The Interactive Key is a CD-based system that uses innovative allocation and information
retrieval software developed by CSIRO, originally for biological systematics (numerous interactive
keys have been published for various groups of plants and animals). The Key allows allocation of
soil proÝles to the Order, Suborder, Great Group, or Subgroup levels within the Australian Soil
ClassiÝcation. A separate option within the Interactive Key allows allocation to the Family level.
The Australian Soil ClassiÝcation assumes soil proÝles have been described according to the
Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook (McDonald et al., 1990).
The interactive method makes reliable allocation of soils to classes in the Australian Soil
ClassiÝcation more accessible to individuals without specialist knowledge. Use of the Inter-
active Key quickly provides users with an understanding of the Australian Soil ClassiÝcation.
The Interactive Key includes access to an abridged digital version of the Australian Soil
ClassiÝcation.
The Interactive Key uses a DELTA database (Dallwitz, 1980; Dallwitz et al., 1993 onwards).
The software includes an interactive allocation and information retrieval system using the program
Intkey (Dallwitz et al., 1995 onwards; 1998), descriptions, illustrations, references, and other
subsidiary material. The database consists of a set of over 11,000 taxa (speciÝed to Subgroup level)
deÝned by 115 characters. A character is a feature or property that can be used to describe or
compare taxa (e.g., clear or abrupt textural A/B horizon boundary). Characters include binary,
ordinal, nominal, and numeric variables. In most cases, character states have been taken directly
from the Australian Soil ClassiÝcation (Isbell, 1996).
Most levels of the Australian Soil ClassiÝcation require laboratory data from the proÝle
of interest. The Interactive Key introduces surrogates for the characters requiring laboratory
data, allowing allocation to be conducted to the Suborder level without laboratory data. Most
steps during the allocation process have supporting graphical material to aid decisions, and
images of typical proÝles and their distribution are displayed when an allocation has been
completed. The system allows for uncertainties and mistakes during the allocation process,
with all possible options being displayed at each step. Copies of the Interactive Key are
available from http://www.publish.csiro.au/
