1 Instructor: Dr. Clark Gantzer Office: 330 ABNR Building Mailbox: 302 ABNR Building Phone: 882-0611 E-mail: gantzerc@missouri.edu Office Hours: by Appointment Class Meetings: Lecture - 1:00 1: 50 pm MW in Room 116 ABNR Bldg. Lab - 9:00-11:50 W in Room 116 ABNR Bldg. Required Text: Frederick R. Troeh, J. Arthur Hobbs, and Roy L. Donahue. 2003. Soil and Water Conservation for Productivity and Environmental Protection Fourth Edition. Sold at the University Bookstore, or Amazon.com. Prerequisites: SOIL 2100. Recommended: AG S M 4420. It is expected that students have completed courses in earth sciences, mathematics, and chemistry at the high school level. The course is intended for sophomore/senior-level students. Rationale: Soil impacts our way of life in many aspects (e.g., food and fiber production, resources for building shelter and infrastructure, water supplies, etc.). Adverse impacts to soil and water affect the well being of humans and other living organisms. It is essential that students (majors and non-majors alike) understand soil and water systems, and strategies to mitigate or manage these issues. Learning Objectives: Students mastering class material will understand use of the tools of soil & water conservation & management. Excellent management leads to more productive, sustainable agriculture that reduces problems caused by soil use. Students mastering class material will be able to: 1) understand terminology used in soil & water conservation & management; 2) read and critically evaluate information using scientific principles, and synthesize reports/articles discussing soil conservation issues; 3) summarize and describe landscape scale environmental systems and processes; 4) understand the processes of soil erosion and degradation; 5) understand problems caused by poor management and subsequent soil degradation; and 6) analyze soil problems, and develop methods to solve soil management & conservation problems. How to Succeed in this Course: The instructor views himself as guide and co-explorers with students. As guide, I will show you through the realm of soil and water conservation by showing you paths leading to learning and mastery of course concepts. At each juncture in this course, you will find paths alternative to those we suggest (i.e., easier paths), but they may not always result in the same level of success as the path your guides suggest. The following is a basic roadmap for mastering material in this course: 1) attend class, listen attentively, ask questions, and take comprehensive notes; 2) read assigned portions of the text prior to attending classes covering the new material; 3) be thorough and timely when completing assignments; and 4) attend the field trips, take good notes, and be engaged in these out of class learning activities. E-mail strategy: You are welcome to E-mail your questions to me. There are, however, some caveats associated with email that you must consider. 1) Do not expect an immediate response to your questions. A reasonable response time to emailed questions is 24-48 h. 2) Questions E-mailed on weekends may not receive a response until the work-week begins. 3) The instructor reserves the right to answer E-mailed questions during the class period for the benefit of all students. 4) Some questions are far too challenging to answer by E-mail and you may be asked to visit me in person. Reading Assignments and Class Assignments: Assigned readings and activities are an integral component of the course. In addition to attending lecture, students are expected to read the required portions of the text and any supplementary materials, complete class assignments, and participate in class activities. Class assignments may include quizzes, problem sets, and summaries of science news articles. Class activities will include interactive critical thinking exercises which may be based on homework assignments. Assignments should be typed and proofed. The text has been written as an introductory level course on the subject. Each topic covered in the text includes questions that you should be able to answer after reading the material. Use these questions to help you study and learn
