Labs again - Paper Answers

Two labs soil lab 8 and 10. Lectures are attached. Read it carefully. Due in 36 hours. No Plagiarism.

Intro Soils – Lab 10

Web Soil Survey

o Labs submitted without advised instructions will result in a 4 point deduction: Proper document
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spell and grammar check.

Lab 10 – Web Soil Survey

The Web Soil Survey is a national web-based repository for the National Cooperative Soil Survey. The

survey began in the late 1800s and continues today in an effort to map, classify, and characterize soils

across the United States. Even though county maps exist for most counties in the country and are

accessible at local NRCS offices, libraries, and courthouses, the most up to date information is available

online. The website has a tremendous amount of information with detailed instructions on getting

started and accessing the data.

Your task for this assignment is just not to become an expert at Web Soil Survey, but to just get online

and get acquainted with the site and to research a site of your choice. Your assignment will be to

answer some questions about the soils you researched.

The Web Soil Survey (WSS) is located at the following address:

http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm. It is suggested to first read through some

of the introductory material on the homepage, especially the four basic steps, before getting started. It

just takes some time to click around, get familiar with the layout and then dig into the various tabs to

get more information.

To get started, click on the green ‘Start WSS’ button. This is the main page where all of the information

is located. The first step is to identify an area of interest or the location where you would like more

information; you can do this by just typing in an address or even a GPS location. Sometimes exact

addresses are hard to find, so you may need to identify a broader, general area and then pan around to

find where you would like. Once the aerial images come up, you may want to use the ‘hand button’ to

pan around and locate the more specific location you want to investigate. The click functions are zoom

functions and can either go in or out. Once you have the area you want to look into identified, use the

AOI (area of interest) tool, on the toolbar to draw a square (or polygon) around the area of interest.

Once you have that clicked and identified, the area will be hashed in green, basic information is on the

left panel (size, etc.) and you are set to go!

From there, you can move across the tabs at the top to access information available on the WSS. The

soil map tab generates a soil map with soil map unit names, generally synonymous with the soil series

name, and other information. There is a printable version of the map which also includes the map unit

descriptions. If you click on the soil map unit name (left panel) a printable window of information also

poops up with the full description of the unit (properties, landforms, profiles, etc.). Soil explorer tab has

all of the land use suitability, properties and qualities, and various reports. To view a particular

category, click on the down tab, and view soil report. The information will come up on the map as well

as down below the aerial photo (if available). If you are looking at a relatively small area (less than 10

http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

acres) data may not be available for every potential data point; if you click on the view rating tab and

nothing comes up, data for that particular item may not be available. The amount of information

available quickly and relatively easy is quite amazing! Just click around and see what you can learn!

The soil map feature lists a series of unit names which is generally synonymous with the soil series. To

learn more about the soil series, go to the ‘Official Soil Series Description Page’. It is linked on the Web

Soil Survey homepage on the left panel, and the direct link is the following:

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcs142p2_053587. Database

access is available by several search functions listen on the home page. Once identified, the series

description gives a detailed list of information about the series including taxonomic class, typical

horizons and their characteristics, locations, and other comments. It is a great source of additional

information, especially the detailed taxonomic class. There is also a geographic distribution map

function as well.

This is meant to be a relatively easy, fun, and informative exercise, but if you are having considerable

issues after some time on the website, please email the instructor for assistance.

Intro Soils – Lab 10 – Assignment Questions
Web Soil Survey

1.) What area of interest (AOI) did you research? (address, GPS location, etc.)

2.) Once you have your AOI identified, using the soil map tab, what were at least two soil map units

(soil series) found in your investigation (for example, Grenada silt loam or Loring silt loam). You

may have lots or very few depending on the variability in your AOI. Also search these series

names (Official Soil Series Description Page) and from the description list the taxonomic class,

information about their geographic distribution and extent, as well as use and vegetation.

3.) Using the same or a different AOI, please include that information if you changed, investigate at

least three other soil properties on the Web Soil Survey for your specific AOI and report your

findings. Attempt to find information that will be useful in how the land is utilized currently or

how it may be utilized in the future, and include comment on those in your report. Any

property on the Web Soil Survey is fair game (land management, water management, depth to

water table, crop productivity index, organic matter, erosion factors (T), etc).

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/geo/?cid=nrcs142p2_053587

Intro Soils – Lab 8
Dust Bowl

o Labs submitted without advised instructions will result in a 4 point deduction: Proper document
name (LastName_SoilsLab8), name included in document, legible spacing and use of spell and
grammar check.

Lab 8 – Dust Bowl

The Dust Bowl was a natural disaster in the Great Plains states of the US where dust storms created by
wind erosion severely devastated the region. Millions of tons of topsoil were lost in this event that
lasted almost a decade. The ‘Dirty Thirties’ resulted from a collision of factors including wheat
production on previous grasslands, tillage practices, and a severe drought.

Your assignment for Lab 8 is to write a one-page report concerning the Dust Bowl. Topics to include:
basic description of the disaster, management practices and events that helped create the issue, social
and economic hardships created during the event, management changes implemented after the
disaster, and finally lessons to be learned.

Please reference any materials utilized in the writing of the report. Plagiarism will not be tolerated and
will result in a zero for this assignment. The report should be at minimum one page in length with a
maximum of two pages in length, not including headers (including your name), report titles, as well as
references. Font size should be no larger than 12 pt.

3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes

Did you know ….
Did you know that microorganisms can serve as powerful remediators of environmental disasters?
Chapter 18 focuses on soils and chemical pollution including the use of microorganisms in
bioremediation efforts.

Lecture content notes are accompanied by videos listed below the notes in each submodule (e.g. Soils
and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Videos A thru D). Print or download lecture notes then view
videos in succession alongside lecture content and add additional notes from each video. The start of
each video is noted in parenthesis (e.g. Content for Video A) within each lecture note set and contains
lecture content through the note for the next video (e.g. Content for Video B).

Figures and tables unless specifically referenced are from the course text, Nature and Property of
Soils, 14th Edition, Brady and Weil.

Content Video A

Soils and Chemical Pollution

Xenobiotics
Xenobiotic – artificially made

“xeno” – strange

Industrialized Nations – everywhere

Pesticides – chemicals designed to kill pests

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3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Plant protection

Pros

Reliable Food Production

Public Health

Reduce Tillage

Cons

Non-Target Injury

Water Contamination

Pesticides
Most are ‘organic’ (Figure 18.1)

Carbon backbone with various structures (rings and chains)

Often include Halogen – Cl, F, Br

Insecticides – target insects

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons – DDT

Organophosphates

Carbmanates

Fungicide – target fugal pathogens

Herbicides – target plants

Thousands of formulations

Triazines

Urea-based

Pesticide Use in the U.S.

http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014-june/

3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014-june/

Content Video B

Industrial Organic Contaminants
Industrial use products

Petroleum products, solvents, hydraulic fluids, lubricants, preservatives, etc.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB)

Accident and Neglect
Legacy Issues
Superfund Sites

Behavior in Soils

http://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2014-june/

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3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Behavior in Soils
Volatilization – gaseous loss
Sorption to soil colloids
Leach – Movement to groundwater
Chemical Reactions – Sunlight too
Microbial Degradation
Runoff Loss
Crop Uptake

Persistence

Pesticide Effects Soil Organisms
Microbial population pretty resilient

Most do not kill broad range microbial population
Shifts in community composition

Earthworms and Larger Fauna
More sensitive
Mirror pesticide levels in soils – bioaccumulate

Fumigants – control nematodes
Destructive to both micro and macro fauna

Content Video C

Remediation
Ex-Situ – move contaminated soil offsite

Chemical or physical treatment – use elsewhere
Landfill
Costly

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3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Costly
In-situ – remediate in place

Decontaminate
Sequester and Stabilize

Add surfactant – Increase exchange capacity – Form Organoclays
Binds compounds
Fixation – Stabilizes compound in place

Bioremediation
Microbial Bioremediation

Biostimulation
Provide limiting nutrients
Stimulate microbial population

Bioaugmentation
Inoculate with consortia – known degraders

Soils and Groundwater
Phytoremediation

Hyperaccumulators – accumulate contaminant, remove in biomass
Enhance rhizosphere – better habitat for microbes

Content Video D

Inorganic Contamination
“Heavy Metals”

Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, Selenium (etc.)
Toxic to humans and animals (varying levels)

Industrial Activities
Fossil fuel emissions, smelting, industrial waste, municipal solid waste
Sewage Sludge

Metals – cannot degrade – accumulate in soils
Bioaccumulate – soils/air/water to plants to animals/humans

Prevention of Inorganic Contamination
Reduce load
Immobilize metals in soil

Maintain near-neutral pH – less available
Promote good drainage – oxidized metals less problematic

Utilize phytoremediation
Hyperaccumulating plants
Remove biomass – remove metals from system

Landfills

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Radon Gas and Soils
Radioactive gas – radioactive decay of uranium
Highly toxic to humans – Long term exposure cancer
Uranium rich parent materials soils
Problematic in buildings – comes up from soil and is drawn in through cracks and diffusion
Test issues

Seal off basement
Increase ventilation

Radon in TN

http://health.state.tn.us/environmental/radon.htm#radon2

3/29/2020 Soils and Chemical Pollution (Chapter 18) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Geographic Soils Information

(Chapter 19) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Geographic Soils Information (Chapter 19) Notes

Did you know ….
Did you know that almost every acre of soils in the United States has been mapped and characterized?
Chapter 19 highlights graphical information from soils and how we can utilize it to better manage our
resources.

Lecture content notes are accompanied by videos listed below the notes in each submodule (e.g.
Geographic Soils Information Chapter 19) Videos A and B). Print or download lecture notes then view
videos in succession alongside lecture content and add additional notes from each video. The start of
each video is noted in parenthesis (e.g. Content for Video A) within each lecture note set and contains
lecture content through the note for the next video (e.g. Content for Video B).

Figures and tables unless specifically referenced are from the course text, Nature and Property of
Soils, 14th Edition, Brady and Weil.

Content Video A

Geographic Soils Information

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl

Spatial Variability
Tremendous vertical AND horizontal variability

Map and manage those zones more effectively – Precision Fertilizer Application

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3/29/2020 Geographic Soils Information (Chapter 19) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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p g y pp

Variable Rate Fertilizer Application

3/29/2020 Geographic Soils Information (Chapter 19) Notes – AGRI1050R50: Introduction to Soil Science (2020S)

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Variable Rate Fertilizer

http://www.tangentcps.com/2013/08/variable-rate-fertilizer.html

Topographic Map

http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/

National Cooperative Soil Survey
USDA-NRCS

Began mapping soils in the late 1800’s

Survey = Map

Detailed, structured, standardized methods of soil characterization, analysis, soil taxonomy naming
scheme, etc.

Historically – county basis with hard copies of maps available

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