Soil is the loose top layer of the earth's surface in which plant life can grow. Knowing your soil type is another part of your ecological address. What kind of soil do you find in your neighborhood? Is it red clay, sand, rich loam, a mixture of rocks and dirt, dark silt, or something else? The kind of soil in an area can determine what happens when bare soil is exposed to wind and rain, what happens to toxic materials dumped on the soil, what kinds of plants can grow in it, and how much of the rainwater is taken up by plants before it reaches a stream. Soil type also influences what kinds of buildings or roads can be built, how quickly rainfall runs over and through it to the nearest stream, and how much soil the rainwater takes with it on the way.
Photo courtesy of Sharat Ganapati

Check This Out!

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/
With the Web Soil Survey from NRCS, you can use the Area of Interest tab to define the area you are interested in. You can define an area by zooming in on a map and drawing a box around your area or by selecting from a choice list. You must complete this step before you can go on to the next two steps. Next, click on the Soil Map tab to view and print a map of the soils in your area. Third, click on the Soil Data Explorer tab to access soil data for your area. You can determine the suitability of the soils in your area for a particular use.

NC OneMap
http://www.nconemap.com/
Just click on the NC OneMap logo to launch the program. Once launched, on the left side under the "Query" subheading, click on the mailbox icon. This allows you to type in your address. Enter your address and click the "Find Address" button. A box will come up with X and Y coordinates. Click where it says "GoTo" to zoom in to your address on the map. On the right side of the page are all of the layers you can turn on and off. NC OneMap can show you everything from river basins to elevation, landcover to weather. It's a FANTASTIC resource, and a great place to start learning about your ecological address!


For More Resources

NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation
http://www.enr.state.nc.us/DSWC/index.html
The Division of Soil and Water Conservation cooperates with federal agency and local partners to administer a comprehensive statewide program to protect and conserve the state's soil and water resources. The Division serves as staff for the North Carolina Soil and Water Conservation Commission to help deliver conservation programs at the local level. The Division provides leadership and assistance to the state's 96 local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and their state association in locally-led conservation by providing financial, technical and educational assistance to districts, landowners, agricultural producers and the general public. The Division delivers programs in nonpoint source pollution management, cost share for agricultural best management practices, technical and engineering assistance, soil surveys, conservation easements, and environmental and conservation education.

NC Soil and Water Conservation Districts
http://www.nacdnet.org/resources/NC.htm
Contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District for information on conservation programs, working lands preservation, educational resources and contests and natural resource technical support.