equatorial scrub desert - volcanic soils Bartholome I., Galápagos Is.

- Soils Geography - GEOG 4401 & 5401 University of Colorado, Boulder Fall 2007

tropical mangrove - flooded soils Can Gio Biosphere Reserve, Vietnam

> Expanded poster & presentation guidelines (revised 12/6) > Graduate Student Project PPt's posted (12/13) > Undergraduale Student Projects - titles posted (12/18) Schedule - Topics, Readings, Exams Objectives & Format Catalog Description    Prerequisites Where & When Instructor    Office hours    About the Instructor    Instructor's Goals Text Grading    4401 vs 5401   Quizzes> Previous quizzes posted: quizzes.ppt   Midterm Workshops>  Workshop II: presentations posted (11/8)  Projects> now on separate page (10/31) Resources for Exercises Dedication & Acknowledgements University Course Policies

Announcements - Course-Related Campus and Community Goings-On Spring 2008 - Winter Field Ecology at the Mtn Research Station - 5 weekends exploring physical and biological cold-season processes that shape landscapes and ‘growing season’ dynamics in the Rockies.  See course website & flyer for more information. Press Release from the Mountain Research Institute (MRI) in Switzerland  International Mountain Day 11 December 2007 Facing Change: Climate Change in Mountain Areas ----------------------------------------------------------------------------    UN International Mountain Day 2007 presents an opportunity to increase awareness that global climate change is a reality now, that mountains are particularly affected, and that this has important implications for humankind beyond mountain areas.  "Facing Change" means: it is time to act!     Together with the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), and the Swiss Interacademic Commission for Alpine Studies (ICAS), the MRI has compiled and distributed a documentation for the Swiss press and has lobbied for mountain research with the member agencies of the European Science Foundation (ESF). We have also addressed the international press with a list of the most pressing research topics.     For more info: http://mri.scnatweb.ch/content/category/7/65/83/  to find background information and useful links for the International Mountain Day. FYI (11/26/07) - The National Science Foundation (NSF) has selected CU-Boulder as the site for one of three critical zone observatories (CZO). The critical zone is the region between the top of the forest canopy and the base of unweathered rock: our living environment--and its response to climate and land use changes.  more... Previous announcements - 8 Nov 07 - Colorado Natural Areas 30-year Reunion and FriendRaiser -- flyer Broomfield, Colorado on November 8th.  6:30-9:00 pm at the Broomfield Recreation Center, Lakeshore Room.  Sponsored by the Friends of Colorado Natural Areas under the Foundation for Colorado State Parks.  The Natural Areas Program or CNAP is a state program under State Parks that protects Colorado's Natural Treasures. The system of 78 Designated Natural Areas represents the best of the best of Colorado.  These areas are the most significant, unique and intact areas with the rarest plants, communities, animals or most unique or significant geology or paleontology.

• To visualize - soil as a system of interacting components with interrelated physics, chemistry, & biology
• To interpret - soil vertical structure, landscape variation, & global geography as a story of their origins and genesis
• To understand - soil as a key component of the Earth's biosphere & climate system
• To foresee - the global consequences of human alteration of soil condition and processes

GEOG 4401 & 5401  (3.0).  SOILS GEOGRAPHY
Discusses chemical and physical properties of soils, soil development, distributions, and management relevant to understanding plant-soil relationships in natural and human-altered landscapes.  Upper division:  GEOG 4401.  Graduate level: GEOG 5401.

• Prerequisites -
• GEOG 1011 (4.0).  ENV SYS 2: LANDSCAPES & WATER.  Introduces landscapes and flowing water, emphasizing the formation and geographic distribution of mountains, volcanoes, valleys, and deserts, and their shaping by rivers and glaciers.
   OR:
• Other equivalent introductory course in physical geography or geophysical science
   OR:
• Instructor approval

• Eaton Humanities (HUMN) room 1B 90
• We have a small class (~20) - I encourage you to sit in the first 2 rows:
• this will best enable your participation in discussions and exercises
• The room is equipped with wireless & ethernet
• Tues & Thurs 12.30 - 1.45 pm
• FINAL: Tues 18 Dec @ 10.30a-1p - Location TBA

• Office hours:  Tues 2-3p & Thurs 11a-12n - 107 Guggenheim-Geography
• Instructor's goals
• email:  kittel@colorado.edu
• website: http://culter.colorado.edu/~kittel/

• The Nature & Properties of Soils, by Brady & Weil.  2007.  14th edition.  Prentice Hall.

