Soil 

 Science 



Wildlife 

 Management 



A knowledge of soils is essential to 

 all phases of multiple-use planning 

 and management of National Forest 

 lands. Emphasis is placed on 

 obtaining and evaluating that soil 

 information which relates directly to 

 forest development projects and 

 resource management. Soil resource 

 inventories provide basic soil 

 information for multiplanning 

 purposes. Some of the soil 

 inventories are conducted as a part 

 of the National Cooperative Soil 

 Survey. Soil management service, 

 which is the application of technical 

 soils knowledge to resource 

 development in timber, range, 

 wildlife, recreation, and watershed 

 management, is now an important 

 part of the Forest Service work 

 program. 

 The soil scientist: 

 -Conducts soil inventories on 

 forest lands. Determines the 

 distribution of areas having like 

 characteristics of soils and 

 related features including the 

 parent material on underlying 

 bedrock, landform, drainage 

 patterns, and vegetation (or 

 vegetation potentials) and maps 

 the soil area boundaries on aerial 

 photographs. Makes detailed field 

 descriptions of each soil type and 

 selects profile samples, as 

 needed, for laboratory 

 determinations. Classifies the 

 soils and evaluates various soil- 

 water, soil-stability, and soil- 

 vegetation relationships. 

 Determines the significance to 

 resource management of basic 

 differences of soil capability and 

 reponse potentials. Identifies 

 problem areas that may require 

 more intensive investigations. 



Provides consultant soil 

 management services for many 

 forest resource uses and 

 developments. Participates in special 

 teams organized to make 



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Soil scientist examines the soil, 

 measuring its potential in terms of 

 productivity for resources, and then 

 advises the District Ranger what trees will 

 grow well and how many board feet the 

 site will produce; how water will behave 

 when it rains on this terrain and how 

 much will be stored in the soil; what 

 wildlife food plants will grow here, and if 

 the land can be used for forage; about 

 erosion hazards; and what are its 

 engineering properties. 



recommendations regarding 

 resource management problems. 



Qualification Requirements 



Soil scientists in the Forest Service 

 have various educational 

 backgrounds. Although they have 

 primarily soil science degrees, some 

 may have degrees in forestry, 

 agronomy, range management, or 

 geology. However, they must have at 

 least 30 semester hours, or 

 equivalent, in biological, physical, 

 and earth sciences with a minimum 

 of 15 semester hours in soils. 



The 1960 Multiple Use and Sustained 

 Yield Act recognized wildlife and fish 

 as major resources. The National 

 Forests and National Grasslands, 

 comprising some 187 million acres in 

 42 states and Puerto Rico, support a 

 wide variety of wildlife species and 

 provide some of the best hunting and 

 fishing in the country. Approximately 

 40 rare or endangered species of 

 wildlife and fish have been identified 

 and are being managed on National 

 Forest System lands. 



Most of these public lands are in the 

 mountains of the Western States and 

 Alaska. Occurring at the higher 

 elevations, they give rise to many of 

 the cold water trout streams, and 

 contain most of the cold water lakes 

 open to fishing. 



Wildlife management on the National 

 Forests and National Grasslands 

 primarily involves protection and 

 improvement of habitat for both 

 game and nongame species. State 

 fish and game laws apply on these 

 public lands, which necessitates a 

 high degree of cooperation with the 

 State wildlife agencies. Necessary 

 cooperation is also maintained with 

 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

 Department of the Interior. 



An important and challenging part of 

 wildlife management involves the 

 coordination of wildlife needs with 

 other forest resource activities. 

 Timber harvest, livestock grazing, 

 and road construction are examples 

 of activities that can be detrimental 

 to wildlife and fish. With proper 

 planning, however, the biologist can 

 help make these other activities serve 

 the interest of wildlife. 



Habitat for wildlife and fish can be 

 made more productive through 

 application of direct improvement 

 measures. The biologist plays a 

 major role in planning and 

 prescribing a wide range of habitat 

 improvements to increase fish and 



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