Finnish Soil Database: Soil map at scale 1:250,000 and properties of soil (Suomen maannostietokanta mittakaavassa 1:250 000)

Soil Map of Finland at scale 1:250 000 was compiled as a joint project between MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Geological Survey of Finland, University of Helsinki and Finnish Forest Research Institute. In 2002 a feasibility study and a pilot project were performed in two areas in order to prepare a plan for the actual work was carried out in 2003-2008. The soil map and database was made compatible with the Georeferenced Soil Database for Europe at scale 1:250 000. The soil map project is to a large extent facilitated by a project of Geological Survey of Finland which prepares a map (database) of quaternary deposits of Finland at scale 1:250 000 in 2002-2007. This database follows the national soil classification system which is based on the content of organic matter (organic soils vs mineral soils) and on soil texture of mineral soils. In the national system, pedogenesis is not taken into account. From that project we get the polygons. MTT and Finnish Forest Research Institute make the conversion of the national soil classes into the FAO/Unesco system and, as far as possible, also to the WRB and Soil Taxonomy. This conversion is facilitated by the fact that the number of soil taxa occurring in Finland is limited and we can rather reliably conclude the soil class of the FAO/WRB/Soil Taxonomy systems from the soil class of the national classification. The emphasis is in work with databases and their interpretation.