Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi and Future Land Use Planning

Mahmoud AbdelfattahSoil Scientist

Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

2011 National Cooperative Soil Survey National ConferenceAsheville, North Carolina

May 22-26, 2011

“Soil Survey — Interpreting the Inventory in a Digital World”

Highlights• Introduction – Abu Dhabi, UAE and GCC• Soil Survey of the Coastal area• Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi (Phase 1 -

Extensive Survey)• Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi (Phase 2 -

Intensive Survey)• Soil Survey of the Northern Emirates• Innovations• Publications

UAE and Abu Dhabi Facts:UAE is a Federation of 7 Emirates (83,000 km2) (a little smaller than NC)

Abu Dhabi (86% of the total area)Other Emirates are:Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Quwain, Ras al Khaima, and Fujairah

Soil Survey of Abu Dhabi coastal area, 2002-2004

• Scale 1:50.000• Extends for 400km with 7-10km width• Total observations 775 sites• 13 Soil types identified at family level• 122 soil samples analyzed, complete and

partial• Soil map with a total area of 5.4% of Abu Dhabi

Emirate

Salt crust at the

surface

Uplifted soil surface by salt pillars

Hexagonal pattern

Upturned crust

Some features of the Coastline of Abu Dhabi

Gypsic Aquisalids Gypsic Haplosalids

Typic HaplosalidsLeptic Haplogypsids

Typic Aquisalids Typic Petrocalcids

Typic Torriorthents

Typic Torripsamments

Soils identified in the coastal area of Abu Dhabi

Full survey for the entire Abu Dhabi Emirate in two

phases

2005-2009

Objectives1.To implement a comprehensive Soil Survey on

2 phases:• Phase I of scale 1:100 000 – Extensive Survey• Phase II of scale 1:25 000 – Intensive Survey

2.Preparation of soil and thematic map with different scale

3.Development of Abu Dhabi Soil Information System (ADSIS)

4.Soil policy guideline for future land use planning

5.Capacity building

• Geographic distribution – Entire Abu Dhabi Emirate (about the size of SC)

• Exclusions: offshore Islands, urban, industrial and non-accessible areas, already surveyed coastal area – 55,000 km2)

• Fourth Order USDA-NRCS specifications modified to fit local conditions

• Soil taxonomy level – soil family and phases of families• Soil map – Great group and soil subgroup level

Extensive Survey Protocols

• Map unit components - soil families and their phases

• Thematic maps (20) covering aspects like resources, uses and environmental conditions

• ADSIS - Abu Dhabi Soil Information System (ADSIS)

• Soil sampling archive and monoliths

Extensive Survey Protocols

Field Action Plan

• 22,800 observations (auger holes and sand spear)

• Typical profiles (pits) (500) depth of

exploration (2 meters)• Deep drilling (300) depth of

10m

• Physical parameters: infiltration rate, permeability, penetration

resistance, bulk density

Complete Analyses – 400 (60 parameters)including Physical, chemical, engineering, mineralogical (XRD), micromorphological (Thin sections), elemental analyses (XRF)

Partial Analyses – 900 (4 parameters)

Laboratory Analyses

Notes (1) all soil analyses were performed in the UAEU lab that is fully equipped for all soil related analyses

(2) 5% QA/QC samples were analyzed at USDA and Univ of WA labs

Preliminary Working Maps

Soil Landscape relationshipTransects

Field Soil Scientists were recruited from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Egypt

Several of them were influenced by the USA soil survey early in 1980's

The "Soil Management Support Services" (SMSS) was sponsored by USAID (United States Agency for International Development).

USA Soil Scientists, Hari Eswaran, John Witty, Terry Cook and others provided training to them in Soil Taxonomy and soil survey procedures.

Unsupervised and supervised clas

Sweihan

Al Qua’a

Liwa

Ghayathi

Sila

Al Fathyia

Oct 2006 - Feb 2007

Feb - Mar

Mar - Apr

Apr - Jun

Jun – Sep 2007

Soil Mapping Strategy

Deep Drilling – 10m600 observation sites

Fieldwork implementationTypical profile program - Extensive Survey 300 pits - Intensive survey 500 pits

Aridisols (14%) Calcids Gypsids Salids

• Entisols (82%)• Psamments• Orthents

2 Orders and 5 Suborders

Soil Taxonomy – Abu Dhabi Emirate

• Haplocalcids• Petrocalcids• Calcigypsids• Haplogypsids• Petrogypsids• Aquisalids• Haplosalids

• Torriorthents• Torripsamments

9 Great GroupsSoil Taxonomy – Abu Dhabi Emirate

62 Soil Series were identified - extensive

Soil Maps 1:500,000 (One A0 sheet – satellite imagery and colored) 1:100,000 (29 A1 sheets – satellite imagery) 1:100,000 (113 A4 sheets – satellite imagery and colored)

