ESPM 121 (CCN 30601)“Soil Formation and Biogeochemistry”Spring 2003

Instructor and Office Hours:

Ronald Amundson317 Hilgard Hallphone: 643-7890e-mail: earthy@nature.berkeley.eduOffice Hours: M,W 10:30-12:00

AssistantJon Sanderman47 Hilgardphone: 643-6910e-mail: jsandman@nature.berkeley.edu

• If you can’t attend these hours, schedule an appointment by phone or email.

Class Web Site: Source for all handouts, figures, homework, and past exams.http://nature.berkeley.edu/classes/espm-121

Required Books:• ESPM 121 Reader: “Lay of the Land. The Biogeochemistry of Soils in a World ofChange” (available at Copy Central on Hearst)• Soil Survey Staff. 1999. Keys to Soil Taxonomy. 8th Edition. SMSS technicalmonograph. (ASUC store)

Optional and Recommended Books:• Jenny, H. 1941. Factors of Soil Formation. Dover Press. (ASUC store).• Logan, W.B. 1995. Dirt. The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth. Riverhead Books, NY (ASUCstore)

Grading:Exams: 1= 20%, Final=30%Problems: 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 PapersReader Soil Taxonomy

January Jan. 22 Chap 1and handout of soil formationJan. 24 Chap 2Jan. 27 Factors of Soil Formation Chap. 6 (also read Factors of Soil Formation)

Jan. 29 •factors cont.Jan. 31 Field Based Soil Properties Chap. 4

February Feb.3 •soil morphologyFeb. 5 •soil horizonsFeb. 7 Examples of soils vs. State FactorsFeb. 10 • more examplesFeb. 12 Chap. 3 (and handout) 1Feb. 14 •biogeochemistry cont.Feb. 19 Soil mineralogyFeb. 21 •soil mineralogy cont.Feb. 24 •soil mineralogy cont.Feb. 26 Weathering handoutsFeb. 28 •mineral weathering rates

March Mar. 3 •watershed weathering ratesMar. 5 EXAM 1 2 1Mar.7 •soil profile mass balance analysesMar. 10 Soil Data Bases Chap. 5Mar. 12 •data cont.Mar. 14 •data cont.Mar. 17 Carbon and Nitrogen Cyling in Soils Chap. 8 and handoutsMar. 19 •processes of C and N cycling in soilsMar. 21 •measuring and modeling soil C and N 3Mar. 31 •soil C in a global perspective

April Apr. 2 Soils and Hillslope Processes Chap. 10Apr. 4 • hillslopes cont.Apr. 7 Soils and Dating Chap. 10Apr. 9 • dating cont.Apr. 11 Introduction to Soil Taxonomy Soil Taxonomy and web linksApr.14 • soil tax cont.Apr. 16 • soil tax cont.Apr. 18 • soil tax cont.Apr. 21 • soil tax cont.Apr. 23 • soil tax cont.Apr. 25 • soil tax cont.Apr. 28 Soils of the Past handouts 4Apr. 30 • cont.

May May. 2 Soils and ArchaeologyMay. 5 • cont. handouts 2May. 7 • cont.May. 9 Soil Diversity and Land Use handoutMay.12 Hans Jenny and Soils and Art handoutMay. 17 FINAL EXAM: SATURDAY 8-11 AM

Introduction to Pedology

Problem Sets

Overview of Soil Biogeochemistry and Weathering

Soils and Geologic Time

----------Readings-------- Lecture Topic

ESPM 122Field Study of Soil Formation

Spring 2003

We will develop the field skills required for soil research and apply them tounderstanding the response of soils to time in three climatic zones: arid grassland, semi-arid grassland, and humid coastal forest.

We will take day-, or two day-, long field trips to regions in Central California.The destinations, and dates, are listed below. You will need to bring field clothes, water,lunch, field notebooks, and (optional) a camera.

Grading:Attendance and participation: 50% (all trips are required)Written field trip reports: 50%

Field Trip Schedule:Destination DateIntroduction to Field Work1 February 22Soils and geology of western SJ Valley2 March 15Soils and geology of eastern SJ Valley2 April 5Soils and ecology of Mendocino marine terraces3 April 26, 2718 to 12 AM: Location to be announced27 AM to approximately 7 PM3weekend trip: 8AM- ~4PM

Field Trip ReportsOn the day of each trip, or before, handouts and background readings/references

will be distributed. During the trip, soil data will be recorded on standard field forms.At the conclusion of the field trip, a short report will be prepared which

synthesizes and summarizes what you have learned. A typical report will have thefollowing components: Abstract, Introduction, Background, Methods, Results,Discussion, References, Tables, and Figures. Typical length of a successful report is 4 to6 pages (double spaced). The report for the final trip will be limited to about one pageand will directed toward writing a report for a general audience. More details on theapproach 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

PARENT

MATERIAL

TOPOGRAPHY

TIME

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