Introduction to Soils in the Environment

SOS 3022

Introduction to Soils in the Environment SOS 3022

Dr. James Bonczek

Instructor: Dr. James Bonczek G169 McCarty Hall 392-1951 ext. 249 bonczek@ifas.ufl.edu

Syllabus

Course Objective: To attempt to directly serve the academic or professional needs and goals of the students. To acquaint students with the importance of soils to humans and the environment through study of their morphology, physical and chemical properties, their distribution, and their biological significance.

Website

soillab.ifas.ufl.edu

Textbook

Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils

Brady and Weil

(Recommended)

Lecture Notes

Available at the University Copy Center1620 W. University Ave.

Soon

Grading

Class attendance is required.

Point DistributionExam I 200 pointsExam II 200 pointsExam III 200 pointsHomework 100 pointsLecture Questions 100 pointsTotal 800 points

Management of Nutrients, Pesticides, and WastesRemediation of contaminated soils, waters and aquifersSoil Quality/Ecological IndicatorsSoil/Landscape AnalysisWetlands and Aquatic Systems

Synopsis   

  

Story about a young couple living in an overpopulated future where you are required to have a special permit to have a child. They get a little careless, and the wife gets pregnant. Without a permit, their child will be put in cold storage at birth. Later, if they can obtain a permit, the government will unfreeze the baby and return it. The couple's only hope is for the husband to win a foot race whose first prize is an acre of land and a baby permit. All of the other competitors have agreed that if they win, they'll sell the land to a Large Corporation. The husband won't sell, so the Large Corporation does various underhanded things to prevent his winning.

The People TrapThe People TrapBy Robert Sheckley

How large is the Earth?To how much are you entitled?

How large is the earth?

Radius: 3986 mi (4000 mi)

Diameter: 7973 mi (8000 mi)

Circumference: 25,048 mi (25,000 mi)

When was it determined that the earth was round?

Circumference: 25,048 mi (25,000 mi)

1492?

Digression

1492, constructed one of the first terrestrial globes, still preserved at the Nuremberg National Museum

Martin Behaim

The Round Debate

Pythagoras 525 B.C. philosophical: the sphere is the perfect shape

Aristotle 350 B.C. New stars, ships, lunar eclipse

Eratosthenes 240 B.C. Calculated the earth’s diameter

Physical Proof: 1522   

lunar eclipse

The Size of the Earth

Radius:

Diameter:

Circumference:

3986 mi (4000 Mi)

7973 mi (8000 Mi)

25,048 mi (25,000 mi)

Surface area: 200 million mi2

Large or small?

Diameter: 862,400 milesArea: 2.3 trillion mi2

Diameter: 862,400 milesArea: 2.3 trillion mi2

Diameter: 8000 miles

World Population: 6.5 billion

6 ac/person

How much do you get?

Surface area: 200 million mi2

Oceans: 140 million mi2

Land: 60 million mi2

Ocean depth?

Average soil depth?

Earth’s radius = 4000 miles

Earth's crust: > 35 miles

2.33 miles

Soils: meters thick

Supports terrestrial life on earth.

The interface, the first point of contact, between the earth’s surface and the external

environment.