The University of Wyoming’s collegiate soil judging team placed second at a regional contest this fall and will compete at the Soil Science Society of America’s national contest hosted in April 2019 at San Luis Obispo, California.
Collegiate soil judging combines a variety of disciplines, from geology to physics, to give students a better understanding of the formation and classification of soils, as well as an ability to determine suitability for human use.
“Students learn valuable skills including how to identify best land use management plans, depth to groundwater, infiltration rates, and all sort of other parameters that allow us to understand and apply soils information,” said Karen Vaughan, assistant professor of soil pedology at UW and leader of the team. “Many of our students go on to work for federal agencies (NRCS, USFS, BLM, et cetera) and consulting companies.”
UW’s soil judging team is both a club and a one-credit class that teaches students how to perform field soil descriptions, such as describing color, texture, structure, depth, and much more. Students practice these skills throughout the year and have the chance to compete at the National Collegiate Soil Contest after qualifying at a regional contest that includes universities from Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Utah, Oregon and Washington.
The mission of soil judging contests is “to inspire future environmental scientists about soil science through increased experiential opportunities, scholarship, and educational content,” according to the national society’s website. Hosted by California Polytechnic State University, approximately 24 teams from around the U.S. will compete at the national contest in individual and group events. UW placed 18th at last year’s contest.
“The competition involves students entering a soil pit – think giant hole dug in the ground – identifying horizons or layers, and taking small samples back aboveground to assess the color, texture, structure, et cetera, that will allow them to classify the soil and make land use decision,” Vaughan said.
For more information on how to get involved with the collegiate soil judging team on campus contact professor Karen Vaughan at karen.vaughan@uwyo.edu. Ideal candidates for the team have completed or are enrolled in Soil Genesis, Morphology and Classification (SOIL 4120).
