A l a s k a’s
Awe s o me
Soils
An Activity Book
presented by
Natural Resources
Conservation Service
and
Alaska Association
of Conservation Districts
Meet Ernie Earthworm. He’ll be your guide as you learn
about Alaska’s Awesome Soils. You’ll learn how soils
provide the foods we eat, filter the water we drink, and
provide places to live for millions of creatures. Look for the
information boxes throughout this booklet to learn interesting
soil facts. Everyone can learn more about soils by visiting the
website soils.usda.gov.
This publication is made possible by the cooperative efforts of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts (AACD). Its
pages may be copied freely for non-commercial use. Original artwork was designed by Noël C. Bell
(wildbirdstudios.com) and Karaline Naegele. Text and layout by Victoria Naegele, AACD, with assistance
from Joe Moore, Cassandra Stalzer and Pam Taber, NRCS-Alaska. For more information on soil and water
conservation in Alaska, visit www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov or www.alaskaswcds.org.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Alaska Association of Conservation Districts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille,
large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).
To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Building, 1400 Independence
Avenue, SW Washington, D. C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and
employer.
Some of the best farm soils in Interior
Alaska were once permafrost soils.
Soils good for crops
Some soils in Alaska have been designated as
“Important Soils” because they are good for growing
crops.
Where are Alaska’s best soils? The
Matanuska and Susitna valleys have good
soils. The Tanana Valley and the regions near
Kenai and Homer also have good soil. There are
also productive soils in
the Copper River
Valley. Usually
valleys have better
soils because fertile soils have been left
behind by retreating glaciers, or deposited as rivers
change course.
Farmland grows food and vegetables for us, as well as
food for animals so that we can have meat, dairy and
other animal products.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Soil is also important because it grows our food and food for
livestock. Solve the crossword puzzle below and learn about
crops and animals raised in Alaska.
Alaska Grown Criss Cross Puzzle
5
11
3
This is a page from Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
9
10
8
1
2
4
12
Some ice cream products
contain clay (kaolin).
7
6
Across
1. grain primarily fed to livestock
2. Alaska known for giant heads
3. also called buffalo
4. grain stems used for bedding
5. dairy product supplied by cows
6. orange root crop
7. provides wool, mutton
8. tubers for French fries
Down
9. greenhouse plants
10. baled for horses and cows
11. green leafy plant
12. domesticated caribou
Letter Tile Puzzle Solutions
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Soil, groundwater and the water cycle
precipitation
condensation
runoff
Soil is an important
evaporation
part of the water
infiltration and
water table
cycle. Soil absorbs
percolation
rainfall and some of it
travels deep into the
aquifer
discharge area
groundwater flow
soil to the aquifer,
where groundwater is
stored. The soil filters the water as it travels to the aquifer. Water wells for our homes and
communities have pipes that reach the groundwater in aquifers.
Water & Soil Cycle Terms
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Aquifer: An underground layer of soil,
gravel or porous bedrock that yields water.
Evaporation: The process of turning water to
water vapor because of energy from the sun.
Infiltration: Process of water soaking into
the soil for use by plants or movement to the
aquifer.
Percolation: Downward movement of water
through the soil and into groundwater.
Precipitation: Water falling to earth in the
form of rain, snow, etc.
Surface runoff: Water that flows over the
soil surface, especially in a heavy rainfall.
Water table: Top level of the ground water.
Soil layers
The majority of the
organic (peat) soils in
the US are in Alaska.
Soil is divided into layers called horizons by soil scientists.
The characteristics of these horizons are what determines into
which of the 12 orders the soil is classified.
}
O Horizon
}A Horizon
}
O horizon consists of fresh
and decaying plant residue.
A horizon is mainly mineral
material and is darker than
lower layers because of added
organic matter.
B horizon or subsoil is
usually reddish-colored,
denser and low in organic
matter. The subsoil is the zone
of accumulation because most
of the materials leached from
the topsoil accumulate here.
C horizon or substratum is
the transition area between
soil and parent material
(bedrock). Partially broken up
parent material and mineral
particles may be found here.
Most Alaska plant and tree
roots stay within ten inches of
the soil surface.
}
B Horizon
C Horizon
R Horizon
Graphic courtesy National Association of Conservation Districts.