• Note:  The text is in the bookstore
• The text is on Reserve at Norlin
• Text on-line resources (color versions of chapter figures, multiple choice self-quiz) (4/16/08): http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_brady_natureandp_14/
• the publishers site is back up (9/12):  http://www.prenhall.com/Brady_soils - Chapters 1-8, 19, App A & B, Glossary, and Color Plates (set 1: plates 1-60, set 2: plates 61-111).   -- They will remove this material at some point (download what you need)
• also, see Schedule for links to chapter pdfs (9/10)
• Other on-line resources: "Soils Home Study Course," University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension (1999)
• http://plantandsoil.unl.edu/croptechnology2005/soil_sci/?what=informationModuleList&subjectCategoryId=1117662077

Dr. Timothy Kittel is a research ecologist at INSTAAR (Institute of Arctic & Alpine Research) at CU.  He is a biogeographer and climatologist, specializing in changes in ecosystem - atmosphere interactions under global climate change, and the incorporation of climate change in conservation planning.  In pursuing his geographical interests, Tim has travelled and worked throughout much of the world, including South America, Africa, Asia, Australasia, and Europe.

In addition to teaching Soils Geography this term at CU, Tim also teaches Winter Field Ecology at the Mountain Research Station during Spring Semester.  Each summer, he leads a field ecology course in Brazil for Columbia University tailored to both non-science and science majors.  Last Fall, Tim and his wife taught on Semester At Sea for the Institute for Shipboard Education, traveling and teaching through East, Southeast, and South Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean.

Tim is an avid telemark skier and, when that’s not possible, settles for mountain and road biking.

HOME PAGE | TEACHING

“A personal goal for me, as an instructor, [is] to foster familiarity with the nature of science.  There are many facets to understanding the world of science.  One is experiencing the process of accumulation and evaluation of scientific understanding – how do new ideas arise and how are they tested?  Another is developing the ability for independent thought, to be able to generate innovative ideas and [to] critically assess the results of others.  And finally, gaining what is often called a ‘sense of place,’ which is to say in this context, to start on the road to develop an intuitive, personal sense of how natural systems work.”                – TK (Center for Environmental Research & Conservation Notes, Fall 2000, Columbia University, NY)

• Grading breakdown:

• Grading for 4401 vs. 5401 -
• Graduate students taking 5401 will be graded on a different scale than undergraduates in 4401,
• and will be have additional assignments (see Projects) and responsibilities within the course.

• Participation grade:  A large portion of your final grade is based on in-class participation, both in discussions, exercises, and other activities.  Evaluation Criteria for Participation is laid out in the file:  (pdf, 15k)

• Read through the entire assignment - give yourself enough time to do so.
• Quizzes cover readings since last quiz including the reading for that day
• Review in-class material since the last quiz
• Stress learning processes and organizing principles
• You're not expected to give all the details in the book, but ...
• Be able to be able to give examples to show understanding of these processes & principles
• Quizzes will take 10-20 min at the start of class (be on time), followed by a review of the answers
• Quiz questions will straightforward and will mostly be short answer
• For Quiz 2:
• Soil Order study guide - Part I & Part II
• See also Soil Order Resources
• For Quiz 6: Clay Types Study Guide
• Previous quizzes posted: quizzes.ppt

• Midterms are in the form of 2-day workshops leading to group presentations focused on a topic.
• The objective is to tackle a question in a way that integrates principles and processes covered up to that point in the course.
• Workshop I (covering first 3rd of the course):
• A World Tour of Soils - Soils by Continent: what are the distribution, characteristics, & pedogeneses of soils on each continent, their biospheric importance, and current environmental issues surrounding these?
• Workshop I Assignment & Resources Page - and ppt's

