Data Access to the European Soil Database v2.0
This section is an entry point for easy access and use of the geometric SGDBE dataset and the semantic SGDBE and PTRDB datasets and is intended for those users who master relatively simple GIS map display software such as ESRI ArcView 3.x, 9.x, 10.x or MapInfo. An ESRI shapefile is made available, which defines the SGDBE polygon geometry and SMU-s, along with a number of tables which contain SGDBE and PTRDB attributes, and a correspondence table which makes the link between SMU-s and STU-s.
The following files are found in the soilDB_shapefiles_and_attributes directory (zipped into soilDB_shapefiles_and_attributes.zip, 40 MB):
- SGDBE4_0.shp : Defines the geometry of the 1 : 1000 000 dataset
- SGDBE4_0.dbf: Attributes directly linked to SGDBE4_0.shp; for each polygon a SMU number and a "dominant STU" number is given
- STU_sgdbe.dbf: Attribute table which defines for each STU a number of SGDBE attribute values
- STU_ptrdb.dbf: Attribute table which defines for each STU a number of PTRDB attribute values
- STUorg.dbf: Correspondence table which defines for each SMU a set of STU's which are present for that SMU; for each STU it is indicated how much percent of the total SMU area is taken by the STU
- SMU_sgdbe.dbf: Attribute table which defines for each SMU a number of SGDBE attribute values; these values are "dominant values" for the attribute for that SMU
- SMU_ptrdb.dbf: Attribute table which defines for each SMU a number of PTRDB attribute values; these values are "dominant values" for the attribute for that SMU
SPADBE: The Soil Profile Analytical Database of Europa (SPADBE), version 2.1.0.0, comes in the form of both Info database files and Excel files.
HYPRES: Database of Hydraulic Properties of European Soils, version 1.0, delivered as a set of documents only.
Additionally, a 1: 20 000 000 version of the geometric SGDBE dataset is provided along with a country boundary map ; both are shapefiles.The following files are found in the soilDB_shapefiles_and_attributes directory (zipped into soilDB_shapefiles_and_attributes.zip, 40 MB):
- SGDBE4_0_20m.shp : Defines the geometry of the 1 : 20 000 000 dataset
- SGDBE4_0_20m.dbf: Attributes directly linked to SGDBE4_0.shp; for each polygon a SMU number and a "dominant STU" number is given
- Country.shp: Country boundaries
If you are not an expert GIS user, download the Joined Shape File (we have made the joins)
The SGDBE4_0.dbf contains the following columns:
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
| SMU | SMU number |
| STU_DOM | STU number of the STU which is dominant in this SMU (i.e. the STU with highest PCAREA value for this SMU ; if there are equal maximum PCAREA values for two or more STU’s, one of them is randomly chosen |
| PCAREA | How much area of SMU is occupied by the STU_DOM; expressed in percent |
The STU_sgdbe.dbf contains the following columns (attributes):
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
| STU | STU number |
| NB_POLYS | Number of polygons in the shapefile that contain this STU |
| NB_SMU | Number of SMUs in the shapefile that contain this STU |
| AREA | Total area occupied by this STU in the map, taking into account PCAREA (see STUorg.dbf table) |
| AGLIM1 | Code of the most important limitation to agricultural use of the STU |
| AGLIM2 | Code of a secondary limitation to agricultural use of the STU |
| CFL | Code for a global confidence level of the STU description |
| FAO85FU | Full soil code of the STU from the 1974 (modified CEC 1985) FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend |
| FAO85FU_CL | Confidence level for FAO85FU |
| FAO90FU | Full soil code of the STU from the 1990 FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend |
| FAO90FU_CL | Confidence level for FAO90FU |
| IL | Code for the presence of an impermeable layer within the soil profile of the STU |
| PARMADO | Code for dominant parent material of the STU |
| PARMADO_CL | Confidence level for PARMADO |
