Transcript Document

ESPM 121 (CCN 30601)
“Soil Forma tion and Biogeochemistry”
Spring 2003
Instructor and O ffice Hours:
Ronald Amundson
317 Hilgard Hall
phone: 643-7890
e-mail: earthy@nat ure.berkeley.edu
Office Hours: M,W 10:30-12:00
Assistant
Jon Sanderman
47 Hilgard
phone: 643-6910
e-mail: jsandman@nat ure.berkeley.edu
• If you can’t attend these hours, schedule an appointment by phone or em ail.
Class W eb Si te: Source for all h andouts, fi gures, homework, an d past exams.
htt p://nature.berkeley.edu/classes/espm-121
Required Books:
• ESPM 121 Reader: “Lay of the Land. The Biogeochemistry of Soils in a World of
Change” (available at Copy Cent ral on Hearst )
• So il Survey Staff. 1999.Keys to Soil Taxonomy. 8th Edit ion. SMSS technical
monograph. (ASUC st ore)
Option al an d Recom m en ded Books:
• Jenny, H. 1941.Factors of Soil Form ation. Dover Press. (ASUC store).
• Logan, W.B. 1995.Dirt. The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth. Riverhead Books, NY (ASUC
store)
Grading:
Exams: 1= 20%, Final=30%
Proble ms: 25%
Papers: 25%
Writing Assignments
1. Short Science/Nature style news/commentary of role of soils in a current
environemntal issue
–~ 1000 words
–Agricultural soils as a sink for C and a means of complying with Kyoto protocol
–Can soils withstand or control the human-induced increases in global N deposition?
–The fate of soils and ecosystems in absence of landscape rejuvination
–Unexpected positive aspects of soil erosion as a global C sink
–Issues and ethics of reducing deforestation as a atmospheric CO2 source
2. NSF/NASA grant application or Grad School Essay Centering on Soils
–Grad students should focus on a 3-4 page, concise, NSF-style research proposal
centering on soil-related problem of your choice
–Undergrads may choose to either write an NSF proposal or write a 3 page essay on
their interest in soils and what they wish to pursue in grad school and beyond related to
that topic.
ESPM 121: Lectures, Reading, and Homework Schedule - Spring 2003
Month
Day
Lecture Topic
----------Readings--------
Reader
January
February
March
April
May
Jan. 22
Jan. 24
Jan. 27
Jan. 29
Jan. 31
Feb.3
Feb. 5
Feb. 7
Feb. 10
Feb. 12
Feb. 14
Feb. 19
Feb. 21
Feb. 24
Feb. 26
Feb. 28
Mar. 3
Mar. 5
Mar.7
Mar. 10
Mar. 12
Mar. 14
Mar. 17
Mar. 19
Mar. 21
Mar. 31
Apr. 2
Apr. 4
Apr. 7
Apr. 9
Apr. 11
Apr.14
Apr. 16
Apr. 18
Apr. 21
Apr. 23
Apr. 25
Apr. 28
Apr. 30
May. 2
May. 5
May. 7
May. 9
May.12
May. 17
Introduction to Pedology
Soils and Geologic Time
Factors of Soil Formation
•factors cont.
Field Based Soil Properties
•soil morphology
•soil horizons
Examples of soils vs. State Factors
• more examples
Overview of Soil Biogeochemistry and Weathering
•biogeochemistry cont.
Soil mineralogy
•soil mineralogy cont.
•soil mineralogy cont.
Weathering
•mineral weathering rates
•watershed weathering rates
EXAM 1
•soil profile mass balance analyses
Soil Data Bases
•data cont.
•data cont.
Carbon and Nitrogen Cyling in Soils
•processes of C and N cycling in soils
•measuring and modeling soil C and N
•soil C in a global perspective
Soils and Hillslope Processes
• hillslopes cont.
Soils and Dating
• dating cont.
Introduction to Soil Taxonomy
• soil tax cont.
• soil tax cont.
• soil tax cont.
• soil tax cont.
