LandPKS

Soil data collection, vegetation cover, structure inventory and monitoring tool

Knowledge for sustainable land management – in your hands!

*Special notice: LandPKS is currently being improved with additional features and streamlined workflows. We will be releasing a new suite of apps for US and global Soil ID, land monitoring, and a web-based dashboard starting in 2024. This version of the LandPKS app and your site data will remain available as we roll out the new apps.

The LandPKS app helps you make more sustainable land management decisions by allowing you to access existing and collect new geo-located data about soils and vegetation on your land. The app predicts your soil and provides access to climate, habitat and sustainable land management information. It also allows you to quickly and easily track soil health and vegetation over time. Your data is stored in free cloud storage, which means that you can access your data from anywhere! The LandPKS app does not require a data connection to be used, so you can upload your data whenever you have connectivity.

Specific features include:

• A new Tools feature that provides easy access to tools to assess soil texture, soil color, soil identification, and water holding capacity, as well as quick access to climate data, soil health assessment methods, and a sustainable land management practice database.

• The LandInfo module makes site and soil characterization fast and easy! This module walks you through determining your soil texture by hand and helps you collect other important data points. It then provides an estimate of your soil ID and provides a Land Capability Classification to help with land use planning and land management.

• The Vegetation module allows for fast and repeatable monitoring of vegetation cover over time; all you need is a yard or meter stick! Graphs of your land cover data are available immediately offline after completing these measurements.

o The SoilHealth module includes clear instructions (with additional videos on the website) for monitoring soil health.

o The Soil Conservation module contains a database of sustainable land management practices from the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) that you can filter based on your soil and land properties.

o The Habitat module provides information about animals, plants, fish, and other species found in your area, and allows you to compare your soil and vegetation data to habitat requirements (US only)

Learn more about the LandPKS app with online guides and videos at https://landpotential.org. Data can be accessed at https://portal.landpotential.org.

The LandPKS app was developed by USDA-ARS in collaboration with CU Boulder and NMSU with support from USAID, BLM, NRCS, FFAR, TNC, and contributions from a large number of US and global cooperators.