S-map Online FAQ

 

Can I download S-map data to use on my PC?

Not at present. In the future we plan to release S-map data through the Landcare Research LRIS portal (http://lris.scinfo.org.nz/). For the moment please contact us about obtaining access to copies of the data.

Why isn’t there national coverage for S-Map?

S-map is a substantial project that needs the financial support of many stakeholders. It is our aim to complete full coverage of New Zealand by 2017. To achieve this, we need to work with other organisations. Please contact us if you which to fund futher S-map work.

When is region X going to be completed?

We currently have some Envirolink funding (ends Sept 2011) and funding from two of the regional councils (Environments Canterbury and Waikato) that allows us to add to S-map. We are researching the best way to map the soft rock hill country (funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation), so there will soon be extended coverage in a few areas. However, no progress with other areas will be made until we obtain further funding.

How often is S-map updated?

A copy of the internal S-map spatial database is made once a month and posted to the S-map Online web service on a regular basis. All additions or edits to the internal S-map database will be uploaded at this time. The factsheet part of S-map Online (i.e. the soil properties of a sibling) is updated in real time.

What is the accuracy of S-map?

The accuracy of S-map data varies from one location to another, and even for one location the information for some soil properties will be more accurate than for other soil properties. Accuracy depends on many factors, including the complexity of the landscape and its predictability, the quality of other useful information like a digital elevation model, aerial photos, past soil surveys, how many measured soil profiles are available, and how familiar the pedologist is with the area. We collect uncertainty information in the database but this is not available on S-map Online. This information can be made available via the LRIS Portal if required. With some soil properties we indicate the likely range of values, e.g., the range of clay % found in a sibling. We also show that a polygon often contains more than one sibling or soil type. S-map is designed for use at the 1:50,000 scale except in some areas where more detailed mapping is available.

Who do we contact if we spot an inaccuracy in maps or factsheets?

Please use the Contact Us page and provide us with the full details of the map unit or soil that you believe to be in error and with the correct information. We will check our data and update our information if appropriate.

What is the difference between the LRI, FSLs and S-map?

LRI refers to the New Zealand Land Resource Inventory, currently in its third edition. The LRI is a national database of physical land resource information. It comprises of data compiled using stereo aerial photography, published and unpublished reference material, and extensive field work. It contains an inventory of five physical factors (rock type, soil, slope, present type and severity of erosion, and vegetation) and a soil land use capability rating (LUC).

The FSLs are the Fundamental Soil Layers. They contain spatial information for 16 key attributes: slope, potential rooting depth, topsoil gravel content, proportion of rock outcrop, pH, salinity, cation exchange capacity, total carbon, phosphorus retention, flood interval, soil temperature, total profile available water, profile readily available water, drainage, and macropores (shallow and deep). These layers were generated by creating regional legends which were correlated using the New Zealand Soil Classification (NZSC), referenced to the National Soils Database (NSD) and other relevant data sources, and then linked to the soil polygons in the NZLRI.

The LRI and the FSLs are nationally complete but do not include more detailed information from soil surveys. Attribute information is described using classes and categories including classes of predefined ranges. Both can be obtained from the LRIS Portal. S-map has a finer resolution achieved by incorporating the best available spatial information from soil surveys or new mapping, and has a much wider range of soil properties. It is not yet nationally complete.

I am looking for other environmental information, where can I go?

Try using the sister service to S-map Online; Our Environment. Our Environment is a website designed to help you learn about the natural environments of New Zealand.  Viewing maps and data, you can obtain answers to key questions about our natural environments and land resources.

What has happened to the old soil series names?

Soil taxonomy in New Zealand now has five categories (soil order, group, subgroup, family, and sibling) that have been objectively defined (see the revised Landcare Research Science Series No. 3). Application of this taxonomy showed that many of the original soil series were very similar and could be merged with other series to form families. Other series were too broad in their range of properties and needed to be split to match the new taxonomic criteria. The original soil series are no longer used in S-map, although we hope to correlate series names with soil families. The new category of ‘soil family’ is now used to identify soils. The practice of using geographic names has been retained but a soil family name is suffixed with an italicised f to distinguish it from the old soil series names. Note that a soil family might be found throughout the country rather than just in its local area.

Where can I find more information on New Zealand soils?

Try the New Zealand Soils Portal, another web site provided by Landcare Research. The Soils Portal not only provides access to soils databases held by Landcare Research, such as National Soils Database, Fundamental Soils Layers and Digital Soil Surveys, but also a wealth of explanatory information about current and historical soil naming schemes used in New Zealand.

What is a sibling?

A sibling is a member of a soil family. The sibling partitions soil families on the basis of unique combinations of drainage class, topsoil stoniness, soil depth, texture contrasts, and a sequence of up to six functional horizons. (Functional horizons are defined in terms of topsoil/subsoil, stoniness class, texture class, ped size and consistence. Functional horizons also distinguish soil materials derived from acidic and basic tephra.)

What is Profile Available Water (PAW)?

Please look at the Glossary to see what this is in more detail.

Can I shade in the display based on other soil properties such as Soil Texture or Topsoil Stoniness on S-map Online?

No, not yet. You can, however, download the data and load it into a GIS where you can make your own customised maps.

Can I add other layers into S-map Online?

No, not yet.

Maori place names on the maps are missing macronised vowels [the Maori langauge uses the macron above vowels to indicate a long vowel such as ē]

A specialised Māori font is required to display a macron over vowels. Fonts that make for readable text on maps don't tend to support the required Māori macrons. We have sourced a possible font and will soon be creating a version of our base maps with correct place names.

Can I maximise the size of the map I see on the screen?

On most browsers there is a simple and quick way to expand your browser display with a one key press. Find the key labelled F11. (You will find it on the very top row of your keyboard). F keys are normally labelled F1 through F12. F11 is your current target. Hit the key and the browser window will go full screen. Press F11 again to return to the normal browser window.

When I click the Print button, nothing happens.  What's wrong?

If nothing happens when you click the Print button your web browser is probably set to block pop-up windows. To change this you either need to allow all pop-ups, or specifically allow those from http://smap.landcareresearch.org.nz.  This setting should be under Tools >> Internet Options >> Privacy in Internet Explorer, or under Tools >> Options >> Content in Firefox.

Sometimes, because of the number of users requesting PDF files, print fails to work. Wait a few minutes and try again.

When I use the transparency slider in Internet Explorer the resulting map looks very odd. Why?

Unlike other web browsers, Internet Explorer does not render transparent images correctly.

Why can't I produce maps as PDFs larger than A3 size?

It takes quite a lot of computer processing time to create maps large than A3 in size and typically browsers time out before the file is created. We are considering some kind of email delivery mechanism by which a request is made for a PDF file and a link is emailed to you when the file is ready. This won't be available for some months.

Will my browser be able to view this site?

The S-map Online website has been designed for and tested against standards compliant browsers from various software providers. Older browsers, such as Internet Explorer v.6, or other browsers that do not support all of the required standards may not be able to access all of the site's functionality. We recommend that, where possible, you use Firefox or Chrome.

 

Last updated: 18th August 2011