Course Prospectus

Soil Science/Forest Ecology & Management 451

ENVIRONMENTAL BIOGEOCHEMISTRY

Brief Description: considers processes influencing the distribution and cycling of chemical elements in native and anthropogenic ecosystems; global and ecosystem-level cycles of elements, and biogeochemical cycling in major soil-biome systems.

Prerequisites: one year of introductory chemistry

Credits: 3

Instructor: James Bockheim; 435 King Hall; 263-5903; e-mail: bockheim@wisc.edu

Meeting times: M, W, F 9:55-10:45 a.m.; 357 Soils

Recommended Textbook: Chapin, F.S. III, P.A. Matson, and H.A. Mooney. 2003. Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. Springer, N.Y.

Readings: see attached recommended reading list (please download pdf files onto your computer or a CD from the website: http://www.soils.wisc.edu/soils/courses/451/)

Grading: student presentation of a case study (40%), student critiques of case studies (10%), student-led discussion of a required reading (25%), class participation/attendance (25%)

Syllabus:

Date Lecture Topic

Reading from Chapin et al.

Jan. 22 1 Introduction; historical perspectives Ch. 1
Jan. 24 2 Definitions; primary concepts Ch. 1
Jan. 26 3 Elemental distribution in terrestrial ecosystems – vegetation Ch. 5, 6
Jan. 29 4 Elemental distribution in terrestrial ecosystems – soil Ch. 3
Jan. 31 5 Allocation of elements by compartment in terrestrial ecosystems Ch. 6
Feb. 2 6 Elemental inputs – atmospheric deposition Ch. 9
Feb. 5 7 Elemental inputs – N fixation, chemical additions Ch. 9
Feb. 7 8 Elemental outputs – leaching and runoff Ch. 9
Feb. 9 9 Elemental outputs – erosion and volatilization Ch. 9
Feb. 12 10 Elemental outputs – product removal Ch. 9
Feb. 14 11 Biological transfers – litterfall and fine-root turnover Ch. 9
Feb. 16 12 Biological transfers – throughfall and stemflow Ch. 9
Feb. 19 13 Biological transfers – uptake and retranslocation Ch. 8
Feb. 21 14 Pedogenic transformations – litter decomposition Ch. 7
Feb. 23 15 Pedogenic transformations – mineralization of soil organic matter Ch. 7
Feb. 26 16 Pedogenic transformations – mineral weathering Ch. 3
Feb. 28 17 Hydrologic processes – routing of precipitation through terrestrial ecosystems

Ch. 4
Mar. 2 18 Global water cycle Ch. 15
Mar. 5 19 Global chemical cycles – C, N Ch. 15
Mar. 7 20 Global chemical cycles – P, S Ch. 15
Mar. 9 21 Biogeochemical flow pattern groups  
Mar. 12 22 Proton and S cycling and the “acid rain” controversy Ch. 15
Mar. 14 23 Carbon cycling and the issue of global warming Ch. 2, 5, 15
Mar. 16 24 Nitrogen cycling, the N saturation hypothesis, and groundwater pollution Ch. 9, 15
Mar. 19 25 Phosphorus cycling and lake eutrophication Ch. 9,15
Mar. 21 26 Base cation cycling and long-term soil sustainability Ch. 5, 16
Mar. 23 27 Aluminum, iron, and silicon cycles and pedogenic processes  
Mar. 26 28 Trace element biogeochemistry and human health  
Mar. 28 29 Soil-biome systems Biogeochemical cycling pdf
Mar. 30 30 Biogeochemical cycling and pedogenic systems
    Spring Recess Mar. 31-April 8, 2007  
Apr. 9 31 Case study: boreal forest – Spodosol system  
Apr. 11 32 Case study: temperate deciduous forest – Alfisol system  
Apr. 13 33 Case study: grassland – Mollisol system  
Apr. 16 34 Case study: desert – Aridisol system  
Apr. 18 35 Case study: Chaparral - Xeralf/Xeroll system  
Apr. 20 36 Case study: ombrogenic bog – Histosol system  
Apr. 23 37 Case study: temperate rain forest - Spodosol/Inceptisol system  
Apr. 25 38 Case study: tropical rain forest - Oxisol system  
Apr. 27 39 Case study: temperate (mixed oak) savannah - Udalf/Udoll system  
Apr. 30 40 Linkage between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems Ch. 10
May 2 41 Biogeochemical models management of terrestrial ecosystems Ch. 14
May 4 42 Biogeochemistry and management of terrestrial ecosystems Ch. 14
May 7 43    
May 9 44    
May 11 45    

Some Reference Books

Fortescue, J.A.C. 1980. Environmental Geochemistry: a Holistic Approach. Springer-Verlag, NY. [QH540 E29 Biol.; QE515 F69, Geol., Steen.]

