course materials, soils 210

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Darlene Zabowski, Room 204 Bloedel Hall, phone 685-9550.
Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10am to noon and by appointment.
Email: zabow@u.washington.edu

Teaching assistant: Jeff Hatten, Room 340 Bloedel Hall, phone 616-1879.
Office hours: Monday and Friday, 1-3pm and by appointment.
Email: jhatten@u.washington.edu

This class is intended for students who desire a basic knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. Introductory soils will give you an understanding of what soils are, what processes occur in soils, nutrient supply to plants, land use impacts, and how soils function as a part of the ecosystem.

Text for Course: Elements of The Nature and Properties of Soils (Brady and Weil) or The Nature and Properties of Soils, 13th ed. (2002).

Week	Approximate Lecture Topics	Reading Assignments
		Elements...	13th Edition
1	Introduction, Soil components, Soil morphology	Chap. 1 (1-22) and Chap. 2 (55-57)	Chap. 1 (1-23), and Chap. 2 (69-72)
2	Soil physical properties	Chap. 4	Chap. 4
3	Factors of soil formation, Weathering	Chap. 2 (29-52)	Chap. 2 (31-64)
4	Clay minerals, Soil pH, Pedogenic processes	Chap. 8 and Chap. 9 (252-270)	Chap. 8 and Chap. 9 (363-377)
5	Pedogenesis, Soil classification, Review	Chap. 2 (52-54) and Chap. 3 (59-85)	Chap. 2 (64-68) and Chap. 3 (84-111)
6	EXAM: November 5th, Soil water	Chap. 5	Chap. 5
7	HOLIDAY on Monday, Soil air and temperature, Soil organisms	Chap. 7 and Chap. 10	Chap. 7 and Chap. 11
8	Organic matter and decomposition, Essential nutrients, HOLIDAY on Friday	Chap. 11, Chap. 1 (23-27), and library file	Chap. 12, Chap. 1 (24-28), and library file
9	Nutrient availability, Nutrient cycling	Chap.12 (357-378)	Chap. 13 (543-572)
10	Soil conservation, Poster session December 7th
11	Student presentations, Review
12	FINAL EXAM, December 17th, 8:30-10:20am

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
1 Mid-term exam, November 5th: 25%
1 Final exam, December 17th: 35%
1 Required lab session and lab quiz (3rd week of the quarter): 5%
4 Quizzes, to be given on Mondays (October 15th, October 29th, November 19th, and December 3rd): 15%
1 Group poster presentation and paper: 20%
1 Required field trip

LABORATORY SESSION
Each student must complete a single afternoon lab session (4 hours) and lab quiz. This lab period will help you learn about some physical and chemical properties of soil. Lab session are scheduled for October 17th, 18th, and 19th from 1:30 to 5:20 pm in Rm. 211 Bloedel Hall. During the lab you will be given a "quiz" to complete using your results and lab displays. Sign-up sheets will be posted for you to choose a lab day.

QUIZZES
You will be given a total of 4 quizzes in class. I will average your 3 best in-class quizzes with the lab quiz for this part of your grade. Quizzes are intended to help you keep up with the material, determine where you may need additional explanation, and evaluate your progress.

GROUP POSTER PRESENTATIONS AND REPORTS
Groups of 3 or 4 students will work together on a project to produce a report and make a poster for presentation to the class. Groups will be assigned in mid-October. Each group must choose its project and submit a title and outline by October 31st.

Posters will be displayed from December 7th through December 10th. Reports will be due on December 10th. Posters must be at least 2.5 ft high by 3 ft wide and no more than 3 ft high x 5 ft wide in size. Posters will be displayed on easels, so they need to be in one piece and somewhat rigid. If you have other materials you would like to display with your poster, tables can be set up next to your poster. All posters must have a title, authors, group number, introduction, description of soil(s) (photos would be good), project information, and conclusions. More details will be provided later. Sample posters are on display in Bloedel Hall.

Reports should be 12-15 pages long not including references or figures. Reports should be broken into sections appropriate to your project, but all reports must include an Introduction, Conclusions and References in addition to a section(s) specific to your topic. All references should be cited in the text. Include a cover page with a title, the project number for your group, and individual student names; double space the text.

Reports and Posters will be evaluated for content, presentation / writing, research / effort, and organization. Soils faculty and graduate students will attend the poster session and evaluate posters. The focus of your project should be the formation, or management / use or misuse of a soil or soils in the Pacific Northwest. Examples would be from farming, forestry, parks, wilderness, wetlands, landscaping, Mt. St. Helens, or construction. You should discuss the soil type and properties, how it's being used, if the human use is appropriate or inappropriate and why, and how the soil has been changed by the use or activity. If the soil needs to be restored, how would you do it? Any recommendations? Projects may also focus on formation of a particular soil and its use or particular soil forming process with example soils.

FIELD TRIPS

Each student is required to attend one all day field trip. Two different field trips will be offered. One will emphasize forest soils, and the other will emphasize soils and land use. Both field trips will show you examples of different types of soils, soil profiles, environmental factors affecting soils, and soil and vegetation interactions. The field trips are offered on two different days. Choose ONE field trip to attend. Expect questions on the exams relating to the field trips.

On the day of field trips we will meet behind Bloedel Hall in the C-10 parking lot by 8:00am of the day of the field trip.
Bring a lunch, rain gear, boots, a notebook, and the field trip handout. Handouts will be given out in class before the field trip. We will return about 5 pm.

Field Trip A: FOREST SOILS
Date: November 1st
The field trip will go to Bellevue, Issaquah, the Cedar River Watershed, and Snoqualmie Pass.

Field Trip B: SOILS AND LAND USE
Date: October 27th
This field trip will go to Bellevue, Issaquah, and Discovery Park.

Sign up for ONLY ONE field trip.
Sign-up sheets will be posted the third week of the quarter.

LIBRARY RESERVE LIST
Instructors: Dr. Darlene Zabowski
Course: ESC 210, Fall 2001

TITLE: Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils or The Nature and Properties of Soils, 12th Ed.
AUTHOR: N.C. Brady and R.R. Weil
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: Soils, An Introduction, 3rd Ed.
AUTHOR: M.J. Singer and D.N. Munns 1993 ed.
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: Soil Genesis and Classification, 4th Ed.
AUTHOR: S.W. Buol, F.D. Hole and R.J. McCracken
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: The Properties and Management of Forest Soils, 2nd Ed.
AUTHOR: W.L. Pritchett and R.F. Fisher
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification
AUTHOR: D. Fanning and M. Fanning
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 5th Ed.
AUTHOR: Tisdale, Nelson, Benton and Havlin
LOAN PERIOD: 4 hours

TITLE: Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 1996 Ed.
AUTHOR: Soil Conservation Service
LOAN PERIOD: Overnight

TITLE: King County Soil Survey
AUTHOR: Soil Conservation Service
LOAN PERIOD: Overnight

TITLE: Soil Survey of Snoqualmie Pass Area
AUTHOR: Soil Conservation Service
LOAN PERIOD: Overnight

TITLE: Soil Survey of Snohomish County Area
AUTHOR: Soil Conservation Service
LOAN PERIOD: Overnight

TITLE: Soil Survey of Pierce County Area
AUTHOR: Soil Conservation Service
LOAN PERIOD: Overnight