Data — South Alsace soil database at 1:50,000th, excluding mountains, forested areas and urbanised areas — version 2009

The data collected relate to soils, the products of alteration, reshuffle and organisation of the upper layers of the earth’s crust under the action of life, atmosphere and energy exchange manifested there (Aubert and Boulaine). The thickness of the described medium rarely exceeds 2 m. The data concern, inter alia, the physical characteristics of soils (thickness, pierrosity, structure, panulometry, etc.), chemical parameters (pH, organic matter, Cationic Exchange Capacity (CEC)...) but also water characteristics of soils. Information on terrain, land use, hydrology and geology is given for guidance. The soil nomenclature is based on the 1995 Pedological Reference. These data may be useful for any study requiring spatialised soil information (production of agricultural or forest biomass, quality and quantitative management of water, biodiversity, carbon storage, erosion risk, spatial planning, landscape analysis, archaeology, etc.) The Alsace soil database is managed by the Association pour la Relance Agronomique en Alsace (ARAA) and is based on the specifications of the Inventary Soil Management and Conservation (IGCS) programme. There are several databases at different scales. In the South Alsace soil database at 1:50,000th, 113 soil map units are described and 257 soil types are described, divided into 990 strata. This base at 1/50 000th concerns 30 700 ha in the Lower Rhine and 208 900 ha in the Upper Rhine. The Alsatian Jura, the Vosgian mountain areas, urbanised areas and wooded areas are not mapped.