2 the appropriate materials. Additionally, students are encouraged to make use of office hours if they have questions regarding the material covered in class or on the assignments. Laboratory Reports: Laboratory reports will be written in a standard format, and when appropriate will include: Name, Date, and Report Title An Introduction. - This will normally include a brief literature review of about two paragraphs, Materials and Methods. - This will include a discussion of the methods used to conduct the experiment (or assignment) including the theoretical background, and assumptions involved in the problem solution, Results and Discussion. - This section should present your results, and then integrate and analyze them, comparing them with published reports, this is the most important part, References. - This section should cite at least two scientific articles you have used for the report in SSSA standard format. Please see me if you have any questions about the format. Term Projects: Term projects will consist of both an oral and a written presentation. Each part will be of equal importance. The oral report should be about 10 min. long. The written report should be about 10 pages (double spaced) and be submitted at the time of the oral report. Criteria for grading will be: Topic Suitability - does the topic present important new information on soil conservation? Substance - are the ideas well supported by fact? Clarity - is the report presented clearly? - are the visuals of high quality? and Discussion - were questions answered in a clear and correct way after the report presentation? Exams: Exams will be based on the material covered in class, homework assignments, and the reading assignments. The types of questions found on the exams will include problems to be solved, short answer, true and false, essay, and multiple-choice. Additionally, the instructor does not allow you to keep your exams. After an exam has been graded, I will distribute the exam at the beginning of class, discuss the exam, and re-collect the exams before you leave. The grade on any exam not returned to the instructor will be changed to a zero! We have instituted this policy to prevent the building of exam libraries that are passed from student to student with time. This policy ensures that future students will not have an unfair advantage when taking exams in this class. However, you are permitted to look over your exam during our office hours or by appointment but you are not allowed to photocopy the exams. Labs/Field Trips: Labs and Field trips will be held on Wednesday during the semester. All students are encouraged to attend the field trips. A lab write-up will be required for each week regardless of attendance. Policy Regarding Late Assignments and Make-up Exams: Assignments are to be turned in on the due date. Makeup exams will not be given unless you notify the instructor of your absence prior to the exam and your excuse for missing the exam is valid. The validity of an absence is at the discretion of the instructor. Class Participation: Particular class activities will require your participation and I encourage participation as a means for you to enhance your learning experience in this course. Web Resources: I will use BlackBoard interactive web software to enhance your learning of class material. Online you will be able to access the course syllabus, class notes, your grades, a calendar noting pertinent dates, and class assignments. You may access this site at https://courses.missouri.edu from any of the computer labs on campus or your home computer if you have online service. To log on, you will use your email id and password. If you have any questions, click on Student Instructions in the upper right hand corner of this page. You may find it necessary to reconfigure your internet-browser. Instructions for doing so are located at http://etatmo.missouri.edu/courses/help/bbuserfaq/bbuserfaq9.htm. Please inform me of any problems or suggestions that you may have for improving this site.
3 Grading: % Assignments 25 Quizzes / Participation 10 Term Project 15 1st Hour Exam 15 2nd Hour Exam 15 Final Exam 20 TOTAL 100 97-100 A+ 94-96 A 90-93 A- 87-89 B+ 84-86 B 80-83 B- 77-79 C+ 74-76 C 70-73 C- 67-69 D+ 64-66 D 60-63 D- 59 F Academic Dishonesty: Academic integrity is fundamental to the activities and principles of a university. All members of the academic community must be confident that each person's work has been responsibly and honorably acquired, developed, and presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards breaches of the academic integrity rules as extremely serious matters. Sanctions for such a breach may include academic sanctions from the instructor, including failing the course for any violation, to disciplinary sanctions ranging from probation to expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, collaboration, or any other form of cheating, consult the course instructor. For more information visit, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities http://osrr.missouri.edu/guidelines/index.html. Academic Dishonesty includes but is not necessarily limited to the following: Cheating or knowingly assisting another student in committing an act of cheating or other academic dishonesty. Plagiarism which includes but is not necessarily limited to submitting examinations, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, or other material as one s own work when such work has been prepared by another person or copied from another person. Unauthorized possession