The Soil Survey as Paradigm‐based Science

Abstract

Thomas S. Kuhn developed the paradigm theory of science. The soil survey is an example of paradigm‐based science. The soil‐landscape model, on which the soil survey is based, is an operative paradigm. An extreme reliance on tacit knowledge, the knowledge gained by experience, creates serious inefficiencies, both in learning the soil‐landscape paradigm and in disseminating the information resulting from its application. This article introduces concepts important to understanding paradigm theory and the nature of tacit knowledge. Among these are elements of Gestalt psychology, the theory of natural families, maps as conveyors of knowledge, and the linguistic nature of human perception. Students and field soil scientists should be provided explicit instruction concerning the paradigm on which soil mapping and interpretation are based. I also recommend that more of the soil geographic relationships discovered while making detailed soil maps be described and published so that the knowledge can be communicated to others.

Solum depth spatial prediction comparing conventional with knowledge-based digital soil mapping approaches

“…This table represents information on optimality curves that describe quantitatively the relationships between soil type and a particular DTM . It overcomes a limitation of conventional soil mapping approach, as described by Hudson (1992), which is the failure to represent the soil surveyor mental model. Figure 4 shows two examples of curve shapes used in this study.…”

“…Possessing the maps that represent soil forming factors (environmental variables), the knowledge of pedologists can be incorporated into spatial prediction, whereby the qualitative soil-landscape model is converted into quantitative predictions using relationships between soils and, more frequently, terrain attributes, such as slope, topographic wetness index, and profile curvature. It overcomes a limitation of the conventional soil mapping approach, as raised by Hudson (1992), which fails to highlight the soil surveyor mental model. Because this approach requires an understanding from a soil scientist's perspective of the repeating soil patterns on the landscape, as does the conventional mapping approach, it is considered to be a knowledge-driven digital soil mapping approach and it has been regarded as efficient and economical (Hudson, 1992;MacMillan et al, 2007).…”

“…It overcomes a limitation of the conventional soil mapping approach, as raised by Hudson (1992), which fails to highlight the soil surveyor mental model. Because this approach requires an understanding from a soil scientist's perspective of the repeating soil patterns on the landscape, as does the conventional mapping approach, it is considered to be a knowledge-driven digital soil mapping approach and it has been regarded as efficient and economical (Hudson, 1992;MacMillan et al, 2007).…”

Superfícies geomórficas e atributos de Latossolos em uma seqüência Arenítico-Basáltica da região de Jaboticabal (SP)

“…Utilizando transeções (ou toposseqüên-cias), tais autores nos estudos de solo-paisagem relacionam variabilidade espacial de atributos dos solos com os compartimentos de relevo . Ressaltam também que a compreensão dessas relações facilita muito a previsão da ocorrência dos diferentes corpos de solo na paisagem e mostram-se favoráveis ao uso desses critérios como base para mapeamento pedológico detalhado, em vez de propriedades quantitativas taxonomicamente estabelecidas, uma vez que estas últimas são consideradas artificiais (Hudson, 1992;Young & Hammer, 2000). Dentro deste contexto, tais estudos são de grande utilidade para fornecer elementos básicos necessários à transferência de conhecimentos pedológicos entre áreas de idêntico clima, material de origem e relevo.…”

“…Desta forma, o presente estudo objetivou definir alguns critérios para identificar e delinear áreas com maior homogeneidade de solos e dentro da conceituação de corpos naturais da pedosfera (Hudson, 1992), em locais com substrato arenito com contacto geológico para basalto, comuns na região nordeste de São Paulo. A finalidade principal foi fornecer elementos básicos para auxiliar na execução de levantamentos pedológicos detalhados em regiões adjacentes e similares, bem como esclarecer processos pedogenéticos.…”