2011 Wisconsin Envirothon Soils and Land Use Exam

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2011 Wisconsin Envirothon Soils and Land Use Exam USE THE OCONTO COUNTY SOIL SURVEY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-4 The Pensaukee River Wetland Complex is a mixture of state (Pensaukee Wildlife Area) and

1 2011 Wisconsin Envirothon Soils and Land Use Exam USE THE OCONTO COUNTY SOIL SURVEY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-4 The Pensaukee River Wetland Complex is a mixture of state (Pensaukee Wildlife Area) and privately owned lands. This estuary is located on a sandy lake plain near the mouth of the Pensaukee River on the western Green Bay shore of Oconto County. The site includes many wetland community types. Of greatest interest are the large emergent marshes along the shoreline, which are best developed south of the river. 1. What is the soil mapping unit symbol and name (including slope) at the intersection of County Trunk Highway SS and County Trunk Highway S in Section 11 of T. 27N. R. 21E.? 2. In the marsh north of the mouth of the Pensaukee River as it empties into Green Bay locate the large area of Cormant loamy fine sand in Section 12. a. What is the drainage class of this soil? b. What three landscape positions is Cormant loamy fine sand is located on? 3. A family which enjoys the Green Bay shoreline, wetlands, and viewing waterfowl would like to build a house and it could be located on Cormant loamy fine sand. Would this be a good place to build? Why or why not? /12 Running Total: 12 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 1 of 8

2 4. Some soils on the fringe of the Green Bay estuary, (Pensaukee Wildlife area) are currently farmed. If the water control measures (drainage ditches or drainage tile) for fields where these soils occur were disabled allowing them to flood on a natural cycle what would likely happen to the soils? a. bedrock would be exposed to the surface b. parent material would change for the worse c. soil structure and organic matter would increase d. soil texture would change 5. Which of the following soil conditions is a proper characteristic of a soil for septic tank filter fields? a. high water table at 18 inches b. limestone bedrock at 24 inches c. sandy loam glacial till d. silty clay textured C horizon 6. Which of the following soil surface textures has the highest potential for wind erosion? a. loamy sand b. sandy clay loam c. silty clay d. silt loam 7. Soils that have a high water holding capacity usually have a high content of which soil texture particle size? a. clay b. loam c. sand d. silt /8 Running Total: 20 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 2 of 8

3 8. Soil structure is defined as the manner in which soil particles are assembled in aggregate form. What are four soil structures common to Wisconsin? 9. Soil provides the physical material in which plants grow. Water held by soil particles is very important as well. a. What is the term used when soil-water is no longer available to be taken up by plants? b. What is the term used when the soil has reached the maximum amount of water it can hold? 10. What are three soil forming or environmental factors that contribute to soil profile development? 11. What plant nutrient generally requires soil bacteria to make the nutrient available for plant root uptake? a. calcium b. nitrogen c. phosphorus d. potassium /17 Running Total: 37 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 3 of 8

4 12. What are two likely types of parent materials for soils occurring in the fresh water Green Bay estuary? a. alluvial b. eolian c. glacial d. lacustrine 13. What best describes the redoximorphic features of the soils that occur in the fresh water Green Bay estuary? a. close to the soil surface with a high percent of coverage b. deeper in the soil profile with a high percent of coverage c. nonexistent redoximorphic features d. weak, faint barely visible redoximorphic features 14. Which soil ecosystem is more likely to have the largest amount of soil organisms (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, arthropods, earthworms)? a. conventional tilled agricultural field b. no-till agricultural field c. scotch pine forest d. tallgrass prairie 15. What type of organism is found in the greatest numbers within the soil? a. earthworms b. insects c. bacteria d. fungi 16. What is the primary transport agent of colluvium? 17. What soil amendment is typically added to the soil to overcome excess soil acidity? /12 Running Total: 49 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 4 of 8

