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Soil and ecological land unit survey
<br />Del:ailed soil and ecological land unit map units
<br />"fhe map units delineated on the detailed
<br />maps at the back of or attached to this survey
<br />represent the soils, ecological land units, or
<br />miscellaneous areas in the Survey area. Table B is
<br />a summary of the composition of each detailed
<br />map unit. The map unit descriptions in this section,
<br />along with the maps, can be used to determine the
<br />suitability and potential of a unit for specfc uses.
<br />They also can be used to plan the management
<br />needed for those uses. More information on each
<br />map unit is given under "Use and management of
<br />the st~ils and ecological land units".
<br />,4 map unit delineation on a map represents
<br />an area dominated by one or more major kinds of
<br />soil, potential natural community, or miscellaneous
<br />areas. A soil map unit is identified and named
<br />according to the taxonomic classification of the
<br />dominant soils or miscellaneous areas. An
<br />ecole~gical map unit is identified and named
<br />acxording to the climatic zone, dominant
<br />vegetation, slope, aspect, and landfonn or land
<br />type. Within a taxonomic class there are precisely
<br />defined limits for the properties of the soils and
<br />potential natural wmmunities. On the landscape,
<br />however, the soils, potential natural communities,
<br />and miscellaneous areas are natural phenomena,
<br />and they have the characteristic variability of all
<br />natural phenomena. Thus, the range of some
<br />observed properties may extend beyond the limits
<br />defined for a taxonomic class. Areas of soils or
<br />potential nature{ communities of a single taxonomic
<br />class. rarely, if ever, can be mapped without
<br />including areas of other taxonomic classes.
<br />Con<.~equently, every map unit is made up of the
<br />soils, potential natural communities, or
<br />miscellaneous areas for which it is named and
<br />some "included" classes.
<br />Most included soils, potentiel natural
<br />communities, landforms, and miscellaneous areas
<br />have properties similar to those of the dominant
<br />properties in the map unit, and thus they do not
<br />affect use and management These are called
<br />noneontrasting, or similar, inclusions. They may or
<br />may not be mentioned in the map unit description.
<br />Other included soils, potential natural communities,
<br />landforms, and miscellaneous areas, however,
<br />have properties and behavior divergent enough to
<br />affect use or to require different management.
<br />These are called contrasting, or dissimilar,
<br />inclusions. Wet areas which occur as small seeps
<br />in otherwise dry terrain ere en example of a
<br />contrasting inclusion. They generally are in small
<br />areas and could not be mapped separately
<br />because of the scale used. Some small areas of
<br />strongly contrasting soils, potential natural
<br />communities, landforms, or miscellaneous areas
<br />are identified by a special symbol on the maps.
<br />The incuded areas of contrasting soils, potential
<br />natural communities, or miscellaneous areas are
<br />mentioned in the map unit descriptions. A few
<br />included areas may not have been observed, and
<br />consequently they are not mentioned in the
<br />descriptions, especially where the pattern was so
<br />complex which it was impractical to make enough
<br />observations to identify all the soils, potential
<br />natural communities, landforms, or miscellaneous
<br />areas on the landscape.
<br />The presence of included areas in a map unit
<br />in no way diminishes the usefulness or accuracy of
<br />the data. The objective of mapping is not to
<br />delineate pure taxonomic Gasses but rather to
<br />separate the landscape into segments which have
<br />similar use and management requirements. The
<br />delineation of such landsppe segments on the
<br />map provides sufficient information for the
<br />development of resource plans, but if intensive use
<br />of small areas is planned, onsite investigation to
<br />precisely define and locate the soils, vegetation,
<br />landforms, and miscellaneous areas is needed.
<br />An identifying symbol precedes the map unit
<br />name in the map unit descriptions. Map unit
<br />names are divided into a soil map unit name and
<br />an ecological land unit name. Each description
<br />includes general facts about the unit and gives the
<br />principal hazards and limitations to be considered
<br />in planning for specific uses.
<br />A discussion of detailed soil map unit naming
<br />conventions follows:
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