Likens, G.E., F.H. Bormann, R.S. Pierce, J.S. Eaton, and N.M. Johnson. 1995. Biogeochemistry of a Forested Ecosystem (2 nd edit.), Springer-Verlag, NY [QH105 N4 B56 Biol., Steen.]

Schlesinger, W.H. 1997. Biogeochemistry: an Analysis of Global Change (2 nd edit.), Academic Press, San Diego, CA [QH343.7 S35 Geol.]

Trudgill, S.t. 1990. Soil and Vegetation Systems (3 rd edit.). Oxford Univ. Press. [S592.7 S73 Steen.]

Recommended Outside Readings (reading numbers correspond to lecture numbers on pp. 1-2)
Lecture Reading
1 Gorham, E. 1991. Biogeochemistry – its origin and development. Biogeochemistry 13(3):199-239.
2 Schlesinger, W.H. 2004. Better living through biogeochemistry. Ecology 85(9):2402-2407.
3 Chapin et al., 2002, Ch. 5, 6.
4 Chapin et al., 2002, Ch. 3.
5 Son, Y., I.H. Park, M.J. Yi, H.O. Jin, D.Y. Kim, R.H. Kim, and J.O. Hwang. 2004. Biomass, production and nutrient distribution of a natural oak forest in central Korea. Ecol. Res. 19:21-28.
6 Lovett, G.M. 1994. Atmospheric deposition of nutrients and pollutants in North America: an ecological perspective. Ecol. Appl. 4:629-650.
7 Cole, D.W. 1995. Soil nutrient supply in natural and managed forests. Plant & Soil 169:43-53.
8 Hedin, L.O., J.J. Armento, and A.H. Johnson. 1995. Patterns of nutrient loss from unpolluted, old-growth temperate forests: evaluation of biogeochemical theory. Ecology 76:493-509.
9 Williams, M.R. and J.M. Melack. 1997. Solute export from forested and partially deforested catchments in the central Amazon. Biogeochemistry 38:67-102.
10 Hartemink, A.E. 1997. Input and output of major nutrients under monocropping sisal in Tanzania. Land Degrad. & Develop. 8:305-310.
11a Lonsdale, W.M. 1988. Predicting the amount of litterfall in forests of the world. Ann. Bot. 61(3):319-324.
11b Majdi, H., K. Pregitzer, A.-S. Morén, J.-E. Nylund, and G.I. Ågren. Measuring fine root turnover in forest ecosystems. Plant & Soil 276:1-8.
12 Parker, G.G.C. 1983. Throughfall and stemflow in the forest nutrient cycle. Advances in Ecol. 13:57-133.
13 Bockheim, J.G. and J.E. Leide. 1990. Estimating nutrient uptake in forest ecosystems, pp. 155-177. In: S.P. Gessel et al. (eds.) Sustained Productivity of Forest Soils. 7 th North Amer. For. Soils Conf., Faculty of Forestry, Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver.
14 Aerts, R. 1997. Climate, leaf litter chemistry and leaf litter decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: a triangular relationship. Oikos 79(3):439-449.
15 Reich, P.B., D.F. Grigal, J.D. Aber, and S.T. Gower. 1997. Nitrogen mineralization and productivity in 50 hardwood and conifer stands on diverse soils. Ecology 78:335-347.
16 Kolka, R.K., D.F. Grigal, and E.A. Nater. 1996. Forest soil mineral weathering rates: use of multiple approaches. Geoderma 73:1-21.
17 Brye, K.R., J.M. Norman, L.G. Bundy, and S.T. Gower. 2000. Water-budget evaluation of prairie and maize ecosystems. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64:715-724.
18 U.S. Climate Change Science Program. 2003. Strategic plan for the climate change science program, final report, July 2003. Ch. 5 Water (http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final)
19a U.S. Climate Change Science Program. 2003. Strategic plan for the climate change science program, final report, July 2003. Ch. 7 Carbon Cycle (http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final)
