Forestry 101: Soils and Water

Soil forms the foundation of all woodlands, determining what types of plant species can grow well, which in turn determines what type of animals can live in a particular forest. Soil also plays an important role in watershed health. The type of soil in a given location determines the nutrients and moisture available for trees and other plants. Some soil types hold water well and provide a good medium for the microorganisms that break down organic matter into nutrients. Others do not. This crucial difference in soils can determine which trees are able to survive and thrive in a particular location.

N.C. State Extension publications Soils and Plant Nutrients and Forest Soils and Site Index provide an introduction to soils and how soil factors determine how well a particular tree species will grow on a given soil area.

SoilWeb is a mobile app that provides instantaneous soil information from the exact soil the user is standing on. The app gives access to NRCS’s soil survey information that has been collected across the United States since the late 1890s. With this app you can get detailed soil survey data for your location including soil taxonomy, soil series descriptions, soil property depth profiles, land classification ratings, hydraulic and erosion ratings, forest productivity, and soil suitability ratings. Download it from your phone’s app store.

Web Soil Survey, operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world. The system has soil maps and data available online for more than 95 percent of the nation’s counties and allows the user to view or print a soil map, and detailed descriptions of the soils in the Area of Interest.

Identifying and minimizing impacts to the soil and water quality is an essential part of sustainable forest management. The North Carolina forestry Best Management Practices (BMP) manual describes measures and actions that should be implemented to protect water quality and conserve soil when conducting forestry/silviculture operations.