PUBLIC MARKS from paleorthid with tag "soil science"

Intense, low duration grazing builds soil vitality, and increases soil organic matter. Rhizosperic soil can get awfully puny under long duration grazing. Topsoil pales and topsoil depth is lost, but not to sediment discharge or wind erosion. The in-situ transformation of topsoil to not-topsoil results in the discharge of soil carbon to the atmosphere. The good news is that, unlike wind erosion, water erosion, sheet erosion, or gully erosion erosion, this yet-to-be-named variant of topsoil erosion is reversible.

Most soil scientists agree with the unvalidated concept that soil carbon levels will likely decline in step with temperature increases. Higher biological activity will result in more decomposition of organic matter. One certainly sees a similar relationship between soil carbon and temperature when comparing the effect of elevation, aspect and latitude. That we have yet to validate it is telling.

In mycorrhizal associations, the fungal partner assists its plant host with nitrogen and phosphorus uptake while obtaining photosynthetically fixed carbon. Recent studies in mycorrhiza have highlighted the potential for direct transfer of ammonia from fungal to plant cells. This presents a new perspective on nitrogen transfer at the mycorrhizal interface, which is discussed here in light of recent progress made in characterizing a large array of membrane proteins that could fulfil the function of transporting ammonia.

The Godfather of Terra Preta, soil scientist Wim Sombroek (1934 - 2003) enjoyed a lifelong fascination with enhanced soil. The importance of plaggen soil in his native Netherlands impressed him at an early age, and early in the 1960's, he recognized in the Amazonian Dark Earths something familiar and precious. Before his passing, he assembled specific soil scientists challenged them to discover the process for making and sustaining a modern equivalent of the bio-char enhanced terra preta, what he termed terra preta nova. A great opportunity in answering Sombroek's challenge lies is surmounting the opacity of mutualistic rhizospheric species to traditional analytical approaches: only 1% of rhizospheric species are cultureable ala petri dish. We don't have a robust body of culture-independent studies against which to compare Terra Preta, so we are doubly challenged to reverse-engineer the phenomenon. Considering Wim Somboek's many noteworthy accomplishments, the perspective of his international leadership, and the late-in-life timing of his challenge, one senses he is pointing us to a mystery fundamental to understanding soil in new and exciting ways. This happens at a time when the soil science profession is in dynamic transition and sorely in need of a unifying vision. Wim Sombroek has given soil scientists a most welcome and worthy quest.

Peak Energy has a long post on Terra Preta that brings together what has been established on the subject. As of yet, there is no direct mention of the role of glomalin, just a minor mention of the mutualistic fungi that produce it. Glomalin is an unvalidated factor in Terra Preta formation that several of us sense will be demonstrated by soil research as fundamentally important. Spurred on by back40, I am fascinated with bio-char, Terra Preta's key soil amendment. Last summer I constructed a small charcoal retort out of a cracker tin. I used it to produce small pilot batches of low temperature charcoal. Hoping to transform my simple charcoal into a reasonably bio-char-like material, I am currently composting my bits.

Greetings to all soil science professionals - agency, academic, and private sector - The National Society of Professional Soil Scientists (USA) has initiated the first professional soil science organization blog. Hopefully other soil organizations will follow. It is no secret that blogging thrives in a community setting. Initial posts in The NSCSS News and Views Blog will be soil science job opportunities, event announcements, and member news. Comments will be closed during this establishment phase. Once interest and readership develop, we hope to convert this blog to support active public exchange on the three issues that we in NSCSS never tire of discussing: professional and ethical conduct, soil science education, and unfair competition from taxpayer-supported entities.

David Crouse, over at North Carolina State has started a new soil science blog. It is obviously a tentative effort at this point, seeing as how the last post has nothing to do with soil science. You have to start somewhere. I am eagerly looking for more soil science blogging. NC State is one of my favorite soil science universities so, while I haven't met DC personally, I expect this blog could work up to (or inspire) something noteworthy. I have started a second soil science related blog: NSCSS News and Views. A fair amount of material gets passed to me as NSCSS Secretary. Job opportunities, for example. I'll post items as they get to me. If I notice anything attracting and holding folks attention, I'll build on that.

Tim Jones is a soil scientist with Mort-Jones Soil Consulting. On a recent rainy November afternoon, he demonstrated a soil boring at a Granger residence.

Renewed soil science licensing efforts are underway in Washington State. Supporting them is a new website. Titled Soil Science Licensing, the site is available to become a clearinghouse for all soil science licensing efforts. It links to the best available information, including the list of soil science licensing boards maintained by the Soil WikiProject.