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GEOG 382 Soils Ecosystems and Resource

INSTRUCTOR:                   Dr. Joy Wolf
CLASS TIME:                 Tues and Thursday:  2:00 p – 4:00 p
TELEPHONE:                      595-3221
EMAIL:                               wolf@uwp.edu
OFFICE:                             MOLN 247
OFFICE HOURS
:                T, Th: 12:40-1:20 pm, 4:20-4:50 or by appt

Course Description:
Soil is the foundation of ecosystem development and an important natural resource for humans in agricultural activities. This course will examine the basic properties of soil characteristics with ecological and management applications.  We will learn how soil science fits into the broader topic of physical geography by exploring physical and chemical properties of soils, plant nutrition, climate, topography, and human impacts on soil.  Field trips will include soil collection and lab analysis. 

Photos from previous classes!

Prerequisite:   GEOG 100, related class or consent of instructor.
Text: Brady, N. & R. Weil,
2009 Elements of Nature & Property of Soils, 3rd Ed, Prentice Hall Press

Each student will report on a specific soil topic using the text and a peer-reviewed article.   Exams will be in class and online and will consist of a variety of question formats including definitions, slide identification, fill-in-the-blank and short essay.  Exam material refer to lecture material, lab material, readings, and class discussions.  Students who feel they have a learning disability that may affect their performance are encouraged to meet with me as soon as possible so that accommodations can be made.  NO MAKEUP EXAMS ARE OFFERED. 

PLEASE NOTE:  More and more students are captivated by internet use or texting on their cell phones.   Not only does it take your focus away from YOUR learning, it is disruptive to your fellow students and to me.   Oh!  And it’s rude.  Please refrain or risk having your cell phone brought to the front of the room until the end of class.

Along the same lines, I will not tolerate chit chat in class.   If I see it as a potential problem, you’ll kindly be assigned a seat or you will have to leave the class that day.   How embarrassing – don’t let this happen to you.

The course includes several field and lab experiences, some of which are more elaborate to set up or clean up.    Experience tells me that it is more efficient if 2-3 students help setup/cleanup rather than have all students help each time (it becomes a bumper car situation).  Thus, I expect everyone to sign up for a prep/cleanup on these days.  Thank you! 

 

GRADING: based on the total score from the following:
          Participation/Attendance                               5%
          Exam 1:                                                        20%
          Exam 2:                                                        20%
          Final Exam:                                                  20%
          Lab/ Field Exercises – Setup Cleanup          20%
          Presentation/Discussion and Report           15%      

 

Presentation Topic Suggestions from specific weeks - check the textbook for more:
Wk 1            Parent Material, Soil Formation
Wk 2/3        Texture, Structure, Bulk Density/Implications
Wk 4            Endangered Wetlands, Water Managed in Isreal                 
Wk 7            Ag Transformation, Early Farming, Saline Seeps
Wk 8/9        Trophic web in soil, carbon sequestration, decomposition
Wk 10          Soil mapping, land use planning and zoning, Field work
Wk 12          Primary Producers, Tenuous Balance between plants and nutrients, nutrient spatial distribution
Wk 14/15    Farming Mesoamerican Wetlands, Advent of Chemical Fertilizers,
Accelerated Erosion, Promise and Peril of Irrigation, Abusing Soil in other ways

 

The following is a tentative schedule that will likely be adjusted as the term progresses.  

 

Date

Topics                  

Readings

9/2

Introduction to Course
Formation of Soils from Parent Materials

Ch 1 - 2

9/7
9/9

Con't Parent Material, Field if time:  PM samples, soil probes
Soil Classification (surprise group presentations)

Ch 2

Ch 3

9/14
9/16

Field:  Soil Profiles at UWP
Soil Architecture and Physical Properties, Bulk Density

Ch. 4

9/21

 9/23

Soil Water:  Characteristics and Behavior. 
Field:  Collect/prepare soil-BD, moisture, texture
Lab:  Texture Particle Size Analysis

Ch. 5

 

9/28
9/30

Soil Water Movement, Presentations:  1 or 2
Lab:  Soil Water, Infiltration, WHC

Ch 6 

10/5
10/7

Test 1:  Ch 1-6, Field / Lab material, presentations
Soil Aeration and Temperature.    Field – soil temperature

Ch 7

10/12
10/14

The Colloidal Fraction:  Soil Chemical and Physical ActivitySoil Acidity, Alkalinity, Aridity and Salinity

Ch 8
Ch. 9

10/19

10/21

Field:  Spatial Pattern Analysis|
Organisms and Ecology of the Soil

Ch.10

10/26
10/28

Soil Organic Matter.   Presentations: 1 or 2
Lab:  Soil Biology and Decomposition

Ch 11

11/2
11/4

Soil Delineation, Presentations 1 or 2
Lab:  Soil Surveys

Handouts

11/9
11/11

Field Trip:  Management practices and research
Test 2:  Ch 7-11, Field and Lab material, presentations

 

11/16
11/18

Nutrition Cycles and Fertility
Continue
Nutrients in Soils.  Presentations:  2 or 3

Ch 12

11/23
11/25

Lab:  Nutrient and pH Testing - may take extra time
Thanksgiving – No Class

 

11/30
12/2

Practical Nutrient Management, Presentations:  3
Soil Erosion and Its Control  

Ch 13

12/7
12/9

Environment Issues:  Chem Pollution, Clearcutting, Acid Precip
Presentations - 6 or 7

Ch. 14

12/14
12/16

Presentations – 6 or 7
Final Exam:  Ch 12-15, Field Trips, Presentations

Ch. 15

12/21

Report Due