Soil surveys in Malaysia
Lecture 22-24
Map of Southeast Asia
ENVIRONMENTAL
SETTING
A. Physiography
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
B. Physiography
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING
C. Physiography
WHAT
IS
SOIL
SURVEY
What Is A Soil Survey?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Field investigation of specific area
Supporting data e.g. climate, geology etc.
Kinds of soils identified and delineated
Extent of different soil types shown in a map
Interpretations predict behaviours of soils
Land-use / Soil Suitability Maps
Management Groups
Kinds of Soil Surveys
• Basic or general purpose surveys
• Special purpose surveys
SCALES
OF
SOIL
SURVEYS
IN
MALAYSIA
SOIL SURVEY
There are 3 scales of
Malaysia
soil survey in
– Reconnaissance Survey
– Semi Detail Survey
– Detail Soil Survey
The scales used are different in Pen.
Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak
RECONNAISSANCE SURVEY
To determine soil distribution in a large
area
Sample collected at every 3-5 km X 500 m
Each sampling point represent 150-250 ha
Mapping Scale 1:100,000 -1:500,000
Mapping Unit : Soil Association
Used to determine soil potential, more
detail survey required
SEMI DETAILED SURVEY
To determine soil distribution in a large
area
Sample collected at every 200m X 800m
Each sampling point represents 16 ha
Mapping Scale 1: 25,000
Mapping Unit : Soil series and Phase
Use to determine soil : Soil suitability, soil
fertility, technology transfer
DETAILED SURVEY
To determine soil distribution in a large area
Sample collected at every 200m X 200m
Each sampling point represent 4ha
Mapping Scale 1: 5,000
1 : 10,000
Mapping Unit : Soil series, Phase
Used to determine Soil- Crop suitability and soil
management
Scales of Soil Surveys
Past Surveys in Malaysia
Scale
of
Survey
Region
Spacing
between
examination
Area
Covered by
each point
Scale of
base map
for field work
Scale of
published
soil map
Mapping
unit
Source
of
Information
Example
3 km x 3 km
900 ha
1:50,000
1:250,000
Association/
family
Boaklan and
Singh (1989)
Acres et al.
(1975)
Sarawak
2 km x 100 m
200 ha
1:50,000
1:100,000
1:50,000
Association
Lim (1980)
Andriesse (1972)
Andriesse
(1972)
Peninsula
3–5 km x 400 m 120-200 ha
1:63,360
1:25,000
1:500,000
1:253,440
Association
Paramananthan
(1980)
Panton
(1957)
Sabah
800 m x 800 m
64 ha
1:10,000
1:25,000
1:10,000
1:25,000
Family/
Association
Boaklan and
Singh (1980)
Thomas
(1967)
Sarawak
300 m x 100 m
3 ha
1:10,000
1:10,000
1:25,000
Series/
Phase/Complex
Lim (1980)
Andriesse (1972)
Peninsula
800 m x 200 m
16 ha
1:2,500
1:25,000
1:25,000
1:63,360
Series/
Association
Paramananthan
(1980)
Sabah
150 m x 30 m
0.45 ha
1:5,000
1:5,000
Series/Phase
Boaklan and
Singh (1980)
Sarawak
30 m x 100 m
0.3 ha
1:3,000
1:4,000
1:3,000
1:4,000
Series/Phase
Andriesse
(1972)
Peninsula
200 m x 200 m
(free traveling)
4 ha
1:5,000
1:10,000
1:5,000
1:10,000
Series/Phase
Paramananthan
(1980)
Reconnaissance Sabah
Semi-detailed
Detailed
Soo
(1968)
Scott and
Barley (1964)
Scales of Soil Surveys
Standard Scales for Malaysia
Scale
of
survey
Spacing between Area covered Scale of
Scale of
examination
by each
base map for published
points
examination field work
map
Mapping
unit
Reconnaissance*
4 km x 500 m
200 ha
1:50,000
1:63,360
1:50,000
1:100,000
1:250,000
Association
Association
Association
Detailed
Reconnaissance*
2 km x 200 m
40 ha
1:50,000
1:50,000
Series
Semi-detailed
a) Tree Crops
800 m x 200 m
1 km x 200 m
16 ha
20 ha
1:25,000
1:12,500
1:50,000
1:25,000
Series/Phase
/Complex
b) Rice/Cash Crops
(Alluvial Soils)
500 m x 200 m
10 ha
1:10,000
1:12,500
1:20,000
1:25,000
Series/
Complex
200 m x 200 m
(free traversing)
4 ha
1:10,000
1:10,000
Series/Phase
100 m x 100 m
(free traversing)
1 ha
1:5,000
1:5,000
Series/Phase
Detailed
a) Tree Crops
b) Rice/Cash Crops
* Not important anymore
CARRYING
OUT
A SOIL
SURVEY
Four Stages
• Desk Study
• Field Survey
• Plotting Data and
Preparation of the Soil Map
• Preparation of the Report
Desk Study
♣
Study Terms of Reference
•
determines intensity and purpose of
survey and time frame
♣
Plot study area on topographic map
♣
Study existing data
• topography, geology, earlier soil maps,
vegetation, aerial photos, earlier soil maps
(if any)
♣
Terrain analysis
• slope classes
♣
Quick field visit to determine access
♣
Prepare rentis plan
Desk Study
Prepare Rentis Plan
LAND USE
AND
VEGETATION MAPS
AERIAL
PHOTOGRAPHS
(cont’d)
ACCESSIBILITY
EXISTING
SOIL MAPS
TRAVERSE
PLAN
PHYSIOGRAPHIC
AND
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS
GEOLOGICAL
MAPS
Factors contributing to the traverse plan
Field Survey and Map Compilation
• Rentis cutting and data collection
• Auger and pit descriptions, slope
confirmation
• Delineate obvious soil boundaries e.g.
