Using Monoliths to Enhance the Understanding of Soil Properties.

Soil monoliths are valuable resources in helping teach about the physical and chemical properties of soils.  Large monoliths (1” X 4” X 46”) can be easily transported to and displayed in the front of a classroom using a portable cart which can double as a monolith stand.  Over the years faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students in our department have collected over 350 monoliths of this type from all over the world.  In addition, we now collect small soil monoliths (1” X 3” X 7”) to illustrate modifications in surface soils or in artificially constructed soils such as golf greens.  These monoliths illustrate different methods of constructing golf greens and in illustrating how golf green characteristics can be modified by cultural practices of aeration and sand top dressing .  For presentations where it becomes difficult to transport these monoliths, digital images of one soil monolith or groups of monoliths can be taken and incorporated into PowerPoint presentations.  Use of soil monoliths or digital images of monoliths for a variety of educational purposes will be discussed.