By
Abigail Holmes, Texas A&M NRI Program Aide
Edited by Amanda Gobeli, Extension Associate, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Edited by Dr. James Cathey, Associate Director, Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Introduction
Private Land Stewardship is a core component of our mission
at the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and our goal is to
provide landowners with the resources they need to better care for their land.
For new or future landowners, the best time to gather knowledge and information
is before making management decisions
that will have lasting effects on the land. Thinking of well-managed land
conjures up images of lush, green fields and healthy wildlife populations, but
it is important to stop and consider where it all begins - with the cultivation
of healthy soils. In 2018, NRI wrote an article, “Private Land
Stewardship Starts with Soils,” that pinpointed just why soils are so important and how
they can impact management decisions. For the first article of our new blog
series, “Resources for New Landowners,” we will revisit the importance of
soils, and go more in-depth into the tools that are available to help us
evaluate and understand soil.
Soil Testing
To understand soil, you have to know what’s in it. The Texas
A&M AgriLife Extension Service Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory
conducts soil tests to determine property-level
characteristics about soil. Some of their current tests include determining
soil pH, the proportion of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), amount of micronutrients,
salinity, and the presence of both organic and inorganic carbon. If you are
unsure of how to collect a soil sample for testing, this video provides an excellent
demonstration.
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| A demonstration of how to take a soil sample, from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension YouTube video, “How to Take a Soil Sample.” |
NRCS Ecological Site Descriptions
The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has developed Ecological Site
Descriptions,
an extensive list of reports which classify and describe soil and vegetation
for sites across the nation. The four major components of an Ecological Site
Description (ESD) include site characteristics, plant communities, site
interpretations, and supporting information. Sites are differentiated from one
another depending on difference in soil, vegetation, and overstory canopy (e.g.
forestland vs. rangeland). ESDs can provide useful information about land use
suitability, best land management practices, and sustainability necessities for
landowners and land managers.
To locate an ESD, visit the Ecological Site
Description System for Rangeland and Forestland Data. This page allows you to search for
ESDs either by choosing your state or selecting a Major Land Resource Area
(MLRA). If you don’t know your
MLRA, you can use this mapping tool to locate it (please note: when
searching for MLRAs by state/county, the mapping tool will often freeze so it
is best to use other criteria). Take a
look at this
video for a quick look at how to utilize
these tools.
Once you enter your search criteria, a table will provide
you with a report link for each available ESD, accompanied by basic site
information. Each will be listed as “provisional” or “approved”—provisional status
represents a report that has passed the minimum requirements for public
release, but will continue to be refined until it gains full approval and
distinguishes the site characteristics in detail. Each ESD provides you with a
map of the site, common plant species found in the area, and an “ecological
site concept.” These concepts paint a picture of the soil structure and
important characteristics which may impact management decisions. Elements such
as the permeability, pH, nutrient and mineral content of the soil may alter the
way you manage the land to encourage healthy flora and fauna.
NRCS Web Soil Survey
The NRCS also developed the Web Soil Survey (WSS), the largest natural resource
information system in the world. The WSS compiles information from the National
Cooperative Soil Survey to provide vividly detailed soil maps for more than 95%
of the nation’s counties. The WSS interactive map provides you with multiple tools to
narrow down the map to a specific Area of Interest (AOI) for which you are
seeking soil information. This resource is designed to teach landowners everything
they need to know about soil to properly understand it, sustainably utilize it,
and thoughtfully manage their properties.
To help you learn how to navigate
this tool, we will take a look at the following prompt:
Use Web Soil Survey to look up an example
property in Stonewall County located at 33° 14’ 19.15” N | 100° 19’ 10.14” W. Determine the predominant soil type at the
site, as well as the primary vegetation and any other relevant information. Watch this tutorial to see a step-by-step look at how to find this soil
information, or attempt the problem on your own.
Conclusion
Each of these valuable resources was
developed to help landowners understand the complexity of soil and make
informed decisions about land management. If managers learn the importance of
the soil on their land, they will see how it impacts vegetation growth,
wildlife and livestock populations, and the future of the property. After
learning from these resources, landowners will more clearly recognize the value
in managing their land from the ground up - literally.
List of Soil Resources:
● Soil testing at the Texas A&M AgriLife
Extension Service Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory