1 Identifying a Site
This laboratory manual is designed around the premise that you, the student, have access to a field site for most of the academic term. The goal is for you to develop a conservation plan that could potentially be implemented on the site for the purposes of conserving soil and maintaining or improving water quality. Your assignment is to identify this site and show the instructor that you will have access to the site as needed.
You will need to be able to walk around the field site to take measurements as well as excavate small holes or extract soil cores. In addition, you are highly encouraged to call 811 or contact the appropriate local authorities in order to have locations of underground utilities marked ahead of any excavation work.
The site should be currently managed in a scenario in which implementation of soil and water conservation practices would be beneficial and possible. For example, good potential sites include active farmland, grazed rangeland, production forest, or an active or soon-to-be active construction site.
Also, ask the land manager to complete the Management History form on page 13 and 14 of the Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Guide (USDA-NRCS 2021), or interview them yourself and complete the form on their behalf.
Note: the landowner or land manager is welcome to contact the instructor of this course if they have any questions about the activities. They are also welcome to read this laboratory manual to see the specific activities that will likely take place on their land.
Assignment: Identify a Site
Identify a site based on the description above. Then submit proof that you have access to this land.
If you own or manage the land being used:
1) Write a brief summary with the course instructor as the primary audience that details the following:
- Your relationship to this piece of land
- The location, including the latitude and longitude
- Contextual information about the location (number of acres, current land use, etc.)
- Historical land use, if known
2) Complete the Management History Interview form from the Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment.
If you do not own or manage the land being used:
1) Provide the same summary described above, AND
2) Provide a dated letter or email from the landowner or manager that
- Identifies the location of the site
- Explicitly gives you permission to access the site, take measurements and collect data, and conduct small excavations
3) Complete the Management History Interview form from the Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment.
References
USDA-NRCS. 2021. Cropland In-Field Soil Health Assessment Guide. USDA-NRCS. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detailfull/national/soils/health/?cid=nrcs142p2_053869.
