Soils of Alabama (Piedmont Province)
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Size: 
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SUBMIT YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE LOGGING THIS CACHE AS A FIND PLEASE.
Alabama has several major soil areas. Most of the soils within each area were formed from materials with similar characteristics.
A soil profile is the sequence of natural layers, or horizons, in a soil. Each soil series consists of soils having major horizons that are similar in color, texture, structure, reaction, consistency, mineral and chemical composition, and arrangement in the soil profile.
The soil profile extends from the surface downward to bedrock or other relatively unaltered earthy materials. Most soils have three major layers—the surface layer, the subsoil, and the substratum.
The surface layer is the uppermost layer and is the soil ordinarily moved in tillage, or its equivalent in uncultivated soil. It usually has a darker color, more organic matter, and less clay than the subsoil.
The subsoil is usually lighter colored, denser, and lower in organic matter than the surface layer. It is the layer where leached materials, such as clay, iron, carbonates, or silica have accumulated.
The substratum is the material in which the soil is forming, or the parent material. It may consist of organic materials, unconsolidated mineral sediments, or weathered bedrock. Each of the major layers may be subdivided into horizons differing in color, texture, or other soil property.
It consists of leaf litter and other organic material lying on the surface of the soil. This layer is not present in cultivated fields. A typical profile of the Bama soil consists of a layer of dark brown fine sandy loam topsoil about five inches thick; a subsurface layer of pale brown fine sandy loam about six inches thick; and a subsoil of red clay loam and sandy clay loam to a depth of 60 inches or more.
Detailed soil surveys, available for most counties, show that each area has several major soil series. A soil series is a part of the landscape with similarities among its properties such as color, texture, arrangement of soil horizons, and depth to bedrock.
At the posted coordinates you will find an interactive exhibit. The panels detail everything you will need to learn to answer the questions. Although Lee County is not considered a Bama Soil Series county, it does cover 26 other counties.
From the panels and your own research, I would like for you to answer the following questions:(Alabama Cacher) & (other states)
1. Do you live in one of the 26 Bama Soil counties? (Alabama cachers) What type of soil do you have where you live & what are the differences? (cachers from another state)?
2.(EVERYONE) What type is around you at ground zero? (Troup, Gwinnett or Pacolet)
3. What major soil area area are you in at ground zero?(EVERYONE) What major soil area do you live in (Alabama cachers)? (Limestone valleys & uplands, Appalachian Plateau, Piedmont Plateau, Coastal Plains, Blackland prairie, major flood plains and terraces or coastal marshes & beaches)
4. When you determine which of the 7 regions you live in in Alabama (Alabama Cachers), tell me what comprises or breaks down to create the soil around your hometown. This will be a specific breakdown for that region, (if you do not live in Alabama, tell me the major differences between the Bama soil at ground zero and your at home, wherever home may be).
5. The interactive display has a cutaway of what the soil is like at GZ. Identify the surface layer, the subsoil, and the substratum. Tell me the width (in inches) and the color of each layer. (Everyone)
6. A photo is not required, but if you do take one, please do not have the display in the background. If you do not do pictures Tell me the name of the Boy Scout and his Troop.
The Related Web link at the top of the page will take you to a site that can assist you if you are having trouble with your answers. Enjoy and if you have any questions about this earthcache, please feel free to contact me through my profile. Jennifer Lolley is the manager and has given permission for this earthcache and many others in the forest preserve.
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