Lab 8 Soils

Lab 8: Soils Instructions Watch the lecture on soils and the video on agriculture and soil texture. After you have reviewed the lectures and the video, use this document to work through your lab. First, take the Lab 8: Part 1-Soils Assessment. Part 1 is worth 5 points towards Lab 8. Once you have finished and submitted your answers for part 1, begin part 2 titled Lab 8 –Web soil survey. Part 2 is worth 15 points. After the due date when your lab is graded, you will be able to review Part 1 of your lab and answers. Part 2 will need to be graded by your lab instructor. Keep in mind that your lab instructor will need to grade your lab, especially the written responses. The computer can automatically grade and score multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions. Any written or essay responses will need to be graded by your instructor. Once your lab instructor grades those questions, your lab grade will be updated to the correct grade. Goals o Understand the properties of soil texture, pH, and color. o Classify the soil texture using a soil texture triangle. o Use the web soil survey website to identify and analyze soil content at two different locations in the United States. Key Terms / Concepts Soil Horizon Soil color Soil Order Soil texture Sand Silt Clay Soil Properties Acid Alkaline Soil Porosity Permeability Web Soil Survey website For Lab 8 do the following: Take Part 1: Click on Lab 8: Part 1 – Soils Assessment (5 points) Take Part 2: Click on Lab 8: Part 2 – Web Soil Survey (15 points) • Submit two maps (in PDF) and your write up (in Microsoft Word) • This part of the lab will be worth 15 points. • Please do not wait until the last minute to do this assignment.

Part 2: Web Soil Survey Soils are an important natural resource here on Earth and the health of soils are important for supporting vegetation and vegetation cover. The minerals, gasses, flora, fauna, and chemical solutions all make up soil. Soils respond to climate conditions such as temperature and precipitation, and soils also respond to land configuration, vegetation cover, and animal activity. So, a fertile soil is good in that it helps vegetation and crops grow and thrive. For part two of this lab, you will create two soil maps of your choosing and answer the questions below. Make sure you upload your paper as a Word document (.doc or .docx) and two soil maps as PDFs. Remember to click the submit button once all three items are attached to this assignment. Using the Web Soil Survey (see notes and illustrations for help), create two soil maps. The maps are of two different areas of your choosing, but since you’ll be analyzing soil content, ideal locations would be vegetated regions with less development. You’ll want to stay away from city regions, as soil properties will likely be lost to some degree from urban construction. NAVIGATE TO THE SOILS WEBSITE: Go to: http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/HomePage.htm .