ENVIROTHON SOILS STATION INTENT AND PURPOSE (you might want to sit up close for these) 1

SOIL FORMATION SOIL FORMATION LANDFORM – gullies, hills, mtns, CLIMATE – freezing, thawing ORGANICS – life cycles PARENT MATERIAL – mineral sources TIME – long time, eons, mega yrs. 2

Biologial Diversity is Essential 3

Diversity in different Ecosystems 4

Where are the most fertile soils? National Geographic, September

ARABLE PART of the EARTH 6

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PARTICLE SIZE 9

Soil Color 10

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STRUCTURE 13

Web Soil Survey 14

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Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey 19

Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey –Requires only a computer with (fast) internet connection to use –No signups/passwords/ addresses required –Maps made without specialized software, instantly –Robust analysis capabilities without specialized software 20

94% of the country has been mapped 96% of private land has been mapped Utah has about 3 million acres of private land left to be surveyed Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey-Data Availability 21

Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey Low Tech Most People High Tech. 22

Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey EASY TO USE... just 3 steps: 1) Define 2) View/Explore 3) Check Out 23

Area of Interest 24

EXAMPLE SOIL MAP 25

Building Materials Map 26

Building Materials Ratings 27

Eight Capability Classes 28

WHY ALL THE FUSS? FUSS? 29

Factors that affect erosion –Slope –Texture –Cover –Climate (rain and runoff) –Temperatures –Wind Types of Erosion – Splash Zone –Rill erosion –Gully erosion –Wind erosion –Sheet erosion –Streambank erosion Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion 30

Erosion Control –Contour Planting: plant crops around the curve of a hill rather than up and down the hill. –Terraces: wide ridges that go around a hill to prevent water from rushing down the hill too fast. –Forest and Grass Areas: keep steep hillsides in trees or grass rather than clear for cropland. –Grassed Waterways: plant grass and don’t plow low areas in a field where water usually runs. Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion Control 31

Erosion Control –Windbreak: rows of trees planted to slow down the wind and prevent soils from blowing –Cover Crop: a crop planted between harvests reduces soil erosion and replenishes the soil with nutrients and organic matter –Conservation Tillage –Crop Rotation: rotate the type of crop planted so that the nutrients are not depleted Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion Control 32

QUESTIONS