Soil is Fundamental for Life

This is a post composed as part of the NSF “Science: Becoming the Messenger” workshop held in Lawrence, Kansas on January 27-28, 2011.

Soil is fundamental to life on earth and is considered the most complicated biomaterial on earth. Soil provides services critical for life: soil acts as a water filter and a growing medium; provides habitat for billions of organisms, contributing to biodiversity; and supplies most of the antibiotics used to fight diseases. Humans use soil as a holding facility for solid waste, filter for wastewater, and foundation for our cities and towns. Soil provides us with feed, fiber, food and fuel. Healthy soil is essential for feeding the expected 9 billion people by 2050. We must develop new technologies and techniques to produce more feed, fiber, food and fuel with less— less land, less water, less energy, and fewer nutrient inputs. Achieving this will require improved crops and novel soil management strategies. Soils are also critical for a healthy planet. Soils provide clean water and help regulate climate. There is twice as much carbon in the soil as in the atmosphere and three times as much in vegetation. Soils are critical for human health. Did you know that almost all of the antibiotics we take to help us fight infections were obtained from soil microorganisms? Over 80% of antibiotics come from soil microbes. Did you know that there are more living individual organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on the earth? A teaspoon of soil contains over 1 billion bacteria yet we know only 1%. The remaining 99% are unknown and contain a treasure trove of products. This year is the 75^th anniversary of the Soil Science Society of America.

By Chuck Rice, President, SSSA

Networking and Taking an Active Role in Your Career

Networking.  Sometimes I think it is an overused term, but it also conveys a point that is essential to keep in mind throughout our careers.  Most of what I say today is primarily directed towards students and those early in their careers, but I have found that people need to sometimes be reminded that keeping in touch with colleagues is important at all points in their careers.  Soil science and environmental science are two things that I write about often and as such are my examples today, but I would also argue that you could apply what I am going to say to many other sciences of both the natural and social varieties.

Why write about networking?  It seems such a simple concept and yet I see many people only use it when they need something or only do it because they 'have to' for some reason. I don't think we can do the soils or environmental professions justice without networking.  The sciences themselves are broad and interact with so many different disciplines that it would be nearly impossible to be an island unto yourself.

I have spent time in my classes - especially those considered upper level (junior/senior) - and individually with both undergraduate and graduage level students trying to impress upon them that the more they network, the better off they will be as they graduate with whatever degree they are pursuing. You never know when someone you met and talked to for even two minutes will be someone that you need to contact at some point in the future. Remember, after you've met someone, it isn't a cold call or email, you can point to something in common whether it was a conference, seminar, club meeting, etc. It helps to break the ice.  In this day and age of social networking we all think that we have "contacts" everywhere - and I'm not saying we don't,  but do not discount the value of a face-to-face meeting by being involved with clubs at school, committees, professional organizations, etc.  I would submit that those contacts that you make face-to-face will be the ones that are invaluable and provide for friendships, working relationships, and mentorships that you will come to count on.

So what do I suggest?

Students - GET INVOLVED!  You think you are busy now, but now is actually the time to get involved with groups that interest you, meet students from other disciplines, get to know your professors, and  join professional organizations (they all offer student rates! i.e., cheap!).  I remember my PhD advisor telling me one time after I was complaining that I didn't have a life that I would look back on my days in graduate school and call them the best days of my life. I thought he was nuts.  But you know what - he was right. They weren't all the best days of my life, but there are days I would give about anything to have that life of freedom back for awhile.

I do want to emphasize the "other disciplines" comment. As a soil scientist or environmental scientist you must know that you cannot work in a vacuum.  These discliplines require us to interact with all different types of professionals from engineers to politicians.  I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have these types of contacts and to learn how to talk to people with different backgrounds and understand what is important to them and how it relates to what you find important.

Early Career - GET INVOLVED! I know you are working on your careers and your life, but it is also an important time to establish yourselves in the professional community.  You don't have to be involved with everyone and everything; pick something you are passionate about. Broaden your involvment outside what and who you know.  You'd be surprised at where it can take you and how it will be something that pays you back for the rest of your career.

And to those that have been around awhile - STAY INVOLVED!  If we want our younger scientists to be excited about what they do and be and willing to do committee work and volunteer for jobs within our professional organizations, we need to show them that we appreciate them and their ideas. Encourage them to interact with you! Sometimes I think as we get established in our careers we forget what it was like just starting out.  Take the time to develop a relationship with a younger career member and help them by mentoring, introducing them, and being supportive.  And most of all, listen.  I find I learn a lot by listening to others, young or more mature.

A growing population - what does it mean?

