Instructor(s): Michael Kaiser
Number of Credit Hours: 3
Crosslistings: AGRO 855, NRES 855
Prerequisites: PLAS/SOIL 153 or GEOL 101; CHEM 109A/L and 110A/L; CHEM 221 or 251.
Description: Chemical and mineralogical properties of soil components. Inorganic colloidal fraction. Structures of soil minerals as a means of understanding properties, such as ion exchange and equilibria; release and supply of nutrient and toxic materials; and soil acidity and alkalinity. Forms and functions of organic matter in soil.
Learning Outcomes/Course Objectives
- The overarching course goals center around the improvement of the student’s ability to solve problems based on the sciences unifying their areas of study, to acquire scientifically derived information and to assess its reliability, to communicate gleaned knowledge in oral or written reports, and to lead and contribute to diverse teams to propose and implement solutions to complex problems.
- The course is designed to improve understanding of major concepts and processes in soil chemistry and how soil chemical processes affect soil functions. Furthermore, this class aims to deliver a better understanding of interactions between soil organic and soil inorganic compounds and how this is related to applied soil chemical problems such as mobilization and immobilization of contaminants and nutrients.