5 18. Which soil horizon is characterized by very little mineral matter? a. A horizon b. C horizon c. E horizon d. O horizon 19. Which soil constituent has the most surface area per unit of measure? a. clay b. gravel c. sand d. silt 20. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is A= R x K x L x S x C x P, and it is used to determine how much erosion is occurring on an agricultural field. Match the letter symbol of the USLE to the correct meaning of the letter. a. conservation practice factor e. slope length factor b. cropping factor f. soil erodibility factor c. rainfall factor g. slope steepness factor d. annual soil loss USE THE SAMPLES IN THE CONTAINERS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS What is the name and Munsell color symbol for the soil in container 1? 22. What is the soil texture in container 2? 23. What is the soil structure in container 3? 24. What is the parent material in container 4? /20 Running Total: 69 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 5 of 8

6 ANSWER QUESTIONS BY USING THIS SOIL PROFILE DESCRIPTION: Ap--0 to 23 centimeters; dark grayish brown (10YR 4/2) silt loam, light brownish gray (10YR 6/2) dry; weak fine subangular blocky structure; very friable; many fine roots; about 6 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; ph 6.8; abrupt smooth boundary. E--23 to 30 centimeters; brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam, very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak thin platy structure; very friable; common fine roots; about 1 percent gravel and 1 percent cobbles; ph 6.1; clear wavy boundary. B/E--30 to 48 centimeters; about 70 percent dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam (Bt); moderate very fine angular blocky structure; friable; few distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; penetrated by brown (10YR 5/3) silt loam (E), very pale brown (10YR 7/3) dry; weak thin platy structure; very friable; common fine roots; ph 4.9; clear irregular boundary. Bt1--48 to 71 centimeters; dark yellowish brown (10YR 4/4) silt loam; moderate fine angular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common distinct brown (7.5YR 4/4) clay films on faces of peds; common coats of pale brown (10YR 6/3) clean silt and very fine sand grains on vertical faces of peds; about 1 percent gravel and cobbles; ph 4.5; abrupt wavy boundary. 2Bt2--71 to 79 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) loam; moderate medium subangular blocky structure; friable; common fine roots; common prominent dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay films on faces of peds and in pores; common coatings of pale brown (10YR 6/3) clean silt and sand grains primarily on vertical faces of peds; about 11 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; ph 4.4; abrupt wavy boundary. 2Bt3--79 to 84 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 4/4) very gravelly sandy loam; weak coarse subangular blocky structure; friable; few fine roots; few distinct dark reddish brown (5YR 3/4) clay bridges between mineral grains; about 34 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; ph 4.5; abrupt wavy boundary. 3C--84 to 152 centimeters; brown (7.5YR 5/4) stratified sand and gravelly sand; single grain; loose; about 16 percent gravel and 2 percent cobbles; few fine roots; ph /11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 6 of 8

7 25. What is the texture of the 2Bt2 horizon? 26. What is the grade of the structure in the E horizon? 27. What is the type of structure in the Bt1 horizon? 28. How many parent materials does this soil have? 29. Based on the horizon soil colors and soil textures throughout the soil, what is the drainage class of this soil? VISIT THE SOIL PIT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS What is the structure of the horizon labeled II in the soil pit? 31. What is the moist color (name and complete Munsell symbol) of the horizon labeled I? 32. What is the texture of the horizon labeled I? /19 Running Total: 88 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 7 of 8

8 33. What is the thickness of the A horizon? (3pts, site specific question, answer TBD) 34. Using a clinometer, what is the slope of the land between the two stakes? USING THE TEXTURE TRIANGLE, IDENTIFY THE TEXTURE OF THREE SOILS BASED ON THEIR RELATIVE PROPORTIONS OF CLAY, SAND, AND SILT % clay, 31% silt, and 31% sand 36. 9% clay, 22% silt, and 69% sand % clay, 44% silt, and 45% sand TIEBREAKER Soil color helps you evaluate which two soil properties? /12 Running Total: 100 4/11/2011 FINAL VERSION Page 8 of 8

Horner-McLaughlin Woods: Soil Types

Horner-McLaughlin Woods: Soil Types Not present at HMW Adrian Muck Conover Loam 0-4% Slopes Houghton Muck Miami Loam 2-6% Slopes Miami Loam 6-12% Slopes Miami Loam 12-18% Slopes t 0 0.125 0.25 Miles Mary