Soil Science and Environmental Health (3 credit hours) Fall 2014
Instructor:
Dr. Robin Kloot
Office Phone: 803-777-8963
Office Location: Room 516 Discovery, 915 Greene Street.
E-mail: kloot@mailbox.sc.edu
Office Hours: TTH or by appointment
Required Texts:
Kohnke H. and D.P. Franzmeier 1995 Soil Science Simplified.
4 th
ed. Waveland press. Long
Grove, IL.
Tugel, Arlene, Ann Lewandowski, Deb Happe-vonArb, eds. 2000. Soil Biology Primer . Rev. ed.
Ankeny, Iowa: Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Online version at: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/soil/SoilBiology/soil_biology_primer.htm
Suggested Reference:
Brady, N.C., and R.R. Weil. 2002. The Nature and Properties of Soils.
13 th
ed. Prentice Hall,
Upper Saddle River, NJ.
This course introduces the various fields of soil science and how soils interact with the environment, especially water quality. While we will begin with the classical soil sciences
(physical and chemical) principles, we will make the case that soils affect everything and need to be considered in all our decisions – in essence we need to view soils as ecological entities.
The main goal of this course in for you the student to gain a cross-disciplinary understanding of what soils are, how they work and how we can speak to the various issues faced by soil scientists, soil ecologists, food producers, homeowners and urban planners.
Learn Outcomes: After taking this course, you should be able to:
1.
Understand what soil is, what its functions are and how different disciplines view the soil.
2.
Describe how soils are formed, identify basic soil horizons and how soils are classified.
3.
Understand soil physical properties that include texture, structure, depth, and color and use these properties to explain the past present and future of a soil.
4.
Understand soil and its interaction with the hydrologic cycle and nutrient cycles (C, N, P,
K and O).
5.
Understand soil ecology and describe/quantify the various biota we find in the soil.
6.
Use the above understanding to look at soils and soil health and their relation to environmental health including infiltration, runoff and erosion.
7.
Understand the basic principles of soil health that can be applied to any urban or rural land use setting and associated best management practices.
8.
Participate in group discussions concerning conservation and environmental health issues.
Grading:
Undergraduate students:
Homework (25%) - will be written assignments based on work already done
Exam 1: (25%); Midterm Exam (25%), Final Exam (25%), --the midterm exam for undergraduates will consist of short answer, and fill in the blank. The final exam will consist of a number of short essay questions.

Graduate students:
Homework (20%) - will be written assignments based on work already done
Exam 1: (20%); Midterm Exam (20%); Final Exam (20%), --the first and midterm exams for graduate students will have a number of short essay questions in addition to the short answer, and fill in the blank. The final exam will consist of a number of short and longer essay questions.
Graduate Student Paper (20%): Each graduate student will write a 5-10 page paper over a select topic connecting conservation biology and environmental health. Outlines for the papers are due by the date of the midterm and a rough draft of the paper is due by the beginning of
Week 12 so that the professor can provide feedback on the draft. The final version of the paper is due at the beginning of Week 14.
Grading scale: A = 80 and above; B+ = 75-79.9; B = 70-74.9; B- = 65-69.9; C = 60-64.9; C D =
50-59.9; F = anything less than 50
Academic Integrity: All students at USC are expected to conform to the Code of Student
Academic Responsibility. Specifically, “
It is the responsibility of every student at the University of South Carolina Columbia to adhere steadfastly to truthfulness and to avoid dishonesty, fraud, or deceit of any type in connection with any academic program. Any student who violates this rule shall be subject to discipline
.” Furthermore, “ any member of University community, who has reasonable grounds to believe that an infraction of the Code of Student Academic Responsibility has occurred, has an obligation to report the alleged violation
.” Any cheating during quizzes or exams will result in an F for the course. I will do my best to help you avoid cheating on exams and quizzes, but ultimately it is your responsibility
Students with disabilities: This class will fully accommodate students who are registered with
The Office of Student Disability Services. For more information please call: 803.777.6142
(http://www.sa.sc.edu/sds/)
Schedule:
8/25/2014 Week 1: What is soil?
Readings: Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapter 1.

