Spatial agricultural soil quality evaluation based on digital soil maps and uncertainty analysis

More than 95% of the agricultural areas of Hong Kong (located on the southern tip of China) are distributed throughout the northern central region (Fig. 1). The total area is 110.6 km2. The climate is subtropical, with an average annual air temperature of 23°C and precipitation of 2214 mm. The topography of the study area is quite complex. Steep hills and rugged mountains separate the agricultural1 INTRODUCTIONSoil quality describes soil function in the most comprehensive way and therefore it is the most desired information for managing soil resources for various uses (Allen et al., 2011), particularly for long-term uses on a large scale. When agriculture, environment and ecology are increasingly being managed more precisely, soil quality information are required in greater detail and at high accuracy.