19b Vitousek, P.M., J. Aber, R.W. Howarth, G.E. Likens, P.A. Matson, D.A. Schindler, W.H. Schlesinger, and G.D. Tilman. 1997. Human alteration of the global nitrogen cycle: causes and consequences. Ecol. Soc. Am. Issues in Ecol. 1, 17 pp. (http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/pdf/issue1.pdf)
20a Bennett, E. and S. Carpenter. 2002. P soup (the global phosphorus cycle). World Watch Mag. March/April 2002 (http://www.p2pays.org/ref/37/36240.pdf)
20b Crossey, L.J. 2005. Sulfur biogeochemistry. (http://www.epswww.unm.edu/facstaff/lcrossey/Classes/558/sulfur%20cycle%epand%20Biogeochemistry_LJC_05.ppt).
21 [Bockheim data]
22a van Breemen, N., J. Mulder, and C.T. Driscoll. 1983. Acidification and alkalization of soils. Plant & Soil 75:283-308.
22b Johnson, D.W. 1984. Sulfur cycling in forests. Biogeochemistry 1:29-43.
23 Oades, J.M. 1988. The retention of organic matter in soils. Biogeochemistry 5:35-70.
24 Fenn, M.E., et al. (10 co-authors). 1998. Nitrogen excess in North American ecosystems: predisposing factors, ecosystem responses, and management strategies. Ecol. Appl. 8:706-733.
25 Yanai, R.D. 1992. Phosphorus budget of a 70-year-old northern hardwood forest. Biogeochemistry 17(1):1-22.
26 Quideau, S.A., O.A. Chadwick, R.C. Graham, and H.B. Wood. 1996. Base cation biogeochemistry and weathering under oak and pine: a controlled long-term experiment. Biogeochemistry 35:377-398.
27 Markewitz, D. and D.D. Richter. 1998. The bio in aluminum and silicon geochemistry. Biogeochemistry 42:235-252.
28 Heinrichs, H. and R. Mayer. 1980. The role of forest vegetation in the biogeochemical cycle of heavy metals. J. Environ. Qual. 9:111-118.
29 Bockheim, J.G. and A.N. Gennadiyev. 2000. The role of soil-forming processes in the definition of soil taxa in Soil Taxonomy and the World Soil Reference Base. Geoderma 95:53-72.
30 Vitousek, P.M. and H. Farrington. 1997. Nutrient limitation and soil development: experimental test of a biogeochemical theory. Biogeochemistry 37(1):63-75.
31 Ugolini, F.C., R. Dahlgren, S. Shoji, and T. Ito. 1988. An example of andosolization and podzolization as revealed by soil solution studies, southern Hokkaido, southeastern Japan. Soil Sci. 145:111-125.
32 Khanna, P.K. and B. Ulrich. 1991. Ecochemistry of temperate deciduous forests, pp.121-163. In: E. Rohrig and B. Ulrich (eds.). In: Temperate Deciduous Forests. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
33 Wedin, D.A. and D. Tilman. 1996. Influence of nitrogen loading and species composition on the carbon balance of grasslands. Science 274:1720-1723.
34 Austin, A.T., L. Yahdjian, J.M. Stark, J. Belnap, A. Porporato, U. Norton, D.A. Ravetta, and S.M. Schaeffer. 2004. Water pulses and biogeochemical cycles in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Oecologia 141:221-235.
35  
36 Jonasson, S. and G.R. Shaver. 1999. Within-stand nutrient cycling in arctic and boreal wetlands. Ecology 80(7):2139-2150.
37  
38 Bruijnzeel, L.A. 1991. Nutrient input-output budgets of tropical forest ecosystems: a review. J. Tropical Ecol. 7:1-24.
39  
40 Likens, G.E., and F.H. Bormann. 1974. Linkages between terestrial and aquatic ecosystems. BioScience 24:447-456.
41 Running, S.W., and S.T. Gower. 1991. FOREST-BGC, a general model of forest ecosystem processes for regional applications. II. Dynamic carbon allocation and nitrogen budgets. Tree Physiol. 9:147-160.
42