Use of Soil Apparent Electrical Conductance to Develop a Soil Drainage Class Map for a Clearcut Plot in Heiberg Forest Using Geostatistical Analysis

Soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) has been shown to be a useful predictor in agricultural applications to determine variances in soil physical and chemical properties. In this study soil ECa data were collected from an 11.8 acre clearcut plot at the Heiberg Forest near Tully, New York on June 6th 2012. A geostatistical model was created to develop an ECa prediction surface, which was used to develop a soil drainage class prediction map of the site. The drainage class map was produced by calibrating the ECa model values to correspond to the drainage classes observed at test pits dug on the site. Final output of the soil drainage class prediction model produced a 2-m spatial resolution accuracy of 86%. Soil ECa data coupled with directed site sampling can provide high spatial resolution drainage class maps for use in forestry applications