The Soils of the Rainwater Basin
At Nature’s Mosaic Classroom
This CACHE follows the guidelines as set forth by EarthCache. Permission to place this cache at Nature’s Mosaic Outdoor Classroom was given by Teresa Evans, Community Relations Director at Mosaic at Bethphage Village. Please be respectful of this area and abide by the 6 visitor rules that are posted on the Learning Center Building adjacent to the Parking Area. Nature’s Mosaic is handicapped accessible. There are picnic areas, fishing pond, walking trails, and observation areas. It is open year round.
YOU WILL NEED TO BRING WITH YOU
1. At least 1 qt. CLEAR container with a WIDE MOUTH LID. A 32 oz (1 qt) sports drink container is ok.
2. At least 1 qt. of water.
3. A trowel or homemade soil probe; i.e., something to collect a soil sample. A soil probe would be ideal (homemade or other). You are going take a soil sample from a cylindrical hole. A sample an inch in diameter and about a foot deep would be ideal. I HAVE ONE YOU CAN BORROW. Contact me and I can leave it out for you.
4. Camera
5. Notebook & pen to record findings.
AlSO: Binoculars, magnifying glass, Field Guides to birds, insects, etc., Picnic lunch, fishing gear, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, bikes.
PREPARATION
You may walk approximately 1 mile in competing the cache requirements. Allow yourself plenty of time to enjoy Nature’s Mosaic. You can complete this cache in 30 minutes. Plan to have a picnic here and not feel rushed. THIS IS NOT A PARK AND GRAB CACHE.
I, gyouareyou (Gee You Are You … GURU), have designed this cache from my background as a Naturalist. I have been a Naturalist Educator at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center in Yellow Springs, OH and I started and directed the Herrlich Envivonmental Education Center in Holmes, NY. My love for outdoor learning is one of the reasons I geocache. This is my first EarthCache. If you would like me to join you for your visit to Nature’s Mosaic, let me know in advance.
THE RAINWATER BASIN DESCRIPTION
“The Rainwater basins are the surface expression of elliptical depressions developed in fluvial sands and gravels buried by a blanket of several meter-thick loess. These basins are palimpsest landforms created by the draping of a younger loess blanket over these underlying depressions (Zanner and Kuzila 2001).
The loess, which overlies these features, contains an intact sequence, from bottom to top, of Middle Wisconsinan Gilman Canyon Formation, Late Wisconsin Peoria Loess, Brady Soil, Holocene Bignell loess resting upon a Late Illinoian Sangamon Soil developed in the fluvial sand and gravels in which these depressions have developed[1] The intact layering of these different loesses and associated paleosols, which are each called “soil” by Zanner et al. (2007), prove that the loess has not been disturbed since it started accumulating over 27,000 years ago. Thus, these buried elliptical depressions are over 27,000 years old.” [Zanner, C. W., W. Dort, Jr., and S. R. Bozarth, 2007, Holocene Bognell Loess Chronology. Stratigraphy and paleoenvironemntal reconstructions from within a loess table, Southwestern, Nebraska. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 39, no. 3, pp. 73.]
In short, Nature’s Mosaic is located in one of these “Geological Depressions” or “BASIN” that acts a collection system for water that attracts and supports a vast number of plant and animals species. There is a special relationship between this land formation, the soils and the natural environment that continues to survive here with conservation and land management policies and practices.
EarthCache REQUIREMENTS
Let’s begin our study of the unique soil structure that makes up Nature’s Mosaic Classroom. This EarthCache is for Earth Science beginners to learn some basics about the earth under your feet and the unique properties of the soil in and around Nature’s Mosaic Classroom north of Axtell, NE. Your mission should you choose to except it is to explore the soils of the Nature’s Mosaic Classroom and learn why this particular area is so attractive to a significant number of species of plants and animals, especially the migratory birds who like to vacation here on their way to and from their winter and summer homes. It’s all about a soil that holds water, and provides the nutrient and root base for many plant species.
SOIL TAXONOMY
The study of Taxonomy is the study of how things are grouped by similarities. Like the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom that divide species in to Classes and Orders and Phylums, and the like, SOILS too are classified into different categories. USDA Soil Taxonomy developed by the USDA and the National Cooperative Soil Survey provides an elaborate classification of soil according to several parameters (most commonly their properties) and in several levels: Order, Suborder, Great Group, Subgroup, Family, and Series. [(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USDA_soil_taxonomy].
NOTE: There are 2 SOIL MAPS to study. Pay particular attention to the SOIL MAP OF NATURE'S MOSAIC.
This map shows a portion of Kearney County and Nature's Mosaic.
This is a close up of the Soil Map specific to Nature's Mosaic in Axtell NE
The largest soil SERIES that covers most of the surrounding area is called the HOLDREGE SERIES and makes up one the 44 Soil Associations within the State of Nebraska. An Association is a group of soils with similar characteristics.
THE HOLDREGE ASSOCIATION: Deep nearly level, sloping Very deep, nearly level to strongly sloping, well-drained, silty soils on uplands.
Notice that the SERIES are very similar in composition. The differences are subtle and may be due to slope, depth, and color of the SERIES.
