User:Chloe bai/sandbox

What is Scobey soil
Scobey soil is designated as the official soil of Montana by the National Resources Conservation Service. Scobey Soil is a soil series within the Mollisolic soil order, covering more than 280,000 hectares of cultivated plains and moraines in north-central Montana. Scobey soils are well drained and are among the most productive in Montana's Golden Triangle. The primary crops grown on Scobey soils are spring and winter wheat.

Scobey is located in an area with slopes ranging from 0% to 15%, and located at an elevation of 732 to 1,219 meters. The average annual precipitation is about 304mm and the average annual temperature is about 6.1 degrees Celsius. The frost-free season lasts around 115 days. The topsoil (A horizon) in Scobey soils is dark grayish brown in colour, and can be up to 15 cm deep. The subsoil (B horizon) is a dark greyish brown colour which is separated into several layers and is 137 cm deep. The subsoil (10-35%) has a higher clay content than the topsoil (35-45%). The moisture content of Scobey soil is not high. pH of Scobey soil ranges from 6.1 to 8.4.

The history of Scobey soil
Scobey Soil is considered to be a relatively young soil, which is originated in North America during the Pleistocene ice era, 95,000 to 15,000 years ago. Flowing from Canada, the Laurentide Icefield deposited glacial till that filled 280,000 hectares of Montana. Nowadays, this land is growing grasses and sedges, breeding Montana's bison and providing the resources on which the indigenous people relied for their survival. The designated state soil has special significance for its state. Montana has no legislation to determine state soil, so some forth grade kids from Longfellow Elementary School in Bozeman researched and promoted Scobey soil in 2015. Scobey soils are named after the town of Scobey in northeastern Montana and used to present grayish-brown farming soils.

The use of Scobey soil
Agriculture is one of Montana's most important industries, Generating an economic contribution of more than $4.7 billion. Scobey soil is very important to Montana agriculture. The soil is unique to Montana, and it brings a precious natural treasure to the state. The soil not only supports Montana's agriculture, but people, plants, and animals all depend on it. Scobey soils contain a high clay content and organic matter content, therefore, the soil has good water retention and allows for highly productive dryland farming. Scobey soils are located in an area with an excellent climate for growing high quality wheat. Wheat is Montana's top export. In Montana, there are a total of 700 named soils series. Scobey soil produces a higher annual harvest of high-quality wheat than any of the state's other soil series. Scobey soils support native grassland growth which can be used for livestock grazing. Bluebunch wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, and green needlegrass are the most common native grasses. The grasslands also provide a home for animals including black-tailed prairie dogs, raptor foxes, burrowing owls and pronghorn antelope.

The limitations of Scobey soil
A limitation occurs when a soil cannot be used for one or more of the functions described. According to soil scientists, Scobey soil is defined as moderately limited. Because Scobey soil has a high clay content, it has limitations at times. Construction on Scobey soil is a very challenging task. Because clay soils are plastic in nature, they are unstable to construct on. Soils with high clay content will expand or contract when wet, and then often change shape when dry. This makes it difficult to compact the Scobey soil evenly during construction and to maintain the same shape when the Scobey soil is dry. Therefore, building roads or making shallow excavations on Scobey soil can be problematic.