Title: Identify forest soil characteristics.
Course: Forestry Management (18502-I) > Section: Understanding Forest Ecology

Identification should include

- horizons of an undisturbed soil profile
- depth and texture of topsoil and subsoil
- water-retention capacity and moisture conditions of soil horizons
- nutrients (e.g., leaching, availability)
- soil pH
- organisms in the soil
- erosion.

Teacher Resources:

- Web Soil Survey, NRCS, USDA
- Soil Science, NRCS, USDA

Process/Skill Questions:

- How do soil conditions affect species diversity and establishment within a forest?
- How do soils contribute to nutrient and biological cycles within a forest ecosystem?
- How do biological factors within the soil influence forest conditions and species diversity?