SOIL CARTOGRAPHY IN THE RÍOS REGION OF TABASCO, MÉXICO; USE OF THE DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL

Abstract

Classification of soils is an important instrument in planning the natural resources devoted to the production of foods and natural areas. The objective of this study was to compare the precision and accuracy of the cartography between the Traditional Photointerpretation Method (TPM) and the Terrain Digital Elevation Model (DEM). The study was carried out in Tenosique, Tabasco, México, divided in two phases: the soil survey using the TPM with 31 soil profiles; and the soil classification using the DEM in a geographic information system generating a map of terrain attributes, using the profile information obtained in the first phase. To compare the cartography by both methods, the physical characteristics of the soil were used, and 60 to 70 observation points with auger for the analysis of precision and accuracy, respectively. Precision with TPM and DEM was 85 % and 80 %, respectively, while accuracy with TPM and DEM was 77 % and 74 %. The results showed that both values are acceptable for their use in the soil cartography. DEM showed high potential as a cartographic tool given that it reduces costs, can be accessible to producers at a small scale, and can be used in large surfaces.