Post on 25-Feb-2016
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Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi and Future Land Use Planning
Mahmoud AbdelfattahSoil Scientist
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
2011 National Cooperative Soil Survey National ConferenceAsheville, North Carolina
May 22-26, 2011
“Soil Survey — Interpreting the Inventory in a Digital World”
Highlights• Introduction – Abu Dhabi, UAE and GCC• Soil Survey of the Coastal area• Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi (Phase 1 -
Extensive Survey)• Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi (Phase 2 -
Intensive Survey)• Soil Survey of the Northern Emirates• Innovations• Publications
UAE and Abu Dhabi Facts:UAE is a Federation of 7 Emirates (83,000 km2) (a little smaller than NC)
Abu Dhabi (86% of the total area)Other Emirates are:Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Quwain, Ras al Khaima, and Fujairah
Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi coastal area, 2002-2004
• Scale 1:50.000• Extends for 400km with 7-10km width• Total observations 775 sites• 13 Soil types identified at family level• 122 soil samples analyzed, complete and
partial• Soil map with a total area of 5.4% of Abu Dhabi
Emirate
Salt crust at the
surface
Uplifted soil surface by salt pillars
Hexagonal pattern
Upturned crust
Some features of the Coastline of Abu Dhabi
Gypsic Aquisalids Gypsic Haplosalids
Typic HaplosalidsLeptic Haplogypsids
Typic Aquisalids Typic Petrocalcids
Typic Torriorthents
Typic Torripsamments
Soils identified in the coastal area of Abu Dhabi
Full survey for the entire Abu Dhabi Emirate in two
phases
2005-2009
Objectives1.To implement a comprehensive Soil Survey on
2 phases:• Phase I of scale 1:100 000 – Extensive Survey• Phase II of scale 1:25 000 – Intensive Survey
2.Preparation of soil and thematic map with different scale
3.Development of Abu Dhabi Soil Information System (ADSIS)
4.Soil policy guideline for future land use planning
5.Capacity building
• Geographic distribution – Entire Abu Dhabi Emirate (about the size of SC)
• Exclusions: offshore Islands, urban, industrial and non-accessible areas, already surveyed coastal area – 55,000 km2)
• Fourth Order USDA-NRCS specifications modified to fit local conditions
• Soil taxonomy level – soil family and phases of families• Soil map – Great group and soil subgroup level
Extensive Survey Protocols
• Map unit components - soil families and their phases
• Thematic maps (20) covering aspects like resources, uses and environmental conditions
• ADSIS - Abu Dhabi Soil Information System (ADSIS)
• Soil sampling archive and monoliths
Extensive Survey Protocols
Field Action Plan
• 22,800 observations (auger holes and sand spear)
• Typical profiles (pits) (500) depth of
exploration (2 meters)• Deep drilling (300) depth of
10m
• Physical parameters: infiltration rate, permeability, penetration
resistance, bulk density
Complete Analyses – 400 (60 parameters)including Physical, chemical, engineering, mineralogical (XRD), micromorphological (Thin sections), elemental analyses (XRF)
Partial Analyses – 900 (4 parameters)
Laboratory Analyses
Notes (1) all soil analyses were performed in the UAEU lab that is fully equipped for all soil related analyses
(2) 5% QA/QC samples were analyzed at USDA and Univ of WA labs
Preliminary Working Maps
Soil Landscape relationshipTransects
Field Soil Scientists were recruited from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Egypt
Several of them were influenced by the USA soil survey early in 1980's
The "Soil Management Support Services" (SMSS) was sponsored by USAID (United States Agency for International Development).
USA Soil Scientists, Hari Eswaran, John Witty, Terry Cook and others provided training to them in Soil Taxonomy and soil survey procedures.
