Land Management

Most livestock producers, soil scientists favor index that considers phosphorus likelihood that it would leave the land.

A ubiquitous issue with irrigation in arid areas is the inevitable build-up of salts in the soil. Applying water in excess of crop use is needed to move salts down into the profile, but that becomes impractical under drought conditions. 

Prior to the Civil War, native soil fertility was so high it was a "problem" for early Illinois farmers.

How? Several ways, but especially important is that accumulated charcoal, a product of millenia of prairie fires, had stimulated nitrogen fixation. A ready supply of fixed nitrogen supported organic matter accumulation. Released by tillage, organic matter declined and nutrient availability spiked to levels not experienced since.

Donald D. Patterson is being buried today in the North Dakota land that was his home for more than half a century. Don, 82, was one of my mentors and a professor at North Dakota State University, Fargo, in the Soil Science Department. Originially from northern Iowa, in the 1950's he was a member of the rugged survey crew that criss-crossed the state producing general soil survey area maps for the Agricultural College. Don was a meticulous soil scientist, and willing to share his in-depth knowledge of the State's soils. He was deeply involved with the professional soil classifiers association of North Dakota, and was instrumental in obtaining the soil classifier registration law in the state. In addition to field research in soil classification, Don's interests turned to land valuation and related important uses of soils information. He will be missed by those whom he selflessly helped and advised.

Biochar is gaining more interest as a tool for improving soil fertility and sequestering carbon in soil. “Environmental celebrities” such as James Lovelock, Tim Flannery and James Hansen have spoken about the “promise of biochar”. But soil scientists, who might find biochar to be pretty exciting stuff, are still poorly aware of it.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is seeking proposals to provide technical assistance pertaining to soil science, hydrology, engineering, fluvial and hillslope geomorphology, wetland science, and botany. Those selected would be contracted through a 2 year master services agreement, from which task orders would be issued on an as needed basis.

The global soil mapping effort aims to update and catalog the world’s soil information accurately within one clearinghouse called GlobalSoilMap.net. V1 magazine editor Matt Ball spoke with the North American coordinator of this effort, Jon Hempel, Co-Director-National Geospatial Development Center, Soil Business Area Analysis Chair at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Morgantown, West Virginia.

View transcript of interview at http://www.vector1media.com/dialogue/interview/soil-data-goes-global/

There is some very interesting soils research going on to identify the biological underpinnings of nitrogen losses. It is looking at very specific metabolic pathways, and correlating related genomic intensity and diversity to results in site specific soils, biology, and tillage practices. Despite the narrow focus, and limited funding, the research is employing a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional approach. And as poster David Booth concludes:

Laurens Rademakers, Biochar Fund, reports on his discovery of an apparently ancient Terra Preta tradition in a remote part of Africa.

Mirrored from the NSCSS Job Opportunities page.

Job Opportunities

These are in the private sector and make specific mention related to soil science. They are current in that they get pulled when the job closes or the link disappears.

If you need some graphics to beef up your soils presentation, UNEP/GRID-Arendal - Environmental Knowledge for Change has some classics, and the source data is exceptionally well referenced:

• Soil Degradation - 1997 - map
• Agriculture land use distribution - croplands and pasture land - 2003 - map
  

A study by the U.S. Geological Survey shows groundwater has not retained high levels of pesticide contamination.

Southern Timberlands Nurseries & Orchards Internship 2009 Internships will be available at various sites. We have four nursery and six seed orchard operations within the southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina

Engineering Intern

Work as part of a technology team developing safety, process and equipment improvements.

Nursery Intern

Mr. James Bauder, President

6106 Armistice Avenue NW
Canton, OH   44718-3759
(330) 499-1688 phone

Description
MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc. is a leading consulting firm providing engineering, environmental and remedial construction services to public and private clients worldwide. Operating with over 3,000 employees in 100 offices nationwide, MACTEC is currently ranked 31st among Engineering News-Record’s top 500 design firms.

Staff Scientist I (Geologist or Soil Scientist) - Knoxville, TN

Key Responsibilities