The Science of Soil: Why Study Soil?

00:04:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og3TUc9xQaE

Résumé

TLDRExperts discuss the significance of soil science in addressing various environmental issues, including public health, conservation, and sustainability. The discussion highlights soil's capacity to filter contaminants, improve agricultural practices, and its vital role in water management and climate control. Educational experiences, such as studying soil in national parks and conducting lab experiments, showcase the interconnectedness of soil science with multiple scientific disciplines. The speakers emphasize that soil is a critical component in environmental management and a field with diverse career opportunities.

A retenir

  • 🌱 Soil is foundational for environmental issues.
  • 🌍 Understanding soil processes aids in conservation efforts.
  • 🔬 Soil science impacts water purification and storage.
  • 💧 Healthy soils enhance public health through contamination management.
  • 🌿 Soil plays a critical role in sustainable agriculture.
  • 🌡️ Soils contribute to climate control and carbon sequestration.
  • 🔍 Soil studies offer hands-on learning opportunities for students.
  • 🏞️ Experience in diverse environments enriches soil science education.
  • 📊 Research on soil properties leads to practical solutions.
  • 🌟 A degree in soil science opens various career paths.

Chronologie

  • 00:00:00 - 00:04:19

    The discussion emphasizes the importance of soil in addressing environmental issues, highlighting its role in public health and agriculture. Individuals from various backgrounds express their experiences and responsibilities in soil science, including the need for understanding soil properties for conservation practices and their impact on ecosystems. Projects like the soil survey at Glacier National Park reveal the fascination with soil formation processes and their broader environmental implications, such as water purification and climate control. Finally, the speakers advocate for continuous exploration and education in soil science, underscoring its relevance across multiple scientific disciplines.

Carte mentale

Vidéo Q&R

  • Why is soil important for environmental issues?

    Soil is crucial because it influences water storage and purification, carbon sequestration, and impacts various environmental processes.

  • How does soil science contribute to public health?

    Soil science helps understand and manage soil properties that can affect water contaminants, thereby improving public health.

  • What are conservation programs in relation to soil?

    Conservation programs focus on improving soil quality and sustainability, impacting the overall quality of life for citizens.

  • What can be learned from studying soils?

    Studying soils reveals important processes regarding environmental management, agriculture, and the ecology of different landscapes.

  • How do soils help remove contaminants?

    Soils have properties that allow them to absorb and filter contaminants from water, which can be tested in laboratory settings.

  • What role does soil play in agriculture?

    Healthy soils contribute to sustainable farming practices and agricultural productivity.

  • Can studying soils lead to advancements in science?

    Yes, soil sciences intersect with various fields and offer continual learning and exploration opportunities.

  • What practical experiences are involved in soil science education?

    Students gain hands-on experience through field studies, lab experiments, and conservation projects.

  • How does soil science relate to climate control?

    Soil plays a significant role in climate regulation through carbon sequestration and water management.

  • What are some career opportunities in soil science?

    Careers in soil science include environmental research, agriculture, conservation, and public health among others.

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Sous-titres
en
Défilement automatique:
  • 00:00:04
    -[Ella McKinney] I think if you have an interest
  • 00:00:08
    in environmental issues, i think that soils are really the place to start.
  • 00:00:12
    Everything comes back to soil
  • 00:00:15
    and I think that if you can understand those processes you can help
  • 00:00:20
    really make a difference.
  • 00:00:22
    -[Steve Maestas] One thing that I really like about my major is that we're protecting not only
  • 00:00:26
    the environment, but public health.
  • 00:00:28
    Right now I work for the environmental department at NASA
  • 00:00:31
    and what we're in charge is the compliance, the regulatory side
  • 00:00:36
    of the work that happens at NASA.
  • 00:00:39
    -[Joel Brown] In USDA, we spend billions of dollars every year on conservation programs,
  • 00:00:45
    and those conservation programs are all directed
  • 00:00:49
    at improving the quality of life
  • 00:00:52
    for citizens in general, and improving the sustainability of agriculture.
  • 00:00:58
    So, we really have to have a working knowledge of soils
  • 00:01:02
    that will allow us to understand where to put certain conservation practices,
  • 00:01:07
    and you know in any particular landscape which
  • 00:01:11
    soils we want to treat first, or which soils are the most critical.
  • 00:01:15
    -[Steve] One of the amazing things about soils is
  • 00:01:19
    they have properties to remove contaminants from water.
  • 00:01:22
    What I do here on the University, is we take soils that are
  • 00:01:26
    native here to New Mexico and we try to calculate how much
  • 00:01:30
    these contaminants they can absorb.
  • 00:01:33
    So, what I will do is take known weight of
  • 00:01:37
    these soil particles, mix them
  • 00:01:41
    with an arsenic solution to see how much arsenic
  • 00:01:45
    that the sand can remove.
  • 00:01:47
    After the experiment is over and the calculations are made, we also tried to
  • 00:01:52
    desorb the arsenic from
  • 00:01:55
    the sand to see if we can reuse that sand as another filter media.
  • 00:02:00
    -[Ella] As a student, I got to participate in a soil survey at Glacier National Park in Montana.
  • 00:02:06
    And, I got to see more of that national park than most people get to see in their entire life.
  • 00:02:12
    We got to camp out pretty much for 12 weeks.
  • 00:02:14
    Even just as a science student, it was really cool looking at the processes that form soil,
  • 00:02:21
    and digging our holes, and characterizing it, and understanding more about the processes
  • 00:02:25
    that form the park and management in the area.
  • 00:02:29
    It's neat in the lab when I can take soil
  • 00:02:35
    and culture the microbes and look at them under the scope and get to see
  • 00:02:40
    just this world that other people don't get to see.
  • 00:02:43
    I get to see the crystals forming in the soil, the casting carbonate crystals.
  • 00:02:47
    And it's just kind of cool getting to see the processes that make soil do what it does.
  • 00:02:54
    -[April Ulery] Soil science is often thought of being just agronomy or farming, but it's more than that.
  • 00:03:03
    It's about the environment.
  • 00:03:07
    It's about water storage and purification.
  • 00:03:11
    It's about climate control.
  • 00:03:14
    It's about carbon sequestration.
  • 00:03:17
    Soil is the key to
  • 00:03:21
    so many different environmental issues
  • 00:03:24
    that it's actually the critical zone where
  • 00:03:28
    a lot of the science has come together and need to be addressed.
  • 00:03:34
    -[Ella] I really feel that when it comes to Science and Education,
  • 00:03:38
    I don't feel like there's a ceiling on that.
  • 00:03:41
    I think there's always something to be
  • 00:03:42
    explored, something to be looked at, something to be taught.
  • 00:03:46
    And what I really like about soils is that
  • 00:03:49
    it has something--it has some part of every type of science,
  • 00:03:54
    and there's literally nothing you can do with the soils degree.
Tags
  • soil science
  • environment
  • public health
  • conservation
  • agriculture
  • climate control
  • sustainability
  • contaminants
  • education
  • microbial processes