Soil Maps
Level 4 Guiding Question: What purpose do soil maps play in Agriculture?
Soil maps can depict soil properties and functions in the context of specific soil functions such as agricultural food production, environmental protection, and civil engineering considerations. Maps can depict functional interpretations of specific properties such as critical nutrient levels, heavy metals levels or can depict interpretation of multiple properties such as a map of erosion risk index. Mapping of function specific soil properties is an extension of soil survey, using maps of soil components together with auxiliary information (including soil functions and models) to depict inferences about the specific performance of soil mapping units.
Background on Land Usage: Please read the following slide presentation it contains information you will need to understand this lesson.
Level 4 Investigation : How are Soil survey maps used?
For each website below do the activity that is attached on the lower button. Visit the website by click the "website" button. Please use the VDOs in "Level 9 Videos" section to learn how to use the tools in each Soil Survey Map.
1. Smithsonian soil webquestClick on the button above to complete the Webquest linked below!
|
2. Soil Web Survey (UCDavis)Click on the button above to complete the Soil Survey assign. linked below!
|
3. Soil WebSurvey (NRCS)Click on the button above to complete the Soil Web Survey linked below!
|
Level 4 Videos : Learn how to use each type of soil survey website.
1. UCDavis Soil Web "Basics" tutorial on how to start a search as well as identifying some of the tools and how to use them.
|
2. NRCS Web soil survey website tutorial on how to navigate this website in order to discern the effective use of the soil resources.
|
3. This video will be used for one of the assignments that will be given on this page.
|
Level 4 Elaborate: Make a Video on how to use each Soil website.
Level 4 Review : Can you read a soil survey map and solve problems?
Read the activity and work with your partner to complete the compare and contrast challenge. Don't forget each of you have to submit your own work.
Level 4 Summary: Soil testing Unit test
Carefully read your test paper it contains all the direction you will need to complete the exam. In addition, peruse the rubric it will help guide your research and work.