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| Australian Soil Resource Information System | |
|---|---|
| Name | Australian Soil Resource Information System |
| Acronym | ASRIS |
| Country | Australia |
| Developer | CSIRO |
| Launched | 1990s |
| Status | Active |
Australian Soil Resource Information System
The Australian Soil Resource Information System is a national digital soil mapping and information initiative that integrates spatial datasets, soil profiles, and interpretative products for land use planning across Australia. It supports environmental assessment, agricultural research, natural resource management, and policy advice by linking soil information to other national datasets and institutional frameworks. ASRIS is used by researchers, agencies, and industries to inform decisions involving Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (Australia), and state-based agencies such as New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment.
ASRIS aggregates geospatial soil information covering attributes like soil classification, texture, organic carbon, and depth across continental Australia. The system connects to national spatial infrastructures such as the Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program and the Geoscience Australia dataset ecosystem, enabling interoperability with platforms like Digital Earth Australia and environmental modelling frameworks used by CSIRO Ecosystems Sciences. ASRIS outputs are used alongside climate records from the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia), land tenure layers from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and biodiversity layers curated by institutions including the Atlas of Living Australia.
ASRIS evolved from state soil survey efforts and cooperative programs in the 1990s, building on precedents set by the National Soil Survey Program (Australia) and consultation with research bodies such as CSIRO and universities including University of Sydney and La Trobe University. Early phases emphasized paper maps and soil profile archives maintained by agencies like the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. With advances in remote sensing from missions like Landsat and initiatives such as AusCover, ASRIS adopted digital terrain analysis, pedotransfer functions, and national standards influenced by international efforts including the Food and Agriculture Organization soil classification guidance.
ASRIS compiles datapoints from soil pits, auger observations, and laboratory analyses contributed by agencies including State Government of Victoria, South Australian Research and Development Institute, and research centers like CSIRO Land and Water. Methodologies incorporate soil taxonomy systems used by Australian Soil Classification and pedological descriptors aligned with the International Union of Soil Sciences recommendations. Spatial interpolation uses techniques developed in conjunction with academic groups at Australian National University and Monash University, merging terrain derivatives, remote sensing indices from MODIS, and climate surfaces produced by the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia). Metadata standards follow national protocols such as those from the National Committee for Soil and Terrain and integrate with the Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure.
ASRIS underpins agricultural extension delivered by entities like the Grains Research and Development Corporation and informs conservation programs led by Parks Australia and state parks agencies. It supports carbon accounting methods used by the Emissions Reduction Fund and assists catchment management authorities such as the Murray-Darling Basin Authority in salinity and erosion risk assessment. Academic studies at institutions including University of Western Australia and University of Adelaide exploit ASRIS layers for landscape evolution, pedogenesis, and climate impact research, while consultancy firms engaged by mining companies like BHP and Rio Tinto use soil data for rehabilitation planning and environmental compliance.
Governance of ASRIS involves collaboration among national bodies including CSIRO, Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (Australia), and state natural resource departments, with advisory input from professional societies such as the Soil Science Australia. Maintenance relies on data submission protocols from universities, state agencies, and industry partners, and incorporates quality assurance processes modeled on standards promulgated by the Australian Government spatial data policy and the Australian Bureau of Statistics frameworks for geospatial information. Strategic direction has been influenced by national environmental reporting obligations tied to treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.
ASRIS provides downloadable raster maps, vector soil polygons, and profile databases accessible through portals interoperable with the NationalMap (Australia) and catalogue services maintained by data.gov.au. Products include national soil attribute maps, depth-to-bedrock surfaces, and derived suitability indices for cropping and forestry used by agencies like the Forest and Wood Products Australia. Academic researchers access ASRIS datasets for modelling via repositories at universities including University of Queensland and Curtin University, while consultants and local governments request tailored extracts for planning and assessment.
Critiques of ASRIS cite uneven spatial coverage due to legacy sampling biases concentrated in agricultural regions dominated by stakeholders such as the Grains Research and Development Corporation and limited representation of remote Indigenous lands administered by agencies like the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation. Data heterogeneity arising from disparate laboratory methods across providers including state departments and private labs complicates comparability, prompting calls for harmonization along guidelines from the National Committee for Soil and Terrain. Temporal lags in dataset updates and resolution constraints relative to high-resolution projects by organizations like Geoscience Australia limit applicability for fine-scale engineering projects and rapid land-change monitoring.
Category:Soil databases