Applied Soil Chemistry

This course will intro­duce stu­dents to the soil prin­ci­pal reac­tive chem­i­cal con­stituents and their process­es. Top­ics will include an intro­duc­tion to the soil sol­id and liq­uid com­po­nents (chem­i­cal com­po­si­tion, min­er­al­o­gy, organ­ic mat­ter and soil solu­tion); and descrip­tion of impor­tant soil chem­i­cal process­es and their rel­e­vance to envi­ron­men­tal and agri­cul­tur­al appli­ca­tions (min­er­al sta­bil­i­ty and weath­er­ing, oxi­da­tion-reduc­tion, sur­face adsorp­tion and exchange, col­loidal behav­iour and soil acid­i­ty and salinity).

Course at a glance
What you will learn

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

  • Identify the basic chemical properties of the solid and liquid phases of soils.
  • Understand how nutrients, metals, and contaminants are held and released by soil organic and inorganic surfaces.
  • Identify the link between the soil surface chemical properties and soil solution, with emphasis on dissolution/precipitation, exchange, and adsorption processes.
  • Understand some of the soil management challenges that involve soil chemistry, such as salinity, acidity, and contaminants.
  • Demonstrate how you can manipulate the soil to enhance its chemical properties or to mitigate potential challenges.
  • Understand soil chemical parameters.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of how soils hold and release nutrients, metals, and contaminants.
  • Perform calculations related to soil chemical properties.
  • Understand how soil chemical properties can be manipulated for soil enhancement and/or for dealing with soil environmental and management challenges.
This course has no prerequisites

Students from all educational backgrounds welcome. You can register for this course without applying and enrolling in a program.

Take note:

  • Required textbook: Strawn, Daniel G., Bohn, Hinrich, L., and O’Connor, George A. (2020). Soil Chemistry, Fifth Edition, John Wiley and Sons Ltd. 2020, ISBN: e-text 9781119515258 or print 9781119515180.
  • Bring your own Windows based personal computer or comparable device for running the Visual MINTEQ software; Microsoft Excel must be installed and accessible.
  • Pre- or post-course work may be required; advanced registration is recommended.
  • Assessment includes assignments and readings to be completed outside of class times.
  • While there are no prerequisites for this course, prior knowledge of soil science and chemistry, including mathematical applications, is recommended for student success.
Currently counts towards:

Applicants intending to enrol in a program are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to lock in their course requirements since they are prone to change.

*If you are already enroled in this program, please refer to your specific program requirements as outlined at the time of your admission: Bear Tracks > Academic Advisement.

Email

erm@ualberta.ca

When will
this course be offered?

New course schedules are released each June and November.

Course not yet scheduled

This course is not currently scheduled, but may be offered in an upcoming term.

New course schedules are announced each June and November.

Sign up for updates

Interested in future offerings of this course? We can let you know when this course becomes available.

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