The following Soil Survey and Land Evaluation (CPSS-SSLE) standards identify the competencies that can be reasonably expected of a CPSS-SSLE and are in addition to the minimum requirements for Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS) accreditation
A soil surveyor undertakes the systematic examination, description and delineation of the distribution of soils and evaluates soil and landscape characteristics for a range of potential land uses.
Section 1 – Core Knowledge for a Soil Surveyor #
| Competency |
Standard (meet all competencies) |
| Core 1 |
Recognises rock types and understands their relationships to soil formation and soil type. |
| Core 2 |
Understands the principles of pedogenesis and landscape evolution, with particular relevance to the Australian environment and the application of those principles to develop appropriate mapping units, using available resource data (geology, climate, etc). |
| Core 3 |
Demonstrated knowledge of soils and soil classification within Australia and a more detailed knowledge of soils and landscapes within specific geographic areas. |
| Core 4 |
Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of soil morphological description as detailed in the Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook and soil classification nomenclature according to the Australian Soil Classification. |
| Core 5 |
Understands the principles of survey design, in particular appropriate site intensity and sampling strategies for surveys of differing scales and purposes. |
| Core 6 |
Demonstrated knowledge of remote sensing methods and tools available for use in soil survey and an understanding of the limitations and practical use of these tools. |
| Core 7 |
Understands the relationships between soil physical/chemical properties and land use limitations, in terms of land evaluation methods used in Australia |
Section 2 – Practice of Soil Survey #
2.1 Planning #
| Competency |
Standard (meet at least 2 of the 3 competencies) |
| Plan 1 |
Consults effectively with clients on survey requirements, obtains pre-existing soil and land evaluation data/ information, designs, and develops a survey proposal including purpose, content, delivery schedule and cost. |
| Plan 2 |
Complies with government policy and regulatory requirements as they relate to soil survey and reporting. |
| Plan 3 |
Undertakes pre-field analyses of survey area including where appropriate, stereo-pair aerial photograph interpretation, or use of other remote sensing data to prepare preliminary soil maps (e.g. digital soil mapping). |
2.2 Investigation #
| Competency |
Standard (meet at least 5 of the 6 competencies) |
| Invest 1 |
Determines where soil assessment sites should be located with regard to landscape features and pre-existing information. |
| Invest 2 |
Operates modern GPS equipment for geo-referencing of sampling sites. |
| Invest 3 |
Prepares soil pit faces that meet OH&S guidelines, description and photography requirements. |
| Invest 4 |
Accurately identifies soil horizons and describes soil horizon characteristics in the field using accepted methodologies (e.g. Australian Soil and Land Survey Field Handbook). |
| Invest 5 |
Accurately classifies soil profiles according to the Australian Soil Classification (Isbell, 2002). |
| Invest 6 |
Collects soil samples at representative sites for the accurate and meaningful analysis of soil chemical, physical and biological properties in the laboratory. |
2.3 Communication #
| Competency |
Standard (meet at least 5 of the 6 competencies) |
| Comm 1 |
Accurately describes soil properties and their variation in language that can be understood by the clients of the soil survey. |
| Comm 2 |
Accurately interprets laboratory data to meet the objectives of the client and comply with accepted government and industry standards. |
| Comm 3 |
Reports the soil data that supports the mapping and the soil profile photography in a clear and consistent standard format. |
| Comm 4 |
Applies GIS software to produce soil or attribute maps that address the project objectives with all appropriate map elements (scale, coordinates etc) (may work in conjunction with a person having the required competence). |
| Comm 5 |
Produces standard soil map formats according to conventional survey standards, such as the construction of a map legend around a geomorphic framework. |
| Comm 6 |
Communicates effectively with the client regarding the scope and scale of the survey, field procedures used (data collection), the materials produced (maps and reports), and the limitations of the data and outputs including the provision of reliability maps. |
2.4 Land evaluation and interpretation #
| Competency |
Standard (meet at least 2 of the 3 competencies) |
| Eval 1 |
Develops an appropriate land evaluation framework for one or more land uses. |
| Eval 2 |
Demonstrates understanding of the physical, chemical and biological constraints of soils and how these constraints are utilised in land evaluation. |
| Eval 3 |
Demonstrates an understanding of how soil properties influence the environmental consequences of the use of land, for example:
- the effects of the chemistry of irrigation water (e.g. urban effluent or coal-seam-gas water) on chemical/physical properties of soil profiles
- the role of soil in nutrient and pesticide runoff/contamination
- the accumulation of metals or other toxic substances in soils
- the role of soil properties in erosion.
|
| Eval 4 |
Demonstrates an understanding of appropriate soil improvement options to moderate soil constraints and their likely impact on soil performance and hence land evaluation. |
