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Transcript
Expanded Course Description for 11:776:413 Soil Quality (3.0 credits) Normally Offered: Fall every other year (odd numbered years only). By Dr. S. Murphy. Pre-requisites and other registration restrictions: 11:375:360, “Soils & Water” or equivalent; 01:119:101-102 or 01:119:115-116 General Biology Format: Two 80 min lectures per week. This course has primarily has a lecture format, with demonstrations and student presentations supplementing the material. Description: This course will introduce the concept of soil quality and elaborate on the soil properties that affect soils’ functioning in the environment, including agro-ecosystems. In order to expand understanding of soil and its relationship to ecosystem processes, soil properties that are important to society for the functions that soils provide will be examined and soil types compared with regard to their relative capability to serve different roles. Each role depends on specific characteristics and/or processes, and soils with different characteristics have varying ability to perform the required functions for each role. Degradation of soil and restoration of desirable properties will be addressed. Management of our soil resource to maintain or improve soil quality and maximize ecosystem sustainability will be emphasized. Learning Goals: To gain full appreciation of society’s dependence on soil To understand society’s impact on soil and need for educated management To increase understanding of complex interrelationships of soil properties To gain knowledge of desirable parameters for functioning soils and how best to manage them Measures of Assessment: Weekly quizzes Mid-term and final exams Homework and in-class presentation Participation, including attendance and discussion Topics: Introduction: definition of soil quality, relationship to water quality, air quality, and ecosystem “health” Roles and Functions of soil in the environment; value of ecosystem services; economics Capability classes (qualitative), NRCS Soil Survey, suitability or limitations for various uses Intrinsic (inherent) Soil Quality: Variability of soils (review of soil genesis and ecosystem succession) Dynamic Soil Quality: soil management & sustainability, concept of best management practices (BMPs) Soil Degradation and resulting “costs”; resiliency of soils/ecosystems Indicators of Soil Quality; dependence on role; minimum data set Biological Indicators: vegetative yield, health Biological Indicators: mesofauna & microbial biomass populations Soil degradation: desertification; interaction with climate Chemical Indicators: organic matter Chemical Indicators: nutrient availability Chemical Indicators: soil pH, buffering capacity; soluble salts Soil degradation: salinity & sodicity Soil degradation: contaminants Physical Indicators: soil depth, soil texture, & coarse fragments Soil degradation: Erosion by water or wind Physical Indicators: soil structure, porosity, bulk density, strength Physical Indicators: infiltration rate, permeability, retention; aeration Soil degradation: compaction and structural breakdown Concepts for a Soil Quality Index Soil properties for support of infrastructure Site factors superimposed on soil factors (e.g. water table, pollution, sunlight, wind, salt, elevation, latitude, climate & microclimate) Soil/land loss to population and infrastructure; effect on food security and other ecosystem services of soil Summarize soil quality and BMPs for various roles Required and Recommended Course materials: Out of the Earth: Civilization and the life of the soil. Daniel Hillel. 1991, University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-08080-7 Policies for Exams, Assignments, Attendance, and Grading Final grade will be based on 20% quizzes, 60% exams, 10% homework and in-class presentation, and 10% participation (including attendance).