Profiles in History

Abstract

2012 Members of the Professional Soil Classifiers Association of Alabama (PSCAA) convened on the Gulf Coast in Baldwin County for their 37th annual meeting and field tour in June 2012. The field tour was developed by USDA-NRCS District Conservationist and PSCAA President Joey Koptis along with members Greg Brannon and Jerome Langlinais, USDA-NRCS soil scientists, and Frank Cochran, USDA-NRCS soil conservationist. One of the field tour stops was to a pitcher plant bog where small spade holes were excavated and Joey Koptis led discussions on hydric soil indicators and the formation of a spodic horizon in one of the pedons. (left to right) Sanderson Page, Joey Koptis, and Jerome Langlinais examining hydric soil indicators. Other stops on the field tour included backhoe pits in a Malbis soil and a soil similar to the Robertsdale series. Discussions at these sites focused on plinthite, fragic properties and soil drainage. PSCAA Members Examine Hydric Soil Indicators The Professional Soil Classifiers Association of Alabama was organized by a small group of soil scientists in 1975 to promote the profession of soil classification and to further the increase and dissemination of information concerning all aspects of soil science. For more information on PSCAA, visit their website at www.alabamasoilclassifiers.org. Photo and information courtesy of PSCAA. 2011 In 2011, field work in the 48 contiguous states of the United States was completed for the Rapid Assessment of U.S. Soil Carbon (RaCA), a project initiated by the USDA-NRCS Soil Science Division in 2010. The project was a huge undertaking that involved the collection of 144,833 samples that were collected from the upper one meter of 32,084 soil profiles at 6,017 randomly selected locations. National Resources Inventory (NRI) sites were used as the basis for random selection of sample sites stratified by soil group and land use/land cover. At each location soil morphology and landscape characteristics were described, and limited vegetation and management information was collected. The collection and analysis of the many samples involved more than 300 soil scientists working in the National Cooperative Soil Survey Program, including 24 universities across the nation. A Toast to the Completion of RaCA Fieldwork Pictured above are Bev Harben and Phil Smith, USDA-NRCS soil scientists, “toasting” with bulk density sampling cores while celebrating the completion of their final sampling site in Solano County, California. Source: USDA-NRCS Soil Science Division, http://soils.usda.gov/survey/raca/. Photo courtesy of MLRA Soil Survey Office 2-TEM, Templeton, CA. 2004 Careers that span 60 years are a rarity, and Terry Cook is that rare soil scientist who has worked in the field from 1953 through 2013. In 1953, he was one of three crew members selected from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo by a National Park Service Ranger to work on severely eroding Ellis Meadow at an elevation of 2,792 meters. This meadow in Kings Canyon National Park was beginning to rapidly erode as a result of past grazing practices. In 1955, he was the crew chief who selected his own crew from the Cal Poly Soils Department. Erosion control measures, all installed by hand, included basket dams, posts and anchors, chicken wire, branches and thatch, and even large logs on the eroding edge of the meadow, as shown in the photo, that were successfully placed to slow the water down and trap sediment. Terry Cook Stands on Log He Placed in 1955 Terry Cook has led a very diverse career and has provided superb leadership in soil science for many individuals and groups. From 1955 to 1983, Terry Cook worked for the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in California as a Soil Survey Party Leader, Area Soil Specialist, and State and Regional Correlator. From 1983 through 1990, he worked as an International Training Specialist for USDA Soil Conservation Service with Soil Management Support Services (SMSS). This work took him to many different countries where he conducted workshops, meetings, and training forums. He has been a soil consultant in Davis, CA since he retired from SCS in 1990. He has been an active participant and field trip organizer in many soil-related organizations. Photo and information courtesy of Kerry Arroues, retired USDA-NRCS Soil Scientist, Hanford, CA.