Enter soil cracks observations on the Soil tab of the Site dashboard. The presence of soil cracks is a useful factor in determining Soil ID.
Cracks develop in clay-rich soils after they dry out. Cracks may be permanent, or they may disappear after some time. Measure surface cracks when the soil is dry.
Options
No Cracks
No cracks are visible on the soil surface.
Surface cracks
Surface cracks are less than 25 cm (10”) deep.
Deep vertical cracks
Deep vertical cracks are at least 5 mm (3/16”) wide and 25 cm (10”) deep. You should be able to place a pencil inside the cracks.
Deep vertical cracks
The presence of deep sub surface cracks in a soil profile indicates shrink-swell clays. These clays expand when wet and then shrink in volume once they dry. This repeated shrink-swell often shears plant roots and therefore prevents many species from establishing on these landscapes. These soils are highly productive but have fewer species able to grow on them due to the high clay content. They are, however, more resistant and resilient to degradation. Shrink-swell clay can therefore be an important indicator of poor drainage and reduced plant diversity.
