Digital representation of the dominant and subdominant Soil Orders of Tasmania at 1:500,000 scale. The map utilised the linework from the Land Systems of Tasmania survey undertaken by the Department of Agriculture and published 1978-89. Information on the soil orders is contained in a digital database within the electronic coverage. Soil data attributes are coded to the Australian Soil Classification (2003) to include soil order, sub order and percentage makeup of up to 5 soils for each land system polygon.

Original linework for the soil boundaries was sourced from the Land Systems of Tasmania dataset (refer to https://www.thelist.tas.gov.au/app/content/data/geo-meta-data-record?detailRecordUID=a6edbf2f-f8ad-4232-8a89-2c7d4c4fd003). Linework has not been modified from this dataset - only soil attributes have been added. The dataset was classified using all available digital soil information available at the time of the classification (2003). This included soil profile descriptions, detailed and reconnaissance soil maps and land system soil component description. Much of this information only covers part of the State. Each land system polygon was viewed in a GIS with all available soil information in the background. The polygon was coded with equivalent soil order and suborder using this information. The percentages for each soil order were matched to percentages in the land system conceptual diagrams. Other polygons with the same land system number (in another area of the State) would get the same soil classification. The final classification was confirmed (and altered where need be) by people with extensive knowledge of soils of Tasmania. Attribute definitions: DomSoil = Dominant Australian Soil Classification Soil Order. DomSoilP = Percent (%) total of Land System Dominant Australian Soil Classification Soil Order. SbDomSoil = Sub-dominant Australian Soil Classification Soil Order. SbDomSoilP = Percent (%) total of Land System Dominant Australian Soil Classification Soil Sub-order. Confidence: Refer to 'Attribute Accuracy'

Position Accuracy: The map represents soil information at 1: 500,000 - with some parts represented better (~1: 100,000). The boundaries on the map are land system survey boundaries. They are intended to reflect transition lines for different soil orders and have been estimated to be correct 80% of the time. Attribute Accuracy: The accuracy of the soil classification reflects the availability of existing soil information in each part of the State. The levels of confidence for attributes of the soil map/database are described below (highest to lowest): 1) Detailed soil maps and/or soil profile descriptions with analytical data; 2) Reconnaissance soil maps and profice descriptions but analytical data incomplete, 3) Reconnaissance soil maps and/or a knowledge of similar soils in similar environments, and 4) Land system component soil descriptions only. Logical Consistency: The linework has full polygon topology with one label per polygon and no dangles or overlaps. Completeness: The dataset covers the mainland extent of Tasmania, as well as all large islands around Tasmania's coastline. This includes King, Flinders, Hunter, Three Hummock, Robbins, Cape Barren, Clarke and Maria Islands. The boundaries and attributes of the soil orders have not been field verified. Additional: The linework that forms the basis of this soil order map originated from the series of Land System Surveys published by the then Dept of Agriculture between 1978 - 1989.