About the Project

This SVAECP Project will develop a public domain atlas of Alberta agricultural landscapes, intended as an information-oriented product with regional application throughout Alberta. The atlas will be developed through:
  1. enhancement and modeling of digital elevation model (DEM) data,
  2. collection of detailed soil data on a landscape basis, along with related land history and management,
  3. development of a data set of field-specific management issues, and
  4. integration of all data sets through a user-friendly interface implemented on the World Wide Web.
Enhancement and modeling of digital elevation model, or DEM, data from 100 representative agricultural landscapes will form the basis of the atlas. The 100 sites will be selected using the 1:100,000-scale Agricultural Region of Alberta Soil Inventory Database (AGRASID). The sites will represent regional climates, soils, parent materials, and land management systems. The DEM data will be smoothed and analyzed to determine slope segments, gradient, length, aspect, and topographic relief.

Detailed soil and landscape data will be collected on a landscape basis at the 100 locations. Soil attribute data will include pH, organic matter content, topsoil depth, depth to lime, electrical conductivity, bulk density, macronutrient fertility status, and related land history and crop management.

A third data set of field-specific management issues will be developed. These will include strategies for the management of nutrients, manure and herbicides; strategies for soil sampling and conservation tillage; and strategies for identifying and managing precision farming land units.

All data sets will be integrated in the form of a user-friendly, interactive atlas, implemented on the World Wide Web with integrated text and graphics. The web pages will include documentation, background information and context-sensitive help for online training.

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