Today I want to take you to a video about human population that was done by National Geographic. When I was on the faculty at OSU I taught environmental science and soils courses and population growth was always a topic I covered.  I think at first students didn't understand why, but as you watch this video think about the ramifications of 7 billion people on this planet. What does that mean for how we live, how we affect the environment, how we interact with the ecosystems around us, how we provide for food/shelter, how we affect climate, etc.  I could go on, but my point is everything we do as humans affects everything else.  As we look to the future there will be a tremendous need to sustain our natural resources - which comes back at its base to the soils we depend on for life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc4HxPxNrZ0&feature=player_embedded

Exams, Webinars, and - of course - the Super Bowl

Today registration opens for the soil science licensing/certification exams that will be given on April 15.  Registration will be open now until March 4, so if you plan on taking either the Fundamentals of Soil Science Exam or the Professional Practice Exam, make sure to register soon.  See the SSSA webpage under Certifications for more information.  I would also note - exam prices will be going up for the fall exam!  Currently the exam cost is $125, it will be raised to $150 later this year.

A great way to gain continuing education credits or just a excellent way to learn about new things are webinars.  Why is this such a good way to learn?  Because you can sit at your computer in your office or at home (or wherever) and listen to something that interests you. Webinars are provided by a lot of different entities, inlcuding SSSA and ASA.  I will be working on bringing you webinars specifically on soils topics over the next few months, but did you know that you can find a library of webinars on our site? Check it out at
https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/certifications/self-study

I will also begin listing webinars that others are providing on this blog as I find them.  Please let me know what types of soil or environment related webinars you would like from us.  I will do my best to provide those to you!  If you would like to give a webinar, please let me know, we provide the training on how to do it and we offer an honorarium for helping us out.

And now, as a true Cheesehead, I must spend a little of this blog cheering on the Packers as they head to the Super Bowl!!!!  My mother in law (not from WI) commented yesterday about "growing up in WI where the Packers are almost a religion".  I really had no argument to that.  Still don't. If you want to really understand what that means, take a trip to WI on Super Bowl weekend and experience it for yourselves.  I guarantee you'll have a great time. I just wouldn't advise wearing anything that says Steelers on it.

Soils in the top 15 issues twice for 2011

Some things to think about when we are questioning why soil science is truly important. This article talks about the top 15 issues for 2011. Soil ecology and the invasion of exotic earthworms into forest soils are in that top 15.

15 for ’11

Soil Erosion: Its not just for Earth anymore!

I was perusing the SSSA's twitter page today looking for items of interest when an article tweeted by Science Friday caught my eye.  The article, which you can find a this link http://bit.ly/fpreny is entitled "Phoenix Lander blasts away Martian dirt, uncovers new way to dig".   Perhaps I have spent way too much time teaching students, the public and anyone that will listen about soil erosion, its consequences, and how to avoid such a thing that I am just not amused when it comes to someone being excited about causing erosion.

The article, if you haven't looked at it, has to do with the Phoenix mission to Mars and in particular the Mars landing of the Phoenix in May of 2008.  The spacecraft has to use thrusters  in order to land and in this case they were using pulsed thrusters, which reportedly are weaker than regular rocket engines (30% less thrust).  What surprised everyone watching the landing was the amount of soil that was displaced as the Phoenix landed.  Why is this an issue from a scientific standpoint?  Well, if you want to take undisturbed soil samples, excavating soil with the thrusters upon landing to some diameter around the spacecraft can present a problem if the robot arm cannot extend beyond the disturbed soil to collect those undisturbed samples.

Because no one expected to see that much soil moving around upon landing, research was subsequently conducted to find out how and why this happened; enter Manish Mehta of the University of Michigan who led the study. Now please don't get me wrong, I have no issue with the research that was conducted, in fact I found it to be pretty fascinating.  They found that the pulsed thrusters were responsible for the increased soil disturbance because "they created shock waves that travel through the soil and allowed much more gas to be pumped into the ground than the non-pulsed versions.  As a result the rocket plumes flowed through the soil and fluidized it. When the plume flowing through the soil reached an area outside of the engine's blast zone, it explosively erupted out of the surface, carrying away the soil and causing extensive erosion."  Good to know, right?  As in we probably don't want to do that again. 

But then the article goes on to say that they named this process Diffusive Gas Explosive Erosion and called it a "powerful excavation mechanism" that can be used in the atmosphere of Mars. This is where my fascination with the article kind of fell apart.  I am all for research and exploration, but do we really need to be using a powerful excavation tool on Mars without really understanding how this might affect, well, anything else on Mars?   The article doesn't elaborate on how this new excavation tool may be used in future missions, but what came to my mind was that we made some mistakes here on Earth; it may be in our best interest to be more cognizant of the effects of our actions on Mars.

