The Soils section of a wetland point in Ecobot Collector is where you record the soil profile, hydric soil indicators and whether hydric soil is present. This article walks through each part, and how to record gleyed soils from the Munsell Soil Color Book.
Not sure which regional form to use? See Wetland region selection.
Record a soil layer
From the point, tap Soils, then tap a Soil Line. The number of soil lines matches the regional form you chose for the survey.
- Depth: enter From and To in inches.
- Matrix Color: tap it to open the soil color chart. Choose the hue at the top, then tap the chip that matches your soil. For gleyed soil, tap Gley.
- Soil Layer Percent: enter the percentage.
- Redox Color: choose it from the soil color chart the same way.
- Redox Percent: enter the percentage.
- Redox Type and Redox Loc: choose from the selection wheels.
- Texture: choose from the selection wheel.
- Remarks: type or dictate.
See which indicators you've met
As you fill in a soil layer, the bottom of the screen shows the hydric soil indicators you've met, or likely met, so far. When you go back to Hydric Soil Indicators, the same indicators are highlighted, ready for you to check. To learn what the green and yellow colors mean and where the suggestions come from, see Soil suggestions and soil colors.
When you're done, go back to Soils and fill in the next layer.
To clear a soil line, tap the x on its right, then tap Yes.
Add a second matrix or redox color
After you add a first matrix or redox color, tap Add Matrix Color or Add Redox Color to add another one to the same soil line. It's laid out neatly on the completed data sheet.
If there are more redox features, record them on another soil line with the same depth, just as you would on the USACE form.
Check hydric soil indicators
Under Hydric Soil Indicators, check each indicator that applies. The ones your soil layers suggest are highlighted. To read about an indicator from the USACE Regional Supplement, tap the i icon on its row. This information is available offline.
Finish the section
- Restrictive Layer Type: type the type, if there is one.
- Depth (inches): enter the depth of the restrictive layer.
- Hydric Soil Present?: at the top of the Soils screen, choose Yes, No or Pending. USACE guidelines require you to decide this, so Ecobot doesn't set it for you.
- Remarks: type or dictate.
When you're done, tap the back arrow at the top left to return to the point.
In Manager
You can also fill in soil in Ecobot Manager. Check the survey out, open the point, and select the Soil tab at the top of the form. It has the same soil layers, indicators and restrictive layer, and Hydric Soil Present? with Yes, No or Pending. Select Save data when you're done. See Edit a point.
Record gleyed soil
Soil color is written as hue, value and chroma. For example, in 10YR 4/2 the hue is 10YR, the value is 4 and the chroma is 2. Gleyed soils are gray, greenish or bluish with low chroma, from long saturation and reduced iron. You record them from the Gley 1 and Gley 2 pages of the Munsell Soil Color Book.
For a quick reminder in the field, tap Resources next to Profile Description on the Soils screen. It opens Gley Soil Help, with the same guidance as this section.
How the gley pages differ
- On other pages, the tab shows the hue. For example, 10YR 6/2 is on the page tabbed 10YR.
- On the Gley 1 and Gley 2 pages, the hue is along the bottom of the chart and the value is down the left side. The chroma is on the facing page, as in example 2 below.
Example 1: a neutral chip
The soil matches the bottom-left chip on the Gley 1 page: Gley 1 2.5/N.
- The hue is N (neutral).
- The value is 2.5.
- There's no chroma.
Record it in Ecobot as N 2.5/, with the chroma left blank.
Example 2: a bluish chip
The soil matches the 10B chip in the 4/ row on the Gley 2 page: Gley 2 10B 4/1.
- The hue is 10B.
- The value is 4.
- The chroma is 1, from the facing diagram page.
Record it in Ecobot as 10B 4/1.
Gley hues in Collector
On the soil color chart, tap Gley to see the gley hues: N, 10Y, 5GY, 10GY, 5G_/1, 5G_/2, 10G, 5BG, 10BG, 5B, 10B and 5PB. Choose the hue that best describes the layer, then the matching value and chroma.
Fun fact: the term gley (or glei) comes from Ukrainian. Ukrainian scientist Georgy Vysotsky introduced it into scientific terminology in 1905.