II. SOIL AND LANDSCAPE PROPERTIES

Current Land Use     Next Section>>

The way in which people use the land around a soil evaluation site is marked on the score card, but no points are assigned to this question. The information is used to decide if wet soils should be preserved as wetlands or drained for farming. Two classes of land use are recognized, those with natural vegetation and those that have been used for agriculture or development, or have been disturbed in other ways. Natural vegetation includes forest, prairie, or marsh (cattails, reeds, etc). Abandoned fields in which trees have invaded is included with natural vegetation. Agricultural or developed land includes all other land—cropland, grass areas around fields, pasture, fields taken out of production temporarily, developed land, and other such land. If the land use is not evident, official judges should give the answer on the site card.

Naturally vegetated land—Land that supports vegetation, such as forest, prairie, or marsh. Also abandoned fields with invading trees.

Agricultural or developed land—Cropland, pasture land, field borders, conservation reserve land, non-agricultural developed land, etc.