I should mention that Mehta's team also looked at soil properties that would be consistent with the Diffusive Gas Explosive Erosion process that took place.  Using different soil textures to try to recreate the same results, the team found that the soil on Mars would contain a mixture of fine sand and silt particles. Too much silt and you have a crater (and no more Phoenix), too much sand and you have a barely noticeable disturbance.  Which means to me that the soil on Mars would need to be mapped to determine where this new excavation tool could/should be used. (I have to admit I know very little about what is known about Martian soils, so please feel free to correct me!)

All in all a good read and a thought provoking article.  I have to say the author of the article, K.M. Sayanagi, makes some good points about unexpected results that come from lack of understanding, which lead to implications for scientific investigations that can help our understanding in ways we hadn't anticipated.

Soil and Football (and the Packers WIN!)

Anyone that is a Green Bay Packer fan found themselves watching a game this past Saturday that was truly exceptional. Aaron Rodgers was pretty much flawless and the Packers didn't have a punt the entire game. OK, I will cease the bragging until next week when they beat the Bears.

However...given that the Pack is still in it, I feel compelled to find more things to talk about that are soil related. It just so happens that I have a perfect opportunity with the venue for the game next weekend, since it will be at Soldier Field.  I talked about differences in turf in my last blog.  Soldier Field is actually a natural grass field (one of the few remaining); they resod it several times a year to help keep it up. Soldier Field is open to the elements and if you look at the weather for Chicago this week, after tomorrow (forecast high 34 degrees) it will be below freezing every day plus some snow. Game day calls for a high of 21. They call Lambeau the frozen tundra.  Soldier Field will likely qualify for at least frozen next weekend.

So what is the issue? Grass doesn't grow in the winter, the soil column freezes, but the soil surface can still thaw leading to slick conditions because the moisture has nowhere to infiltrate with the frozen soil beneath.  Think about rain on snow and rain on frozen ground events - same idea.   Any moisture trapped on the surface has the potential to turn that exposed soil and the corresponding sod into a very slick playing surface. Soil that is disturbed (played on) when wet will tend to lose its structure (think mud), which just exacerbates the issue over time.  In addition, the cleats from the players' shoes tend to take out chunks of the turf making the playing surface uneven and exposes more soil.  Given that a game was played on the field yesterday and we are in the middle of winter, there isn't a lot that can be done to repair a beat up grass field with frozen soil. Another issue is that the turf sections themselves can tend to come loose because they don't always hold well to the soil beneath, and then - as some people would say - they are playing on dirt.

So how much of a factor with the soil/plant/atmosphere system play in the outcome of this game?  Something to think about with the importance and ramifications of this game (the NFC Championship and a trip to the Super Bowl).  But more fun to think about as a soil scientist is what people don't normally think about - soil conditions may make the difference.  I will bet that soil and field conditions will be mentioned more than once during the game.  So I conclude: Soils are important - even in January in Chicago.

Packers vs Falcons - A Difference in Turf

I have to admit that I was born and raised in Wisconsin and am therefore one of the "Cheeseheads" that people refer to.  And yes, I do own a cheesehead.  And many items in the colors of green and gold.  As I was thinking about the playoff game coming up this weekend between the Packers and the Falcons it occurred to me that there was a soils and environment topic there that would allow me to write a blog and at the same time talk about the Packers.  Win-win, don't you think?

A lot of us spend time watching football in a lot of different venues and at a lot of different levels.  Have you considered the field that these games take place on?  Turf science and turf management have come a long way in the history of sports - not just football, but any sport that takes place on a turf surface. I am going to use football fields as the example here, but my point (or question at the end) applies to a wider range than that. 

The Green Bay Packers have their home field at Lambeau Field.  Lambeau's surface is a natural grass surface combined with artificial fibers to make the turf stronger and able to hold up under the stress of the football game. The Atlanta Falcons, on the other hand, have their home field in the Georgia Dome where it would be difficult to maintain a natural grass surface.  The decision there was to put in an artificial turf system called FieldTurf.

Turf management on a natural grass surface requires training and knowledge in many things, including soil physics, chemistry, fertility and biology. Given that I am a soil scientist, this type of career and  need for expertise appeals to me. It is not an easy job, especially when you have to include understanding how to deal with disease, drainage, irrigation, environmental issues due to pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers, etc.  Oh, and you have to know what works for different types of grasses and also meet the expectation that the field always look lush and green. Not an easy task when the field gets beat up every week.

