Course:APBI200/Lecture Notes

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APBI200
Introduction to Soil Science
APBI 200 teaching team (2020)
Course Info
Instructors: Dr. Maja Krzic; Dr. Sandra Brown
Email: maja.krzic@ubc.ca; sandra.brown@ubc.ca
Office: MCML 227 (Maja); MCML 229 (Sandra)
Instructors' Office Hr: Wed 12-1 pm
Classroom: MCML 166
Lab: MCML 102A
TAs: TA Info
' PASS Info
Syllabus: | Syllabus
Course Material
Lecture Notes Lab Manual
Problem Sets Exams
Lab Assign. My Grades
Bonus Assign.
Course Discussion

Here you will find all the APBI 200 Lecture Notes and some additional information, including student questions.

Lecture Jan 6: Introduction to Soil Science

Welcome to the APBI 200 - Introduction to Soil Science course!

Please note that there will be NO labs during the 1st week of this course. Labs are planned to start on week of Jan 13th. Announcement about labs will be made on Jan 10
As a follow-up to some topics mentioned in today's lecture, pls check a video clip "Soils Sustain Life" at http://youtu.be/vDL6F6GkAzI . Also, you might want to read this SSSA blog https://soilsmatter.wordpress.com/2016/12/15/the-soil-provides-services-to-me/ about soil ecosystem services.

Lecture Jan 8: Soil in Perspective

Topics covered in this lecture: A. What is soil?; B. Some special terms used in soil science - pedon; polypedon; soil horizons; solum; soil profile; C. Soil components

Lecture Jan 10: Weathering and soil formation

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Weathering processes (physical, chemical and biological); B. Five factors of soil formation

Lecture Jan 13: Soil Physics - Solids (1) - Background and terminology

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Soil as a 3-phase system; B. Mass and volume relationships; C. Soil particles and texture

Important announcements/reminders:
-Pls note that for this course, all material is (or will be) posted here - Canvas is only used for the Gradebook and mid-term feedback
-All assignments for this course are to be submitted as hard copies, either in class or in the drop box outside of the MCML102A room (your lab room)
-There will be lots of hints re. the problem set no.1 in today's lecture........


Lecture Jan 15
UBC was closed on this day; hence, there were no lectures


Lecture Jan 17: Soil Physics - Solids (2) - Particle mineralogy and its effects on physical properties

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Some properties of soil particles; B. Phyllosilicate clay minerals

TAs' office hours are posted at http://wiki.ubc.ca/Course:APBI200/Teaching_Assistants

Lecture Jan 20: Soil Physics - Solids (3) - Particle mineralogy and its effects on physical properties, continued

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Phyllosilicate clay minerals – cont. B. Inter-particle forces, flocculation and dispersion

Pls note that for this lecture we will use the same lecture notes as for the previous lecture

Lecture Jan 22: Soil Physics - Solids (4) - Soil consistency and structure

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Soil structure: formation, stabilization, classification and significance; B. Soil consistency; plastic and liquid limits; soil strength, puddling

Lecture Jan 24: Soil organic matter (SOM)

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Introduction of basic terms. B. Components of SOM. C. Properties and importance of SOM

Lecture Jan 27: Soil Physics - Soil water (1) - Energy concepts

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Energy concepts B. Water potential

Lecture Jan 29: Soil Physics - Soil water (2) - Soil water retention

Topics covered in this lecture: A. Soil matric potential and its relationship to soil water content; B. Water retention characteristics and air entry value

Lecture Jan 31: Soil Physics - Soil water (3) - Soil water flow

Topics covered in this lecture: Soil water flow - A. Inferring the direction of water flow; B. Water potential gradient, C. Soil hydraulic conductivity

Lecture Feb 3: Soil Physics - Soil water (4) - Qualitative description of soil wetness

Topics covered: A. Max. retentive capacity; B. Field capacity, C. Permanent wilting point, D. Available water storage capacity, E. Hygroscopic coefficient

Lecture Feb 5: Practice exam session 1

We will have 3 practice exam sessions during this course, which will provide you with an opportunity to review material covered up to that point in the course.
Students are divided (based on their last names) into 5 groups. Each group is then further divided into smaller groups of 4-6 students and each group receives a question to answer. You are are allowed to use any kind of material you wish – textbook, notes, Internet, etc. to help you answer the question. You should write an outline of your answer on a large notepad paper. One student from each group presents the answer to the rest of students. The best answers will be posted on a wall across from Sandra's & Maja's office (i.e. MCML229 & 227).

