Soil Science/Environmental Studies 324
Fall, 2007
Instructor: James G. Bockheim, 435 King Hall, 263-5903, bockheim@wisc.edu
Lectures: M, W, F 8:50-9:40; 357 Soils Bldg.
Recommended Books:
Bailey, R.G. 1998. Ecoregions: the Ecosystem Geography of the Oceans and Continents.
Springer, NY. 176 pp.
Barrow, C.J. 1991. Land Degradation: Development and Breakdown of Terrestrial
Environments. Cambridge Univ. Press. 295 pp.
Schlesinger, W.H. 1997. Biogeochemistry: an Analysis of Global Change (2nd edit.).
Academic Press, NY. 588 pp.
Grading: Exams (2 mid-terms and 1 final) – 60%; term paper (due Dec. 4) – 20%; class participation/attendance – 20%. Curve: 95-100 = A, 90-94 = AB, 85-89 = B, 80-84 = BC, etc.
| Lecture Schedule: | |||
Topic |
Date |
Reading |
Documents/Presentations |
Introduction |
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| 1. Introduction – scope & approach | Sept. 5 | ||
| 2. Ecosystem degradation: an overview | Sept. 7 | Barrow, Ch. 1 |
|
| 3. Ecosystem degradation, continued | Sept. 10 | ||
| 4. Causes of ecosystem degradation | Sept. 12 | Barrow, Ch. 2 | |
The Role of Soils in the Planetary Ecosystem |
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| 5. Global geochemical cycling | Sept. 14 | Schlesinger, Ch. 6 | Global Geochem Cycles |
| 6. Biogeochemical cycling at ecosystem/landscape scale | Sept. 17 | Global Hydrologic and Energy Cycles | |
| 7. Global energy & hydrologic cycles | Sept. 19 | Schlesinger, Ch. 3, 10 | Biogeochemical Cycling Ecosystem |
| 8. Soils and the biosphere | Sept. 21 | Schlesinger, Ch. 4 | Soil & Biosphere |
Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World |
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| 9. Boreal forest and tundra | Sept. 24 | Bailey, Ch. 5 | Intro Eco-regions Polar Domain |
| 10. Temperate forests | Sept. 26 | Bailey, Ch. 6 | Temperate Forests |
| 11. Grasslands and deserts | Sept. 28 | Bailey, Ch. 7 | Grasslands and Deserts |
| 12. Wetlands | Oct. 1 | Wetlands | |
| 13. Tropical forests and savannas | Oct. 3 | Bailey, Ch. 8 | Tropical Forests and Savannas |
| 14. Examination I | Oct. 5 | ||
Human Transformations of Terrestrial Ecosystems |
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| 15. Environmental “hotspots” | Oct. 8 | ||
| 16. World Map on Soil Degradation | Oct. 10 | ||
| 17. Transformation of land resources | Oct. 12 | Barrow, Ch. 5-8 | Transformation of Land Resources |
| 18. Global warming | Oct. 15 | Barrow, Ch. 3 | Global Warming |
| 19. Urbanization & environmental quality | Oct. 17 | Urban Revolution | |
| 20. Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition | Oct. 19 | Barrow, Ch. 4 | |
| 21. Desertification & loss of biodiversity | Oct. 22 | Barrow, Ch. 8 | Desertification |
| 22. Soil erosion and its control | Oct. 24 | Barrow, Ch. 10 | Soil Erosion and its Control |
| 23. On-site waste disposal treatment | Oct. 26 | On-site Waste Disposal | |
| 24. Sanitary landfills | Oct. 29 | Sanitary landfills | |
| 25. Radon toxicity hazard | Oct. 31 |
|
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| 26. Agrichemicals – fertilizers | Nov. 2 | Agrichemicals - fertilizers | |
| 27. Agrichemicals – pesticides | Nov. 5 | Agrichemicals - pesticides | |
| 28. Examination II | Nov. 7 | ||
| 29. Industrial chemicals | Nov. 9 | Industrial chemicals | |
| 30. Soil-borne insects/pathogens and human health | Nov. 12 | Soil-borne insects/pathogens | |
Sustainable Land Use: How Can Humankind Live Sustainably on Earth? |
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| 31. Sustainable agriculture | Nov. 14 | Sustainable agriculture | |
| 32. “Smart” growth and land-use planning | Nov. 16 | "Smart" growth and land-use planning | |
| 33. Case study: Chesapeake Bay | Nov. 19 | ||
| 34. Sustainable forestry and watershed protection | Nov. 21 | Sustainable forestry/watershed protection | |
| 35. Compost. MSW; precision ag (R. Wolkowski) | Nov. 26 | Compost; precision ag | |
| 36. Bioremediation (W.J. Hickey) | Nov. 28 | ||
| 37. Water conservation and quality | Nov. 30 | ||
| 38. Alternative energy sources & efficiency | Dec. 3 | Guest lecture | |
| 39. World food production | Dec. 5 | Guest lecture | |
| 40. Solving homeowner problems | Dec. 7 | Guest lecture | |
| 41. Environmental impact statements | Dec. 10 | Guest lecture | |
| 42. Final thoughts; course evaluation | Dec. 12 | Guest lecture | |
| 43. Examination III | Dec. 14 | ||
A term paper covering some aspect of a soil-related environmental problem is required of each student. The paper should NOT be an extensive literature review; rather, case studies or a critique of a report or state/federal laws or rules governing pollution abatement make excellent papers. You could also critique the policies of an organization dealing with environmental issues such as WorldWatch, UNEP, etc. The paper should not exceed 10 pages (typed, double spaced).
The preliminary title and outline should be discussed with me by October 8 (see outline below). An electronic copy of the paper is due November 30, 2007 and contributes 20% of your final grade (please send to bockheim@wisc.edu). Term papers will not be accepted after the deadline. Grading of the term paper includes suitability of the topic (10 pts.), originality of treatment (10), neatness (10), organization (20), mechanics and grammar (10), conceptualization of the problem (10), logic and conclusions (20), reference quality (10 pts.). Please make two copies of your paper, one for me to examine and one for your files.
Soils/Environ. Stud. 324
Term Paper Outline
(due October 8, 2007)
Name: ________________________
Approximate Title: ________________________________________________________________________
Outline:
Selected References: