Spatial Pattern of Soil Characteristics

Objectives

The objective of this activity is to investigate the spatial pattern of soil characteristics in the United States.

Materials needed

The links to soil information requires Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download).
Outline map of North America

Activity

You will use state soil information provided by the United States Natural Resources and Conservation Service to compare and contrast various soil series and their characteristics. Link to soil information by clicking on the soil series name. Many of the documents are in Adobe Acrobat format.

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Questions

1. Antigo Series (Wisconsin)

The Antigo Series in Wisconsin is an alfisol that develops on loess parent material. What is loess and why would this parent material create a good agricultural soil? (Hint: You may want to use your textbook to help answer this question.)

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

2. Chesuncook Series (Maine)

What soil order does the Chesuncook Series belong to? How does this soil order differ from the soil order that the Antigo Series belongs too?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

3. Bayamon Series (Puerto Rico)

Judging from the picture of the Bayamon Series, is this soil slightly or significantly weathered? Why?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

4. Seitz Series (Colorado)

The Seitz Series is an alfisol like the Antigo Series in Wisconsin. What uses are the Seitz Series soil best suited for? Why wouldn't the Seitz Series be a good agricultural soil? (Hint - Consider topographic/geographic setting)

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

5. Tama Series (Iowa)

The Tama Series and Antigo Series form in loess parent material but their A and B horizons look quite different. Compare and contrast, in a general way, the color of the A and B horizons of these two soils. What might account for the difference?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

6. Houston Black (Texas)

What soil order does the Houston Black series belong to? What is the native vegetation of this soil and what impact does it have on the characteristics (fertility color, etc.) of the soil? How does the behavior of the soil impact water permeability and drainage?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

7. Natchez Series (Mississippi)

The Natchez series is developed on loess like the Antigo Series in Wisconsin. The Antigo Series is an Alfisol while the Natchez Series is an inceptisol. Why?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

8. Hilo Series (Hawaii)

According to the parent material that the Hilo Series developed in, what soil order do you think it belongs to? Both the Hilo and Bayamon series have developed in tropical regions. Compare the soil color of these two series. Speculate on what may cause the difference in color.

Hawaii is not on your outline map so draw a small inset map onto your outline map of Hawaii and then sketch the approximate location of the soil series.

9. Casa Grande Series (Arizona)

Given the description of the soil on general information page, what soil forming processes likely created this soil? Though Native Americans used this soil for growing vegetables and other crops, what is the soil best suited for? (See detailed series information).

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.

10. Bama Series (Alabama)

The Bama Series belongs to the Ultisol soil order, a "cousin" to the oxisol order. Compare and contrast the oxisol and ultisol order (use online materials and textbook for help). How does the Bama Series visually compare to the Bayamon? Why do you think the Bayamon is more highly weathered?

Sketch the approximate location on your North America outline map.