EVSC 4270: SOIL SCIENCE

Department of Environmental Sciences
Clark Hall The University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4123

Revised, 1/4/2012
This page is being developed on a continuing basis to support the lecture and laboratory portions of the course.

Links to useful information:

Syllabus for the course
Obtain a copy of the Lab Manual in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format
Index of handout files and images
Links to resources for soil science. Includes a number of maps, profile collections, soil taxonomy manuals, other web sites for soils courses, etc.

Instructors

(Spring 2012)

Lecture: Aaron Mills Clark Hall 213 (amills@virginia.edu)

Lab: Stesha Dunker, Clark Hall, 348 (sld9a@virginia.edu)

NOTE: I am quite often in my office (or the lab) and I welcome drive-by questions. I prefer not to establish firm office hours for a class this size, as you won't use them, but you will want to talk to me at other times. Please do so! I will try to visit the lab each week as well.

Syllabus

EVSC 4270

Fall 2011

Lectures meet MWF at 09:00-09:50 in Maury 212 (Geology Lab)

Lab meets Monday 13:00-17:00 in Clark, 201

Contact information for the instructor can be found here.

NOTE: This syllabus is intended to assist you in finding the appropriate reading material to go along with lecture topics. It is unlikely that we will have time to cover each of the topics listed in an appropriate amount of detail. I suggest that you plan to read the text along the guidelines listed below even if the lecture schedule deviates somewhat from that listed. You are responsible for the material in the text whether it is covered in class or not.

APPROXIMATE LECTURE OUTLINE FOR EVSC 4270, there WILL be slippage - the amount depends in part on my travel schedule and part on how quickly we move through lectures.

E represents days on which exams will be distributed

DATE	TOPIC	READING IN BRADY
1/14	Introduction	1
1/16	Minerals, unconsolidated particles and soils	2:3
1/18	Primary particles and soils	4:1-3
1/21	Martin Luther King Day Observed - no class
1/23	Secondary particles in soils	4:4
1/25	Soil volume-solids vs. pore space	4:5-10
1/28	Soil formation	2: 4-8
1/30	Soil formation
2/1	Development and horizonization	2:9-10
2/4	Retention of water	5:1-4
2/6	Movement of water	5:5-11
2/8	Water losses	6
2/11	Mineral weathering	2:1-2
2/13	Soil colloids	8:1-5
2/15	Soil Colloids	12:4, 8:13-15
2/18E	Soil pH	9: 1-7
2/20	pH and plant growth
2/22	Chemistry, mineralogy, pH	8:6-11
2/25	Cation exchange
2/27	Soil taxonomy	3
3/1	Soil taxonomy
3/4	Soil organisms	11
3/6	Carbon cycling in soil	12:1-3, 5-11
3/8	Spring Break - No Class
3/11-3/15	Nitrogen	13:1-23 (includes reading on Sulfur)
3/18	Nitrogen
3/20	Phosphorus	14:1-9
3/22	Phosphorus
3/25E	Potassium	14:10-18
3/27	Micronutrients	15
3/29	Fertilizers	16
4/1	Fertilizers
4/3	Lime	9:8-11
4/5	Lime
4/8	Organic soils
4/10	Soil surveys and land use	19
4/12	Erosion	17
4/15	Erosion & conservation	17
4/17	Uses of soil for non-agricultural purposes	18,20
4/19	Catch up
4/22	Catch up
4/24	Catch up
4/26	Catch up
4/29E	Catch up

Final Exam Due Friday, May 10, 17:00

GRADES WILL BE BASED:

75% lecture - 2 mid-terms, 1 final

25% lab - lab reports, project

TEXT: Brady, N.C., and R.R. Weil. 1996. The Nature and Properties of Soil 14th ed. Prentice Hall, Pub. (Available in Newcomb Hall Bookstore)

Additionally, Birkeland's Soils and Geomorpholgy is an excellent book - I use it as a reference for many of the topics we discuss in class. I recommend it for anyone who is a serious student of pedology. There is a new edition, and I just bought a copy. You most certainly will see some material from the book during the semester.

SOME IMPORTANT GROUND RULES

ATTENDANCE: I do not penalize students for missing lectures - if you are so inclined, you may get the information anywhere you can. Laboratory attendance is mandatory, however, and lab reports will not be accepted if you were not there to do the work. Labs are hands-on experiences, and can't be made up from someone else's notes.

CELL PHONES IN CLASS: Be sure and turn your phone off or to vibrate before we begin each session. A ringing phone WILL result in your dismissal for the day. Repeated offenses will be met with much harsher penalties. If you are contemplating an EMERGENCY call, let me know before we start so that when your phone VIBRATES and you step outside to take the call, I know not to lock you out!

NOTE: ALL EXAMS ARE TAKE-HOMES. QUESTIONS DO GET RECYCLED. USE OF OLD EXAMS (FROM ANY PREVIOUS CLASSES) FOR ANY PURPOSE IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN, AS IS ASKING ANY FORMER CLASS PARTICIPANTS ABOUT THE EXAMS! VIOLATION OF THIS DIRECTIVE WILL RESULT IN AN HONOR REFERRAL!

Please note that I take the Honor System very seriously, and I will enforce its principles rigorously.

LAB SCHEDULE FOR EVSC 427L

WEEK	DATE	TOPIC	REPORT DUE
1	1/14	Introduction
2	1/28	Texture	R
3	2/4	Structure (Density and Porosity)
4	2/11	Soil Water I	R(2+3)
5	2/18	Soil Water II
6	2/25	Soil Chemistry I	R(4+5)
7	3/4	Soil Chemistry II
8	3/18	Project	R(7+8)
9		Project
10		Project
11		Project
12		Project: Final Report Due 12/05

The Project is quite simple. I want you to select a site that has some interest to you. At that site, expose the soil profile and do a thorough description of the soil. Then, please write a short paper (5-10 pp) on some aspect of that soil that is important to you (consistent with your personal interests). Additional details of how to go about this project will be discussed in class and in lab.

Return to Soils home Page