width of streams
• Field Legend plotted on field maps
• Preparing Soil Map
• Draft Soil Map
• Final Soil Terrain Map
Field Survey and Map Compilation
Rentis Cutting and Data Collection
Compass
50 m rope
Team Leader
—
Read compass,
Record notes,
Number pegs
Plants pegs &
paints pegs
Clears
undergrowth
Clears
vegetation
Cuts trace
A
B
Rentis
C
D
Field Survey
and Map
Compilation
Field Legend
Plotted
on
Field Maps
Sample
of a
field
map
Field Survey
and Map
Compilation
Preparing
Soil Map
Field Survey
and Map
Compilation
Draft Soil Map
HISTORY
OF
SOIL
SURVEYS
3 Periods of Development
►
Pre-independence period
― prior to 1951
● mainly ad hoc surveys
►
Post-independence period
― 1955 to 1990
● systematic soil surveys
►
Modern Unifying period
― 1990 to present
● unified systems
Pre-Independence Period
(prior to 1951)
►
First published report
●
Dobreet, 1878
●
Donlap, 1882 / 1886
►
First Soil Map?
●
Akhurst and Haines (1931)
― RRIM Station: Sungei Buloh
Early Surveys
●
Importance of Parent Material (Geology)
●
Work by plantation companies
― Tommerup (Dunlop)
― Cole (Guthrie)
●
Owen, 1951
― Provisional Soil Classification for
Malaysia
Second Period
(1951-1990)
●
Period of Systematic Soil Surveys
●
Basis for land development / feasibility
studies
●
Completion of Reconnaissance Soil Maps
of Peninsular / Sabah / Sarawak
●
Beginning of Semi-Detailed Soil Surveys
Reconnaissance
Soil Surveys
in Peninsular
Malaysia
Reconnaissance Soil Surveys in Sabah
Reconnaissance Soil Surveys in Sarawak
Progress of
Semi-Detailed
Soil Surveys
in Peninsular
Malaysia
Progress of Semi-Detailed Soil Surveys in Sabah
Progress of Semi-Detailed Soil Surveys in Sarawak
Modern Unifying Period
(1990 – present)
●
Classifying soils into International Systems
― Soil Taxonomy / FAO Soil Map of World
●
Correlations between soils in three regions
― Paramananthan, 1974, 1982
●
Proposed unified classification of Organic soils
― Paramananthan et al., 1984
●
COMSSSEM
― Committee for the Standardisation of Soil Surveys
and Evaluation in Malaysia (established 1991)
●
Standard for scales of soil survey, horizon nomenclature
― Paramananthan, 1997a
●
Draft of Malaysian Soil Taxonomy
― Paramananthan, 1997b
Modern Unifying Period
Problems
Government Departments of Agriculture declared:
● Soil Survey Reports and Maps prepared by them
“RESTRICTED”
● Private sector no longer members of
COMSSSEM
LAND SUITABILITY CLASS
CLASS I – No limitation or one minor
limitation
CLASS II – With one medium limitation
CLASS III – One serious limitation
CLASS IV – More than one serious
limitation
CLASS V – One very serious limitation
SOILS
OF
MALAYSIA
― Their
Characteristics
and Identification
(Vol. 1)
Paramananthan, 2000
CONCLUSIONS
● Soil surveys spearheaded the
development of soil science
● Soil surveys are the backbone of
the agricultural development in
Malaysia