The determination of best management practices for land resources is often
complicated by the lack of a means for evaluation and lack of quality data.
Soil surveys are an important source of data that can be used to improve f
arm and ranch planning and environmental protection. In this study, we exam
ined the use of a soil survey geographic (SSURGO) database within a geograp
hic information system (GIS) coupled with remote sensing data for land-use
management in Finney County, Kansas. The objectives were (i) to identify la
nduse change; (ii) to evaluate the influence of soil, groundwater, and phys
iography on land use; and (iii) to assess land-use potential and present ma
nagement alternatives. Land-use/land-cover (LULC) maps for 1987, 1989, and
1992 were derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper data. These LULC layers were
manipulated with layers: organic matter content, thickness, and texture of
the surface soil horizon; land capability class; aquifer thickness (AT); a
nd physiography. Tire acreage of fallow land decreased and the acreage of g
rassland increased from 1987 to 1992 because of an increase in the acreage
of land used in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Broad cropping patt
erns (irrigated vs. nonirrigated) did not change significantly between 1987
and 1992 and were related to AT. Some currently cropped areas had high ero
sion potential, whereas some grasslands had relatively low erosion hazards.
These grasslands could be used as alternatives for cropping. The study dem
onstrates the potential of using SSURGO within a GIS coupled with remote se
nsing information in planning and management for natural resources.