Bedrock layer (not shown)
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Unscramble Puzzle Solution
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5
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F U N G I
World-beneath-our-feet dessert
Materials needed
• Chocolate pudding, prepared
• Graham cracker or chocolate cookie crumbs
• Gummy worms
• Raisins and/or chocolate
chips
• Shredded coconut
(toasted or dyed green)
• Clear plastic cups
• Spoons
Directions
(Remember to wash your
hands)
In your cup, put down a
layer of graham cracker
crumbs for the subsoil.
Next comes a healthy dollop of chocolate pudding. Add a gummi worm or two while the pudding is placed in the cup.
Add the chocolate chips and/or raisins here,
and on the next layer to look like insects.
Chocolate cookie crumbs go on top
to represent the litter layer. You
might want to mix these crumbs with a
few graham cracker crumbs to make it really look like dirt.
Top with the shredded coconut to represent
plants.
Eat and enjoy. Don’t forget to clean up your
mess.
Draw your own soil profile
Remember to include
the five horizons:
O = Organic layer
A = Topsoil
B = Subsoil
C = Substratum
R = Bedrock
The depth of each layer
will depend on what
type of soil.
Remember to give your
soil a name.
There are more than
20,000 different soil
series in the United
States.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an
activity book by the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service Alaska and the Alaska Association of
Conservation Districts.
Wetland Soils
Alaska has vast stretches of wetland soils. Many of
the wetlands in the interior of Alaska are caused
because water cannot drain through permafrost soils.
There are many types of wetlands. Some are marshy
all year round, while others are wet during certain
times of the year.
Wetlands are very important because they filter
water as it seeps into the aquifer. Wetlands also store
excessive run-off water and help prevent flooding
Approximately 40 percent of
Alaska is covered by wetland soils
– more than any other state
Wetlands provide a wide variety of habitat for Alaska wildlife. Birds nest along
the shores of wetlands. Moose feed on the aquatic vegetation. Fish spawn in the
shallow waters. A wide variety of animals live and feed in wetland areas.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of
Conservation Districts.
Painting With Soil
Soils are one of our most important natural resources. They also are important for the beauty their
many colors add to our landscapes. Most of us overlook this natural beauty because we see it every
day. Soil materials can be used to color other things. Soil colors are used as pigments in bricks and
pottery, and can be used to do artwork. Be sure to ask for help from an adult before handling tools.
Materials
soil (dried in air)
hammer or mallet
mortar and pestle (rubber-tipped)
paper cups (4 oz.)
pencils
ink pens (black, different tip sizes)
paint brushes (different kinds and sizes)
artist acrylic (clear gloss medium)
sponges and rags
water color paper
masking tape
Procedure - Soils
1. Gather soils of various colors.
2. Place each dried soil sample on a piece of paper and crush into pieces with hammer or mallet.
3. Place some of the crushed soil into a mortar. Use a rubber-tipped pestle to crush the soil into a
fine powder. Repeat to crush all of the different colored soils.
4. Place the different soils in paper cups -- notice the colors and textures.
Procedure - Artwork
1. Lightly sketch art work on water color paper with a pencil. When satisfied with composition,
use ink for permanent lines.
2. With masking tape, carefully tape paper edges to table or board. This is done so that the art
work will dry flat.
3. Pour small amounts of artist acrylic in small paper cups. Add small amounts of soil. Experiment
with depth of color and mixing the different soils.
4. Use different sizes and kinds of paint brushes, sponges, and rags. Experiment and have fun.
5. Layering colors. When your art work is dry, you
may apply another layer of
soil paint.
6. You may want to use a black
ink pen to make finishing touches
on your artwork.
Activity time, about 1 hour
For more activities, visit the website
soils.usda.gov
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Draw what you think may be next to this farm. It may be a field, your house, a parking lot, a forest or a city.
Soils and Development
When we build on top of the soil, we affect the soil. We cover it with asphalt to make
roads and parking lots. We dig basements and put in septic tanks. We put wells into the
ground to draw water from the aquifer.
All of these uses mean changes for the soil. Water can no longer filter into the soil. Soil
materials that filter water and best grow plants may be removed. Once
land is used for building, it is rarely used to grow things again.
The same soil that is best for growing food is often the easiest soil
on which to locate buildings.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Soil Erosion
Soil erosion is when the soil is moved from one place to another by nature. Wind and water move
soil. So do glaciers. Some erosion is natural but other erosion is caused
or made worse by man. Plowed fields without crop cover are easily
Alaska’s best
eroded. Building sites and other construction areas are easily eroded,
farm lands
too. Erosion of topsoil reduces the productivity of land. It also moves
were formed
soil to places where it doesn’t belong. Preventing erosion is important.
by glaciers.