What is soil? – various definitions

Components of soil o Minerals o Organic matter & organisms o Air (gases) o Water

Soil functions o Soil as an environmental interface o Habitat for soil organisms o Stores and regulates water – hydrologic cycle o Regulates and recycles nutrients (CHONPS)

o “Engineering medium” o “Medium for plant growth”
9/1/2014 (Labor day) Week 2: Soil Formation Factors and Processes, Soil Horizons
Readings:
Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 7 & 8 (pp 75-79).
Soil Stories: http://vimeo.com/channels/soilstories
Soil Formation Factors and Processes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jURFWdD3HRQ
Soil Profiles and Horizons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jluei5p86mg

Soil formation factors (CLORPT) o Climate o Living things (organisms) o Relief o Parent material o Time

Soil formation processes o Can be all be described under one of the four headings of (1) transformation,
(2) translocation, (3) additions and (4) losses. These processes include:

Physical and chemical weathering

Leaching

Accumulation of Organic matter

Clay movement

Complexion of iron and aluminum

Oxidation reduction

Cementation

Shrink-swell
 Salt Accumulation

Relationship between landscape, polypedon and pedon, what to look for when you are in the field.

Soil Horizons o Master horizons – O, A, E, B, C, R o Subordinate horizons – g, k, o, p, s, t, w and x.
9/8/2014 Week 3: Soil Morphology and Soil Physical Properties
Readings: Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 2 & 8 (pp 80-84).
Dennis D. https://vimeo.com/19866510
Franzen: Review of Soil Components: https://vimeo.com/21310236
Soil Morphology, Physical Characteristics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Oa6BKDwt8

Texture

Structure o Pore spaces o Particle density, bulk density

o Influence of bulk density on plant growth and infiltration o Formation and stabilization of soil aggregates

Consistence

Color

Reaction
9/15/2014 Week 4: Soil Classification & Soil Survey
Readings:
Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 9 & 10.
Soil Taxonomy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQVoSSHb4Gg
Soil Survey and Web Soil Survey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0bGjc3N4go

Soil taxonomy

Classifying a soil o Diagnostic horizons and materials o Soil orders o Soil moisture regimes

Nomenclature

Soil Temperature Regimes

Using soil taxonomy

Soil Surveys o Soils Maps Map Units and Map unit Symbols o Description of a Soil map Unit o Soil Interpretations – Suitabilities and Limitations o Soil Physical and Chemical Properties and Qualities o Web Soil Survey
9/22/2014 Week 5 Field Trip (City Roots)

Using a soil auger to look below the surface at soil horizons

Soil properties (texture, color, structure, bulk density, pH)
9/29/2014 EXAM 1
10/6/2014 Week 6 Soil Water and the Hydrologic Cycle
Readings: Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 3.
Soil Water and the Hydrologic Cycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWzmdyI2rV0

Properties of water

Capillary fundamentals in soil and water

Soil water energy concepts

Soil water content and soil water potential


Flow of liquid in soils o Saturated flow o Unsaturated flow

Infiltration and percolation

Qualitative description of soil wetness o Maximum retentive capacity o Field capacity o Permanent wilting point

Factors affecting amount of plant available water in soil

The global hydrologic cycle

Fate of precipitation

The soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
10/13/2014 Week 7 Soil Chemistry and Fertility
Readings: Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 4 & 5.
S. Liebig: Nutrient Cycling (41:08) – https://vimeo.com/21310659
Soil Chemsistry (pH and CEC): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSzin805QxA
Soil Nutrients and Fertility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRk3bnitEQw
Availability of soil chemicals to plants o Soil reaction o Cations associated with Clay and Organic Matter o Anions o Soluble salts

Cation Exchange Capacity o Means of expression of CEC o Methods of determining CEC o CEC’s of different soils

Soil pH o Process of soil acidification o Role of Aluminum in soil acidity o Pools of soil acidity o Buffering of pH in Soils o Human influences on soil pH o Soil pH and different plant preferences o Soil pH and nutrient uptake

Conventional Thinking of Plant Growth and Nutrition o Composition and life functions of plants o Plant food elements o Nutrient levels and plant growth o Determining need for fertilization o Balance sheet of gains and losses of nutrients o Yield levels and deficiency symptoms o A fertilization program

N, P, K, micronutrients and liming

10/20/2014 Week 8 Soil Erosion, Soil and the Environment
Readings: Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapters 11 & 12.
The Plow that Broke the Plains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arRmz4kUisE
Significance of soil erosion and land degradation

On site vs. offsite soil losses

Soil loss tolerance

Mechanics of water erosion o Raindrops o Soil transport o Sheet, rill and gully erosion

Soil loss models o WEPP o RUSLE (and family)

R – rainfall erosivity

K – soil erodibility

LS – topographic factor

C – Cover and management factor

P – support practice factor

The Natural Soil Environment o Surface cover o Biodiversity o Purification of waste products o Influence of soils on climate o Wetlands

Soil Degradation o Leaching and acidification o Salinization o Desertification o Soil contamination o Landfills o Sewage disposal o Population pressure o Land use planning

Concept of Soil Health as Pertaining to Soil Function
Week of 10/21/2103 EXAM 2 (take-home)
10/27/2014 Week 9: The Soil Habitat
Readings:
Kohnke and Franzmeier Chapter 6.
Soil Biology Primer A-1 to A8 (Chapter 1: The Soil Food Web)

The Soil Habitat (Liebig): https://vimeo.com/21310930

The Food Web: Organisms and their interaction o Soil organisms o Trophic levels

Functions of soil organisms

Soil organic matter (SOM) o Components of SOM o Functions of SOM

The Food Web and Soil Health o Differing Soil Food Webs o Typical Food Web Structures o Complexity/Diversity and Benefits

The Soil Habitat (from Liebig) o Spatial dimensions of the soil habitat o Soil as a habitat - the soil profile & soil physical/chemical properties o Physical environment

Pores - micro and macro

Total pore space, water filled pore space
 Pore size categories

Habitable pore space (Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Nematodes) o Chemical environment

Acidity/alkalinity (pH)

Soil pH and Microbial processes

Salinity (electrical conductivity) o Soil Temperature
 Three cardinal temperatures - minimum, optimum, maximum

Varying thresholds for optimal activity

Land management and soil temperature
11/3/2014 Week 10 Soil Biology
Readings:
Soil Biology Primer B-1 to H8 (Ch’s 2-8 from The Food Web and Soil Health all the way to the end – The Living Soil: Earthworms).
Alteri M.A. 1999. The Ecological Role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Agriculture
Ecosystems and Environment. 74. 19-31.
Nichols: The Biology of the Soil (55:37) https://vimeo.com/21310772
After Nichols:

SOM Composition (review)

Why is soil biology important (some compelling reasons)

The basic nature of soil livestock o Diversity/classification o Size classification (by body width) of organisms

Microbial growth curve as a function of temperature

Microbial biomass and why it’s important


Relative abundance of microbes in soil

Soil Organisms and Functions o Bacteria o Fungi

Saprophytes

Mutualists o Nematodes o Protozoa o Microarthopods o Earthworms o Benefits of soil biota
11/10/2014 Week 11 Rhizoshpere Biology and Biological Influences on the Soil
“Readings”:
Nichols: Rhizoshpere Biology (38:35) https://vimeo.com/21311053
Liebig: Biological influences on the Soil (18.01) https://vimeo.com/21313902
A (very, very) short intro to Biogeochemistry: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IhTUhP-
RGY
After Nichols:

What is the rhizosphere and why is it important?

Linking above and belowground habitats

Carbon currency o Soil; carbon in the rhizosphere

Soil Architecture Soil Aggregates o Feed forward and feedback system between architecture and biotic activity o Importance of aggregates

Improved soil structure

Porosity

Root penetration

Aeration

Water infiltration

Water holding capacity

Erosion control

Improved nutrient cycling

Protected habitat

Provides food

Protects OM from rapid decomposition o Formation of aggregates in the rhizosphere o Management impacts on Rhizosphere activity and the level of aggregate stability
After Liebig

Why do we care why biota affect soil function?

 The role of the soil’s living component on soil condition, ecosystem processes and sustainability

Influences of soil biota o Microflora

Decomposition and nutrient cycling

Aggregate formation and stability o Microfauna

Regulation of microflora populations

Non-nutritional effects (hormonal) on plant growth o Meso- and macrofauna
 Regulate microflora polulations

Redistribute SOM and microorganisms

Fecal pellets

Biopore creation

Farming systems and soil biota o Influence of management

Food source: crop type./sequence, cropping intensity, cover crops

Habitat (chemical) – fertilization, organic amendments

Habitat (physical) – tillage/residue management
11/17/2014 Week 12 Field Trip
Looking at C:N ratios, Soil Quality and Linking Soil Quality to Food Security
Readings:
A Farm for the Future (BBC Documentary) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3sxMByA1R0
(49 min)
Lloyd, J.E., D.A. Herms, B.R. Stinner, and H.A.J. Hoitink. 2002. Comparing composted yard trimmings and ground wood as mulches. Biocycle September:52–56.
C:N Ratios, Decomp and Mineralization: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb7jug8MW60
A Practical Look at C:N ratios in the field
In field, measurements in two or more places:
Visual observation of soil profile
Soil respiration
Soil infiltration
Bulk density
Soil pH, nitrates
Earthworm test
11/24/2014 Week 13 Restoring Ecosystem Function through Wise Management Choices
Readings:
Green Gold - Documentary by John D. Liu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBLZmwlPa8A
(48 min)
Graduate Student Final Paper Due