SO 340 - Soil Classification and Landforms

Students in these programs require extensive knowledge of soils in order to skillfully manage soil and land resources in Canada. Fundamental to this is an understanding of soil and landscape genesis, soil responses to human activities and suitability of soils for various land uses. This course provides the student with the above critical knowledge via a detailed study of soil genesis and the Canadian System of Soil Classification. Graduates of this course are aware of the wide variety in kinds and characteristics of soils as they occur in nature.

Prerequisites: SO 210  or equivalent
Corequisites: None

Course Learning Outcomes:
A student who successfully completes the course will have reliably demonstrated the ability to

1. describe the role of soil and land classification in land use planning.
2. differentiate between and classify common landforms, parent materials, soils, and associated plant communities.
3. produce a detailed soil Pedon description based on chemical, physical, and biological characteristics.
4. examine a soil Pedon and classify its parent material, order, great group, and subgroup using the Canadian system of soil classification and describe pertinent soil forming processes for various Canadian soils.
5. apply soil survey techniques, use, assess and analyze soil survey reports and maps.
6. describe the general characteristics of various soils and their suitability to support common land uses including agriculture, forestry, oil/gas, mining, and wildlife.
7. operate workplace equipment safely.

National Research Council of Canada. 1998. The Canadian system of soil classification.

3rd ed. National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa.

Day, J.H. (Ed.). Land Resource Research Institute (Canada). 1983. The CanSIS manual for

describing soils in the field.1982 Rev. ed. Research Branch, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa.

SO 340 Lecture and lab supplement (handouts), notes.

Optional Resource Materials:
Brady, N.C., and R.R Weil. 2004. Elements of the nature and properties of soils. 2nd ed.

Prentice Hall., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Krzic, M., Walley, F.L., Diochon, A., Paré, M.C., & Farrell, R.E. (Eds.) 2021. Digging into Canadian

Soils: An introduction to Soil Science. Pinawa, MB: Canadian Society of Soil Science. 

Conduct of Course:
Total course hours are 42 hours of lecture and 28 hours of lab work. The instructor discusses this time allocation as it pertains to your timetable and expected hours of homework, etc.

The lecture is a formalized classroom situation where the instructor discusses pertinent topics and students normally take notes. Student-questions are encouraged, to clarify subject areas.

The lab component is comprised of field trips and lab exercises, where students participate in work groups at field sites. Lab exercises are designed to provide practical application of theory discussed in lectures. Weekly or alternate-weekly lab reports or assignments are required and are typically prepared by participation in working groups to write and hand in lab reports for grading.

To obtain credit for this course:

· all lab reports and assignments must be completed and handed in

· all labs must be attended

Lab reports are word processed and printed by a computer program. Late lab reports and assignments are not graded; a grade of zero (0) is assigned.

Classroom and laboratory attendance is considered vital to the learning process and as significant to the students’ evaluation as examinations and reports, therefore absenteeism is recorded.

• Students having a combination of excused and/or unexcused absence of 20 percent or higher for the scheduled course hours can be required to withdraw and would then automatically receive a “RW” (required withdrawal) for the course, regardless of any other evaluation results. (RW is a failing grade).
• An excused absence is one that is verified with your instructor. Verification should be prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence. Verification of the absence may take the form of a note from your doctor/College nurse regarding illness, or a note from another instructor regarding a field trip or other activity, or authorization by your instructor following an in-person meeting. Be sure to contact your instructor and ask what they will require from you as verification of each absence. An unexcused absence is anything NOT verified by the instructor prior to the absence or the next class day following the absence.

It is the students’ responsibility to know their own absentee record.

Normal hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with potential for evening courses, exams, or extended field trips. Students are expected to be available for classes during these times.

Content of Course:
Soil and land classification

• History
• Landscape and soil classification connection

Soil Properties

• Physical
• Chemical
• Biological

Landscape Classification

• Landforms
• Surface expression
• Parent materials

Soil Classification

• 10 Orders in Canadian System of Soil Classification
• Anthroposols
• Orders
• Great groups
• Subgroups

Soil Survey Techniques and Tools

• Soil mapping
• AGRISID
• Soils of Canada
• Soil Surveys

Labs

• In field soil classification
• In field soil classification exam
• Study of soil monoliths

• Official final grades will be available on My Lakeland. Grades posted in D2L should be considered interim grades.  
• “Lakeland College is committed to the highest academic standards. Students are expected to be familiar with Lakeland College policies and to abide by these policies. Violations of these policies are considered to be serious and may result in suspension or expulsion from the College.”  

Students must maintain a cumulative grade of C (GPA - Grade Point Average of 2.00) in order to qualify to graduate.

Every effort has been made to ensure that information in this course outline is accurate at the time of publication. Lakeland College reserves the right to change courses if it becomes necessary so that course content remains relevant.

In such cases, the instructor will give students clear and timely notice of changes.

No part of this course outline may be reproduced in any form or resold without written permission from Lakeland College.

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