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Custom Soil Resource Report <br />Hazard of Erosion and Suitability for Roads on <br />Forestland <br />This table can help forestland owners or managers plan the use of soils forwood crops. <br />Interpretive ratings are given for the soils according to the limitations that affect various <br />aspects of forestland management. The ratings are both verbal and numerical. <br />Numerical ratings in the table indicate the severity of individual limitations. The ratings <br />are shown as decimal fractions ranging from 0.01 to 1.00. They indicate gradations <br />between the point at which a soil feature has the greatest negative impact on the <br />specified aspect of forestland management (1.00) and the point at which the soil <br />feature is not a limitation (0.00). <br />The paragraphs that follow indicate the soil properties considered in rating the soils. <br />More detailed information about the criteria used in the ratings is available in the <br />National Forestry Manual, which is available in local offices of the Natural Resources <br />Conservation Service or on the Internet. <br />Ratings in the column hazard of off-road or off-trail erosion are based on slope and <br />on soil erosion factor K. The soil loss is caused by sheet or rill erosion in off-road or <br />off-trail areas where 50 to 75 percent of the surface has been exposed by logging, <br />grazing, mining, or other kinds of disturbance. The hazard is described as slight, <br />moderate, severe, or very severe. A rating of slight indicates that erosion is unlikely <br />under ordinary climatic conditions; moderate indicates that some erosion is likely and <br />that erosion-control measures may be needed; severe indicates that erosion is very <br />likely and that erosion-control measures, including revegetation of bare areas, are <br />advised; and very severe indicates that significant erosion is expected, loss of soil <br />productivity and off-site damage are likely, and erosion-control measures are costly <br />and generally impractical. <br />Ratings in the column hazard of erosion on roads and trails are based on the soil <br />erosion factor K, slope, and content of rock fragments. The ratings apply to unsurfaced <br />roads and trails. The hazard is described as slight, moderate, or severe. A rating of <br />slight indicates that little or no erosion is likely; moderate indicates that some erosion <br />is likely, that the roads or trails may require occasional maintenance; and that simple <br />erosion-control measures are needed; and severe indicates that significant erosion is <br />expected, that the roads or trails require frequent maintenance, and that costly <br />erosion-control measures are needed. <br />Ratings in the column suitability for roads (natural surface) are based on slope, <br />rock fragments on the surface, plasticity index, content of sand, the Unified <br />classification, depth to a water table, ponding, flooding, and the hazard of soil slippage. <br />The ratings indicate the suitability for using the natural surface of the soil for roads. <br />The soils are described as well suited, moderately suited, or poorly suited to this use. <br />Well suited indicates that the soil has features that are favorable for the specified kind <br />of roads and has no limitations. Good performance can be expected, and little or no <br />maintenance is needed. Moderately suited indicates that the soil has features that are <br />moderately favorable for the specified kind of roads. One or more soil properties are <br />less than desirable, and fair performance can be expected. Some maintenance is <br />needed. Poorly suited indicates that the soil has one or more properties that are <br />unfavorable for the specified kind of roads. Overcoming the unfavorable properties <br />requires special design, extra maintenance, and costly alteration. <br />Reference: <br />23