• Suitability for agriculture• Salinity in the 0 to 50cm• Salinity in the 50-100cm• Depth to water table• Depth to hardpan• Potential of gypsum

sources• Potential of gravel sources• Potential of clay sources• Potential of sand sources

• Potential of carbonate sources

• Potential of sweet soil sources

• Potential of anhydrite sources

• Land degradation• Rangeland suitability• Wildlife habitat suitability• Forestry suitability• Landfill (trench) suitability• Landfill (area) suitability

Extensive survey – thematic maps

Suitability for irrigated agriculture

Using FAO LE Framework 1976 (S1, S2, S3, N1, and N2Hardpan, water table, salinity, gypsum, relief,

and slope

Land DegradationShows categories of land degradation

(none, slight, moderate, high) based on factors limiting plant growthHardpan, water table, salinity, surface lag, texture,

landfill, quarrying

Phase 2

Intensive Survey (1:25000)400,000 ha

Almost the size of Buncombe and Madison Counties, NC

1. Areas most suitable for irrigated agriculturePhase 2 areas - Selection criteria

Phase 2 Areas - Selection criteria2. Availability of water resources

3. Accessibility to roads, cities and infrastructure

4. Strategic issues

Phase 2 areas - Selection criteria

Based on these criteria, 400000 ha were selected in 4 different

locations

Intensive survey – selected areas

Madinat Zayed

119,000ha

Abu Dhabi/Al Ain

150,000ha

Sila

29,000ha Ghayathi

103,000ha

• 2nd Order Soil Survey, USDA• Scale 1:25,000 • Grid survey: 350m x 350m.• 33,000 shovel/auger sites were dug, described &

classified• Already used areas (i.e., farms, forestry, urban)

excluded• Deep Drilling (600 for 5m and 100 for 10m)• Laboratory analyses (300 complete and 400

partial)

PHASE 2 PROTOCOLS

Soil Maps – Intensive SurveyGhayyathiAs Silaa

Madinat Zayed Al Ain

Suitability for irrigated agricultureGhayyathiAs Silaa

Madinat Zayed Al Ain

Other evaluations

• Surface salinity map (0-50cm)• Potential agricultural sources• Potential gypsum sources• Potential sand soils sources• potential carbonate sources• potential gravel sources• Potential of anhydrite sources• Suitability for roadfill• Suitability for lawns & landscaping

• Subsurface salinity (50-100cm)• Suitability for wildlife habitat• Building site sources• Clay sources• Topsoil sources• Shallow excavations• Local roads and streets• Sanitary facilities

Abu Dhabi Soil Information System (ADSIS)

Available online at www.adsis.ae

Integration between Soil and Water Databases

HydroManager(Web Interface - Presentation)

Interpreted ResultsInterpreted Results

ADSIS AWRIS

ADSIS Web Interface

Capacity BuildingOffice and on-the-job training

Soil Monoliths - Key Abu Dhabi SoilsSoil Samples Archive - (2300 samples)

USDA Quality Assurance of Survey Results

• Checking the adequacy of project results• Visit to soil laboratory facility • Conducting QA/QC field visits• Discussions with relevant staff• Recommend/suggest modifications • Suggest way forward after project completion

Innovations – Anhydrite and Soil Taxonomy

Shahid, S. A. M. A. Abdelfattah and Michael A. Wilson. 2007. A unique anhydrite soil in the Coastal Sabkha of Abu Dhabi Emirate United Arab Emirates. Soil Survey Horizons 48(4):75-79Abdelfattah, M. A., S. A. Shahid and M. A. Wilson. 2008. Characterization of Anhydrite soils discovered in the coastal sabkha of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Joint Annual Meeting of the GSA-ASA-CSSA-SSSA-GCAGS-GCSSEPM, Oct. 5-9, 2008, Houston, Texas, USA. Shahid, S. A, M. Abdelfattah, A. K. El-Saiy and K. A. Mufti. 2009. Commercial value assessment of newly discovered anhydrite soil in the Coastal Lands of Abu Dhabi Emirate. European Journal of Scientific Research, 29 (1): 36-46.

Sand spear technology…

Soil Survey for the Northern EmiratesJune 2010- May 2012

البيئة وزارةوالمياه

Scope of WorkTotal observations – 10,0009000 auger holes - sand dunes1000 geoprobe sites - gravel areasTypical profiles to 200 cm depth200Deep drilling (10 meters)150Infiltration/permeability 200Soil analyses (Complete ~ 60 parameters) 250Quality Assurance (USDA) 13Soil analyses (partial ~ 2-3 parameters)700

Publications - in Progress

Keys to Abu Dhabi Soils - in collaboration with the USDA

Soil Atlas of Abu Dhabi Soils A2 Size (42 x 59.4cm) for Public

THANK YOU

AcknowledgmentEnvironment Agency – Abu Dhabi International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA)GRM International , AustraliaUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)