Available information about soil, current land cover / land use in Jordan

Prepared by

Eng. Majed Bsoul

Eng. Safa Mazahreh

NCARE

Inception workshop on Regional Soil Partnership and MENA Soil Information System

1-5 April 2012 Amman

Available soil maps Soil maps were produced through a national

project (National Soil Map and Land Use Project, NSMLUP) carried jointly by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre and Huntings Technical Service (UK) during the period of 1989-1995.

All maps are available as hardcopy sheets (Atlases) while all profile and pits were saved in Jordan Soil and Climate Information System (JOSCIS), held by the MoA. In this database, profile description of

sampled sites is available. Detailed physical and chemical analysis is available for some profiles and sites at levels 1, 2, and 3.

Soils of Jordan

Maps+Description Scale Digital Hard copy No. of sheets Surveyed areas

Maps

Soil 18 regions with

description each region contains

many soil mapping units

With description

1:250000 available available 7 Jordan Soil level 1

All related information about Soil,,Land cover and alnd Suitability for different land uses are available in the albums of MOA

1:50000 1:50000 1:50000

available Not Available Not available

Available Available Available

28 28 28

Specific area are surveyed Covers 10% of Jordan total area

Soil level2 Land cover Land suitability

All related information about Soil,,Land cover and alnd Suitability for different land uses are available in the albums of MOA

1:10000 1:10000 1:10000

Not Available Not available Not available

Available Available Available

39 39 39

Very limited areas are surveyed in Jordan

Soil level 3 Land cover Land Suitability

Example: Region 15 represents Mafraq area with

20 soil mapping units at scale 1:250000

Soil level 2 at Scale: 1:50000 in Mafreq land Region with Related

Information 45.1 Area (km2) 700-780 , 0-16% Altitude &Slope

150-190 Mean annual Rainfall(mm)

Transion area. Moisture Regime Poor brush rangeland. Vegetation /Land use 4% A-horizon stones, 18%surface stone & boulders no rock out crop.

Stones and Rock out Crop

Undulating to rolling basalt plain with many boulders and stones, shallow colluvium over lithic contact to basalt.

Geomorphology/ parent material

5ii (Brush Range-low "<30%" percentage ground cover). 7ii (Barerock/ basalt).

Land Cover (5ii/7ii)

Area: 94 km2. Not suitable for rainfed cultivation. Not suitable for forestry. Marginal for Drip-irrigated vegetables. Marginal for Rangeland.

Land Suitability Map (9.1)

Investigate possibilities for irrigation water supplies. Prohibit rainfed cultivation.

Land Use Recommendation

Soil Map unit 68: Level 2

Soils at reconnaissance level : level 1 scale 1:250000

Note: Soil map at level 1 is available in GIS based formats as well as hardcopy found in atlases of MOA.

Soil Map Unit ACSAD Legend Description Soil Association

NAY13 RHY l 3-4 a-d Weakly dissected, undulating limestoneplateau with local sandstone areas: wideconvex interfluves, plateau remnantsgravel fans, wadi channels and infilledbasins: arid moisture and partiallyhyperthermic temperature regimes:altitude 600 to 1000m: relat

25% (Lithic) Gypsiorthid

12% Lithic Camborthid

8% Lithic Torriorthent

15% Typic Camborthid

15% Cambic GypsiorthidHEI14 RHH t 3-4 a-c Weakly dissected plateau on

Muwaqqar Chalk and Marl withplateau remnants, undulating hills andcaolesced alluvial fans: steep rockycrests and slopes to valleys: altitude 800 to 1100m: relative reliaf 25-50m.

45% Typic Camborthid

15% Typic Calciorthid

15% Lithic Camborthid

and Calciorthid

5% Typic Torriorthent

10% RockDHU15 RHH xcc 3-4 a Wadi alluvium and depositional basins

with alluvium derived largely frombasalt, but with some admixture fromlimestone: xeric-aridic transitionalmoisture regime: altitude 600 to 750 m:relative relief < 10m.

70% Xerochreptic Camborthid

and Calciorthid 15%

Xerertic Camborthid

Example :Soil mapping units (level 1) with descriptive information

Soil mapping units, level 1 with description related to each unit. Field observations distributed in this mapping unit with related

information

Soils at semi detailed level : level 2 scale 1:50000

Example on soil mapping units at level 2 with descriptive information linked to each soil mapping unit in GIS

environment.

