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Welcome
to ACLEP
The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program (ACLEP) is a proven model for national cooperation and collaboration. It provides a focus for the collection, collation, management, dissemination and analysis of nationally consistent, integrated data and information on soil and land resources.
ACLEP delivers on a vision that “natural resource management in Australia is underpinned by appropriate soil and land resource information and knowledge to ensure sustainable economic and environmental systems”.
ACLEP is funded by CSIRO Land & Water and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), with strategic direction from the National Committee on Soil and Terrain (NCST). States and territories provide significant resources in support of ACLEP projects and activities.
ACLEP Promotional Flyer (3 MB PDF)
Also see:
The Australian Soil Resource Information
System (ASRIS).
Latest News
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State of Environment 2011 – Land Chapter The fourth national assessment of the state of Australia’s environment was launched on the 12th December 2012 by the Minister, the Hon Tony Burke MP. The report includes graded ‘report-card’ style assessments of environment condition and trends, pressures and management effectiveness. The Land Chapter includes key findings for soil and land – with the situation and outlook mixed. Although we have made progress in many aspects of managing Australia's land environment, the trends for many indicators of land environmental values remain adverse, and are likely to be exacerbated by climate change. |
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National Soil Grids released on ASRIS The ASRIS team has produced a first set of gridded (250m) standard national soil data products for specific soil attributes. This inital release includes grids of clay content (0-30cm), bulk density (0-30cm) and plant available water capacity (0-1m). Visit the National Soil Grids theme page for more information. |
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Soil policy update The Soil Task Group has undertaken an assessment of current investment and capability in soils research, development and extension (RD&E) to assist in research and development collaboration including linkages of extension programs. For more information on this assessment and other soil policy activities of the National Committee on Soil and Terrain click here. To view archived soil policy news items click here. |
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The Australian Soil Classification - An Interactive Key Available as free download The Australian Soil Classification - An Interactive Key allocates soil profiles to every level within the official Australian Soil Classification (revised edition). The Interactive Key is now available as a free download (original CD product is now out of print ). The Open Delta software that runs the Interactive Key is currently pre-Beta but is due for final release in June 2012. The download version is compatible with Windows 7 and earlier windows versions. |
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ASRIS/ACLEP User Needs Analysis This report documents a project to assess ‘existing needs’ of key users of the Australian Soil Resources Information System (ASRIS). The project was not an exhaustive evaluation of all users’ requirements nor was it a technical review of the ASRIS delivery mechanism. ACLEP commissioned this report to provide direction for the future development of national soil data products that would meet specific user requirements and be applicable to a broad range of soil data users. In particular, to identify the attributes of soil that would be most relevant to specific needs. Download the report. |
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Physiographic Regions of Australia The report gives an overview of physiographic mapping in Australia, describes current methods for mapping and provides a brief description of Australia’s landscapes and the regions that have been defined. The audience will range from those who are looking for a brief description of the physiography of Australia to those who will use the data for integrated studies of the environment. The report and digital data set are available for download from the Australian Soil Resource Information System. |
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Concepts and Rationale of the Australian Soil Classification - back in print This publication which was out of print is once again available from CSIRO publishing. It is designed to be read in conjunction with The Australian Soil Classification by R.F. Isbell. It elaborates on many of the diagnostic horizons and materials given in the glossary of the classification, and gives the rationale for the establishment of various classes and diagnostic criteria. The book also gives an overview of the general features of the new orders with individual distribution maps showing their occurrence in Australia. |
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CSIRO Land Research Series The CSIRO Land Research Series are available as electronic downloads from the CSIRO Publishing website. An abstract and PDF text file of each report are provided and raster copies of maps as JPG files are included. Vector copies of some maps are available from other Commonwealth and State agencies and access details are provided where appropriate. |
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Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping 10-13 April 2012 The 5th Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping will be held at the University of Sydney, Australia 10-13 April, 2012. The theme of the workshop is Digital Soil Assessments and Beyond ... Prior to the workshop (11-13 April) is a pre-conference field excursion (April 10) to the Hunter Valley. A post-conference tour and a 3 day intensive digital soil mapping training course are also being offered. For more details contact Dr. Budiman Minasny, The University of Sydney, |
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National Elevation Data Framework Portal The NEDF-Portal has been developed to serve as a 'Virtual Data Repository' and on-line portal that allows easy discovery and access to existing elevation data holdings and metadata. The NEDF-Portal will progressively be populated with data and links to national, state, local and commercial data custodians.
