paleorthid's Feed

The Charcoal Vision

paleorthid — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:11:00 -0400

Application of the charcoal to soils may be key to sustainability. Application of charcoal to soils is hypothesized to increase bioavailable water, build soil organic matter, enhance nutrient cycling, lower bulk density, act as a liming agent, and reduce leaching of pesticides and nutrients to surface and ground water. The half-life of C in soil charcoal is in excess of 1000 yr. Hence, soil-applied charcoal will make both a lasting contribution to soil quality and C in the charcoal will be removed from the atmosphere and sequestered for millennia. Tagged by paleorthid under agrichar, bio-char, carbon, innovation, biofuels, soil_science, terra_preta,

Transect points: Redox Cascade

paleorthid — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:12:00 -0400

Redox: soil pH's energetic dance partner. When pH changes, pE must also change in response. The reverse is true also. In soil, that response departs from simple mirroring. So much so that it can seem to be two separate dances. Soil pH and pE have different causes of change and different effective buffering agents. The term 'buffering' is replaced in a pE context - it is called poise. A stabilized soil pE system is referred to as a well poised system, differences in soil buffering versus soil poise account for the departure from 1:1 mirroring. Now for the exciting stuff. To many of us, what makes soil different than geologic material is that it is in an excited state, excited mostly by solar energy as facilitated by living processes. Unlike soil pH, soil pE is directly influenced by these energy fluxes. Tagged by paleorthid under bio-char, chemistry, pedology, wetland, soil_science,

transect points: Soil Science has Changed

paleorthid — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 04:48:00 -0500

Edaphology is the study of soil (edaphic) effects. Until about 25 years ago, it was mostly synonymous with agricultural soil science as distinguished from pedology, the study of soil in its natural setting. Edaphology now encompasses the new field of environmental soil science, with its more formal emphasis on interdependent living processes in soil. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science, history, ecology, edaphology, environment,

transect points: Teaming with Microbes Arrived Today

paleorthid — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 10:36:00 -0500

"Teaming with Microbes", by Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis. Foreword by Elaine Ingham. Strong soil science orientation. Well organized. Extensive index. Valuable guide to labs and suppliers. Looking forward to actually reading it. Tagged by paleorthid under bacteria, book, review, environment, fertility, fungi, garden, glomalin, microbiology, new, organic, science, soil,

NSCSS News and Views: NSCSS Supports Federal Research Public Access Act

paleorthid — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:38:00 -0500

The National Society of Consulting Soil Scientists supports S. 2695, the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006, as introduced, in that it reflects NSCSS goals regarding the free exchange of information, promoting soil science technology, and eliminating unfair competition from taxpayer supported entities. Tagged by paleorthid under OA, FRPAA, soil, science, research, open, access, news, release, legislation, politics,

NSCSS News and Views: Being a Client of Soil Science Education

paleorthid — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 04:01:00 -0500

A discussion of NSCSS' role as a client of soil science education comparing SSSA's recent message "Making Soil Science Education Relevant to Societal Needs" to NSCSS' Education Project page. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science, education, university, consultin, SSSA, business, curricula,

NSCSS News and Views

paleorthid — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 03:56:00 -0500

A discussion of NSCSS' role as a client of soil science education Tagged by paleorthid under business, curricula, education, soil science, SSSA,

NSCSS News and Views: SSSA Science Policy Office

paleorthid — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 12:09:00 -0500

The Soil Science Society of America's lobbying and policy efforts at the Science Policy Office, Washington, D.C., are important to NSCSS. In many ways, NSCSS was founded to give a voice to consulting soil scientists, and accordingly, advance the soil science profession in so doing. With our close relationship with SSSA, The Science Policy Office puts our best foot forward in advancing science policy. Tagged by paleorthid under politics, soil, science, SSSA,

NSCSS News and Views: Launch of New House Soils Caucus!

