Title: 
Headings: U.S. Land Use and Soil Classification
U.S.
 
Land
 
Use
 
and
 
Soil
 
Classification
 

NRCS
 
NRI
 
2007
 
Land
 
Uses
 
for
 
48
 
States
 
(1.9
 
Billion
 
Acres)
 

NRCS
 
Soils
 
Classification
 

Subclasses
 
and
 
Definitions
 

%
 
Distribution
 
of
 
Land
 
Classes
 
by
 
Location
 

Prime
 
Farmland
:
 

Uses
 
of
 
Prime
 
Farmland
 
in
 
1997
 
(332
 
million
 
acres)
 

Lands
 
Grazed
 
by
 
Livestock
 
or
 
Hayed
 
in
 
Lower
 
48
 
States
 
(NASS,
 
ERS)
 

TOTAL


Content: It
 
has
 
the
 
soil
 
quality,
 
growing
 
season,
 
and
 
moisture
 
supply
 
needed
 
to
 
produce
 
economically
 
sustained
 
high
 
yields
 
of
 
crops
 
when
 
treated
 
and
 
managed
 
according
 
to
 
acceptable
 
farming
 
methods,
 
including
 
water
 
management. In
 
general,
 
prime
 
farmlands
 
have
 
an
 
adequate
 
and
 
dependable
 
water
 
supply
 
from
 
precipitation
 
or
 
irrigation,
 
a
 
favorable
 
temperature
 
and
 
growing
 
season,
 
acceptable
 
acidity
 
or
 
alkalinity,
 
acceptable
 
salt
 
and
 
sodium
 
content,
 
and
 
few
 
or
 
no
 
rocks. They
 
are
 
permeable
 
to
 
water
 
and
 
air. Prime
 
farmlands
 
are
 
not
 
excessively
 
erodible
 
or
 
saturated
 
with
 
water
 
for
 
a
 
long
 
period
 
of
 
time,
 
and
 
they
 
either
 
do
 
not
 
flood
 
frequently
 
or
 
are
 
protected
 
from
 
flooding. [SSM,
 
USDA
 
Handbook
 
No. 18,
 
October
 
1993]
  
Uses
 
of
 
Prime
 
Farmland
 
in
 
1997
 
(332
 
million
 
acres)
 
Croplands
 
          
64%
 
Pasture
  
          
11%
 
Rangeland
 
          
  
6%
 
Forest
  
          
14%
 
Other
  
          
  
5%
 
Lands
 
Grazed
 
by
 
Livestock
 
or
 
Hayed
 
in
 
Lower
 
48
 
States
 
(NASS,
 
ERS)
 
Private
 
Pasture,
 
Rangeland,
 
Grazed
 
Woodlands
  
Cropland
 
Used
 
Only
 
for
 
Pasture
  
Hay
 
Land
 
BLM
 
&
 
FS
 
Grazing
 
Allotments
 
TOTAL
395
 
million
 
acres
 
  
61
 
million
 
acres
 
  
60
 
million
 
acres
 
258
 
million
 
acres
 
774
 
million
 
acres