 
• Workshop II (covering second 3rd) -
 

Workshop II Task, Topics, & Resources - (revised 11/28) Integrated Landscapes and the Role of Soil Processes:  Explore the formation & dynamics of soils across landscapes under differing environments,  using an integrated view of soil physical, chemical, and biological processes. Workshop Overview Sites - links to Group Presentations  Group Objectives Resources Logistics Presentations Format & Evaluation Criteria Overview - Follow integrating themes across landscapes, in terms of chemical, physical, and biological processes related to soil. these can be soil processes themselves, or chemical, physical, and biological processes elsewhere in the ecosystem (e.g. vegetation, hydrology, aquatic systems) that are strongly tied to soil. The focus is on landscapes/watersheds in well-studied US LTER (Long-Term Ecological Research) sites that are distributed across quite different biomes - map of sites Each group's focus is on landscapes that are in in some way related environments - each of which are covered by at least two LTER sites. The 7 LTER site groupings are -   High latitude environments -  - Taylor Mills & Zachary Davies (ppt, 1.5M) Alaskan Arctic tundra (Arctic LTER; in figure = ARC) Antarctic Dry Valleys (McMurdo LTER = MCM) Western North American Conifer forests -  - Kerry Malm & Phil Garcia (ppt, 1.6M) Alaskan tiaga = boreal forest (Bonaza Creek LTER = BNZ) Pacfic Northwest temperate conifer forest, Oregon (Andrews LTER = AND) Warm Temperate & (Sub)tropical Humid Forests - - Wade Grewe & Mario Guzman (ppt, 1M) Southern Appalachian deciduous forest, Georgia (Coweeta LTER = CWT) Puerto Rican subtropical rain forest (Luquillo LTER = LUQ) Cool/Cold Temperate Deciduous Forest - - Jennifer Morse & Meghan Mariani (ppt, 2.6M) Northern hardwood forest, Massachusetts (Harvard Forest LTER = HFR) Northern hardwood forest, New Hampshire (Hubbard Brook LTER = HBR; site description) Subtropical/Warm Temperate Aridlands -  - Brian Murtaugh & Meredith Albright (ppt, 2.4M) Chihuahuan Desert & associated semiarid systems, New Mexico  Sevilleta LTER (SEV) Jornada Basin LTER (JRN) Temperate Grasslands - - Michelle Trogdon (ppt, 2.6M) Central Plains shortgrass steppe, Colorado (Shortgrass Steppe LTER = SGS) Tallgrass prairie, Kansas (Konza Prairie LTER = KNZ) Temperate Coastal terrestrial/Estuarine ecosystems - - Rande Kamolz & Tyler Huntley (ppt, 14.1M), animated VCR shoreline (gif, 100k) Virginia Coast Reserve LTER (VCR) Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER - not selected Plum Island LTER - Massachusetts (PIE) Florida Coastal Everglades LTER - not selected Temperate Alpine-Subalpine - Kate Edwards (ppt, 330k) Colorado Rockies alpine tundra & subalpine spruce-fir forest (Niwot Ridge/Green Lakes LTER = NWT) Objectives - Your goal is to provide a synthetic view of the role of soils in the landscape(s) of your LTER site This can look at spatial relationships, and/or focus on the temporal development of some part of this landscape. If there are several different types of landscapes, you may choose one to focus on. One approach is to focus on one topic related to soils in your site, pulling in information from 2-3 research papers that focus on this topic In your presentation, look for comparable & constrasting aspects of your site versus the other site your group is covering this is work to be done collaboratively within your group. Resources - The place to start is: http://www.lternet.edu/sites/ You'll find 2 links for each site on this page:  First is LTERNET's overview for your LTER site once on the LTERNET page for the site, click on "Read full description" Then go to your LTER site's own homepage to look for publications on soils & landscapes (this tends to be more up to date than LTERNET's) some of these pubication pages have search capabilities ideal publications are journal articles that synthesize research on their landscape/soils - or - you may have to pull several papers together Remember - your goal is to provide a synthetic view, a distillation that  will take some work to accomplish. Chapter 9 & 10 = be sure to incoprporate information related to your humid /arid site in these chapters. Logistics - Work in 7 groups of 2 (groups assigned to balance backgrounds) Decide in your group who will take which of the 2 sites to focus on individually (choose 1 each among the 4 for Coastal/Estuarine group). First workshop day is a working meeting to develop ideas, do research, and to get feedback from the instructor The key thing for Thursday (1 Nov) is to have selected and read at least one paper for your site, so you can talk about it within your group during class (see Objectives).  Second workshop day (Tuesday 6 Nov) is for presentations (10 min/group; 5 min/person) Practice, practice, practice to be sure your presentation doesn't go over (points off). You can send your powerpoint to the instructor for feedback at any point up until 5pm the eve before (1st come, 1st served) Grading: emphasis is on individual presentation, with a minor group component. Presentations Format & Evaluation Criteria - Each person will have 5 minutes - limited because of number of presentations and 75-min class time Given that you have limited time for the presentation - be sure to practice: Go though the process of: practicing, modify/focus your talk, & practice again to stay within time limit (points off for going over, btw) Focus on your most important messages Format is PowerPoint presentations ask for my or others' assistance if you are not familiar with this software.  If you don't have MSOffice available to you - let me know as soon as possible In designing your PPt, the First Rule is to keep it simple!  Text as bullets, don't crowd slides, no bells/fancy backgrounds/animations, etc - but do use images to illustrate your points See PowerPoint presentation guides:  PPt_LayoutTips.ppt (110k) You're welcome to send me a draft of your PPt for feedback - first come, first served - up to 5pm Monday 11/5 (I may accept some after that time) Presentation grading criteria:  individual presentations - content, clarity of presentation (visual & oral) Grading Sheet (25k, pdf) group collaboration staying w/in time allotment review your grading sheet from Workshop-I Evaluation will be more heavily on content than for Workshop-I