of examinations or reserve library materials, or laboratory materials or experiments, or any other similar actions. Unauthorized changing of grades or markings on an examination or in an instructor s grade book or such change of any grade report. The University has specific academic dishonesty administrative procedures. Although policy states that cases of academic dishonesty must be reported to the Office of the Provost for possible action, the instructor may assign a failing grade for the assignment or a failing grade for the course, or may adjust the grade as deemed appropriate. The instructor also may require the student to repeat the assignment or to perform additional assignments. University of Missouri-Columbia Notice of Nondiscrimination: The University of Missouri-Columbia does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. For more information, call the MU Human Resource Services Department at (573) 882-4256 or the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. For more information, please visit http://ada.missouri.edu/index.html. Statement for Intellectual Pluralism: The University community welcomes intellectual diversity and respects student rights. Students who have questions concerning the quality of instruction in this class may address concerns to either the Departmental Chair or Divisional leader or Director of the Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities (http://osrr.missouri.edu). All students will have the opportunity to submit an anonymous evaluation of the instructor(s) at the end of the course. http://provost.missouri.edu/faculty/syllabus.html. Statement for ADA: If you need accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please inform me immediately. Please see me privately after class, or at my office, 330 ABRN Bldg. To request academic accommodations (for example, a note-taker), students must also register with the Office of Disability Services, (http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu), S5 Memorial Union, 882-4696. It is the campus office responsible for reviewing
4 documentation provided by students requesting academic accommodations, and for accommodations planning in cooperation with students and instructors, as needed and consistent with course requirements. For other MU resources for students with disabilities, visit "Disability Resources" http://disabilityservices.missouri.edu. Grievance Policy: Information concerning student grade appeal procedures and non-academic grievances and appeals may be found in the Student Handbook. http://web.missouri.edu/~umcstudentlifeweb/docs/m-book2007-2008.pdf Course Outline: Soil Science 3408/7308 Soil & Water Conservation & Management (Schedule subject to change) Week Month Date Day Lecture subject / Lab subject Assignments 1 Jan 23 Wed Intro: Soil conservation & management 1 Jan 23 Wed The Promise of the Land 2 Jan 28 Mon The history of soil conservation 2 Jan 30 Wed The history of soil conservation 2 Jan 30 Wed Farming with Nature Lab 1 3 Feb 4 Mon The history of soil conservation 3 Feb 6 Wed The need for more soil conservation 3 Feb 6 Wed Intro to Computers and Soil Conservation 4 Feb 11 Mon The need for more soil conservation 4 Feb 13 Wed The physics of rainfall 4 Feb 13 Wed Raindrop KE Lab 3 5 Feb 18 Mon The physics of rainfall 5 Feb 20 Wed Erodibility of Soil 5 Feb 20 Wed USLE Lab 4 6 Feb 25 Mon Runoff 6 Feb 27 Wed Erosion Modeling 6 Feb 27 Wed FIRST HOUR EXAM - 15% Lab 5 7 Mar 3 Mon Soil Erodibility 7 Mar 5 Wed Runoff & soil erosion 7 Mar 5 Wed Runoff & the SCS Curve Number 8 Mar 10 Mon RUSLE, WEPP, & RESIDUE Models 8 Mar 12 Wed Crop Residue Management 8 Mar 12 Wed Soil Productivity/Quality 9 Mar 17 Mon Soil productivity models Lab 7 9 Mar 19 Wed Gully erosion 9 Mar 19 Wed Gully erosion laboratory Lab 8 10 Mar 24 Mon SPRING BREAK 10 Mar 26 Wed SPRING BREAK 10 Mar 26 Wed SPRING BREAK Lab 2, Term Proj. Outline Lab 6, Rev. Proj. Outline
5 Week Month Date Day Lecture subject / Lab subject Assignments 11 Mar 31 Mon Wind erosion 11 Apr 2 Wed Crop management 11 Apr 2 Wed Bradford Crop management Lab 8 12 Apr 7 Mon Conservation tillage / No-tillage 12 Apr 9 Wed Economics of soil conservation 12 Apr 9 Wed SECOND HOUR EXAM - 15% Lab 9 13 Apr 14 Mon Tillage and water quality 13 Apr 16 Wed Sanborn Field & sustainable agriculture 13 Apr 16 Wed Sanborn Field Management Lab 10 14 Apr 21 Mon Winter cover crops with row crops 14 Apr 23 Wed Perennial culture: agroforestry 14 Apr 23 Wed Conservation planning Lab 11 15 Apr 28 Mon Soil erosion & wetlands 15 Apr 30 Wed Soil erosion research 15 Apr 30 Wed Watershed Research Lab 12 16 May 5 Mon Urban erosion control / Stream bank erosion 16 May 7 Wed Soil erosion on pasture, range & forestland 16 May 7 Wed TERM PROJECT: ORAL REPORTS Lab 13 FINAL EXAM 20% 17 May 13 Tue 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. TERM PROJECT