Module 1 Introduction, What is Soil, Ecological Functions of Soils, Soil Architecture, Soil Formation, Soil Classification, and Soil Survey

Objectives

To present major concepts illustating the importance of soil from a global perspective To understand fundamental soil properties (structure, texture and color) and their relation to horizons. To present some of the basic concepts and rationales associated with the identification and description of basic soil pedons in the landscape. To introduce the concepts involved with the study of soils and their distribution in the landscape. To study the destribution of pedons using the Canadian System of Soil Classification. To understand the basis of legal land survey. To understand principles of soil survey and soil mapping.

Materials

Sections 1-5 and 12 of the textbook 'Introduction to Soil Soil and Soil Resources', Juma, N. G. 1999. 1.  What is Soil 2.  Ecological Functions of Soil 3.  Soil Texture, Structure and Color 4.  Soil Formation 5.  [Canadian] Soil Classification 12. Soil Survey Lab Notes for Module 1 WWW-based Computer Lab Exercise 1 WWW-based Computer Lab Exercise 2 WWW-based Computer Lab Exercise 3 Any additional materials covered during lectures

Expectations

Understand the importance of soils from a global and an ecosystem perspective. Describe soil physical properties (texture, structure and color). Describe some of the basic small-scale climate - vegetation - soil patterns in Alberta and Canada. Identify and describe the basic differences in origin and characteristics between the major kinds of soil parent materials found in the Edmonton region (i.e: lacustrine, eolian, fluvial, morainal). Outline the concepts of additions, removals, transformations, and translocations as applied to soil formation especially with reference to the major biomes in Alberta. Recognize the basic kinds of horizons found in soils of the Edmonton region. Describe horizons in terms of color, texture, and structure and relate these characteristics to soil forming processes and soil performance. Outline the concepts of solum, ped, pedon, and polypedon. Outline the purposes and principles of classification and describe the structure of the Canadian System of Soil Classification. Know the diagnostic horizons and some of the major criteria used to differentiate soils at the Order, Great Group, and in some cases Subgroup categories of the Canadian System of Soil Classification. Decribe the legal location of a piece of land in Alberta. Describe soil inventory within a specific soil polygon identified on a soil map.

Module 2 Soil Colloids, Soil Reaction, Soil Water, Soil Air and Soil Temperature, Soil Ecology, Soil Organic Matter

Objectives

To describe and identify the basic structures of silica tetrahedral and alumina-magnesia octohedral sheets in common clay minerals. To describe the concept of soil cation exchange capacity and its relationship to soil colloids and soil pH. To quantify the relationship between pH and base saturation in soils belonging to different Soil Orders. To describe the basic concepts of water content expressed by either weight or volume (bulk density, particle density, porosity), and explain the forces holding water in soils. To quantify water content, water retention and water movement in soil. To describe the compostion and dynamics of soil air. To describe the oxidized and reduced forms of organic and inorganic ions and their relationship to soil aeration status. To describe the classification of organisms based on their carbon and energy requirements and their general role in soil development. To discover the major pools and flows governing the global C cycle. To describe the role of soils in C cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. To describe the decomposition process and its relationship to immobilization and mineralization of nutrients. To assess the impact of soil management in long-term crop rotations To describe the relationship between soil organic matter in profiles belonging to different Soil Orders.

Materials

Sections 6-11 of the textbook 'Introduction to Soil Soil and Soil Resources', Juma, N. G. 1999. 6.  Mineralogy 7.  Soil Reaction 8.  Soil Water 9.  Soil Air 10. Soil Ecology 11. Soil Organic Matter Lab Notes for Module 2 WWW-based Computer lab exercise 4 (soil water calculations) WWW-based Computer lab exercise 5 (soil organic matter) Any additional materials covered during lectures

Expectations

Understand the basic structures of silica tetrahedral and alumina-magnesia octohedral sheets in common clay minerals. Be able to identify basic 1:1 and 2:1 clay minerals (kaolinite and smectite/montmorillonite) from their molecular arrangement. Explain the concept of soil cation exchange capacity, the general concept of how it is determined, how it is expressed, how and why it varies from horizon to horizon and from soil to soil across the landscape. (Relate back to genesis of horizons in Module 1). Understand the relationship between pH and base saturation and describe the basic patterns of soil reaction with depth for major kinds of soils. (Relate back to soil genesis and soil classification in Module 1). Explain the basic concepts of water content expressed by either weight or volume (bulk density, particle density, porosity), and explain the forces holding water in soils. You will be introduced to three aspects of soil water: the conventions used for expressing water content of soil, the manner in which water is retained in soil, and the movement of water in soil. Explain the dynamics of soil water and soil air, why there is a difference between soil air and atmosphere, oxidized forms of organic and inorganic ions, and why anaerobic zones are present in well-aerated soils. Group organisms based on their carbon and energy requirements, outline their general role in soil development, and relate some basic biological activity to soil characteristics, soil development, and environmental conditions. Explain the relationship between total carbon content and organic matter content as determined for a soil sample, the forms of "organic matter" in soil, and the importance of microbial biomass and soil organic matter in soil performance.