Soil Organismal Diversity (11:216:422): Syllabus Spring 2018
This hybrid course introduces students to the complexity of biotic diversity in soil and their function in providing nutrients for primary production especially in natural and agro-ecosystems. In addition to assimilating information students will acquire skills of reading scientific articles, interpreting data and understanding how the science relates to the bigger picture of ecosystem functioning.
Welcome to the Diversity of Soil Organisms.
This will be a hybrid course consisting of you doing some directed reading and other activities during the Tuesday class period and then meeting for lecture on Thursdays. Please see the syllabus for dates and timings of activities.
We will start on Tues Jan 16 with reading the first chapter of the great soils book by Brady & Weil. Look in the assignments for instructions on all your readings – this first one is a general reading exercise for your edification and not for grade, but it is very useful background information and I have highlighted a few major points for you to consider.
We will all meet in class on Thursday Jan 18, where we can start to get to know each other and set the scene for the workings of the class from thereon.
I look forward to meeting you all and hoping for a fun semester of mutual learning
Week / Date / Theme / Activity1 / Tues 1/16 / Soil structure introduction / Reading 1: Brady & Weil
Thurs 1/18 / Introduction, basic components of soil, structure and pedology / Lecture
2 / Tues 1/23 / ‘Dirt the Movie’ / On-line movie (questionnaire)
Thurs 1/25 / Bacteria and fungi as decomposers; introduction to nutrient cycling / Lecture
3 / Tues 1/30 / Reading 2: Clarholm (1994) ‘The Microbial Loop’ / Reading (writing assignment 1 – linking reading with lecture information)
Thurs 2/1 / Protozoa and nematodes / Lecture (in class quiz 1)
4 / Tues 2/6 / Reading 3: Ekschmitt et al. (2001) nematode communities and soil function / Reading (writing assignment 2 nematode communities and function
Thurs 2/8 / Mycorrhizae: description of types and associations with plant groups / Lecture
5 / Tues 2/13 / Reading 4: Dighton (2009) ‘Mycorrhizae’ / Assignment 3 - Literature search for an interesting mycorrhizal paper to summarize
Thurs 2/17 / Mycorrhizae: function in nutrient uptake and plant defense / Lecture (in class quiz 2)
6 / Tues 2/20 / Reading 5: Simard (1997) - Interplant nutrient and carbon transfer / Reading (writing assignment 4 on mycorrhizal function – extending information given in lecture and readings)
Thurs 2/22 / The rhizosphere – interactions beyond mycorrhizae / Lecture
7 / Tues 2/27 / Reading 6: Bueé (2009) – rhizosphere review / Reading (writing assignment 5)
Thurs 3/1 / Soil microarthropods: tardigrades, mites, collembola / Lecture
8 / Tues 3/6 / Mid-term exam / On line exam
Thurs 3/8 / Soil arthropods: beetles, pseudoscorpions, millipedes, centipedes, spiders etc. / Lecture
9 / Tues 3/13 / Spring Break
Thurs 3/15
10 / Tues 3/20 / Reading 7: Bird (2004) soil arthropods and tree harvesting / Reading (writing assignment 6 on interpretation of paper)
Thurs 3/22 / Enchytraeids and Earthworms: ecology and effects on soil, ecosystem engineers / Lecture (in class quiz 3)
11 / Tues 3/27 / Reading 8: Meysman et al. (2006) Bioturbation / On-line writing 7 - earthworm effects and comparison with other soil ecosystem engineers
Thurs 3/29 / Soil food webs and implications for nutrient cycling / Lecture
12 / Tues 4/3 / Reading 9: / Reading (writing assignment 8)
Thurs 4/5 / Soil pathogens and suppressive soils / Lecture
13 / Tues 4/10 / Reading 10: Packer & Clay (2000) Jansen Connell overdispersal model / Reading (writing assignment 9
Thurs 4/12 / Agricultural soils and tillage practices / Lecture (in class quiz 4)
14 / Tues 4/17 / Reading 11: Jacobs et al (2010) tillage practices / Reading
Thurs 4/19 / Urban soils and soil ecotoxicology / Lecture (in class quiz 5)
15 / Tues 4/24 / Dirt the movie / Questionnaire – revisit answers from the first viewing
Thurs 4/26 / Review / Review
16 / TBD / Final Exam / On line exam
Reading / writing assignments will carry 20 points each
Exams will carry 100 points each and will consist of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questions. Some questions will ask you to interpret graphical or tabular data to support your arguments.
Quizzes will be multiple choice and carry 10 points each
Forums will carry 5 points per person for an entry(ies) per forum. These forums are designed for us to collectively find more detailed information about a single species or groups of organisms.
Grades will be totaled over the course, translated to percentages and grades assigned on a 10 point system
Note: Assignment readings may differ from those in the syllabus, depending on availability of newer material or material with other messages that are appropriate to fit in with the themes of the week’s lectures