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Soils/Land Use Key Point

Students should be able to:

1. Recognize soil as an important and dynamic resource.
2. Recognize and understand the features of a soil profile.
3. Describe basic soil properties and soil formation factors.
4. Understand the origin of soil parent materials.
5. Identify soil constituents (e.g., clay, organic matter, sand and silt).
6. Identify and list soil characteristics (e.g., texture, structure, etc.) and their relation to soil properties.
7. Determine basic soil properties and limitations (e.g., mottling and permeability) by observing a soil pit or a soil profile.
8. Understand the nature of plant nutrients and how they are held by soil.
9. Recognize the characteristics of wetland (hydric) soils.
10. Understand soil drainage classes and know how wetlands are defined.
11. Understand soil water, its movement, storage, and uptake by plants.
12. Understand the effects of land use on soils.
13. In land use planning discussions, discuss how soil is a factor in or is impacted by non-point source pollution.
14. Identify types of soil erosion and discuss methods for reducing erosion.
15. Utilize soil information, including a soil survey.
16. Canon Envirothon Study Materials for Soils/Land Use.