Soil Associations of Iowa: STATSGO Database
Author: Bradley Miller
This map presents the generalized Soil Associations of Iowa, derived from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) Database. Each color-coded region represents a group of soils that consistently occur together in the landscape and share common features such as parent material, texture, topography, and formation processes. Soil associations provide a broad overview of landscape-level soil variability.
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Source:
Produced by the Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics (GLSI) at Iowa State University. State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) Data Base
Interpretation:
Soil associations simplify complex soil patterns by grouping related soil series for broad-scale mapping. While not suitable for site-specific management, they are valuable for regional planning, educational purposes, and statewide analyses of soil and landscape relationships.
Resolution:
Generalized polygon map units from the STATSGO database; displayed as a statewide static image
Suggested Use:
Useful for large-area land evaluation, conservation planning, educational displays, and identifying dominant soil-landscape patterns. This map supports research, outreach, and long-term land use strategy development.
References:
United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), STATSGO Database