ENV 550M Soil Ecology

Prerequisites: ENV 501 and ENV 502. Sometimes thought of as inert systems, soils are in fact dynamic living bodies in a constant flux of chemical, biological, and physical interactions. This course will introduce graduate students to advanced topics in soil chemistry, soil biochemistry, and soil microbial ecology to explore how soils influence nutrient cycling, pollution bioremediation, and water quality. Students will explore current topics in soil ecological research through review of assigned peer-reviewed journal articles and the presentation of one thoroughly researched and critically reviewed paper in the students’ area of interest within soil ecology.