NRES 322 - Soils

(3 units)

Physical, chemical and biological properties of soils, soil genesis and classification, plant-soil-water relations. Practical applications through laboratory and field exercises.

Prerequisite(s): CHEM 122A and CHEM 122L or CHEM 202.

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 2
Units of Laboratory/Studio: 1
Offered: Every Fall

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. describe in writing and when called upon, verbally, the nature of soils as complex ecosystems, consisting of solid, liquid, and gaseous phases that influence physical, chemical, and biological interactions and properties.
2. explain in writing and verbally, and apply the quantitative mass/volume relationships in soils, solids/liquid phase interactions, ion exchange, and the energy thresholds as the driving force for water flow.
3. describe in writing and when called upon, verbally, the fundamental properties of soils and plant-soil-water systems, the composition of soil air and soils solution, the implications of dissolution and solute concentration and transport, the quantitative reclamation management of acid and salt affected soils.
4. explain in writing and verbally, and identify the major groups of soil organisms in terms of the rhizosphere, general microbial communities, and scale, and the physical and chemical constraints relative to their contribution to nutrient cycling and soil fertility.
5. explain in writing and verbally, and apply the concepts of soil formation and morphology, the pertinence to both natural and technical soil classification, and the relevance to land use capability.
6. describe in the writing and when called upon, verbally, essential plant nutrients, mechanisms of retention, release, transport, and uptake, and the advantages, constraints, and hazards of fertilizers.
7. describe in writing and when called upon, verbally the concepts of water management in agriculture, hydrology, remediation and sustainability, and potential for environmental contamination and degradation.

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