Then there is the artificial turf system. Is it better? I invite you to take a look at the FieldTurf site and judge for yourself (http://www.fieldturf.com/artificial-turf-environmental-responsibility/).  The citation is to a portion of the FieldTurf site that speaks to the environmental benefits of using this artificial product instead of natural grass. For instance, they talk about the amount of water saved, the decrease in carbon footprints, elimination of pesticides and herbicides, etc.  A compelling argument.  Their site also says that the product is 100% recyclable.

So here is my question.  Which one is better? I see advantages and disadvantages to both, but I think my biggest hang up with the artificial turf is that fact that we are just covering up more of our natural soil. Think about a bigger picture than just football fields. How does this eventually affect our ecosystems?  Think about it. And then post some comments!

In the meantime - GO PACK!

Reclaiming Our Turf

One of the publications that the ASA-CSSA-SSSA puts out is the CSA News.  This month's publication has a feature article entitled "Reclaiming Our Turf" authored by Madeline Fisher, contributing writer for CSA News.  I have made it available below so that you don't have to go to the website and sign in to read it.   

https://www.soils.org/files/publications/csa-news/reclaiming-our-turf.pdf

So why this article to initiate the blog?  Because I think it gets to the heart of the issue with the practice of soil science and more importantly the future of our profession. I would encourage you to read it, think about it and comment on it.  I am interested in your opinions and ideas.

To get started, I have posted below an email that I received this morning from Ted Hartsig that was addressed to myself and Larry Baldwin, who is also quoted in the above referenced article. Ted is a soil scientist and works in the consulting business. His comments:

That article highlighting the efforts of both of you to promote soil science as a profession in this month’s CSA news was right on the money.  As was stated, this is something we have really strived to address since the early 90’s, and it’s been often frustrating to be able to move forward.  Now, as I’ve pondered my renewal in the SSSA, I’ve been wondering what benefits I might see – and this is the first evidence.  My impression – and that of many, many other practicing soil scientists, is that the SSSA is solely an academic society that serves as a publishing venue for research.  While that is often good in of itself, the Society has provided little benefit to practicing soil scientists other than the CSA News and the Certification program.  Dawn – you and me have discussed this many times.

Larry – in the article you state that many of your new hires are coming in with generalized degrees.  I see that too – and we really do need the new employees with core knowledge to fill our gaps.

All this said – it is heartening that soils and soil management is starting to become much more recognized in both a profession and more importantly as an important practice.  In the work that I do in the Midwest (Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, etc), many people are truly waking up to the concept of “I need a soil scientist to help me” with any number of projects.  My work has largely been in the realm of stormwater management, ecological restoration, water re-use (as it is applied in irrigation), urban soils management (starting to pick up a lot of interest there), compost operations, and general restoration of drastically disturbed sites.  My near 30 year career includes restoration of many contaminated sites.  This summer I had a call from one of the most prominent Landscape Architecture companies in the country.  They said that in their work of designing and constructing the landscape for the George Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, that they need a soil scientist – could I help.  The ensuing work has been terrific, and as I explain soils on site, and the concept of imported and/or “manufactured” soils needed for the project, their eyes have really been opened.   In a recent meeting of the project team, including the Bush Foundation, the project leader stood up and said “the success of this project is found in the soil we manage on site.”

All this said, what can I do to continue to help in this endeavor to keep promoting soils as a profession.  Currently I do a LOT of public speaking regarding environmental management and sustainability.  Inevitably, it most often comes back to or includes soils and soil management.  It’s gratifying how many people step up and say they “get it.”  Dawn – if I can help in your work, you know that I’d be more than happy to, including starting the process of getting licensure in Kansas, Nebraska, Misssouri, and other states.

Welcome to Wired for Soils!

Well, here it is.  My very first post on my very first blog. I am hopeful that I can make this a "go to" spot for information and thoughts on soils and environmental science. I suspect at times I will venture out of those particular topic areas, but then I believe that everything is connected to everything else so I feel somewhat justified in taking that liberty.  I especially believe this to be true when talking about soils.

To get started - a bit about me.  I am the Soil Science Program Coordinator for the Soil Science Society of America.  I am also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University.  I have had, in my career, quite a varied background comprised of environmental consulting (including owning my own business for awhile), county government, and also academia. I was on the faculty at OSU in the School of Environment and Natural Resources before joining SSSA this past July. You will discover more about me as this blog continues, but one thing I can tell you is that I am excited to see what can happen with this blog and how it can work in reaching a wide audience. I welcome comments and questions! Lets try this out together and see where it takes us.