Name:______

Field work Activity # 3: Soil profile digging and sketching

Your task today:

You and your group will be creating and sketching a soil profile. Just as you did during your plot sketch, you will be required to make measurements and make detailed notes.

Steps:

A) How are you going to create a soil profile?

Group members should decide which spot would be best to start digging your soil profile. The hole that you are digging should be at least 50-60 cm deep, allowing you to see the O, A and B soil horizons. Try to dig the hole so that it is straight down (vertical), as best as you can.

Important:

  • When you are digging please put the soil you have dug onto a garbage bag and not directly onto the ground. You will need that soil to put back into the hole when you are done with it.
  • Try not to disturb the leaf litter layer around your hole when you are digging, since you will need to record its depth.

B) How are you going to sketch your soil profile?

Group members are to individually sketch what one of the vertical walls of the soil profile looks like. Make sure to include in your sketch pictures of roots, what the leaf litter looks like, any worm holes or other signs of soil creatures.

Checklist for soil profile sketch map:

Name:______

Use a hard, sharp pencil

□ Print neatly and clearly

□ Do not trust anything to memory

□ Record soil horizon measurements

□ Include visual observations

□ Take photographs

□ Title

□ Boundary/Border (ruler)

□ Scale

□ Clear labels / notations

□ Legend

Name:______

C) How are you going to measure your soil profile?

Group members are to measure the depth of each soil horizon using the tape measure. Measure in cm the top of each soil horizon to where approximately where the soil horizon changes. Record the depth on your sketch

D) Filling the hole back in and returning your survey site back to what it used to be.

Group members are to fill the soil profile hole using the soil from the stuff you dug out and put on the garbage bag. Make sure to return the leaf litter back over the hole. Pick up all pieces of flagging tape and other garbage (even if it not your garbage!) and put it into your garbage bag to be taken out of the forest and thrown out. DON’T THROW OUT THE METAL STAKE FLAGS. PLEASE RETURN THEM TO YOUR TEACHER.

Date: ______Name: ______

Title: ______

Location: ______

Time of Day: ______Weather Conditions: ______

Crew Members: ______

Equipment: ______

Soil profile descriptions:______