Laboratory soil characterization identifies soil properties that are useful in studying soil forming processes, in interpreting land use potential and limitation, in classifying pedons and soil series, and in understanding genetic concepts of soils. The factors influencing soil formationcan vary independently, soils can vary within seemingly uniform environments, and the study of soils in the field can have limitations; therefore, laboratory analyses are helpful in understanding soil relationships.

In this section, four soils, representing the range of parent materials in Centre County, were selected to illustrate characterization studies. These soils are Hagerstown silt loam, pedon 14-7, in the limestone valleys; Lai dig very stony loam, pedon 14-31, in the side slope colluvium above the valleys; Leck Kill shaly silt loam, pedon 14-22, in red shale residuum; and Morrison fine sandy loam, pedon 1410, in sand residuum on a ridge that extends through the county. The characterization studies discussed in this section are based on detailed laboratory data by the Agronomy Department, The Pennsylvania State University (4, 6). These data are from Hagerstown, Laidig, Leck Kill, Morrison, and other soils and represent 15 of the 47 soil series in Centre County. These data are the result of physical, chemical, and mineralogical analyses and are particularly applicable to soils of the south-central part of Pennsylvania.

10/15/98