In the Dust Bowl Days of the 1930s, so much topsoil blew away because of
drought (lack of rain) and wind on heavily farmed fields that many farms
lost their ability to grow crops. It can take thousands of years for enough rock
to wear away to make soil. To help fight erosion, Congress created the Soil
Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) in 1935.
A few years later, Conservation Districts were formed to help address local conservation issues.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA NRCS - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Letter Tile Puzzles
In each of the two puzzles below, rearrange the tiles to find the hidden phrase.
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About 70% of the soils in
Alaska contain permafrost.
Alaska is the only U.S. state that
has Gelisols – a permafrost soil.
Tundra Soils
Tundra soils have frozen layer under the surface (substratum)
the entire year. When the soil surface thaws briefly in the
summer, a layer of permanently frozen ground (permafrost)
underneath keeps water from draining so most tundra soils
are very wet. Permafrost soils are in the soil order Gelisol.
Tundra soils may be covered with lichens, mosses, plants and
stunted trees. Tundra is the home of such animals as the
Arctic fox, caribou, musk ox, beaver, lemming, snowy owl
and ptarmigan.
This is a page from Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural
Resources Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation
Districts.
Alaska Soil Orders Word Find
Soils are divided by type into 12 major groups, called orders. Seven of these orders of soils occur in
Alaska: Andisols, Entisols, Gelisols, Histosols, Inceptisol, Mollisols and Spodosols. Within each of the
orders, there are different soil series that have names, often named for places or sometimes people.
Alaska’s state soil is named for a major river in Interior Alaska. In the list of puzzle words, those in
lower case are soil-related words; those in all capitals are the soil orders; those in initial capitals are
Alaska soil series names. Solve the puzzle to learn the name of Alaska’s State Soil.
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______
ALFISOLS
alluvial
ANDISOLS
bedrock
Chena
Chilligan
clay
Disappoint
drainage
Eielson
ENTISOLS
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infiltration
Jarvis
Jim
Kashwitna
Koyukuk
Krubate
layers
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loess
Lutak
L
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Ester
GELISOLS
Gilmore
glacial
Goldstream
gravel
HISTOSOLS
horizon
hummock
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mineral
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MOLLISOLS
Mosquito
mottling
Nenana
OXISOLS
peat
pedon
permafrost
Piledriver
___ __
Riverwash
sand
silt
slope
SPODOSOLS
subsoil
Talkeetna
Tolstoi
_ _ _ _.
The majority of the
organic (peat) soils
in the United States
are in Alaska.
This is a page from Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska
Association of Conservation Districts.
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Life in the Soil
Graphic Courtesy of National Science & Technology Center
Soil is filled with life. A single bucketful of earth may contain millions of animals. Some of these
creatures are big enough to easily be seen, like millipedes and beetles. Others can be seen with a
magnifying class. But many are so tiny you’d need a microscope to see them. But just because they
are tiny doesn’t mean they are not important. There are also countless other organisms in the soil
that help make up the web of life, like fungi and bacteria. The graphic above shows how soil fits
into the food web on grassland where animals graze. Much of Alaska is also covered by lichens
where caribou graze and by shrubland where moose browse.
Unscramble each word. Then use the marked letters to solve the second puzzle.
DNAETEMOS
NUGIF
7
8
6
5
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OPSTAHODRR
2
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OOOZATPR
13 10 12
11
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One cup of soil may hold as many
bacteria as there are people on Earth.
Draw a picture showing how you can help be a good soil steward by preventing erosion.
Soil Stewardship
Alaska’s awesome soils need help from young soil stewards like you. A steward is someone who
takes good care of something. If everyone helps protect our soil and water, Alaska will remain a
great place for all of us.
Have you ever taken a shortcut up a hill and watched the rocks and soil slide down. If you went
back a few days later, you may have seen where rainwater had washed down your trail, making it
deeper. That’s one type of soil erosion. Or have you ever driven your four-wheeler through a
stream? Did the bank break away under your tires, sending soil washing down stream? That’s
erosion, too. Everyone can help stop soil erosion by using trails and established crossings.
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Partners in Soil & Water Conservation
From Alaska’s Awesome Soils, an activity book by the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service - Alaska and the Alaska Association of Conservation Districts.
Alaska Association of Conservation Districts