Welcome to FORS 4160/5160: Soil Science
~ Understanding the Living Skin of the Earth ~
Image: Biological Soil Crusts beneath the sandstone cliffs in the greater Bears Ears region - nothing speaks to the living nature of soil better than when life itself becomes the soil , the living skin of the Earth
This course is taught for credit at New Mexico Highlands University within the department of forestry! Please enjoy the materials if your are not a student in the class, and consider enrolling if you are interested in furthering your career in forestry.
Welcome to FORS 4160 – Soil Science. Soil science will cover a broad overview of the study of soils. This will include how soils are formed, soil taxonomy, and soil ecology. We will learn various skills and techniques for assessing soil parameters as well as some concepts as they pertain to soil health in forested and rangeland systems.
We will complement our foundational science with practical management and applications of soil science to various real world management scenarios. Our labs will contribute original research to the management of Piñon-Juniper Ecosystems.
This website contains links to recorded lectures, readings, and assignments for the class. If you are enrolled in this class at New Mexico Highlands University please refer to your course page and the posted syllabus for due dates and deadlines.
Syllabus:
The paper syllabus with complete campus resources is available here ~
Course Information
Course Number:
Course Name:
Lecture Meeting Time:
Lecture Meeting Place:
Course Instructor:
Office Location:
Email:
Phone:
Website:
Zoom Information:
FORS 4160/5160
Soil Science
Tuesday, Thursday:
11:00am-12:15pm
Zoom and HSCI 271A
505-454-3320
HSCI 135
Michael Remke
Zoom Room; Password: Soil
Lab Meeting Time: Tuesday
9:00-10:50am
Lab Meeting Place: HSCI 361
Student Hours:
Monday: 12:00-2:00pm lunch hour
Tuesday: 2:00-4:00pm seltzer hour
Wednesday: 9:00-11:00am coffee hour
Student hours are times when my office is open for drop in conversation regartding course work or anything else forestry, tree, ecology, or life related. These times can be accessed via the Zoom link here
Zoom office hours : Zoom Room
If the listed student hour times do not align with your schedule and needs, please use the below link to schedule an alternative meeting time. Please be flexible with this tool as my schedule may not allow the time you choose.
Have a question or comment regarding class? Scan this QR Code to submit an anonymous question or comment. This can be academic-related or otherwise.
Books and Readings:
While no books are required for this class; the textbooks photographed to the right of this text inspire material for lecture and selected readings from these books are provided as .pdfs.
I highly encourage students to consider these books for their own personal forestry library.
In addition many selected peer-reviewed books are provided in the readings and assignments section.
Learning Goals:
1. Mastery of content knowledge
2. Critical and reflective thinking skills
3. Ability to communicate effectively
4. Ability to use technology
1. Understand interdisciplinarity of foresty
2. Critically think about how to sustain ecosystems for multiple objectives
3. Understand the values offered by participants, landowners, communities, society, and the ecosphere
4. Demonstrate an understanding of both scientific and traditional ecological knowledge systems
5. Demonstrate professional and ethical behavoirs and be able to critically think regrading ethics from diverse viewpoints
6. Understand the value of diverse people, perspectives, and practives
This course will focus on the understanding of tools, approaches, and concepts of silviculture within the context of social-ecological systems and a changing world. The below knowledge and skills are foundational to the learning goals of Silviculture
NMHU Learning Goals:
Society of American Foresters Learning Goals:
Course Learning Objectives:
Knowledge:
Skills:
1. Soil science concepts related to soil physical, biological and chemical properties
2. Appreciate the social-economic and ecological values of soils
3. Understand how soil science principals relate to management
4. Be familiar with basic geological concepts
1. Be able to quantify and qualify various soil traits in field and lab settings
2. Data summary and visualization skills
3. Writing and communication skills
4.Independent research and critical thinking
Readings and Assignments:
Click these icons to access assignments
Click these icons to access readings
Click these icons to access lecture slides
All readings are due the day they are listed. All worksheets from class are due at the beginning of the next class - so if a worksheet is posted for Thursday, it is due on Tuesday
Week
One
Tuesday
8/13
Lab: Symphony of the soil
Lecture: Introductions and syllabus
What is soil?
Thursday
8/15
Lecture: Soils: the living skin of the Earth
Submit Symphony of the soil questions by 8/16
Week
Two
Tuesday
8/20
Lab: Field trip: observering soils
Lecture: Soil formation and geology
Thursday
8/22
Lecture: Soil Formation: Space and time
Lab due by 8/27
Week
Three
Tuesday
8/27
Lab: Field trip: sampling soils
Lecture: Soil formation cont...
Thursday
8/29
Lecture: Clay minerals and chemistry
Lab due by 9/10
Week
Four
Tuesday
9/3
Lab: Soil Texture
Lecture: Soil chemistry and physics continued
Thursday
9/5
Soil structure
Enter data by 9/5
Week
Five
Tuesday
9/10
Lab: No Lab
Colloids and chemistry
Thursday
9/12
Chemistry continues
Tuesday
9/17
Lab: Take home water-holding capacity
Lecture: Proper graphs
Week
Six
Thursday
9/19
Lecture: Soil taxonomy
Tuesday
9/24
Lab: Field trip: digging soil pits
Lecture: Soil Taxonomy
Week
Seven
Thursday
9/26
Lecture: R- Making Graphs
Tuesday
10/1
Lab: Web Soil Survey
Lecture: R - Making graphs
Week
Eight
Thursday
10/3
Lecture: Soil Taxonomy Continued
Tuesday
10/8
Lab: Fall break
Lecture: Fall break
Week Nine
Thursday
10/10
Lecture: Soil as habitat
Tuesday
10/15
Field trip: Vegetation changes soil order
Week Ten
Thursday
10/17
Lecture: Soil food webs and ecology
Tuesday
10/22
Lab: Parent Materials at Rio Gallinas Nature Trail
Week 11
Thursday
10/24
Biological soil crusts
Tuesday
10/29
Biological Soil Crusts Field Trip
Week 12
Thursday
10/31
Lecture: No class
Review revised final project
Field guide to Biocrusts and Bryophytes
Tuesday
11/5
Lab: Work on report
Lecture: Mycorrhizae: Wood wide webs?
Week 13
Thursday
11/7
Lecture: Range: the root of beef
Tuesday
11/12
Lab: work on report
Lecture: Ethnopedology
Week 14
Thursday
11/14
Lecture: Soil health?
Tuesday
11/19
Lecture: Fire effects on soil
Week 15
Thursday
11/21
Lecture: Forestry and soils
Tuesday
11/26
Lab: Work on report
Lecture: Wrap-up
Week 16
Thursday
11/28
Lecture: No Class: Fall Recess
Final paper due on Monday!
FINALS
No in person Final: Happy Holidays!
Class Format
Lecture
The lecture will emphasize material content from readings and focus on concepts, theory, and principals of silviculture.
In person attendance during lecture is required if you are in Las Vegas.
Attendance via Zoom is acceptable if: you provide advance communication of a need to attend remotely OR you live somewhere besides Las Vegas
Reading Discussion
Every class with an assigned reading due will have a 20–30-minute reading discussion. Participating in reading discussions is a mandatory part of your participation grade.
Grading:
This class will be graded based on the following categories: participation, examination, lab, and final project. These categories are outlined in terms of there total points towards your final grade below.
Category
Points
Participation
200
Percent of total
21
Quizzes
250
26
Lab
300
32
Lab Project
200
21
Total:
1,050
100
Description
5 points / lecture = 160 + 40 points overall grade and professionalism
28 quizzes @ 10 pointss each - 3 lowest quiz scores
15 labs @ 20 points each
Final paper and self assessment
Graduate students also need 2 x labs lead and 2 x paper discussions lead. Please email Dr. Remke with labs that you want to lead and lecture topics you want to pick a paper for and lead the discussion. These are with an additional 30 points per activity x 4 total activities for graduate students.
Grades are reported to the university using the standard grading scale outlined below based on the percentage of your total grade. Please consider the rubric categories as opportunities for growth rather than focusing on your grade alone. Since your participation grade is a daily grade, you always have the opportunity to improve in the next class.
Grade
Percent Range
A
>90%
Rubric Category
Excelling (4)
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D
60-69%
Sufficient (3)
Developing (2)
Needs Improvement (1)
F
<60%
Absent
Late assignments:
Attendance:
Assignments will be posted to BrightSpace and will always be due at the beginning of the class period for which their due date is listed.
Late assignments will result in a 10% grade deduction for every day they are late.
Professional settings mandate proactive communication for missing deadlines, so this late assignment penalty can be waived with reasonable proactive communication.
If you nees help learning how to talk with your professor, remember we are humans with our own humaness and flaws, but also see these:
How to communicate with your professor
Attendance is mandatory. If you live in Las Vegas and are not ill, then I expect you to attend in person. If you live outside of the Las Vegas area, are ill, or have an extraneous circumstance, attending via Zoom is acceptable. Discussions will be much more meaningful in person, and I will do my best to make Zoom and equally inclusive learning experience.
Should you miss class – Well shoot. Every day is special. The biggest consequence in my opinion is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). In professional settings, missing an obligation is acceptable with proactive communication and a dedication to making up missed material independently. Interpret this for how you wish in your self-assessment.
If you miss class, these are helpful :
What to do when you miss class.
Rules of Engagement:
We develop these rules as a group on the first day of class. The point is to ensure we have a respectful classroom setting everyone can agree with and feel comfortable with. If someone is violating these rules, we can politely point out the situation and remedy the problem as a group or as individuals within the group. The point is to ensure we are all empowered and supported rather than me, the professor, holding disproportionate rule-making and enforcing authority.
Example Rules:
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Be present
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Assume positive intent
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Critique ideas, not people
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If you identify a problem, present a solution as well
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Make mistakes
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If you take space, make space
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Respect each others time - the time you dedicate may look different than what someone else dedicates and this is not a reflection of value or intellect but rather a reflection of our diversity.
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Be patient - we all have different learning skills and processes and therefore learn at different rates.
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Help each other
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Collaborate - we all have diverse knowledge, note sharing and teamwork (even on indiviudal projects or studying) can help diversify our knowledge by allowing us to learn from each other.
Academic Integrity Policy:
New Mexico Highlands University students and faculty are expected to maintain integrity through honesty and responsibility in all their academic work.
Academic dishonesty includes plagiarism, Cheating, Collusion, Facilitation, Fabrication, Multiple Submissions, and Falsification of Records.
ChatGPT and other Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools help look up questions or ideas; however, copying and pasting AI-generated answers is still academically dishonest.
Additional Resources:
This course follows the Highlands Academic Integrity Policy as described in the catalog:
Cell Phone and Electronics Policy:
Cell phones can both distract and enhance the learning environment.
We will develop rules regarding cell phone use together as a class, please reference the Rules of Engagement for more details.
Preparedness and Etiquette Policy:
Having the proper etiquette for the day means having a good attitude and being part of the team that is our class.
Specific Rules of Engagement will be made on the first day of class and added to this syllabus
Support and Resources
Health and Mental Health Services
Service
Description
The health Center offers basic student medical and wellness services included primary care, illness diagnosis and wound treatment.
The health center also provides students with counseling services for mental health and wellness.
Benefits
The health Center offers basic student medical and wellness services included primary care, illness diagnosis and wound treatment.
The health center also provides students with counseling services for mental health and wellness.
Contact Information
505-454-3218
901 Baca Street
Las Vegas, NM,87701
The NM Crisis and Access line is a 24/7 phone service for counseling and mental health emergency support line.
They also offer warm peer calls and text messaging for non-crisis but need-to-talk-to-someone moments.
Any mental health challenge or emergency can be met with professional counseling and confidentiality by calling this number.
Crisis and Access Line
Call only:
1-855-662-7474
Peer-to-Peer Warm Line
Call or text:
1-855-466-7100
Food Resources
A general store and food pantry
Emergency Funding
The student extreme hardship fund can support students with challenging financial circumstances
The outdoor recreation center offers gear, including jackets, for outdoor recreation.
Eating a healthy diet helps us focus and thrive
505-454-3529
SUB Room 110
This can help students pay for rent or groceries when facing hardship. There also the Dean Farmer Fund
Students can rent camping gear, jackets, rafting gear, bikes, and many other items to enjoy outside.
Hint: could be useful for class ;)
Adrian Gallegos
505-454-3495 or
505-454-3050
Academic and Professional Development Services
Service
Description
The ARMAS center is a place for studying and peer support in the sciences.
The dean of students is a resource for all student affair related questions and concerns.
Human Resources is the office that ensures fair hiring and payroll.
Professional development can connect you with on and off campus jobs
Academic databases, books, digital media and more
Professional Job Boards
Job boards are where professionals list employment opportunities
"Writers helping writers", The NMHU Writing Center supports undergraduate and graduate writers in all disciplines regardless of where you are in the process and what you’re writing.
Benefits
Contact Information
Having a study community and place to work on campus can enhance productivity and sense of belonging in the academic community
The Dean is an administrative role at the University and the Dean of Student brings student functions to University Administrations.
The human resources office can help with any and all issues related to payroll and hiring.
This center offers interview practice, resume building and more services
The library can help you with research support and finding academic resources. The library also loans computers to students!
Connects you to opportunities nationwide and internationally where you can build experience and your professional network.
We’ll support you as you brainstorm, draft, rewrite, and revise. We provide support on academic, professional, creative, and personal writing. If you’re looking for feedback, the writing center is here to help.
Harassment and Crisis Services
Service
Description
Benefits
Contact Information
Title IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc.
If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you are encouraged to contact the Center for Advocacy, Resources, Education, & Support (HU-CARES)
HU-CARES is a confidential and professional service with individuals who are trained in helping students with these unfortunate circumstances.
HU-CARES will facilitate making a student’s campus and off-campus experience safe and can help connect students with housing opportunities if they are displaced because of violence or harassment.
See the website for scheduling an appointment. HU-CARES also offers counseling and confidential crisis support services.
Title IX is a law that prevents discrimination based on sex.
Title IX has online reporting forms (see website) and offers professional and confidential ways to report incidents.
Campus police can be called for any non-emergency situation. Locked out of a room? Locked out of your dorm? Call campus police.
Campus police are friendly and helpful members of our community. They help us all when we need help and help make our campus a safe and vibrant place.
Immediate emergency: 911
On-campus emergency: (campus phones) 5555,
cell phones 505-454-3278
Non-emergency: 505-454-3278
Additional Support and Services
Service
Description
Personal Needs
Field-based coursework and college in general can be challenging and bring us out of our comfort zones.
Finding peers in the classroom our outside of class to talk through our challenges can help us grow as foresters.
Benefits
Communicating with friends and peers in the class builds community and connections.
Other people probably feel similar challenges and validate our experience and can help offer solutions we had not considered.
Contact Information
Call your friends, talk with someone in class, or contact me, Michael. I try to be understanding and supportive of all circumstances
505-454-3320
In accordance with federal law, it is university policy to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you believe you have a physical, learning, or psychological circumstance that creates extra challenges in your learning, we have services to help overcome those challenges.
These can include physical injuries, dyslexia, mental health circumstances and many others.
Seeking services from the school can help by increasing the time allotted for you to take examinations, giving you quiet study rooms to take exams, offering alternative assignment and exam formats and/or finding additional mentors to help you learn how to live with exactly who you are.
These services are confidential and respect student privacy.