paleorthid — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 11:41:00 -0500

The mission of the House Soils Caucus is to heighten the awareness of, and appreciation for, the importance and role of soils and soil science among policymakers and the public to promote proper soil management and conservation to ensure the continued production of high-quality and abundant food, feed, and fiber while protecting and enhancing the environment and natural resource base across the nation. Tagged by paleorthid under news, politics, soil, science,

transect points: Sombroek's Challenge - Terra Preta Nova

paleorthid — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:39:00 -0500

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. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta, microbiology, research, soil_science, bio-char, carbon_sequestration, innovation,

transect points: Black Earth

paleorthid — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 11:31:00 -0500

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. Tagged by paleorthid under terra_preta, bio-char, soil_science, blog, fungi, glomalin,

NSCSS News and Views: Announcing NSCSS News and Views Blog for Soil Science Professionals

paleorthid — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:55:00 -0500

Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science, news, opinion, blog,

transect points: Two New Soil Science Blogs

paleorthid — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:49:00 -0500

Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science, news, blog,

transect points: NC Science Blogging Conference Jan 20, 2007

paleorthid — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 01:02:00 -0500

The world needs more science bloggers. There are a lot of science bloggers in NC. Soil science bloggers are few. There is a concentration of soil scientists in and very close to North Carolina. Soil scientists should go to the 2007 Science Blogging Conference Sat, Jan 20, 2007, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Chapel Hill, NC. Tagged by paleorthid under blog, conference, soil, science,

transect points: Geocorp America Soil Science Internships

paleorthid — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 06:15:00 -0500

GeoCorps America has announced that 40 jobs will be available this summer, 2007, for work with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management. These are paid geoscience positions at many interesting locations. GeoCorps Positions pay a $2,500 stipend for 10-12 weeks of duty and free housing is provided. The positions are open to students, teachers, professionals and retirees. Of the 40 jobs, two are soil scientist positions and I would characterise both as college internships. Tagged by paleorthid under government, internship, job, opportunity, soil, scientist,

transect points: New Soil Science Licensing Website

paleorthid — Sun, 10 Dec 2006 05:58:00 -0500

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. Tagged by paleorthid under environment, erosion, government, health, licensing, politics, regulation, soil, science, stormwater,

Soil Science Journal Club

paleorthid — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 11:55:00 -0500

new soil science blog Tagged by paleorthid under

Basque Research: Mixed mortars of calcium and cement in the restoration of buildings

paleorthid — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 12:51:00 -0500

Mixed mortars of calcium and cement in the restoration of buildings The chemist Mikel Arandigoyen Vidaurre, of the Department of Chemistry and Soil Sciences of the University of Navarra, has proved the effectiveness of new formulas for the restoration of buildings. In his thesis, defended at the School of Sciences, he proposes a combination of calcium and cement, which is able to strengthen the qualities of both materials. Tagged by paleorthid under mortar, building, restoration, calcium, cement,

transect points: Missoula Soil Science Consultant Speaks

paleorthid — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 05:50:00 -0500

Tell someone you are a soil scientist and it invariably requires an explanation of what you do. It's interesting that few of us do the same things and the telling of it reveals much about the person as well as the community they serve. For that reason I like to collect other folks' descriptions of their work. Certainly the telling of Barry Dutton's life work stands among my favorites because he built his business from scratch in a particularly cost-conscious region. He did it largely without the benefit of the 2 main drivers of regional soil consulting booms: booming suburban sprawl and booming energy prices driving increased well drilling and surface mining for coal and oil shale. I've heard several iterations of Barry's telling over the years and look forward to future installments. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science, consulting, pedology,

transect points: Smithsonian soil exhibit

paleorthid — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 04:18:00 -0500

This exhibit is welcomed with enthusiasm by soil scientists. It would be at any time, but now, when soil science is at the cross roads and with soil scientists keyed up about the profession, it is even more so. Tagged by paleorthid under soil, science,