Soil Monoliths Collection for Soil Museum Establishment in Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper presents the procedures used for the collection of soil monoliths for establishing soil museum in Federal College of Education (Technical), Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria. Soil monoliths are used as an essential education facility for dissemination of information about the soil profile, its uses, relationship with the environmental conditions and human impact. The method of collecting this soil snapshot from the soil profile and its preservation in almost its natural undisturbed conditions are of great concern to soil scientists. Soil monolith exposes the soil morphological characteristics from topsoil to subsoil, including the colour variations, texture, structure, horizontal differences and thickness among properties. These features are important in determining the soil-related limitations to land-use. Soil monoliths on display are beautiful and attractive to young learners, and increase their inquisition about the soil. The procedure involved in its collection include selection of suitable soil profile site, sinking of the profile pit, construction of the soil sample collecting box, marking and collection of the soil sample. Others are preservation of the collected sample as the monolith and display in the display box in the soil museum. The procedures are conferred in the article in conjunction with the description of the pedon from where the soil monolith was collected.