Geog 317: Geography of Soils
Jerry Davis, Instructor 

tentative syllabus Spring 2006: MWF 9:10-10:00 am

Office HSS 273, ph 338-2983
hours MW 10:00-12:00

Course web site: http://bss.sfsu.edu/jdavis/geog317

In this course, we’ll come to an understanding of soils, how they differ from place to place, and how they contribute to other geographic systems. The basic approach we’ll follow can be divided into four major foci, primarily framed around questions:

  • What are Soils? We’ll look at what soils are made of – their "architecture" of particles and structures, their compositional makeup, and their properties that respond to environmental variables of temperature and precipitation. We’ll also look at the significance of soil properties for soil use, and the impacts of human activities on these properties.
  • How do they form? We’ll look at pedogenic processes – erosion, deposition, organic matter decomposition, etc. – through which soils develop over time, and we’ll look at the five major soil-forming factors: parent material, climate, organisms, relief, and time.  Throughout each we will consider how human activities influence these factors.
  • Where do we find them (and how are they used)? We’ll use the language of USDA’s Soil Taxonomy to categorize soils based on their properties, try to understand why specific soils occur where they do, and identify the typical (agricultural and other) uses for different soil types.
  • Soil Resource Analysis. We’ll look at methods of evaluating soil resources, especially focusing on geographic analysis techniques for modeling soil loss based on soil properties and land-use practices.

    • Structure: The bulk of the course is structured around lectures and discussion, though we will also learn how to analyze soil properties in the laboratory and the field. One term project will focus on a county soil survey of your choosing – due as a poster and paper on 5/17. Grades assigned based upon 3 exams each 25%, project 15%, exercises 5%, and field trip participation 5%. Two field trips are planned:

    25 March San Pedro Valley and Montara Mountain

    28-30 April Hwy 20 transect, from Mendocino coast through central valley to Sierra. Note: involves car camping – you’ll need camping gear. See the web site (http://bss.sfsu.edu/jdavis/geog317).

    Texts:

    Soil Survey Project. You will choose a county soil survey, and preferably request a copy from the local office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. We also have limited copies in the Map Library, and you should start there. You should work with another person on this, but groups should be no more than two. Please clear the survey you wish to use with the instructor; we would like to have only one group per survey. You will read sections in this survey throughout the semester, and culminate this in a project where you follow a transect across the county, looking at the soils (and related vegetation and land use) you encounter along the way. You’ll present this as a poster and short paper, to be displayed on the last day of class.

    Schedule (TuTh)
    Dates   Topic Reading*
    1/30 (1) 9 (9) Perspectives on Soil Study SA Ch. 1
    USDA Ch.1. "The Soil That We Classify…"     
    2/1, 2/3, 2/6, 2/8, 2/10 (5) 47 (9)
    		 1. What are Soils?
    1.1 Soil Properties
    		 SA Ch. 2; Ch. 5: 87-91; 7: 133-143
    USDA: Read through "Other Diagnostic Soil Properties", in Ch. 2. "Horizons and Properties Diagnostic for the Higher Categories: Mineral Soils" – see especially Temperature Regimes. Survey: summary tables, any sections on properties, and look through examples of soil series descriptions.
    2/13, 2/15, 2/17 (3) 30 (10) 1.2 Moisture

       

    		 SA Ch. 5; Ch. 7: 122-133
    USDA: look for Moisture Regimes in "Other Diagnostic Soil Properties"
    Survey: "drainage" descriptions in soil surveys; irrigation
    2/20, 22 (2) 18 (9) 2. How do soils form?
    2.0.1 Pedogenic Processes & Introduction to Soil-forming Factors

    SA: Ch. 3; Ch. 11: 295-320. optional: Ch. 10, 12
    USDA: Appendix A. Designations for Horizons and Layers;
    Survey: "genesis" descriptions; factors of soil formation
    2/24, 27, 3/1 45 (15) 2.0.2 Intro to Soil Classification using Soil Taxonomy SA: Ch. 7
    USDA: Ch. 2 "Horizons and Properties Diagnostic for the Higher Categories: Mineral Soils", Ch. 3 "…Organic Soils", Ch. 4 "Identification of the Taxonomic Class of a Soil"
    Survey: Classification; soil series descriptions

    3/3

    		 16d exam 1  
    3/6, 3/8, 3/10, 13, 15 (5) 80 (16) 2.1 Parent Material SA: Ch. 4; Ch. 8: 167-191; Ch. 9
    Survey: parent material descriptions; soil series descriptions.
    3/17, 20 (2) 23
    11 (17)    		 2.2.1 Soil Ecology
    2.2.2 Organic Matter Decomposition    		 SA: Ch. 6; Ch. 12: 354-359.
    Survey: factors/genesis sections
    3/24, 27, 29 (3) 34 (12) 2.2.3 Nutrient Cycling Survey: Property/summary tables; land capability; yields
    4/10, 12 (2) 14
    8 (11)    		 2.3 Relief
    2.4 Time    		 SA: Ch. 8: 191-225; Ch. 13: 465-514.
    Survey: Factors; Soil Associations descriptions.
    4/14 12d exam 2  
    4/17 8 (8) 2.5 Climate SA: Ch. 7: 122-143; optional: Ch. 15
    4/19 (1) 14 (14) 2.6 Humans: the 6th Factor  
    4/21, 24, 4/26, 4/28, 5/1, 5/3, 5/5, 5/8, 5/10 (9) 198 (22)

    3. Where are Soils?
    3.2 Soil Distribution:
    Entisols Inceptisols Andisols
    Vertisols Histosols Aridisols
    Mollisols Alfisols Ultisols
    Oxisols Spodosols Gelisols

    		 SA: Ch. 7 (cont'd)
    USDA: Chapters 5-15.
    Survey: Classification; soil series descriptions.

    5/12, 5/17, 5/19 (3)

    		 25 4.0 Soil Management and Erosion Models Survey: Use, management and estimated yields. Land capability classification.

    5/24

    		 14d exam 3 (9:00-10:30 am)  

    *Soil Survey readings: Note that the formats of soil surveys differ significantly. While each contains basically the same kinds of information, and there is an attempt to standardize them, the "standard" format has changed over time. You will need to make an effort to find sections that are relevant to each topic we discuss, and this investigation will help you write your project report. I’ve suggested some areas to look above, but this should not be considered exhaustive. Some older surveys, for example, do not use the Soil Taxonomy for classification.