Unsupervised and supervised clas
Sweihan
Al Qua’a
Liwa
Ghayathi
Sila
Al Fathyia
Oct 2006 - Feb 2007
Feb - Mar
Mar - Apr
Apr - Jun
Jun – Sep 2007
Soil Mapping Strategy
Deep Drilling – 10m600 observation sites
Fieldwork implementationTypical profile program - Extensive Survey 300 pits - Intensive survey 500 pits
Aridisols (14%) Calcids Gypsids Salids
• Entisols (82%)• Psamments• Orthents
2 Orders and 5 Suborders
Soil Taxonomy – Abu Dhabi Emirate
• Haplocalcids• Petrocalcids• Calcigypsids• Haplogypsids• Petrogypsids• Aquisalids• Haplosalids
• Torriorthents• Torripsamments
9 Great GroupsSoil Taxonomy – Abu Dhabi Emirate
62 Soil Series were identified - extensive
Soil Maps 1:500,000 (One A0 sheet – satellite imagery and colored) 1:100,000 (29 A1 sheets – satellite imagery) 1:100,000 (113 A4 sheets – satellite imagery and colored)
• Suitability for agriculture• Salinity in the 0 to 50cm• Salinity in the 50-100cm• Depth to water table• Depth to hardpan• Potential of gypsum
sources• Potential of gravel sources• Potential of clay sources• Potential of sand sources
• Potential of carbonate sources
• Potential of sweet soil sources
• Potential of anhydrite sources
• Land degradation• Rangeland suitability• Wildlife habitat suitability• Forestry suitability• Landfill (trench) suitability• Landfill (area) suitability
Extensive survey – thematic maps
Suitability for irrigated agriculture
Using FAO LE Framework 1976 (S1, S2, S3, N1, and N2Hardpan, water table, salinity, gypsum, relief,
and slope
Land DegradationShows categories of land degradation
(none, slight, moderate, high) based on factors limiting plant growthHardpan, water table, salinity, surface lag, texture,
landfill, quarrying
Phase 2
Intensive Survey (1:25000)400,000 ha
Almost the size of Buncombe and Madison Counties, NC
1. Areas most suitable for irrigated agriculturePhase 2 areas - Selection criteria
Phase 2 Areas - Selection criteria2. Availability of water resources
3. Accessibility to roads, cities and infrastructure
4. Strategic issues
Phase 2 areas - Selection criteria
Based on these criteria, 400000 ha were selected in 4 different
locations
Intensive survey – selected areas
Madinat Zayed
119,000ha
Abu Dhabi/Al Ain
150,000ha
Sila
29,000ha Ghayathi
103,000ha
• 2nd Order Soil Survey, USDA• Scale 1:25,000 • Grid survey: 350m x 350m.• 33,000 shovel/auger sites were dug, described &
classified• Already used areas (i.e., farms, forestry, urban)
excluded• Deep Drilling (600 for 5m and 100 for 10m)• Laboratory analyses (300 complete and 400
partial)
PHASE 2 PROTOCOLS
Soil Maps – Intensive SurveyGhayyathiAs Silaa
Madinat Zayed Al Ain
Suitability for irrigated agricultureGhayyathiAs Silaa
Madinat Zayed Al Ain
Other evaluations
• Surface salinity map (0-50cm)• Potential agricultural sources• Potential gypsum sources• Potential sand soils sources• potential carbonate sources• potential gravel sources• Potential of anhydrite sources• Suitability for roadfill• Suitability for lawns & landscaping
• Subsurface salinity (50-100cm)• Suitability for wildlife habitat• Building site sources• Clay sources• Topsoil sources• Shallow excavations• Local roads and streets• Sanitary facilities
Integration between Soil and Water Databases
HydroManager(Web Interface - Presentation)
Interpreted ResultsInterpreted Results
ADSIS AWRIS
ADSIS Web Interface
Capacity BuildingOffice and on-the-job training
Soil Monoliths - Key Abu Dhabi SoilsSoil Samples Archive - (2300 samples)
USDA Quality Assurance of Survey Results
• Checking the adequacy of project results• Visit to soil laboratory facility • Conducting QA/QC field visits• Discussions with relevant staff• Recommend/suggest modifications • Suggest way forward after project completion
Innovations – Anhydrite and Soil Taxonomy
Shahid, S. A. M. A. Abdelfattah and Michael A. Wilson. 2007. A unique anhydrite soil in the Coastal Sabkha of Abu Dhabi Emirate United Arab Emirates. Soil Survey Horizons 48(4):75-79Abdelfattah, M. A., S. A. Shahid and M. A. Wilson. 2008. Characterization of Anhydrite soils discovered in the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Joint Annual Meeting of the GSA-ASA-CSSA-SSSA-GCAGS-GCSSEPM, Oct. 5-9, 2008, Houston, Texas, USA. Shahid, S. A, M. Abdelfattah, A. K. El-Saiy and K. A. Mufti. 2009. Commercial value assessment of newly discovered anhydrite soil in the Coastal Lands of Abu Dhabi Emirate. European Journal of Scientific Research, 29 (1): 36-46.
Sand spear technology…
Soil Survey for the Northern EmiratesJune 2010- May 2012
البيئة وزارةوالمياه
Scope of WorkTotal observations – 10,0009000 auger holes - sand dunes1000 geoprobe sites - gravel areasTypical profiles to 200 cm depth200Deep drilling (10 meters)150Infiltration/permeability 200Soil analyses (Complete ~ 60 parameters) 250Quality Assurance (USDA) 13Soil analyses (partial ~ 2-3 parameters)700
Publications - in Progress
Keys to Abu Dhabi Soils - in collaboration with the USDA
Soil Atlas of Abu Dhabi Soils A2 Size (42 x 59.4cm) for Public
THANK YOU
AcknowledgmentEnvironment Agency – Abu Dhabi International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)GRM International , AustraliaUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)