4 credits

Instructor:

David Myrold
3127 Agriculture and Life Sciences (ALS)
737.5737
email: put "CSS455" in Subject Line and send to David Myrold
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-10:30 and by appointment

Meeting Time and Place:

Lecture:	MWF	9:00-9:50 a.m.	ALS 0012
Recitation:	R	2:00-2:50 p.m.	ALS 0012
	F	3:00-3:50 p.m.	ALS 0012

Synopsis:

A detailed study of the organisms that live in the soil and their activities in the soil ecosystem. Lecture and some recitation sessions will cover the soil as a habitat for organisms, the taxonomy and biology of the soil organisms, the fundamentals of nutrient cycles, and special topics in soil biology, such as symbiotic associations, bioremediation, trace gases, etc. Recitation sessions also will be used for students will present a written and oral review of a current journal article of their choosing and for midterm exams.

Prerequisites:

A basic course in soil science and college biology, chemistry, and physics. Additional courses in soil science, microbiology, or ecology may be helpful.

Textbook:

Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, Sylvia et al., 2nd edition, 2004, Prentice Hall.

Study materials:

Class handouts. PowerPoint slides on class website. Reserve books at Valley Library.

References: (*on reserve)

• Introduction to Soil Microbiology, 2^nd edition, Alexander, 1977, John Wiley
• The Microbiology of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Richards, 1987, Longman Scientific & Technical
• Soil Microbial Ecology, Metting, 1993, Marcel Dekker
• Soil Ecology, Killham, 1994, Cambridge University Press
• Biodegradation and Bioremediation, Alexander, 1994, Academic Press
• Environmental Soil Biology, 2^nd edition, Wood, 1995, Blackie A & P
• Fundamentals of Soil Ecology, Coleman and Crossley, 2nd edition, 2004, Academic Press
• *Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry, Paul and Clark, 2^nd edition, 1996, Academic Press
• Modern Soil Microbiology, van Elsas et al., 1997, Marcel Dekker
• *Principles and Applications of Soil Microbiology, Sylvia et al., 1998, Prentice Hall
• Soil Microbiology: An Exploratory Approach, Coyne, 1999, Delmar
• Soil Microbiology, Tate, 2^nd edition, 2000, John Wiley

Grades:

Midterm 1:	25%
Midterm 2:	25%
Journal article review:	15%
Homework assignments:	10%
Final exam:	25%