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Soils
Introduction | Soil Formation | Parent Material | Physical Properties | Chemical Properties | Soil Profiles | Capability Classification | Soil Quality | Soil Survey
Introduction
Welcome to the Soils and Land Use section of the West Virginia Envirothon. Soils play five key roles in any ecosystem. First, soil supports the growth of higher plants by providing a medium for plant roots and supplying essential nutrients. Second, soils control the fate of water in the hydrologic system. Soil properties affect water loss, utilization, contamination, and purification. Third, soils function as nature's recycling system. Waste products from plants, animals, and humans are assimilated into the soil, and their basic elements are made available for reuse by the next generation. Fourth, soils provide habitats for a myriad of living organisms from microscopic cells to tiny insects to small mammals to reptiles. Fifth, soil plays an important role as an engineering medium. Soil provides the foundation for virtually every road, airport, and house or other structure built by humans. Soil also is used as a building material in terms of earth fill and bricks.
The following topics provide information regarding the learning objectives of this section as well as summaries of topics that will be included on the examination. The examination will be divided into three parts. The first part will include questions regarding the soil pit and the landscape at the site of the examination. Students will be expected to answer these questions by observing a soil profile and the surrounding landscape. The second part of the examination will include questions regarding general knowledge about soil science from the information presented for each topic summarized below. The third part of the examination will include questions related to the use and understanding of the Soil Survey of Lewis County, West Virginia.
Learning Objectives
- To recognize soil as an important natural resource and to understand its place in the ecosystem.
- To be able to describe the general processes of soil formation, including factors of soil formation and general processes of soil horizon formation.
- To understand the properties of master and subordinate horizons.
- To be able to understand and identify the different types of soil parent materials.
- To be able to describe basic properties of a soil profile and the landscape, including texture class, structure, permeability, color, landscape position, slope gradient, thickness of horizons, and soil drainage class.
- To understand soil drainage classes and their relationships to hydric soils and wetlands.
- To understand the concepts of Prime Farmland and the Land Use Capability System.
- To understand the concept of soil quality and to be able to list indicators of soil quality.
- To be able to use soil survey reports to find key information regarding soil properties and land-use interpretations.
- To be able to identify the West Virginia State Soil.
Additional Resources
It is highly recommended that you go to ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NSSC/Educational_Resources/surdown.pdf to learn more indepth information about soil formation, capability classification, and soil surveys.
The following references are listed as additional sources of information:
http://soils.usda.gov
- Urban Soil Primer
- Understanding Soil Risks and Hazards
http://soils.usda.gov/sqi
- Protecting Urban Soil Quality
- Soil Quality Thunderbook
- The Soil Biology Primer
- Soil Biology and Land Management
http://www.shodor.org/master/environmental/water/runoff/RunoffApplication.html
- The Science of Surface Water Runoff
- How Surface Water Runoff is Determined
- Hydrologic Soil Groups
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/outreach/point7.cfm
- Managing Urban Runoff
- How Urban Areas Affect Runoff
- Measures to Manage Urban Runoff
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/urban.cfm
- Protecting Water Quality from Urban Runoff
- Managing Urban Runoff
- Economic Benefits
- Management Measures
http://montereybay.noaa.gov/resourcepro/urban.html
- Urban Runoff Strategies in Action Plan I
- Model Urbon Runoff Program
Introduction | Soil Formation | Parent Material | Physical Properties | Chemical Properties | Soil Profiles | Capability Classification | Soil Quality | Soil Survey
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