Dynamic Soil Property Focus Team

Overview

Dynamic soil properties (DSPs) are soil properties that change with natural and anthropogenic disturbances and stressors including agricultural and wildland management. DSPs are indicators of soil function and soil change. Information about how soils change due to management and how those changes impact soil functions are crucial to sustainable soil management on all kinds of lands.

• Project Story Map

Charges

• To advance the vision of the DSP Program to deliver scientifically defensible soil information to support conservation management for healthy soils and sustainable ecosystems.
• Identify DSP data needs.
• Standardize the approach to DSP data collection and results.
• Assist with research into new DSP methods.
• Integrate DSP information into corporate databases.
• Develop materials, processes, procedures to promote DSP efforts and outcomes to internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop resources needed to support field staff in planning and implementing DSP data collection efforts and application of results.

Policy

NRCS eDirective: Part 308 – Soil Quality

Guidance

Resources

Shared Resources

Note: Only USDA staff can access this site.

Includes:

• DSP Photo Library – repository of user submitted photos
• DSP FAQs – review answers to user submitted questions or submit a new question
• Documents
  • Equipment Location Maps – to facilitate sharing
  • Fact Sheets
  • Reports
  • Recordings and PowerPoints from PIT Conversations, Trainings, and Webinars

Contact

DSP Staff

• Sharon Perrone, Biological Scientist, Washington, DC
• Shaunna Repking, Resource Soil Scientist - Dynamic Soil Properties, WI
• Kevin Godsey, Resource Soil Scientist - Dynamic Soil Properties, MO

Regional Point of Contacts

Soil Survey Regions Map

• Alaska: Claire Benton, Soil Scientist, Fairbanks, AK
• North Central: Lance Howe, MLRA Soil Survey Office Leader, Redfield, SD
• North Central: Suzanne Mayne, Regional Ecologist, Salina, KS
• Northeast: Matt Bromley, MLRA Soil Survey Office Leader, Grand Rapids, MI
• Northeast: James Leonard, Soil Scientist, Frederick, MD
• Northwest: Chuck Peacock, MLRA Soil Survey Office Leader, Grand Junction, CO
• Northwest: Kimberly Cumella, Soil Scientist, Grand Junction, CO
• South Central: Brandon Vaverka, Soil Scientist, Woodward, OK
• Southeast: Jared Cianciolo, Soil Scientist, Loxley, AL
• Southeast: Jacob Harvey, Soil Scientist, Huntsville, AL
• Southwest: Leah Carter, Soil Scientist , Ogden, UT
• Southwest: Meghan Krueger, Soil Scientist, Minden, NV
• Special Projects Office: Jordan Kim, Soil Scientist, Richmond, VA

Kellogg Soil Survey Laboratory Point of Contact

• Amber Kenjar, Physical Science Analyst, Kellogg Soil Survey Lab, Lincoln, NE

DSP POC Roles and Responsibilities

Current DSP POCs can be found here: Dynamic Soil Properties Shared Resources (Only accessible to USDA staff)

Roles:

1. Answer DSP questions within Regions (Soil Survey Office (SSO) or Soil Survey Regional Office (SSRO) staff questions) and contribute to DSP FAQs (sharepoint.com).
    
2. Attend the Ad-Hoc DSP Project Idea Team (PIT) Conversations.
    
3. Maintain awareness of current projects within Regions.
   • Give an update at least one regional staff meeting per year.
   • Present one regional highlight during a DSP Focus Team meeting; the highlight will be used for the annual report.
4. Maintain open lines of communication with other POCs and DSP Program Staff.
   • Attend POC Meetings.
   • Regarding KSSL POC Role: Communicate Requests for Assistance (RFA) to Francine and Region DSP POC.
   • Screen intensive projects before they are submitted to the NRSS-DSP.
5. Coordinate communication and support of DSP projects in with the Regional Directors:
   • Project planning assistance
   • Facilitate project partnerships
   • Communicate with RD to determine when DSP projects populated and approved in NASIS
   • Follow DSP project progress and maintain open lines of communication with SSO and RD
6. Review project tables for consistency with DSP protocols.