GIS-based production of digital soil map for Nigeria

Abstract

Soil, a valuable natural resource can be said to play a part across the range of human existence and its knowledge is fundamental to its utilization and management. Soil maps provide a means of gaining understanding about the soil, but limitations in accuracy, revision and mode of presentation– relating to graphics or digits–of such maps seem to stimulate lack of soil data in many places. However, much of the human activity has been treated with significant uncertainties, and many environmental processes relating to soil are poorly understood. Digital soil mapping seems to hold a strong prospect for addressing these challenges, with an interesting flexibility for utilizing many recent technologies. The present study proposes a digital soil map for Nigeria, and other thematic
maps based on soil properties, using geographic information system (GIS) technology. Existing graphical soil maps are the primary data sources. Although, the study is specific to making improved soil data available for the study area, the results tend to support the assumption that significant
prospects are held by digital soil mapping in enhancing the knowledge of soil and its provision for a range of human activities.

Key words: Soil, Soil maps, Digital soil map, GIS, Soil Database, Soil thematic maps, Query.