Soil Interpretation

Soil survey interpretations provide users of soil classification and soil maps with predictions about the behavior of each kind of soil under defined situations, especially systems of soil use and methods of manipulation. Soil survey interpretations are predictions to inform users about the behavior of soil if it is brought under irrigation, if it is reclaimed, if it is used for construction of roads and/or settlements or if it is used for agriculture (cultivation), etc.

Learn from Video

Questions & Answers about Soil Interpretation (see also Chapter 6 in USDA Soil Survey Manual)

Test yourself:

1. What is geopedology? why do we need it?
   
2. Can we map soils without using geomorphology? If yes, how and where?
   
3. What is soil property mapping?
   
4. What is the difference between soil mapping and soil survey?
   
5. Could you explain why we say soil system (geopedologic) map is more than soil map?
   
6. Could you explain how soils and landforms are related?
   
7. What is meant by and why do we do stratification?
   
8. Where do we need remotely sensed data?
   
9. Why the concept ‘a soil’ is needed in soil science/ survey?
   
10. Why soil profile depth that is required to be studied in the tropics is about 2 meters, whereas this is about 1.5 meter in the arid regions?
    
11. In the soil horizon symbols – A, B, C, R – could you agree that ‘A’ is giver, and ‘B’ is receiver? Explain your answer
    
12. Can you check in the textural triangle what is the texture of a soil with clay=25%, and silt=30%? What is then the % of the sand fraction?
    
13. Why do we soil classification? Can we do soil survey without soil classification?
    
14. What is the lower case letter used to designate a horizon which contains calcium carbonates?
    
15. Is topsoil texture sufficient for the estimation of infiltration?
    
16. Is soil structure alone sufficient to estimate water movement in the soils? Explain your answer
    
17. Is there any relation between texture and bulk density? Explain your answer
    
18. What is the dominant soil texture in the podzols in the neighboring areas of Enschede?
    
19. Are all the soils around Enschede sandy? If no, what are the other texture classes you see on the map?
    
20. Could you explain the soils that you see on the Soil Map of Enschede as related to the landforms?
    
21. How do you explain the occurrence of grassland and scattered forests in the area (coverage of the soil map)?
    
22. Are the soils under grass the driest ones in the area?
    
23. Can you explain why platy structure is not a favorable structure?