DEPARTMENT HOME

OVERVIEW

PROGRAMS & COURSES

FACULTY & STAFF

RESEARCH

GRADUATE STUDENTS

GRADUATE PROGRAM

LINKS

Undergraduate Minor in Soil Science

An undergraduate minor program in Soil Science has been proposed. Once receiving final approval by the University senate, the minor should be in place for the fall term of 2006.

Why take a minor in Soil Science?
Soil Science is really the study of “the living land”. The soil is a fundamental part of the environment and the basis for life in terrestrial environments. The soil also affects aquatic systems and the atmosphere through ecosystem interactions. Students interested in ecosystem function, whether natural or managed (e.g., agricultural, forests), should have a good education in soil and landscape science.

What will I learn?
Our courses focus on different aspects of soils and landscapes. These include the fundamentals in biology, chemistry, physics as well as soil classification and development. However, many of the courses concentrate on the application of soils knowledge to address real-world problems. These relate to issues such as sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, ecosystem health, and climate change.

What are the employment opportunities?
The purpose of the Minor in Soil Science is to give students a recognized training that will supplement the core area of their major. For example, there are job opportunities as “Crop and Soil Specialists”, “Environmental Consultants” and “Landscape Managers”. All of these careers require good knowledge of the soil resource. A recognized minor will give the student a tremendous advantage competing for these jobs.

Does it matter what my major is?
Many Faculties at the University of Manitoba recognize Minor programs. Your major does not matter, as long as you have taken the prerequisite courses (or have instructor permission) for the soil science courses in the Minor program.

How do I enrol?
In most Faculties, you should declare your intentions to the Student Advisor for your program. They will then ensure that the courses can be scheduled and you will receive official recognition for the Minor in Soil Science on your transcript.

What are the course requirements?
The minor program requires the completion of 18 credit-hours. This is the standard minor requirement for most of the Faculties at the University of Manitoba.
- Students must complete one compulsory course: SOIL3600: Soils and Landscapes in our Environment (3 credit hours).
- They also must complete an additional 15 credit hours selected from the following courses (each course is 3 credit hours):

Course descriptions:

SOIL3600: Introduction to Agrometeorology . Basic description and discussion of properties of the atmosphere, radiation, temperature, effect of temperature on plant growth, climate and animal response, water, evapotranspiration, insect adaptation, activity in relation to climate, climatic data.

SOIL3520: Pesticides: Environment, Economics and Ethics . A comprehensive examination of the benefits and risks of pesticide use. Topics include: Characteristics of pesticide products and formulations used in Western Canada; History, practice, successes and failures in the use of pesticides in agriculture; Pesticide use for protecting human health; Pesticide fate processes in air, soil and aquatic environments; Economical and environmental impact of pesticide application drift; Atmospheric pesticide contamination; Pesticide surface and groundwater contamination; Pesticide toxicity to organisms, including humans; Pesticide residues in food; Pesticide regulations; Pesticide risk indicators; Alternatives to pesticides.

SOIL3600: Soils and Landscapes in our Environment . Discover why soil is an essential resource. Explore the roles of soils and landscapes within natural and agricultural ecosystems by learning the fundamental biological, chemical and physical properties and processes; soil and landscape classification and evaluation.

SOIL 3610: Field Methods in Land Resource Science. This course provides students with training in field methods used in soil science and related sciences (hydrology, meteorology, ecology, geomorphology, and environmental science). Students participate in a biophysical survey of a field site and in a study of the management, assessment and monitoring of land resources.

SOIL4060: Physical Properties of Soils. Physical properties of soils and their relation to plant growth. Topics discussed include particle size distribution, soil water, soil structure, soil temperature, and soil aeration.

SOIL4120: Soil Microbiology. Types, growth and functions of soil organisms. Cycling of soil nutrients (N,C,P,S) by soil organisms. Microbial transformation of farm wastes and agricultural chemicals and effects of agricultural chemicals on soil microbial processes.

SOIL4130: Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy. Composition of soil materials. Reactions of nutrients and contaminants with soil organic matter, silicate clays, oxides and other soil constituents which affect their mobility and bioavailability.

SOIL4500: Remediation of Contaminated Land. Physical, chemical and biological approaches to remediation of land including; nature of contaminants, procedures for assessing the extent of the impact, consequences to the environment, approaches to remediation and case studies of contaminant remediation.

SOIL4510: Soil and Water Management. Topics include: capability of land for agriculture; storage, movement and use of water; saline and alkaline soils; soil conservation including erosion; sustainability of soil organic matter; effect and fate of soil amendments

SOIL4520: Soil Fertility. Forms and behaviour of plants nutrients in soil; soil fertility evaluation and management, including fertilizer sources and practices.

SOIL4530: Land Use and Environment. Biophysical land classification and management tools; land ratings; effect of land use on environment; policy and legislation effects in land management.

Who should I contact for more information?
You can contact any of the professors in the Department of Soil Science to discuss this great opportunity. See the Soil Science web page at:

http://www.umanitoba.ca/afs/soil_science/faculty.html