Prerequisites: ENVS 101 or equivalent; please check requirements for declared majors/minors for exceptions.
This course introduces the properties, functions, and conservation of soil. Topics include belowground ecosystem services, soil biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, and conservation, human impacts to soils, and the socioeconomic implications of soil degradation. Lectures, laboratory/field soil testing, field trips, and presentations by experts in sustainable soil management are employed.
Outcomes: Students will understand the properties, functions and methods of conservation/remediation of soils, learn how human activities affect soils and associated socioeconomic consequences, and develop analytical skills to assess soil health.
This course introduces the properties, functions, and conservation of soil. Topics include belowground ecosystem services, soil biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, and conservation, human impacts to soils, and the socioeconomic implications of soil degradation. Lectures, laboratory/field soil testing, field trips, and presentations by experts in sustainable soil management are employed.
Outcomes: Students will understand the properties, functions and methods of conservation/remediation of soils, learn how human activities affect soils and associated socioeconomic consequences, and develop analytical skills to assess soil health.