This EarthCache will not ask you to figure out which SERIES is which, we will leave that to the professionals. Here you will make a simple study of the soil and see if you can identify the different properties contained in a SERIES such as CLAY, SAND, SILT, LOAM, or other substances we commonly call mud or dirt.
MASSIE SERIES: The Massie series consists of very deep, very poorly drained soils that formed in loess. Massie soils are in the lowest parts of closed depressions on loess uplands in the Central Loess Plains.
SCOTT SERIES: The Scott series consists of deep, very poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils in depressions on loess uplands.
FILMORE SERIES: The Fillmore Series consists of deep, poorly drained, very slowly permeable soils in depressions on loess uplands.
BUTLER SERIES: The Butler series consists of very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in loess. Butler soils are on flat or slightly concave swales on loess uplands and high stream terraces in the Central Loess Plains.
DETROIT SERIES: The Detroit series consists of very deep, moderately well drained, slowly permeable soils formed in alluvium on stream terraces in river valleys.
As we get to more specific descriptions of the Soil the information becomes more technical and complex, but for the purpose of this EarthCache we will keep things as simple as possible to build a curiosity about learning on a deeper level.
For now, here are some things to note:
To classify a SERIES a soil sample is taken to identify the number of HORIZONS or layers in the soil and the depth of each HORIZON. Each layer or HORIZON is studied for the makeup of the soil and the presence of CLAY, SILT, LOAM, SAND or other material. In summary, the particles of each layer are studied and measured as well as the color of the soil identified.
Nebraska SOILS are made of LOESS (prounouced like the name Lois). Loess is soil that has been deposited over time. Think of Loess as wind blown particles of sand and other minerals commonly refered to as “wind blown dust” that has settled over time. Anyone living or visiting Nebraska is aware of the wind. You can often observe the sky filled with “DUST” when the wind is howling at high speed. Soil is being picked up and moved through the air and redeposited somewhere else.
WHAT IS ONE FIELD’S LOESS IS ANOTHER FIELDS GRAIN (of sand that is).
REQUIREMENTS
To earn this EarthCache Smiley you have to complete the following SOIL SAMPLE:
SET OUT YOUR SUPPLIES
You are required to do ONE sample, but you will learn more if you take a number of samples.
TASK:
A. Examine a SOIL SAMPLE from Nature’s Mosaic. 1) Go off the trail into the marshy area, 20 feet or more from the sidewalk. Make sure you are off the mowed area by the sidewalk. You will be in an area where there is a lot of plant growth.
2) Dig a hole as deep as you for your soil sample. With a trowel, turn it in a circle like your digging a small post hole.
3) Place your sample in your jar or clear container. Keep adding soil until it is about 2/3 full. When getting a soil sample you may reach a very hard layer.The very hard layer is the CLAY PAN. This is the layer that protects the Rainwater Basin!!!
4) Observe and notice what the soil looks like that you are digging up and putting in your jar.
5) Now fill your container with water until it is completely full.
B. Close it tightly with the lid.
C. Shake it up vigorously for a couple of minutes. Turn the container UPSIDE DOWN and rest it on the lid and let the mix settle. Allow it to settle for at least 5 minutes. Time to have a snack (wash your hands), look for birds, sing a song, take some pictures. JUST WAIT. You want the soil to settle.
Only 1 sample is required for this cache, but more samples will be more fun.If you are doing this as a family, each person might like their own sample. You will need a separate container for each sample.
D. OK waiting is over and your soil sample has started to settle. (It may take an hour to completely settle). Now observe and take notes of what you see. Be sure not to disturb the sample that has settled. Keep the container upside down on its lid!
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING 6 QUESTIONS (send these answers to me in a separate email).
STEP ONE THE SOIL STUDY:
1) Did the soil separate? What did you observe?.
2) How many different layers can you see?
3) Describe each layer or name each layer such as: SILT, SAND, GRAVEL, LOAM, HUMUS, CLAY, OTHER.
4) You filled the container full with water. Has any of the water been absorbed by the soil? How much? Is there an air space?
5) Now slowly remove the lid, keeping the container UPSIDE DOWN. How fast did the water drain out?
6) What did you learn?
STEP TWO – STRANGE “ROCKS” AROUND THE POND.
7) Go to the POND and look around the bank. You will notice a number of hard stone like formations lining the bank to help with erosion and landscaping. These are not natural rocks but manufactured and deposited here. However, they are made up of different soils or particles from the earth. IDENTIFY the particles making up these rock like formations, and guess where they came from or how they were made. You will do this by observation only. You do not need to break these objects or take a sample from them. GUESS!
Extra Credit (Optional):
Take a picture of you and others doing the SOIL SAMPLE. Post your picture to the Gallery.
Invite me to join you. Let me know in advance when you will be at Nature’s Mosiac and I will try to join you if I’m in the area.
Congratulations to Jerry+Mary for FIRST TO FIND!
References:
https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/ http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_052550.pdf http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_029333.pdf http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ne/soils/ http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soil/Surface/surdown.pdf http://passel.unl.edu/pages/informationmodule.php?idinformationmodule=1130447038&topicorder=7&maxto=10&minto=1
| I have earned GSA's highest level: |
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Placed By A Nebraskache Member
