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Distribution of soil organic carbon in the conterminous United States

January 1, 2014

The U.S. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database provides detailed soil mapping for most of the conterminous United States (CONUS). These data have been used to formulate estimates of soil carbon stocks, and have been useful for environmental models, including plant productivity models, hydrologic models, and ecological models for studies of greenhouse gas exchange. The data were compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) from 1:24,000-scale or 1:12,000-scale maps. It was found that the total soil organic carbon stock in CONUS to 1 m depth is 57 Pg C and for the total profile is 73 Pg C, as estimated from SSURGO with data gaps filled from the 1:250,000-scale Digital General Soil Map. We explore the non-linear distribution of soil carbon on the landscape and with depth in the soil, and the implications for sampling strategies that result from the observed soil carbon variability.

Publication Year 2014
Title Distribution of soil organic carbon in the conterminous United States
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-04084-4_9
Authors Norman B. Bliss, Sharon Waltman, Larry T. West, Anne Neale, Megan Mehaffey
Publication Type Book Chapter
Publication Subtype Book Chapter
Index ID 70107378
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center