Download and/or order SRTM derived products at 1 second (government agencies) and 3 second through the portal. Currently the Digital Surface Model (DSM), Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Hydrological Digital Elevation Model (DEM-H) are available. Additional terrain attribute surfaces (slope, aspect, relief, plan and profile curvature, contributing area) will be available in the coming months. |
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ACLEP Digital Soil Mapping Training – The University of Sydney 21-23 February 2011 Digital soil mapping (DSM) involves a range of innovative software and modelling approaches to develop relationships between soil classes and individual properties and a number of environmental covariates. These relationships can then be used to predict the spatial pattern of soil classes and properties across the landscape. The Australian Collaborative Land Evaluation Program (ACLEP) arranged for the world leading Sydney University to deliver an introductory DSM training course to a number of federal and state agency representatives. A total of 19 agency representatives from all states and territories (except the ACT) and Geosciences Australia and the CSIRO were involved. The three day technical course was developed and delivered by Sydney University lecturers Brendan Malone, Budiman Minasny and Ichsani Wheeler. Professor Alex McBratney added sessions on digital soil mapping concepts and principles and their application to GlobalSoilMap.net. |
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Proximal Soil Sensing This book reports on developments in Proximal Soil Sensing (PSS) and high resolution digital soil mapping. PSS has become a multidisciplinary area of study that aims to develop field-based techniques for collecting information on the soil from close by, or within, the soil. Amongst others, PSS involves the use of optical, geophysical, electrochemical, mathematical and statistical methods. This book is suitable for undergraduate course material and postgraduate research, brings together ideas and examples from those developing and using proximal sensors and high resolution digital soil maps for applications such as precision agriculture, soil contamination, archaeology, peri-urban design and high land-value applications, where there is a particular need for high spatial resolution information. The book in particular covers soil sensor sampling, proximal soil sensor development and use, sensor calibrations, prediction methods for large data sets, applications of proximal soil sensing, and high-resolution digital soil mapping. This publication is available from Springer for 129.95 Euro. |
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Soil Chemical Methods - Australasia Soil Chemical Methods - Australasia describes over 200 laboratory and field chemical tests relevant to Australasia and beyond. The information and methodology provided across 20 chapters is comprehensive, systematic, uniquely coded, up-to-date and designed to promote chemical measurement quality. There is guidance on the choice and application of analytical methods from soil sampling through to the reporting of results. In many cases, optional analytical ‘finishes’ are provided, such as flow-injection analysis, electro-chemistry, multiple flame technologies, and alternatives to chemical testing offered by near-range and mid-range infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. This new publication is available from CSIRO Publishing for $140. |
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Digital Soil Mapping Digital Soil Mapping is the creation and the population of a geographically referenced soil database. It is generated at a given resolution by using field and laboratory observation methods coupled with environmental data through quantitative relationships. Digital soil mapping is advancing on different fronts at different rates all across the world. This book presents the state-of-the art and explores strategies for bridging research, production, and environmental application of digital soil mapping.It includes examples from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The chapters address the following topics: - exploring new environmental covariates and sampling schemes - using integrated sensors to infer soil properties or status - innovative inference systems predicting soil classes, properties, and estimating their uncertainties - using digital soil mapping and techniques for soil assessment and environmental application - evaluating and using legacy soil data - protocol and capacity building for making digital soil mapping operational around the globe. This publication is available from Springer for 129.95 Euro. |
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Digital Soil Mapping with Limited Data There has been considerable expansion in the use of digital soil mapping technologies and development of methodologies that improve digital soil mapping at all scales and levels of resolution. These developments have occurred in all parts of the world in the past few years and also in countries where it was previously absent. There is almost always a shortage of data in soil research and its applications and this may lead to unsupported statements, poor statistics, misrepresentations and ultimately bad resource management. In digital soil mapping, maximum use is made of sparse data and this book contains useful examples of how this can be done. This publication is available from Springer for 99.95 Euro. |
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Out of the Scientist's Garden: A Story of Water and Food Out of the Scientist's Garden is written for anyone who wants to understand food and water a little better - for those growing vegetables in a garden, food in a subsistence plot or crops on vast irrigated plains. It is also for anyone who has never grown anything before but has wondered how we will feed a growing population in a world of shrinking resources. This new publication is available from CSIRO Publishing for $29.95. Click here to read the book review. |
