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1.6: Activity 5 - Soil Structure

  • Page ID
    14434
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    Name: ______________________________

    Section: _____________________________

    Student ID#:__________________________

    Read through and complete the following activity and questions. All questions should be answered and completed labs are due at the end of the laboratory period. No late work will be accepted.

    1) Draw a picture of the various soil structures on display.

    Granular

    Blocky

    Prismatic

    Columnar

    Platy Single Grain Massive

    2) How can granular soil structure be distinguished from blocky structure?

    3) How are soil texture and structure affected (if at all) by soil compaction?

    Texture is:

    Structure is:

    4) Name five cementing agents important in the formation of soil structure.

    a.

    b.

    c.

    d.

    e.

    5) Which type of soil structure is commonly found in the A horizon of a non-disturbed grassland soil? Why?

    REMINDERS/Assignments for next week’s lab:

    a) Study for pre-lab Quiz on material from Lab #2: Soil Parent Materials and Mineralogy.

    b) Your lab instructor will give you a soil sampling “kit” in order to take soil samples from a location of your choice in Laramie, WY - your backyard should do! You wil use this sampling “kit” to take your sample

    1. A bulk density (BD) soil sample (using known volume metal BD ring stored in small sample bag)

    2. Instructions for collecting bulk density measurements using core method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7BSZrJ-TDw&feature=youtu.be&t=1341

    i. Video should begin at 22:20, and watch through 25:28.

    ii. Record the ring number and ring volume on your sample bag

    iii. You only need to take 1 sample; this video instructs taking 3 samples per horizon.

    3. Remember to record the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of this general location for reference. Please bring this soil sample to next week’s lab for preparation.


    This page titled 1.6: Activity 5 - Soil Structure is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anna R. Schwyter & Karen L. Vaughan (UW Open Education Resources (OER)) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.