1. The Soil Resource: Foundation of Terrestrial Ecosystems

2. The Soil Resource is: 1. A dynamic natural body composed of mineral matter, organic matter, gases and living organisms in which plants grow. 2. The collection of natural bodies occupying the Earth’s surface that support plants and have properties due to the integrated effects of climate and living organisms acting upon mineral material, as conditioned by relief, over periods of time.

3. Factors Influencing Soil Formation 1. Climate - Temperature & precipitation 2. Living Organisms - Animals (humans too), Plants, & Microorganisms 3. Parent Material - Physical & chemical properties of geologic materials 4. Topography - Landform, slope & aspect 5. Time - Duration over which climate and living organisms have influenced parent material

4. Old Growth Douglas-fir Coast Range in Western Oregon Vegetation Soil

5. Vegetation Soil Desert Grassland Great Basin, New Mexico

6. Pinyon-Juniper Woodland Northern New Mexico Vegetation Soil

7. Alpine Meadow Continental Divide, Colorado Vegetation Soil

8. Lodgepole Pine Forest Front Range, Colorado Vegetation Soil

9. Shortgrass Steppe Central Colorado Vegetation Soil

10. Tallgrass Prairie Eastern Kansas Vegetation Soil

11. Oak Savanna Northcentral Wisconsin Vegetation Soil

12. Northern Hardwood Forest Northern Lake States & New England Vegetation Soil

13. What Controls the Geographic Distribution of Soil and Vegetation?

14. Geological History: The Key to Understanding the Occurrence of Vegetation and Soil