Soils at detailed level : level 3 scale 1:10000

Soil maps at level 3 are not available digitally, otherwise they are found in Atlases of MoA.Each soil mapping unit is described with a code including: soil series, depth, stone/rock, and slope.

Land cover / land use maps:

land cover/ land use maps are only covered at two scales with limited areas in Jordan: 1:50000 and 1:10000 as shown in below figures. These maps represent current land use. These maps are only available as hardcopies found in the atlases of MoA.

Level 2at scale 1:50000 Level 3 at scale 1:10000

Example on land cover land use map in FAA study area with related map legend below.

Land Cover Unit Description Code

Brush range, low (< 30% ) percentage ground cover

5ii’

Rainfed, low intensity (<35%) cropping 3ii

Rainfed,very low intensity (<<35%)cropping / Brush Range – low (<30%) percentage ground cover

3ii’/5ii’

Brush range – high (30%) percentage ground cover

5ii

Built-up areas 1i

Brush Range – low (<30%) percentage ground cover / Rainfed,very low intensity (<<35%)cropping

5ii’/3ii’

Brush Range – low (<30%) percentage ground cover / Rainfed,very low intensity (<<35%)cropping / Bare rock (/limestone and undifferentiated rock

5ii’/3ii’/7i

Managed range land (grasing reserves) 5iii

Total

5iii

Potential land use maps:

• Based on climatic records and historical survey, a general map of potential land use was delineated by Taimeh (1989) at a very small scale to characterize the country into different regions of capability. Basically, the map followed similar pattern of rainfall and bioclimatic zones of the country figure .

Rainfall isohyets in Jordan

Potential land use maps • More detailed maps were prepared through the NSMLUP

(MoA, 1995) where land suitability code was assigned for each soil mapping unit.

• The whole approach was based on biophysical factors

criteria of land quality including soil physical and chemical properties, rainfall and temperature and land capability.

• Suitability rating was coded for different land utilization

types (LUT) including: 1. rainfed arable, 2. rainfed trees, 3. irrigation, 4. forest and 5. rangeland with controlled grazing.

• More detailed studies and research (Makhmreh, 1996; Harahsheh et al., 1998; Mazahreh, 1998; Al-Rashdan,1999; Al-Shoubaki, 1999; Ziadat, 2000; Al-Bakri, 2005) were carried out for different parts of the country at detailed and semi-detailed levels.

• Results from these studies indicated an obvious shift between

existing and potential land use, the fact that emphasizes the urgent need for sustainable land use options and policy.

Potential land use maps, continued

• Potential land suitability maps are only covered at two scales with limited areas in Jordan: 1:50000 and 1:10000.

• These maps are only available as hardcopies found in the atlases of MoA.

Potential land use maps, cont

Description of grouping Land use recommendation

suitability group

Good for drip irrigation: not suitable for rainfed arable (climate)

Investigate possibilities for irrigation water supplies: prohibit rainfed cultivation

6

Moderately good drip irrigation : Not suitable rainfed arable : Moderate range: Marginal forest

- 7

Marginal rainfed arable:not suitable rainfed treecrops (climate) / unsuitable for rainfed or irrigated crops:marginal range and forestry:

Marginal rainfed arable investigate water harvesting

5/11

Marginal rainfed arable:not suitable rainfed treecrops (climate) /not suitable for any rural landuse

Marginal rainfed arable investigate water harvesting/ Non agricultural uses

5/13

Example on potential land Suitability being converted and digitized from the hard copies available from atlases of MoA to a digital map for FAA study area with its related legend.

6

Surveyed field observations are distributed all over Jordan. Available pits and bores counted in the MoA is 41613.

Soil observations including pits and bores database:

• Data that were readily available from the (JOSCIS) database are: Rainfall, soil depth, temperature, available water holding capacity, slope, altitude, surface stoniness, erosion type and class, surface cover type (stones, boulders, rockiness) and percentage, and drainage class.

• In addition, some data about salinity, alkalinity, and Calcium Carbonate percentage were available from the National Soil Map and Land Use Project reports.

Additional available maps

Al-Eisawi (1985) has recognized thirteen vegetation types in Jordan. Recent work by Albert, et al. (2003) indicated up to 19 recognizable types. Some types are strictly confined to one of the bioclimatic regions.

Current land use: provided by MOA. This map is available in digital and GIS based format.

Thank you for your attention