SOIL 411: Soil Genesis, Quality and Land-Use Planning

organic fractions.  Eluviation and illuviation of bases, silica, aluminum, iron, clay and organic matter; Development of pans, nodules and concretions; Progressive soil development; Soil orders and the genesis of their diagnostic horizons.  Soil survey: scales and kinds of soil survey, soil mapping units, soil survey operations.  Environmental regulations of lands; Assessment of soil productivity rating / judgement; soil quality evaluation.  Understanding what we see in terms of soil genesis: concept of benchmark soils, defining soil series - the hypothetical model.  Soil survey reports: land evaluation, soil care, land-use planning, introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems).  Use of soil classification in soil management and extrapolation of agronomic research results.