The relationship between the characteristics and use of information of the reconnaissance soil survey map of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the scale of 1:750.000 and the semidetailed maps of the São João do Polêsine county (SJP), in the scale of 1:20.000, and São Pedro do Sul county (SPS), in the scale 1:50.000 was studied. For this purpose the total area, in hectares, was compared, and the percentage of area of the counties occupied by the different soil classes, delineated in different maps. Differences were verified concerning the main classes of soils delineated in the maps and also in the percentage of distribution of the area occupied by the classes in these maps. For this reason, the enlargement of soil maps of small scale doesn’t permit to identify and to delineate soils that occur in the studied area, and which were not mapped due to the limitations in scale. For planning use of soils in watersheds, counties and farm areas, detailed and semidetailed surveys should be elaborated.
soil survey; soil maps; soil classes; cartography
