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SOIL 4120 / 5120 REMOTE LEARNING LAB MATERIALS

2020 is shaping up to be anything but - standard.
​Let's work together to make sure you get the greatest possible 'field' experience from a distance. ​

SOIL 4120/5120 kits include:
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  • Globe soil color book - please treat these with care and leave out of the sun and away from water. 
  • muffin tin for laying out soil samples
  • 10x loupe for looking closely at features
  • tape measure - for when you get to describe your own profiles (see discussion about final project)
  • 1 M HCl - acid dropped bottle - KEEP AWAY FROM EYES - if your kits was mailed - please substitute white vinegar
  • water bottle for wetting samples

Important links: 
  • SoilWeb & Web Soil Survey
  • Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils
  • Keys to Soil Taxonomy
  • BLANK description sheet if needed

Handouts provided in your binders: 
  • front cover page
  • soil texture (yellow)
  • cheat sheet (green)
  • pedon characteristics (blue)
  • family particle size class (pink)

Basic guidelines for getting the MOST out of each 'field' experience. 
  1. Click on the location map & site photos and become familiar with where in the world this site is. To gain more information, type the lat/long coordinates into SoilWeb to see what soil/soils are mapped at this location - remember - soil surveys were not developed to tell you exactly what soil you'll be on at this field scale - instead, it provides information about the dominant soils of the area. Use this information as guidance to what soils are around. Also - not all soils we'll visit this semester are mapped (e.g. USFS land in the Snowy Range). 
  2. Read the Handout about this site if provided.
  3. With a printed copy of the redacted description sheet in hand, watch the Site introductory (VIDEO 1). Use this information to better understand the landscape, land use, hillslope position, slope, parent material, etc. Be sure to note this information on your description sheet. 
  4. Next click through the site photos to see what the soil looks like up close. Use this image to practice noting horizonation and structure when possible. 
  5. Texture and color the soil samples labelled for this site and note this information on your description sheet. 
  6. Then, watch the Site explanation (VIDEO 2) and see if we can help explain what you're seeing in these images and videos. 
  7. Consider the questions posed for each field visit. Answer these by typing your response - be sure to cite any pertinent information you use in your answers.

DUE via WYOCOURSES AFTER EACH 'FIELD' EXPERIENCE: 
  • completed redacted description sheet
  • typed answers to the questions posed each week

2020 Remote field trip locations (for fall 2020)

Students enrolled in my SOIL 4120/5120 course will interact with this material in WyoCourses (Canvas). I've shared the material here for others to use, adapt, and learn from. If anything seems to be missing, incorrect, or if any link are broken - please email me!
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Lab 0 - getting started!

OBJECTIVE: Learn how to properly fill out a soil description sheet and texture & color soil samples.

  • Official series descriptions: 
    • LARIM
    • ROGERT
  • Blank description sheet
  • Soil texture and color practice sheet​
PART 1
1. Print 2 copies of the blank description sheet above.

2. Transfer the information in the LARIM Official Series Description to your description sheet. Use the Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils to enter the correct abbreviations and symbols (see video below for help). 

3. Repeat this exercise for the ROGERT series:

4. Watch this video and order a copy of the Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils here: https://nrcspad.sc.egov.usda.gov/DistributionCenter/ (Links to an external site.) or view it online here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/research/guide/?cid=nrcs142p2_054184 (Links to an external site.) 
PART 2 - you'll need your field kit and soils for this!

5. Print the soil texture and color practice sheet

6. Perform texture by feel on the 3 samples labeled TEXTURE. 

7. Determine the moist color of the 3 TEXTURE samples. A spoon may be useful to hold the loose samples while coloring. Be careful not to get the pages of the color book wet or dirty. If you do - wait for the page to dry and carefully wipe off excess soil.

Watch me color a couple samples using the Globe soil color book - video shared above.

8. Submit your LAB 0 assignment as a single pdf (2 completed description sheets for Larim and Rogert and the soil texture and color practice worksheet) by 5 pm on Friday of this week.

I use the Office Lens app to take a photo of a document to convert to pdf. Quick tutorial here: 
PART 3 - grab a snack, have a seat, and watch these informative videos about performing a soil description

9. Learn about how to describe the morphological properties of soil by watching these videos at your leisure. 

Lab 1 - Paradise Farm Field Experience 

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  • Location map & site photos
  • Handout about this site
  • Site introductory video (Paradise Farm video 1 below)
  • ​Redacted description sheet for people with soil samples
  • Remote field experiences - where to start video (below)
  • Soil and landscape explanation (Paradise Farm video 2 - coming soon)

Lab 2 - Jack Rabbit Canyon

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  • Location map & site photos
  • Site introductory video (Jack Rabbit Canyon video 1 below)
  • ​Redacted description sheet for people with soil samples
  • View video about how to estimate coarse fragments (Jack Rabbit Canyon coarse fragment estimation video below)
  • After you have tried this - view effervescence class video below
  • Soil and landscape explanation (Jack Rabbit Canyon video 2 - coming soon)

Lab 3 - Lodgepole Trail

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  • Location map & site photos
  • Site introductory video (Lodgepole Trail video 1 coming soon)
  • ​Redacted description sheet for people with soil samples (coming soon)
  • Soil and landscape explanation (Lodgepole Trail video 2 - coming soon)

Lab 4 - Sand Lake Fen

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  • Location map & site photos
  • Site introductory video (Sand Lake Fen video 1 coming soon)
  • ​Redacted description sheet for people w/o soil samples (it was too difficult to figure out how to share wet, organic soils with the class - coming soon)
  • Soil and landscape explanation (Sand Lake Fen video 2 - coming soon)

Lab 5 - Lake Hattie

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  • Location map & site photos
  • Site introductory video (Lake Hattie 1 below)
  • ​Redacted description sheet for people with soil samples (coming soon)
  • Soil and landscape explanation (Lake Hattie video 2 - coming soon)
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