| PARMASE | Code for secondary parent material of the STU |
| PARMASE_CL | Confidence level for PARMASE |
| ROO | Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU |
| SLOPE_DOM | Dominant slope class of the STU |
| SLOPE_SEC | Secondary slope class of the STU |
| TEXTDEPCHG | Depth class to a textural change of the dominant and/or secondary surface texture of the STU |
| TEXTSRFDOM | Dominant surface textural class of the STU |
| TEXTSRFSEC | Secondary surface textural class of the STU |
| TEXTSUBDOM | Dominant sub-surface textural class of the STU |
| TEXTSUBSEC | Secondary sub-surface textural class of the STU |
| USE_DOM | Code for dominant land use of the STU |
| USE_SEC | Code for secondary land use of the STU |
| WM1 | Code for normal presence and purpose of an existing water management system in agricultural land on more than 50% of the STU |
| WM2 | Code for the type of an existing water management system |
| WR | Dominant annual average soil water regime class of the soil profile of the STU |
| WRBFU | Full soil code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources |
| WRBFU_CL | Confidence level for WRBFU |
| ZMAX | Maximum elevation above sea level of the STU (in metres) |
| ZMIN | Minimum elevation above sea level of the STU (in metres) |
The STU_ptrdb.dbf contains the following columns:
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
| STU | |
| COUNTRY | Country to which this STU belongs |
| AGLIM1NNI | Dominant limitation to agricultural use (without no information) |
| AGLIM2NNI | Secondary limitation to agricultural use (without no information) |
| ALT | ELEVATION |
| ALT_MAX | 100 m class maximum altitudes |
| ALT_MIN | 100 m class minimum altitudes |
| ATC | Accumulated temperature class |
| AWC_SUB | Subsoil available water capacity |
| AWC_TOP | Topsoil available water capacity |
| BS_SUB | Base saturation of the subsoil |
| BS_TOP | Base saturation of the topsoil |
| CEC_SUB | Subsoil cation exchange capacity |
| CEC_TOP | Topsoil cation exchange capacity |
| CRUST | Soil crusting class |
| DGH | Depth to a gleyed horizon |
| DIFF | Soil profile differentiation |
| DIMP | Depth to an impermeable layer |
| DR | Depth to rock |
| EAWCSUB | Subsoil easily available water capacity |
| EAWCTOP | Topsoil easily available water capacity |
| ERODIBI | Soil erodibility class |
| HG | Hydrogeological class |
| MIN | Profile mineralogy |
| MIN_SUB | Subsoil mineralogy |
| MIN_TOP | Topsoil mineralogy |
| OC_TOP | Topsoil organic carbon content |
| PD_SUB | Subsoil packing density |
| PD_TOP | Topsoil packing density |
| PEAT | Peat |
| PHYSCHI | Physi-chemical factor of soil crusting & erodibility |
| PMH | Parent material hydrogeological type |
| STR_SUB | Subsoil structure |
| STR_TOP | Topsoil structure |
| TD | Rule infered subsoil texture |
| TEXT | Dominant surface textural class (completed from dominant STU) |
| TEXTCRU | Textural factor of soil crusting |
| TEXTERO | Textural factor of soil erodibility |
| USE | Regrouped land use class |
| VS | Volume of stones |
For each column except STU, COUNTRY, AT and ATC, there is a matching column which provides the confidence level for the attribute represented in that column ; for attribute with name A, there is the matching column with name A_CL.
The STUorg contains the following columns (attributes):
| Column Name | Description |
|---|---|
| SMU | SMU number |
| STU | STU number |
| PCAREA | How much area of SMU is occupied by the STU; expressed in percent |
More details for the attributes in STU_sgdbe.dbf and STU_ ptrdb.dbf are found SGDBE Attricod, also available as .doc file [470Kb]. and PTRDB Metadata, also available as .doc file [100Kb]
The user who wants to create "dominant STU" maps should link the STU_sgdbe.dbf and STU_ptrdb.dbf tables to the SGDBE4_0.dbf table (link between STU_DOM and STU columns) in order to display attributes.
The SMU_sgdbe.dbf and SMU_ptrdb.dbf files contain columns corresponding respectively to all attributes, which are also under the SGDBE and PTRDB thematic maps.
