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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:
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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:
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Weekly quizzes
Mid-term and final exams
Homework and in-class presentation
Participation, including attendance and discussion
Topics:
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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).