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ENVIROTHON SOILS STATION INTENT AND PURPOSE (you might want to sit up close for these) 1

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SOIL FORMATION SOIL FORMATION LANDFORM gullies, hills, mtns, CLIMATE freezing, thawing ORGANICS life cycles PARENT MATERIAL mineral sources TIME long time, eons, mega yrs. 2

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Biologial Diversity is Essential 3

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Diversity in different Ecosystems 4

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Where are the most fertile soils? National Geographic, September 2008 5

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ARABLE PART of the EARTH 6

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PARTICLE SIZE 9

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Soil Color 10

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STRUCTURE 13

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Web Soil Survey 14

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Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey 19

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Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey Requires only a computer with (fast) internet connection to use No signups/passwords/email addresses required Maps made without specialized software, instantly Robust analysis capabilities without specialized software 20

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94% of the country has been mapped 96% of private land has been mapped Utah has about 3 million acres of private land left to be surveyed Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey-Data Availability 21

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Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey Low Tech.--------------------Most People----------------------High Tech. 22

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Soil Survey Program Web Soil Survey EASY TO USE... just 3 steps: 1) Define 2) View/Explore 3) Check Out http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/ 23

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Area of Interest 24

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EXAMPLE SOIL MAP 25

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Building Materials Map 26

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Building Materials Ratings 27

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Eight Capability Classes 28

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WHY ALL THE FUSS? FUSS? 29

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Factors that affect erosion Slope Texture Cover Climate (rain and runoff) Temperatures Wind Types of Erosion Splash Zone Rill erosion Gully erosion Wind erosion Sheet erosion Streambank erosion Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion 30

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Erosion Control Contour Planting: plant crops around the curve of a hill rather than up and down the hill. Terraces: wide ridges that go around a hill to prevent water from rushing down the hill too fast. Forest and Grass Areas: keep steep hillsides in trees or grass rather than clear for cropland. Grassed Waterways: plant grass and dont plow low areas in a field where water usually runs. Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion Control 31

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Erosion Control Windbreak: rows of trees planted to slow down the wind and prevent soils from blowing Cover Crop: a crop planted between harvests reduces soil erosion and replenishes the soil with nutrients and organic matter Conservation Tillage Crop Rotation: rotate the type of crop planted so that the nutrients are not depleted http://www.dubuqueswcd.org/page5.html Sustainable Agriculture and Erosion Control 32

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QUESTIONS Ray.grow@ut.usda.gov 801 524-4253 33