About the Course

This course will cover conceptual issues involved in the study of soils at landscape scales, interpretation (practical predictions about) and classification of soils from soil descriptions, processes involved in soil development, and how soils are affected by parent material, vegetation, landscape, climate, and time.

Arrangements will be made to provide field experience for DE students. This is essential for a course like pedology, which pertains to soils on real landscapes. Field experience will include field soil investigations in the student's community, performed with the instructor's input and remote assistance. Students must gain access to a Munsell Color Book for soil descriptions. Tools that will be needed are digging implements (shovels and spades or a hand auger, depending upon the situation faced in exposing the soil profile) and a metric tape measure. A dull knife for digging in the soil and a rag for wiping hands are also needed in many cases.