Division of students for the Exam practice session no.1 is as follows (true for both sections 001 & 002):
Students with last names starting with A - H please go to MCML166
Students with last names starting with I - R please go to MCML358
Students with last names starting with S - Z please go to MCML260

Lecture Feb 7: Midterm #1

The APBI 200 exams are all a closed-book type of exam and no formula sheets or cheat-sheets will be allowed 

Please bring a calculator, since cell phones will NOT be allowed for calculations during the exam


Lecture Feb 10: Soil Physics - Soil thermal behavior and properties (Heat)

Topics covered: A. Thermal behavior (Fourier’s Law); B. Soil thermal properties (conductivity, capacity, admittance, diffusivity)

If you would like to read more about soil thermal properties, pls check the attached pdf file. The file contains more information than is needed for our course, but definitions and data for sand, clay, and peat (organic material) might be usefully to clarify differences among thermal properties covered during today's lecture.

http://lfs-sw.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/01/Soil-thermal-propeties.pdf

Lecture Feb 12: Soil Physics - Soil aeration, solute transportation

Topics covered: A. Nature of soil aeration; B. Diffusion (Fick’s Law); C. Solute transport processes (mass flow and diffusion, diffuse double layer)

Lecture Feb 14: Soil Chemistry (1) - Soil reaction

Topics covered: A. Soil pH and acidity; B. Soil salinity; C. Introduction to Ion adsorption and exchange reactions

Lecture Feb 24: Soil Chemistry (2) - Ion adsorption & exchange

Topics covered: A. Cation exchangeable capacity, B. Base saturation, C. Exchangeable Al, D. Anion exchange capacity

Lecture Feb 26: Soil Chemistry (3) - Soil organic matter

Topics covered: A. Mineralization & immobilization; B. Significance of C/N ratio; C. pH dependent charge; D. Chelates; E. Significance of SOM

Lecture Feb 28: Soil Classification - Organic soils

Topics covered: A. Organic soil order; B. Organic horizons in soils

Lecture Mar 2: Soil Biology & Nutrients - Soil Biology (1) - Soil Organisms

Topics covered: Major groups of soil organisms and their roles

Lecture Mar 4: Soil Biology & Nutrients - Soil Biology (2) - Soil food web

Topics covered: A. Abundance of soil organisms; B. Soil food web; C. Inroduction to biochemical transformations

Lecture #22 Soil food web

Lecture Mar 6: Soil Biology & Nutrients - Soil Biology (3) - Biochemical transformations; Interaction of microbes with roots

Topics covered: A. Biochemical transformations (biological N fixation; mineralization/immobilization, denitrification); B. Interactions of soil microbes with plant roots (rhizosphere and mycorrhizae)

Lecture #23 Biochemical transformations

Lecture Mar 9: Soil Fertility - Nutrients

Topics covered: A. Plant Nutrients; B. Retention and release of nutrients; C. Nutrient cycles: N, S


Lecture Mar 11: Soil Fertility - Nutrients - cont.

Topics covered: A. Nutrient cycles: P, K, Ca & Mg


Lecture Mar 13: Practice exam session 2

Division of students for the Exam practice session no.2 is as follows (true for both sections 001 & 002):
Students with last names starting with A - H please go to MCML342
Students with last names starting with I - R please go to MCML102A
Students with last names starting with S - Z please go to MCML166

Here are today's questions & ANSWERS https://wiki.ubc.ca/images/c/c1/Disc_q2_2020_Mar19_2020_notes.pdf

Lecture Mar 16: Midterm #2 - moved to Mar 20

As per UBC’s official announcement on March 13, all UBC courses are to transition online as of March 16, 2020.  Consequently, our midterm no.2 will be postponed until Friday (March 20) and it will be online.

Please note that the exam will occur during your regular class time (i.e., 10:00 - 10:50 am for section 001, and 11:00 - 11:50 am for section 002). Your exam will be 50 minutes long, and you will need internet access. Details to follow next week.

Lecture Mar 18: Soil Fertility - Nutrients - cont.

