The University of Vermont                                                                 Spring Semester, 2009

 

                  PLANT & SOIL SCIENCE 264: CHEMISTRY of SOIL and WATER

                                                                             

 

Schedule:                    Tuesday/Thursday, 10:00-11:15 am, 367 Votey

                                    Lab: Wednesday, 12:50-3: 05 pm, 188 Jeffords

 

Instructor:                  Don Ross

Plant and Soil Science

260 Jeffords Hall, UVM

Phone: 802-656-0138

dross@uvm.edu

 

Text: Soil and Water Chemistry, 2004.  Michael Essington. CRC Press, Boca Raton.

 

Course Goal: Topics in the Chemistry of Soil and Water range widely from the structure of soil minerals to aqueous reactions in the environment.  The focus will be much more on soils than water but the two are often interrelated.  Students who have successfully completed this course should be able to demonstrate their understanding of soil chemical behavior both from an environmental and an agronomic point of view.

 

Course Objectives:

 

Course activities include:


Course Requirements:

 

 

Course Grading:

The final course letter grades will be a percentile average made up of the scores on your activities listed below. Course grades may be curved at our discretion.

 

Grading System:

Take-home midterm and final: 25% each
Project: 25%
Labs: 20%
Problems sets 5%

 

Academic Integrity:  Integrity in all aspects of your academic and professional life is central to the meaning of the university, to the life of a professional, and to personal relationships between colleagues and friends. We expect you to follow the code of academic integrity set by this institution in the work that you submit to us for this class. We encourage you to review the UVM Academic Integrity Policy at http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf. You really should read the policy so you know what is expected of you. If you are having problems understanding material or completing assignments, please talk with us. We are here to help you, and we want you to succeed!

Religious Holidays:  Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make up this work.

 


Proposed Lecture Schedule, Spring 2009

Estimated Dates

Topic

Reading Assignment

Jan. 13, 15

Soil Review
Chemistry Review  

Text chapter 1

Jan. 20, 22, 27

Mineralogy
Clays
Fe and Al oxides
X-ray diffraction

Text chapter 2
Handout

Jan. 29, Feb. 3

Weathering

Text chapter 3
Handouts

Feb. 5, 10, 13

Organic Matter
Characterization
Formation
Properties

Text chapter 4
Handouts

Feb. 17, 19

Soil Solution
Methodologies

Text chapter 5
Handouts

Feb.  24

 

Mineral Solubility
Thermodynamics

Text chapter 6

Feb. 26, March 5…

No Class March 3 (Town Meeting) 

Surface Chemistry / Sorption
Ion Exchange Models
Chemisorption
Precipitation
Complexation by organics

 

March 5

take-home MIDTERM due

 

March 17, 19

Surface Chemistry / Sorption (continued)

Text chapter 7

March 24, 26

Cation Exchange
 

Text chapter 8

Handouts

March 31, April 2, 7, 9

Oxidation - Reduction
Thermodynamics
Redox in aerobic soils
Flooded soils
Soil vs. Dirt

Text chapter 9
Bartlett handout

April 14, 16, 21

Acidity
pH
Al chemistry
Liming

Text chapter 10

April 23, 28

Project Presentations

 

On or about May 5

take-home FINAL due on the date scheduled for the final exam