Application of Soil Survey To Assess the Effects of Land Management Practices on Soil and Water Quality

Soil Survey Investigations Report No. 52, “Application of Soil Survey To Assess the Effects of Land Management Practices on Soil and Water Quality,” is now available online. This report describes a study using an exploratory technique developed by NRCS to estimate the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus caused by runoff and leaching in agricultural watersheds. The study included watersheds in Nebraska and West Virginia. The NRCS technique is quick and cost effective because it utilizes existing climatic, hydrologic, and soil survey information.

Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 11th Edition, 2010

The Keys to Soil Taxonomy provide the taxonomic keys necessary for the classification of soils in a form that can be used easily in the field. The 11th edition is now available online in PDF format. LANDCARE also has a supply of this publication.
 

National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Regional Conferences

Registration and lodging information has been posted for the 2010 NCSS Regional Conferences.

North Central: Columbus, Ohio - June 14-17, 2010

Northeast: Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania - June 6-10, 2010

South: College Station, Texas - July 12-15, 2010

West: Las Vegas, Nevada - June 21-25, 2010

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils, version 7.0

Version 7.0 of the “Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States, A Guide for Identifying and Delineating Hydric Soils” is now available online. The Guide was developed in cooperation with in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the Environmental Protection Agency; various regional, state, and local agencies; universities; and the private sector.
 

2009 Antarctica Data

There are seven long-term soil-climate stations in Antarctica that were set up to study the effects of latitude, elevation, and soil age. Each station monitors soil temperature, soil water content, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind (speed and direction). Measurements are made at 20-minute intervals and averaged and recorded every hour. Antarctica data for 2009 is now available.