• soil tax cont.
• soil tax cont.
Soils of the Past
• cont.
Soils and Archaeology
• cont.
• cont.
Soil Diversity and Land Use
Hans Jenny and Soils and Art
FINAL EXAM: SATURDAY 8-11 AM
Soil Taxonomy
Papers
Problem
Sets
Chap 1and handout of soil formation
Chap 2
Chap. 6 (also read Factors of Soil Formation)
Chap. 4
Chap. 3 (and handout)
1
handouts
2
1
Chap. 5
Chap. 8 and handouts
3
Chap. 10
Chap. 10
Soil Taxonomy and web links
handouts
handouts
handout
handout
4
2
ESPM 122
Field Study of Soil Formation
Spring 2003
We will develop t he field sk ills required for soil research and apply them t o
understanding the response of soils to time in three climat ic zones: arid grassland, semiarid grassland, and humid coast al forest.
We will take day-, or two day-, long field t rips to regions in Central California.
The dest inat ions, and dates, are listed below. You will need to bring field clothes, water,
lunch, field not ebooks, and (optional) a camera.
Grading:
At tendance and participation: 50% (all trips are required)
Writ ten field t rip reports: 50%
Field Trip Schedule:
Dest inat ion
Int roduct ion t o Field Work1
Soils and geology of west ern SJ Valley2
Soils and geology of eastern SJ Valley2
Soils and ecology of Mendocino marine t erraces3
1
8 to 12 AM: Location to be announced
2
7 AM t o approximately 7 PM
3
weekend t rip: 8AM- ~4PM
Date
February 22
March 15
April 5
April 26, 27
Field Trip Reports
On the day of each t rip, or before, handouts and background readings/references
will be dist ribut ed. During the t rip, soil data will be recorded on standard field forms.
At the conclusion of the field t rip, a short report will be prepared wh ich
synthesizes and summarizes what you have learned. A typical report will have the
following components: Abstract , Int roduct ion, Background, Methods, Results,
Discussion, References, Tables, and Figures. Typical length of a successful report is 4 to
6 pages (doubl e spaced). The report for t he final t rip will be limited to about one page
and will directed toward writing a report for a general audience. More details on the
approach to report writing will be given later in the semester.
Pedology
•
Coined in mid 19th Century by French scientist
•
Derived from Greek: pedon=ground, logia = discourse
•
“The study, in situ, of the biogeochemical processes that form and
distribute soils”
•
An observatioinal, vs. an experimental, science - nature is the
laboratory
•
Origins attributed to two centers: Russia (Dokuchaev) and
Berkeley (Hilgard)
Definition of Soils
• Many definitions
•Soil is part of a continuum of materials at earth’ surface
–Soil vs. non-soil at bottom and top
–Different soils laterally
•Need to divide continuum into systems, or discrete
segments, for study
•Hans Jenny (1930’s) conceptualized soils as physical
systems amenable and susceptible to physical variables
(STATE FACTORS)
Soils as a Physical System
•System is open to surroundings (exchange energy and matter)
System Properties = f (intial state, external surrounding, time)
•“Soil is those portion’s of the earth’s crust whose properties vary with
soil forming factors”
BIOTA
CLIMATE
TOPOGRAPHY
PARENT
TIME
MATERIAL
Additional Comments on Pedology
•No clear line of demarcation between Pedology and
other sciences (e.g. geology, ecology, etc.)
Role of Pedology in Scientific and Societal
Problems
•Carbon and nitrogen cycles
•Are soils part of an unidentified sink for CO2?
•What is the effect of agricultural on soil C (and atm CO2)?
•Will soils store excess N from human activity?
•Chemistry of natural waters
•How do soils release elements with time and space?
•Earth history
•‘Paleosols’ and evolution of land plants, atmospheric CO2 records,
human evolution
•Soils and archaeology
•Biodiversity
•Is soil diversity analogous to, and complementary to, biodiversity
•Microorganisms in soil represent unknown biodiversity resources