This course introduces soil as a natural body of critical importance to sustainable natural resource use. Students explore factors influencing soil development and investigate the impact of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties on ecosystem health and human well-being. Students gain experience in the identification of common soil characteristics in the field, practice the use of soil survey information in natural resource management and perform standard soil laboratory analyses. Specific soil management topics such as managing soils for agriculture, forestry, or urban uses are used as examples of general concepts but are not a main focus of this course. Includes a regular lab period.Prerequisites: CHM 1160 General Chemistry I and ENS 1160 Introduction to Environmental Studies or ENS 1150 Perspectives in Environmental Studies.
- Teacher: Joshua Arnold