​​Learn By Digging

Explore. Support. Share. Build Community. 

This space was created to share materials I've accumulated, generated, and/or appreciated throughout my years as a soil science professor. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.
​If you have materials you'd like to share, please get in touch so we can discuss the development of a comprehensive clearinghouse for soils education and outreach materials.
These materials are not without error, so please use your best judgement.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PEDOLOGY (this is a work in progress - KV January 2020)

The following materials are provided to expose the user to lecture materials delivered throughout a standard semester of an upper division course in Pedology. 
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PLEASE NOTE THESE SLIDES ARE NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR DIRECT CONTACT WITH AN INSTRUCTOR. MUCH OF THE MATERIAL I PRESENT IS SUPPLEMENTED WITH IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTS, WRITTEN NOTES & DRAWINGS, AND DISCUSSION. 

introduction

syllabus & schedule

quizzes

Assignments

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MORPHOLOGY I

MORPHOLOGY II

morphology III

morphology IV

morphology V

morphology VI

morphology VII

climate

ORPT

processes

weathering I

weathering II

CLASSIFICATION

Gelisols

HISTOSOLS

SPODOSOLS

andisols

Oxisols

Vertisols

aridisols

ultisols

Mollisols

kitchen sink

WRB

coming soon

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Slides shared were created using materials from a variety of sources including but not limited to: 

• Buol S.W., R.J. Southard, R.C. Graham, and P.A. McDaniel. 2011. Soil Genesis and Classification. 6th edition. Wiley-Blackwell. Available at the bookstore and numerous online sources. Also available as a free eBook (for UWYO students) through the UW library (http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwy/detail.action?docID=1138972).
• (aka, the “IG”) Soil Survey Staff. 2015. Illustrated guide to soil taxonomy. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, Nebraska. pdf available here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/taxonomy/?cid=nrcs142p2_053580
• Schoeneberger, P.J., D.A. Wysocki, E.C. Benham, and Soil Survey Staff. 2012. Field book for describing and sampling soils, Version 3.0. Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Soil Survey Center, Lincoln, NE. https://nrcspad.sc.egov.usda.gov/DistributionCenter/​
• Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 12th Ed. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington D.C. I will have copies available for you to share in class. This book is available in PDF format from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service at: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/survey/class/?cid=nrcs142p2_053580. 
• Soilscience.info Flickrstream https://www.flickr.com/photos/soilscience/
• University of Idaho - Soil Orders https://www.uidaho.edu/cals/soil-orders
• Weil, R.R. and N.B. Brady. 2018. Elements of the nature and properties of soils. 4th edition. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ. 

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Soil profile/landscape images - all photos taken by Karen Vaughan unless otherwise stated. You are welcome to use for educational purposes with credit - contact me for any other use. DETAILED CAPTIONS COMING SOON

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Soil memes etc. - curated by Karen Vaughan unless otherwise stated. You are welcome to use for educational purposes with credit - contact me for any other use.