Area IV Envirothon

An Outdoor, Academic Competition for High School Students

• Home
• About
  • Rules & reg's
  • Grievance Policy
  • Scores
  • National Event
  • Past Winners
• Aquatics
  • Study Guide
  • Test
  • Answers
• Current Issue
  • Study Guide
  • Test
  • Answers
• Forestry
  • Study Guide
  • Test
  • Answers
• Soils
  • Study Guide
  • Test
  • Answers
• Wildlife
  • Study Guide
  • Test
  • Answers
• Registration

 

 

2010 SOILS TEST STUDY GUIDE 

The study references listed are not an exhaustive list of sources from which test questions are drawn. Students are expected to research other sources for more information according to the learning objectives for this topic.

The 2010 Area IV Envirothon Committee has decided to utilize the most up to date soil survey information, and by doing so will NOT be supplying each school with a copy of the Butler County Soil Survey. Starting around 2002, the National Cooperative Soil Survey decided that the booklet format soil survey was no longer a practical way to deliver soil survey information in a timely manner. Instead, soil surveys are now updated each year, and are provided in digital formats throughout the nation. Each school should utilize the websites listed below to obtain the information that will be part of this years contest. The Web Soil Survey, and USDA Soil Data Mart are the formats that contain the most up to date soils information, and in utilizing these formats, students will become accustomed to todays soil survey. A packet containing selected information from the web soil survey, and soil data mart will be supplied at the soil station of the event for you to use.

The following list of topics is a summary of key terms, soil interpretive tables, narrative sections and soil map unit and series descriptions from the Soil Survey of Butler County which participants in the 2010 Envirothon Competition should concentrate their study time to prepare for the soils questions on the test.

Soil Survey Maps

http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

Today’s soil survey maps are delivered through Web Soil Survey. In Web Soil Survey, students should be familiar in navigating to a location via the quick navigation tool.  There are basic directions provided below, but if you would prefer a more detailed explanation on using all of the features provided in Web Soil Survey please refer to the following site; http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/Help/WSS_HomePage_HowTo.pdf

• On the website, select the large green “START WSS” button. 

• To access the 2010 Envirothon location, use the address tool.

• Enter the address “7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester Township, Ohio  45069”

• Hit view

• Once you get an address choice list, choose the first choice “VOA Park Dr.” without any other information and that will take you to the location of the Envirothon.

• Once you have navigated to the location, you will need to set the area of interest (AOI), to obtain soil survey information.

• To do this, on the map select the button that says AOI under a red rectangle.

• Use the tool to highlight the area to the East of (on right side of) Cox Road, North of VOA Park Dr, and South of Hamilton Mason Road.

• After setting the area of interest, students should become familiar with the Shopping Cart (free) function.  This is one of the tabs near the top of the page, This feature creates a customized soil survey report for the area indicated in the AOI. It will generate a custom soil resource report for you when you select the check out button at the top right.

You can navigate to almost any area in the United States by simply using the quick navigation tools, and the soil survey of that area will be available to you.  

Soil Interpretations

http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.gov/Survey.aspx?State=OH

The easiest way to access soil survey interpretations is through the Soil Data Mart. The soil data mart allows users to download spatial and tabular data, in a couple of different formats. For the Envirothon students should focus on generating reports from the Butler County survey area. Once you have highlighted the "Butler County Survey Area", and clicked on the "Generate Reports" button, you will be directed to a new page which allows you to select mapunits, and then you will need to select the report which you would like to generate. Students will be provided with the appropriate tables for the contest, but should be familiar with the following reports.

-Acreage and Proportionate Extent of the Soils
- Component Legend
-Engineering Properties
-Map Unit Decriptions (brief) - SOI
- Non Irrigated Yields by Map Unit - Corn, Soybeans, and Winter Wheat.
- Physical Soil Properties
- Selected Soil Interpretations
- ENG - Constructions Materials; Topsoil (OH)
- ENG - Septic Tank Absorption Fields (OH)
- Water Features

Narrative Sections

You can still access the narrative sections of the current "Booklet Soil Survey" by accessing the following link: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/12/soils/pdf/survey_pdfs/butler.pdf

The Table of Contents lists all the narrative sections in the report. For example, the section entitled, "Formation of Soils" begins on page 101. The narrative sections and the page numbers in the report on which they begin which will be most useful on this event are listed below:

- Use and management of soils…p. 65
- Crops and pasture p. 65
- Engineering uses of the soils p. 70
- Engineering properties pp. 75
- Descriptions of soils p. 79-100
- Factors of soil formation p. 101
- Glossary p. 104

General Information on Soils

http://www.ohiosoils.com/

Ohiosoils.com has links to several different soil websites. The "IntroductionTo Soils" link gives a brief overview of soils, and would be a good source of information for the soils section of the Envirothon. From Ohiosoils.com you can also find links to the websites mentioned

Good luck on your preparations for the 2010 Area IV Envirothon!
Matt Deaton, Certified Professional Soil Scientist, ODNR/DSWR

Questions? Please Contact 513-785-6666