ENVS 79 The Soil Resource
Soils are a critical natural resource; feeding our growing population depends fundamentally on soils; in fact, soils provide nutrients to all ecosystems. Agriculture and land management has increased soil erosion around the world, potentially influencing the history and fate of civilizations. In the modern era, this use is not sustainable; the physical and chemical degradation of soils far outpaces soil production. This course will explore the nature and properties of soils and examine how these processes occur in natural and human-influenced soils, and identify reasonable limits on what can influence the sustainable utilization of soils as a resource. We will begin by developing an understanding of the geologic, biologic, and chemical processes that lead to soil formation and the development of specific soil properties. The second portion of the course will examine the relationship between soils and underlying bedrock and overlying vegetation and the role of soils in ecosystems. The final section of the course will examine the situations in which soils are used to reduce the impact of human activities and the way in which humans can reduce their impact on soils: the importance of soils in septic tanks and leach fields; the use of soils as solid waste landfill caps and liners; the use of soils in the storage of hazardous wastes; and the conservation and management of soils.
Instructor
Jackson
Cross Listed Courses
Identical to
EARS 35