This course is an introduction to the study and management of soils as natural bodies, as media for plant growth and as integral components of terrestrial ecosystems. It presents basic concepts of soil science including soil formation and classification, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils, the role of soil in supplying water and nutrients to plants and soil organisms, as well as applications of soil concepts in farming or engineering. The course also introduces the relationships of soils to environmental problems.

The overall objective of the class is to provide an overview of the soil as a habitat for microorganisms, and to introduce you to the diversity, ecology and activity of soil microorganisms in the context of biogeochemical cycling, plant-microbe interactions, global environmental change and bioremediation.