It should be noted that due to limitations in the size of column names for dbf files, the original attribute names from the full-fledged ArcInfo based database were changed to fit; the following conversions were made:
For SGDBE attributes:
| Original attribute name | Attribute name in dbf file |
|---|---|
| SMU | SMU |
| NON-SOIL | NONSOIL |
| FAO90-FULL | FAO90FU |
| WM1 | WM1 |
| TEXT-SRF-DOM | TXSRFDO |
| WRB-FULL | WRBFU |
| SLOPE-SEC | SLOPESE |
| PAR-MAT-SEC3 | PARMASE3 |
| PAR-MAT-SEC2 | PARMASE2 |
| PAR-MAT-SEC1 | PARMASE1 |
| PAR-MAT-DOM3 | PARMADO3 |
| PAR-MAT-DOM2 | PARMADO2 |
| PAR-MAT-DOM1 | PARMADO1 |
| FAO85-LEV3 | FAO85LV3 |
| FAO85-LEV2 | FAO85LV2 |
| FAO85-LEV1 | FAO85LV1 |
| FAO90-LEV2 | FAO90LV2 |
| FAO90-LEV1 | FAO90LV1 |
| WRB-SPE2 | WRBSPE2 |
| WRB-ADJ2 | WRBADJ2 |
| WRB-SPE1 | WRBSPE1 |
| WRB-ADJ1 | WRBADJ1 |
| WRB-LEV1 | WRBLV1 |
| WM2 | WM2 |
| WR | WR |
| IL | IL |
| ROO | ROO |
| TEXT-DEP-CHG | TXDEPCHG |
| TEXT-SUB-SEC | TXSUBSE |
| TEXT-SUB-DOM | TXSUBDO |
| TEXT-SRF-SEC | TXSRFSE |
| AGLIM2 | AGLIM2 |
| AGLIM1 | AGLIM1 |
| USE-SEC | USESE |
| USE-DOM | USEDO |
| PAR-MAT-SEC | PARMASE |
| PAR-MAT-DOM | PARMADO |
| ZMAX | ZMAX |
| ZMIN | ZMIN |
| SLOPE-DOM | SLOPEDO |
| FAO85-FULL | FAO85FU |
For PTRDB attributes:
| Original attribute name | Attribute name in dbf file |
|---|---|
| SMU | SMU |
| ERODIBILITY | ERODI |
| TEXT-EROD | TXEROD |
| CRUSTING | CRUSTING |
| PHYS-CHIM | PHYSCHIM |
| TEXT-CRUST | TXCRUST |
| EAWC_SUB | EAWC_SUB |
| AWC_SUB | AWC_SUB |
| EAWC_TOP | EAWC_TOP |
| AWC_TOP | AWC_TOP |
| PD_SUB | PD_SUB |
| PD_TOP | PD_TOP |
| STR_SUB | STR_SUB |
| STR_TOP | STR_TOP |
| TD | TD |
| VS | VS |
| DR | DR |
| BS_SUB | BS_SUB |
| BS_TOP | BS_TOP |
| CEC_SUB | CEC_SUB |
| CEC_TOP | CEC_TOP |
| MIN_SUB | MIN_SUB |
| MIN_TOP | MIN_TOP |
| MIN | MIN |
| DIFF | DIFF |
| ATC | ATC |
| HG | HG |
| DIMP | DIMP |
| DGH | DGH |
| PMH | PMH |
| PEAT | PEAT |
| OC_TOP | OC_TOP |
| ALT | ALT |
| USE | USE |
| AGLIM2NNI | AGLI2NNI |
| AGLIM1NNI | AGLI1NNI |
| TEXT | TEXT |
For each of the attributes <X> in the SMU_sgdbe.dbf and SMU_ptrdb.dbf files there as a second and a third attribute, corresponding to the Confidence Level value and the Purity value; these attributes are named as <X>_C and <X>_P.
The user who wants to create "dominant value" maps (as the ones under "display thematic maps" should link the SMU_sgdbe.dbf and SMU_ptrdb.dbf tables to the SGDBE4_0.dbf table (link on SMU columns) in order to display attributes.