The
PLANT
AND SOIL
SCIENCE 269: SOIL and WATER POLLUTION and BIOREMEDIATION
Schedule:
Wednesday,
12:20-3:20 pm, 234 Hills Bldg.
Instructor:
Don
Ross
Plant
and Soil Science
209
Hills Building, UVM
Phone:
802-656-0138
dross@uvm.edu
Text:
Recommended
(but not
required): Soils and Environmental Quality, 3rd ed. 2005. Pierzynski, Sims and Vance. CRC Press,
Other
source (useful
but a bit
old): Bioremediation of Contaminated Soils. 1999. D.C.
Adriano et al. (eds).
American Society of Agronomy,
Course Goal: Topics in Soil
and Water Pollution and Bioremediation encompass a broad
range. The focus will be more on soils
than water but the two are often interrelated.
Students who have successfully completed this course should be
able to
demonstrate their understanding of the behavior and possible
bioremediation of
different classes of pollutants in soils and associated waters.
Course Objectives:
The
objectives
of this course are to help students:
1) learn the various classes
of
pollutants and how they react in the soil and water environment;
2) understand the basics of
how water
moves through soil, transporting pollutants;
3) explore how soil carbon is
cycled and
sequestered, and how it interacts with various pollutants;
4) study specific topical
pollutants such
as N, P and Hg;
4) learn about various
approaches to
bioremediation, including case studies and mechanisms; and
5) participate in a
service-learning project
to explore how
Course
activities
include: lectures, student
presentations, weekly web and in-person guest presentations,
discussions, and
work on a service-learning project.
Assignments will include reflective writing on presentations, a
class
presentation on a self-selected aspect of bioremediation, a take-home
midterm
and final (both focused on critical thinking) and products related to
the
service-learning project.
Reflective
writing will be required in response to class presentations and
service-learning activities. Specific
guidelines will be supplied to focus the writing. The
initial exercises in writing will not be
graded but will be collected and evaluated.
The
final course
letter grades will be a percentile average made up of the scores on
your
activities listed below. Course grades may be curved at our discretion.
Grading
System:
Effort,
Attendance and Participation
5%
Writing
10%
Class Presentation
15%
Mid-term
20%
Final
25%
Service-Learning Project
activities
30%
Academic
Integrity: Integrity
in all aspects of your academic and professional life is central to the
meaning
of the university, to the life of a professional, and to personal
relationships
between colleagues and friends. We expect you to follow the code of
academic integrity
set by this institution in the work that you submit to us for this
class. We
encourage you to review the UVM Academic Integrity Policy at
http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf.
You really should read the policy so you know what is expected of you.
If you
are having problems understanding material or completing assignments,
please
talk with us. We are here to help you, and we want you to succeed!
Religious Holidays: Students have the right to practice the religion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty must permit students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make up this work.
Tentative Schedule
of
Course Activities