LAES 3104 - Soil Morphology, Gensis, and Classification

This course is intended for those who want a deeper understanding of field soil science and how/why soil features form. We will develop skills in identifying and describing soil morphologic features, understanding soil genesis, mastering soil classification, and interpreting for multiple land uses. Most lab sessions will be spent in the field learning to read landscapes, describing soil profiles, then interpreting those descriptions for soil classification and land use. Additionally, we will delve into soil forming processes and how their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties relate to genesis and classification. We will focus on U.S. Soil Taxonomy but learn about other classification systems as well, including the FAO’S World Reference Base for Soil Resources.

4 Credits