• Workshop III = Projects Posters & Presentations: Projects Page & Presentation Schedule

2 Resources for Exercises

Soil Temperature Exercise - Profile Results: (xls, 20k)

Ecological Footprint Exercise worksheet (for Thurs 11/29 class)
> Worksheet (.doc) - Complete Part II in prep for class
> Resources for Parts I & III

• Footprint_Sanderson02r.pdf
• Footprint_populationDensity_1994.jpg
• Footprint_LandConv _Wilson&Perlman.pdf
• Footprints_fromSpace_Pfeiffer05.pdf
• Hotspots_CI_n05_handout.pdf
• Footprint_NationsTrends_RedefProg04r.pdf
> if you're interested, the local organic food service that Meredith mentioned in class is 'Door to Door Organics': http://www.doortodoororganics.com/

• Note that Online collection will go on only through Monday 10 Dec.
• You should have received an email from <FCQ_Office@Colorado.EDU> with instructions, or you may go directly to the site: <http://fcq.colorado.edu/ucb_fcq.htm>.

Many of the questions are tailored to this course's format - I look forward to hearing how this worked for you.

Part I: Structure, Creation, & Global Geography of Soils
Part II: Physics, Chemistry, & Landscape Geography of Soils
Part III: Biology of Soils, Soils & Global Change

subject to modification - schedule last updated 10 Dec
 

In and Out of Classroom Behavior

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment.  Students who fail to adhere to behavioral standards may be subject to discipline.  Faculty have the professional responsibility to treat students with understanding, dignity and respect, to guide classroom discussion and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which students express opinions.  See policies at <http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html> and at <http://www.colorado.edu/studentaffairs/judicialaffairs/code.html#student_code>.

In addition, the University of Colorado Policy on Sexual Harassment applies to all students, staff and faculty.  Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual attention.  It can involve intimidation, threats, coercion, or promises or create an environment that is hostile or offensive.  Harassment may occur between members of the same or opposite gender and between any combination of members in the campus community: students, faculty, staff, and administrators.  Any person who believes s/he has been sexually harassed should contact the Office of Sexual Harassment (OSH) at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information about the OSH and the campus resources available to assist individuals who believe they have been sexually harassed can be obtained at: <http://www.colorado.edu/sexualharassment/>.

Academic Integrity (Honor Code)

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy of this institution.  Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, lying, bribery, and threatening behavior.  All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273).  Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to university probation, suspension, or expulsion).  Additional information on the Honor Code can be found at <http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html> and at <http://www.colorado.edu/academics/honorcode/>.

Students should note that their work may be evaluated through TurnItIn.com, a plagiarism service provided to all faculty at CU-Boulder; and that this service retains a copy of the submitted work for future comparisons.

Accommodation for Religious Obligations

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance.  In this class, please notify the instructor of anticipated conflicts before the start of the course or as early as possible so that there is adequate time to make necessary arrangements.  See policy details at <http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html>.

Website © 2007 T. Kittel.  Landscape photos © 2007 G. Kittel

Please email website problems to:   kittel@colorado.edu
this page URL: http://culter.colorado.edu/~kittel/SoilsGeog.html
Page updated: 16 Ap 08