Material Detail

This  laboratory manual was developed for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students in soil and water conservation classes who have previously taken a course on introductory soil science. It is designed with a “scaffolding” approach in which each laboratory builds on the previous ones on the way to developing a conservation plan for a single study site. The manual begins with a section on site characterization with laboratory activities covering evaluation of onsite conditions such as ground cover, slope, soils as mapped in SSURGO, ecological sites, and soil health assessment. The following sections include laboratories on specific soil and water conservation practices followed by another section with virtual field trips. The next section is focused on predicting water and wind erosion using soil erosion models. The final section includes a description of the conservation plan in which students will summarize their site characterization, erosion modeling, and evaluation of potential conservation practices relevant to their study site.

Each laboratory exercise begins with a recommended reading in a purple textbox that describes and links to freely-available resources related to the laboratory exercise topic. This is followed by learning objectives in a green textbox that outlines expected learning outcomes. Next is a list of materials required for the laboratory in an orange textbox. These material lists generally include several options based on materials  available to students and instructors. These textboxes are followed by an introduction that provides relevant context for the laboratory activities. The laboratory activities are described in step-by-step detail and, when possible, include embedded videos that demonstrate how to perform the activity. Each laboratory is concluded with a blue textbox containing questions relevant to the laboratory followed by references. The questions should be answered in the laboratory report. A default format for laboratory reports is provided in the beginning of this laboratory manual.

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