WRB2 Soil Type Dataset for Nepal and Gyirong

This dataset provides the spatial distribution of WRB2 soil types across Nepal and Gyirong County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was derived from the Harmonized World Soil Database version 2.0 (HWSD v2.0), released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and collaborating institutions. During processing, HWSD2 soil mapping unit identifiers were linked to WRB2 attributes, converted into a categorical raster, and clipped to the Nepal-Gyirong study area.

The principal data file is the single-band categorical raster 01_WRB2.tif. A class-legend CSV, a QGIS QML style file, and auxiliary category information are also included. The original grid resolution is approximately 30 arc-seconds, corresponding to a ground scale of about 1 km. Thirteen classes occur in the study area: Anthrosols, Cambisols, Cryosols, Fluvisols, Glaciers, Leptosols, Luvisols, Open Water, Phaeozems, Regosols, Solonchaks, Technosols, and Umbrisols.

The dataset is suitable for regional soil-type mapping, land-resource assessment, water and soil resource studies, environmental-background analysis, and studies of relationships between soil, vegetation, and land use. It is a harmonized static soil-background dataset rather than a product representing a single observation year.Its approximately 1 km spatial scale is appropriate for regional analysis but not for plot-level or sampling-site soil characterization.