Robert L. Mahler, Division Chair, Soil and Land Resources Division (242 Iddings Wing, Ag. Sc. Bldg. 83844-2339; phone 208/ 885-7025; firstname.lastname@example.org).
Soil 205 The Soil Ecosystem (3 cr)
May be used as general education credit in J-3-b. Introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological nature of soils.
Soil 206 The Soil Ecosystem Lab (1 cr)
May be used as general education credit in J-3-b. Lab study relevant to Soil 205. Experiments and demonstrations on basic and applied aspects of soil science. One 3-hr lab a wk.
Coreq: Soil 205
Soil 398 Internship (1-6 cr, max 6)
Prereq: Permission of department
Soil 404 (s) Special Topics (cr arr)
Soil J415/J515 Soil and Environmental Physics (3 cr)
Physical properties of soils and their relationships to moisture, aeration, and temperature; plant-soil-atmospheric relationships; solute transport and soil salinity. Two lec and one 3-hr lab a wk. Recommended Preparation: Soil 205, 206, and Phys 111. Soil 415 is a cooperative course available to WSU degree-seeking students. (Alt/yrs, Fall)
Soil 416 Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching (3 cr)
Overview of small acreage production systems, evaluation of goals and resources, land evaluation, marketing options, and accessing community resources. Three field trips. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
Soil 417 Market Garden Practicum (1-6 cr)
Experiential learning based course that covers all aspects of running a small acreage vegetable farm. Topics include farm planning, crop rotation, soil fertility and testing, weed management and food systems. Students satisfy credit hours through participation in lecture/discussion, field work and field trips. Class meets at the Plant Science Farm. Recommended preparation: Soil 205. (Summer only)
Soil 422 Environmental Soil Chemistry (3 cr)
Soil J425/J525 Microbial Ecology (3 cr)
See MMBB J425/J525.
Soil J427/J527 Systems Based Approaches to Ecological Resilience (3 cr)
The purpose of the course is to help students apply systems thinking and systems-methodological problem-solving skills to identify and describe current and future problems facing ecological systems, including problems caused by climate change. Students will gain a better understanding of the complex, cross-disciplinary, multi-scalar and systemic (emergent) nature of problems related to sustainability. Team-based problem solving and trans-disciplinary communication will be stressed. Additional projects/assignments required for graduate credit.
Soil 437 Soil Biology (3 cr)
Introduction to soil organisms including bacteria, fungi, and macroinvertebrates and the influence of their activities on soil processes. Two lec and one 3-hr lab a wk. Recommended Preparation: Soil 205 and MMBB 250. (Alt/yrs)
Soil 438 Pesticides in the Environment (3 cr)
Same as Ent and PlSc 438. Principles of pesticide fate in soil, water, and air; pesticide metabolism in plants, pesticide toxicology, and pesticide mode-mechanism of action; pest resistance to pesticides; biotechnology in pest control; regulations and liability; equipment application technology; pesticide transport, storage, and disposal; and social and ethical considerations. Recommended Preparation: Chem 275.
Soil 446 (s) Soil Fertility (1-3 cr, max 3)
Soil 454 Pedology (3 cr)
Morphology, genesis, and classification of soils; distribution of soils as related to environmental processes and factors. Two lectures and one 4-hr lab a week. Recommended Preparation: Soil 205 and Soil 206. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
Soil 456 North Idaho Field Trip (1 cr)
Soils and land use in northern Idaho ecosystems; emphasis on soil parent materials, soil formation and morphology, and soil-plant community relationships. Graded P/F. One 3-day field trip; additional class meetings and assignments before and after field trip. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
Prereq: Soil 205 or Permission
Soil 458 Soil and Site Evaluation (1-2 cr, max 8)
Description and evaluation of soils; emphasis on morphological features and properties that influence land use. Graded P/F. Two-four hrs of lab a wk; one 3-day or one 6-day field trip. Recommended Preparation: Soil 205.
Soil 499 (s) Directed Study (cr arr)
Soil 500 Master's Research and Thesis (cr arr)
Soil 501 (s) Seminar (cr arr)
Soil 502 (s) Directed Study (cr arr)
Soil 504 (s) Special Topics (cr arr)
Soil 514 Environmental Geophysics (3 cr)
This course will provide an introduction to near-surface geophysical techniques. The aim is to provide a solid foundation on physical principles used to non-invasively study characteristics and properties of the earth in general, and the shallow subsurface in particular. We will discuss applications ranging from eco-hydrology, precision agriculture, and civil engineering to archeology. The course consists of two parts. Lectures will provide a conceptual understanding of the theory and methods, and a field-based case study will apply these concepts collecting integrated geophysical data that will be processed and interpreted to introduce students to practical procedures and challenges in environmental geophysics. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students.
Soil 515 Soil and Environmental Physics (3 cr)
See Soil J/415/J515.
Soil 525 Microbial Ecology (4 cr)
See MMBB J425/J525.
Soil 526 Soil Mineralogy (3 cr)
Distribution and significance of common soil minerals; weathering and general reactivity as related to mineral structures; techniques of mineral identification including x-ray diffraction, chemical dissolution procedures, optical and electron microscopy. One lec and one 3-hr lab a wk. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students. (Alt/yrs)
Soil 527 Systems Based Approaches to Ecological Resilience (3 cr)
See Soil J427/J527.
Soil 537 Soil Biochemistry (3 cr)
Origin, chemical structure, and significance of soil biochemical compounds. Cooperative: open to WSU degree-seeking students. (Alt/yrs)
Soil 547 (s) Soil Fertility Management (1-3 cr, max 3)
Philosophy of fertilizer recommendations based on soil and plant tissue testing; principles of fertilizer manufacture, placement, and use for improving plant growth. Recommended Preparation: Soil 446.
Soil 597 (s) Practicum (cr arr)
Soil 598 (s) Internship (cr arr)
Soil 599 (s) Non-thesis Master's Research (cr arr)
Research not directly related to a thesis or dissertation.
Soil 600 Doctoral Research and Dissertation (cr arr)