As a soil informatics laboratory, the Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics (GLSI) is dedicated to enhancing soil data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Understanding soil landscapes and their interactions with land use is crucial for addressing challenges in agriculture, ecology, and environmental management. Our lab integrates geospatial technologies, data analytics, and soil science to advance soil information systems and improve land-use decision-making.

Soil Carbon Monitoring

The Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics (GLSI) proudly supports the USDA-NRCS Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activity 221 (CEMA-221). This citizen science-based protocol provides structured guidelines for soil sampling, data collection, and analysis to assess soil organic carbon stocks. These assessments help evaluate the impact of conservation practices and contribute to greenhouse gas accounting on agricultural lands.

Landowners enrolled in the USDA-NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) may be eligible for financial support by participating in CEMA-221 soil monitoring efforts.

Explore Our Services

Beyond providing soil data and mapping resources, GLSI at Iowa State University offers specialized soil research services:

•  Deep Soil Core Collection – Extracting high-quality soil cores using a hydraulic Giddings probe for research, monitoring, and land management.
•  High-Precision Soil Analysis – Measuring particle size distribution with a laser diffractometer to gain detailed insights into soil texture and composition.