Soil Science & Story

“Soil science & story: Connecting the worlds below & above our feet”

With Luke Cerise | Friday, February 1st

Soil Scientist Luke Cerise returned to the Highland Wonders educational series to build community understanding of the stories hidden beneath the ground in our local soils — and how this understanding can help shape the way we manage our landscapes. Luke discussed soil memory, and how inherent soil characteristics are retained even when dramatic changes happen above ground, which can help us interpret the history of the landscape.

Community members learned about how soil remembers water saturation many years after soil dries out, how cycles of freezing and thawing speak about changes over long periods of time, and other events from the past that can be viewed in a soil profile. Luke described some common soil types in our area and why soil types are significant to plants and the rest of the ecosystem, and demonstrated how private landowners can access soil maps and information using the NRCS Web Soil Survey program.

Watch the YouTube recording of the presentation: