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Mailing Address:

Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences 116 ASI Building University Park, PA 16802-3504
Phone: +1-814-865-6541 Fax: +1-814-863-7043 David Sylvia, Department Head

Crop and Soil Sciences > Degree Programs and Courses > Soil Science Courses > Soils 416

Soils 416 - Soil Genesis and Classification

Instructor: Dr. Patrick Drohan
Credits: 1
Semesters Offered: Fall of even numbered years
Texts:
1. Soil Genesis and Classification by S. W. Buol et al., 5th edition, (2003).
2. Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils by Schoeneberger et al., Version 2.0 (2002).
3. Guy D. Smith discusses Soil Taxonomy by J. Brasfield.
Prerequisite: Soils 101
Syllabus: Link to PDF file.

Course Description

The study of soil genesis and classification deals with the evolution of soils, their organization into natural units and their distribution throughout the world. Physical, chemical, and morphological soil characteristics are studied both in the field and classroom and are used in classifying soils. These units of classification are in turn used to study the processes that have influenced the development of soils. These processes (biological, physical, and chemical) are greatly influenced by the soil forming factors (parent material, relief, organisms, time, and climate), and both are used to explain the distribution of the soils of the world.