LAES 4045 - Soil Chemistry

Soil Chemistry is a fundamental pillar of soil science as well as general environmental science. Offering a Soil Chemistry class is important to address the growing demand for comprehensive education in the field of environmental scinece. Soil Chemistry knowledge is essentail for understanding the intricate interactions between soil components and their impact on plant growth, ecosystem health, and environmental sustainability. A solid foundation in chemistry is necessary for many different career paths, and an applied chemistry class like Soil Chemistry is even more useful for anyone pursuing a career related to Soil Science, Environmental Remediation, Water Quality, or related fields.

To become a Certified Professional Soil Scientist, students will have to pass a Soil Science Fundamentals Exam. About 20% of the Fundamentals Exam is Soil Chemistry-related topics. These are topics that we are not able to cover in other classes. Although soil fertility is a related field (and accoutns for another 20% of the Fundamentals Exam), there is not enough time during the Soil Fertility & Fertilizers class to cover both topics. Additionally, there are more important topics unrelated to the soil fertility within Soil Chemistry, such as mineral weathering and oxidation-reduction reactions, that would not be appropriate to include in a soil fertility course that is taken by Horticulture and Crop Science students.

Prerequisite(s): LAES 2004 Soils, CH-1103 & CH-1203 General Chemistry I & II, or permission from instructor. 

3
3 Credits