Topics covered: A. Nutrient cycles: P, K, Ca & Mg ..... NOTE that the PDF notes for this lecture are in the file that is posted under March 11

Please note that for APBI200 online lectures, you do NOT have to attend online lecture in real time. Staring with March 18th, we will be posting videos of our lecture slides with either Maja's or Sandra's narration.

Here are 2 video clips of Maja's lecture for Mar 18:

Alternatively, you can access this video at https://www.dropbox.com/s/zeyc5uvlfwlojd6/Video_Lecture_Mar18_2020.mp4?dl=0

Lecture Mar 20 - online midterm#2

Sandra & Maja are working on setting up the online midterm in Canvas to be held on Mar 20 during your regular class times (ie 10:00-10:50 am for section 001 and 11:00-11:50am for section 002). Pls stay tuned for further details (Maja & Sandra)


Topics that were originally planned for Mar 20 are moved to Mar 23 (see below under March 23)

Lecture Mar 23: Pedology - Soil classification & soil horizons

A. Soil forming processes; B. Soil classification; C. Soil horizons


Video clips of Maja's lecture for Mar 23:


In order to watch videos that are longer than 15 min (sorry there are several of them), you have following 2 options:

  1. Watch it on a computer, since computers have more memory than phones, or
  2. Download (free) DropBox app to your phone, and watch the video through the app. Without DropBox app, one can only get a 15-min preview.


Please refer to the APBI200 lab manual (lab #7) to read about relevant information about soil classification, soil horizons and 10 orders in the Canadian soil classification system.

And last but not least, pls check out these SOIL BLOOPERS at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEo9bJiVikY&list=PLuu2Q20AUo4epGmJebjsUfyqqNH20ReyV&index=7 .... you might even recognize some of the characters ;-)

Lecture Mar 25: Pedology - Canadian System of Soil Classification

Topics covered: A. Canadian soil classification system; B. Soil orders


Video clips of Maja's lecture for both Mar 25 & 27:


You should view video clips of 10 soil orders posted at this website

Soil Classification Canadian Soil Orders.jpg


To learn more about how knowledge of Vertisols helped Saracens in their battle against Crusaders on July 3-4, 1187, pls read the attached pdf file http://lfs-sw.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/03/Vertisols-and-military-history.pdf

Lecture Mar 27: Canadian System of Soil Classification - cont.

Pls note that for this lecture we will use the same lecture notes as for the previous lecture


Lecture Mar 30: Urban soils

Lecture 32 Urban Soils


Video clips of Sandra's lecture on urban soils
Urban soils part 1
Urban soils part 2

Humans cause erosion one hundred times faster than normal Experts have long linked deforestation and intensive farming to worsening erosion rates around the world. Although studied extensively, increasing erosion rates due to human-induced activities have rarely been quantified by scientists. However, new research conducted by geologists finds that erosion rates in the southeastern United States increased one hundred times after the arrival of European colonists in the 1700s due to tree clearing and unsustainable agricultural practices. Read more: http://news.mongabay.com/2015/0306-montoro-humans-cause-erosion.html#ixzz3U4873dug

Lecture Apr 1: Soil ecosystem services

Lecture #33 - Soil Ecosystem Services


Lecture Apr 3: Practice exam session 3

Practice exam session #3 questions

Here are details how will this session be organized:

  • On April 3 (at 10 am), Sandra & Maja posted the practice exam questions here (see file above) & setup threads for each of the 6 questions "Discussion forum".
  • You can work individually or in groups (remotely of course ;-) ) to collectively answer these questions.
  • Pls remember that, to post your discussion or clarification questions, you will need to login to wiki using your CWL.
  • At each of the question threads, by replaying, you can post your answers and modify the answers posted by others
  • Maja & Sandra will moderate the wiki discussion, but will NOT answer questions if there are no posts by students.
  • Students will be able to provide their input in "Discussion forum" staring as of 10 am on April 3rd until midnight on April 5.


Lecture Apr 6: The lighter side of soil science

In this time of social distancing, we thought you might enjoy... Memes 2020

Note: Course evaluations are open. Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback, we really do read and use the input you provide.

Lecture Apr 8: Course summary - Soil Science Trivial Pursuit game

This will be the last virtual (or otherwise) class for the APBI 200 course.

Beyond APBI 200 - Info sheet

Note: Course evaluations are open until April 13, 2020. Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback, we really do read and use the input you provide.

Study tips for the final exam





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