[cid:3325277717_326227]
Soil and Water Science Distinguished Seminar

Speaker:    Dr. Alex. B. McBratney

Pro-Dean Faculty of Agriculture,
Food and Natural Resources;
Professor of Soil Science;
Director of the Australian Centre for
Precision Agriculture;
University of Sydney, Australia
[log in to unmask]


Title:      Digital Soil Mapping and Monitoring

Date:     Friday, May 22, 2009

TIME:    Reception outside 282 JWRU: 9:30 am
              Seminar: 10:00 am - 11:00 am

Location:  282 Reitz Union

Dr. Alex. McBratney is an internationally known leading scientist in digital soil mapping / pedometrics. He received his PhD in soil science from the University in Aberdeen, Scotland. His research interests include quantitative modeling of spatial and temporal patterns of soil properties and processes and how they related to environmental factors using geostatistical and statistical methods and mechanistic approaches. As Director of the Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture he has developed/utilized various sensor technologies to improve site-specific soil mapping and monitoring. He is one of the lead coordinators of the prestigious GlobalSoilMap project funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that maps soil carbon and other properties around the globe to assess soil quality to enhance food production and many other applications.  He has published extensively with 160+ peer-refereed international journal articles and was honored with several prestigious awards including: the J.A. Prescott Medal, Richard Webster Medal in Pedometrics, and Taylor OBE Gold Medal in Soil Science. He is the Editor in Chief of Geoderma Journal and was Chair of the Working Group on Pedometrics (Commission), International Union of Soil Sciences.

Additional information about Alex McBratney can be found at:
http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/acpa/people/alex/AlexMcB.htm
http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/acpa/;  http://www.agric.usyd.edu.au/

For additional information on Dr. Alex McBratney, please contact Sabine Grunwald at: [log in to unmask]

Abstract:
Soil mapping and monitoring is a key part of land-resource assessment for sustainable environmental management. As such there is a global demand for soil data and information for food security and global environmental management. In many parts of the world including Australia there is a dearth of such information. Digital soil mapping is a key technology for responding to these demands cost-effectively. The principles of digital soil mapping will be outlined and relevant methodologies based on the amount of prior information will presented in the context of a digital soil map of the world. The transition from digital mapping to monitoring will be discussed.