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Aquatics | Forestry | Soils | Wildlife
 Current Issue

Pennsylvania Envirothon 2007
Soils and Land use
Essential Topics

I. Basic Soils Knowledge  
  a. Formation  
  b. Drainage  
  c. Soil horizons  
  d. Hands-on investigation  
  e. Soil quality  
II. Understanding Maps, Surveys and Landforms  
  a. Soil survey maps  
  b. Topographic maps  
  c. Landforms and geologic terms
  
III. Land Use  
  a. Agriculture and conservation practices  
  b. Current environmental concerns and land use issues  
  c. Soils and history  
  b. Pollution remediation  
  c. Identification and benefits of wetlands  
IV. Decision-Making and Protection of Soils  
  a. Scenarios  
  b. Actions at home and at school  


Learning Objectives

*Correlated with the Academic Standards and Assessment Anchors for Environment and Ecology
After completing study on this issue, students will:
I. Describe the relationship between soil formation and the movement of water both within the soil and across the landscape.  
  *4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.A, B, C  
     
2. Describe how soil characteristics are affected by water, and how to control water movement to prevent erosion and pollution.  Understand how topography, stream movement, and drainage are related.  
  *4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.B  
     
3. Explain the importance of wetlands and how to recognize potential wetland areas and hydric soils.  
  *4.1 Watersheds and Wetlands - 4.1.10.D, E  
     
4. Explain the importance of soils as a natural resource which must be managed properly in order to sustain a healthy society.  Understand that soils are in some ways nonrenewable, and what effect gross mismanagement of soils has had historically.  
  *4.2 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources - 4.1.10.A, B, C  
     
5. Describe the effects of human activity on soils and how soils can be used to clean up pollutants or can become a major pollutant.  
  *4.2 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources - 4.1.10.C, D  
     
6. Describe basic soil chemical and physical properties and how they interact with other variables to determine soil fertility or the ability of a soil to remediate pollution and improve envionmental health.  
  *4.3 Environmental Health - 4.3.10.A, B  
     
7. Explain how soil is alive, and how biological diversity is important for soil health and hence human, plant, and environmental health.  
 

*4.3 Environmental Health - 4.3.10.C

*4.7 Threatened, Endangered, and Extinct Species - 4.7.10.A

 
     
8. Explain the soil food web and the different roles and survival strategies that various soil microbial organisms develop within the soil environment.  
  *4.7 Threatened, Endangered, and Extinct Species - 4.7.10.B, C  
     
9. Understand and be able to describe the importance of soils to agriculture and soil quality properties.  Describe current research findings on best management practices to maximize agriculture production, maintain and build soil health, and prevent soil loss and pollution.  
  *4.4 Agriculture and Society - 4.4.10.A, B, C, D  
     
10. Use the soil survey to evaluate the best crops to grow in a given area and what limitations certain soils have to agricultural productivity.  Also identify areas of prime farmland that should be preserved.  
  *4.4 Agriculture and Society - 4.4.10.C  
     
11. Describe the hydrologic, carbon, and nutrient cycles and how soil management relates to those processes.  
  *4.6 Ecosystems and their Interactions - 4.6.10.A, B  
     
12. Explain how societal needs, economic forces, and natural forces affect soil resources and how we can ensure long term sustainability of soil health.  
  *4.8 Humans and the Environment - 4.8.10.A, B, C, D  
     
13. Explain historical events that led to the creation of the soil conservation service.  
  *4.9 Environmental Laws and Regulations - 4.9.10.A  
     
14. Explain in detail the role that geology plays in soil formation, the kinds of soils that are formed, and their basic characteristics including texture, pH, color, and structure.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.A  
     
15. Describe the basic geologic features and rocks of the state of Pennsylvania and how they were formed.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.A  
     
16. Understand and interpret geographical and geological information from topographic maps.  Be able to make some basic assumptions about appropriate land use from topographic and geologic maps and information.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.A  
     
17. Use a soil survey or web-soil survey data to evaluate land use in Pennsylvania.  Show how information in soil surveys can help the land user predict or avoid problems like sinkholes, or regions prone to landslides, flooding, drought, or soil instability.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.B  
     
18. Compare different kinds of land uses and conservation practices on erosion and sedimentation.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.B  
     
19. Explain how climate is a major soil forming factor through it's affect on vegetation, organisms, water, and weathering.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.C  
     
20. Explain how soils and soil management are integral to maintaining clean water and a healthy aquatic environment.  
  *3.5 Earth Sciences - 3.5.10.D  
     
  Assessment Anchors  
    S.11.A.2.1 and 2  
    S.11.A.3.1 and 3  
    S.11.B.3.1 and 3  
    S.11.C.1.1  
    S.11.D.1.1 and 3  
    S.11.D.2.1  
       
Reference Materials  
The following references can be found on the Envirothon Soil / Land Use CD.  
I. An Introduction to Soils of Pennsylvania  
2. Soil Survey - York County  
3. Soil Quality Information Sheets  
 
Soil Quality Introduction
Erosion
Sediment Deposition
Compaction
Salinization
Soil Biodiversity
Available Water Capacity
Pesticides
Hydrophobicity 		Indicators for Soil Quality Evaluation
Organic Matter
Soil Crusts
Aggregate Stability
Infiltration
Soil pH

(rangeland not used in Pa.)
4. Sustaining Our Soils and Society  
5. Topographic Map Symbols  
6. Soil Biology Primer  (use only chapter 1 “The Soil Food Web”, pages 4-9)  
7. From the Surface Down  
8. A Conservation Catalog  
9. Soil References for Landforms and Geologic Terms
  “Soil Structure”
  “Soil Texture”		  
10. Soil's Not Trivial  
11. Cornell Soil pH kits — pH kits may be purchased from the Cornell University  
12. Do You Dig Wetland Soils?  
13. The Color of Soil  
14. Web Soil Survey - Refer to the 2007 Current Issue CD  
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