Soil Science, ENVS 348

This course introduces students to soils and their properties as components of landscapes and ecosystems. Students study the interaction of the basic soil-formation parameters: geologic materials, climate, biological components, land surface, and time. Lectures, labs, and research activities focus on soil-forming processes, soil morphology, soil classifications, soil engineering properties, natural soil landscapes, soil biology, and soil nutrient cycling.

About half of the class involves field examination, description, and classification of soils and their landscapes, inlcuding a major field project applying soils knowledge to a problem in environmental sciences. The photos you see here are from some of our field days.
Learning the transitOn site overview How compacted?
Always room for a shovelerThe diggers'C' horizon?
Burn areaCoring the treeSoil profile