Admissions to the Soil Science, BS will be suspended as of spring 2025 and will be discontinued as of summer 2029. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
The Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences provides undergraduate and graduate education in the environmental, agricultural, and natural resource aspects of soils. Areas of emphasis include soil ecology, soil erosion management, soil fertility and plant nutrition, soil physical and chemical characterization, biogeochemistry, urban soils, soil carbon, soil health, soil contaminants, waste management, pedology, and land use analysis.
Soils are a critical natural resource in environmental protection, food and fiber production, turf and grounds management, rural and urban planning, and waste disposal. All of these facets are integrated into the department's course offerings and research programs. Soil science majors prepare for professional, technical, consulting, and project positions in environmental sciences, ecology and restoration, crop and timber production, soil informatics, soil conservation, environmental pollution control, turf and grounds management, and land-use planning. Please contact the department for further information on career opportunities.
Students completing an undergraduate major in soil science earn a bachelor of science degree. A problem-solving "capstone course" that integrates knowledge gleaned from a diversity of courses is required.
How to Get in
Admissions to the Soil Science, BS will be suspended as of spring 2025 and will be discontinued as of summer 2029. If you have any questions, please contact the department.
To declare this major, students must be admitted to UW–Madison and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). For information about becoming a CALS first-year or transfer student, see Entering the College.
Students who attend Student Orientation, Advising, and Registration (SOAR) with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences have the option to declare this major at SOAR. Students may otherwise declare after they have begun their undergraduate studies. For more information, contact the advisor listed in the Contact Box for the major.
University General Education Requirements
All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide.
| General Education |
* The mortarboard symbol appears before the title of any course that fulfills one of the Communication Part A or Part B, Ethnic Studies, or Quantitative Reasoning Part A or Part B requirements. |
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Requirements
In addition to the University General Education Requirements, all undergraduate students in CALS must satisfy a set of college and major requirements. Courses may not double count within university requirements (General Education and Breadth) or within college requirements (First-Year Seminar, International Studies, Science, and Capstone), but courses counted toward university requirements may also be used to satisfy a college and/or a major requirement; similarly, courses counted toward college requirements may also be used to satisfy a university and/or a major requirement.
College Requirements for all CALS BS Degree Programs
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Quality of Work: Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000 to remain in good standing and be eligible for graduation. | ||
| Residency: Students must complete 30 degree credits in residence at UW–Madison after earning 86 credits toward their undergraduate degree. | ||
| First year seminar | 1 | |
| International studies | 3 | |
| Physical science fundamentals | 4-5 | |
| General Chemistry I | ||
or CHEM 108 | Chemistry in Our World | |
or CHEM 109 | Advanced General Chemistry | |
| Biological science | 5 | |
| Additional science (biological, physical, or natural) | 3 | |
| Science breadth (biological, physical, natural, or social) | 3 | |
| CALS Capstone Learning Experience: included in the requirements for each CALS major (see "major requirements") | ||
Major Requirements
Courses may not double count within the major (unless specifically noted otherwise), but courses counted toward the major requirements may also be used to satisfy a university requirement and/or a college requirement. A minimum of 15 credits must be completed in the major that are not used elsewhere.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3-5 | |
| Algebra | ||
| Algebra and Trigonometry | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry I 1 | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences (recommended) | ||
| Statistical Methods for Bioscience I | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 5-9 | |
| Option 1: | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Advanced General Chemistry | ||
| Biology | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 10 | |
| Option 1 (recommended): | ||
| General Botany 2 | ||
| Animal Biology | ||
| Animal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Option 3: | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics | ||
| Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Cellular Biology | ||
| Cellular Biology Laboratory | ||
| Core | ||
| SOIL SCI 301 & SOIL SCI 302 | General Soil Science and Meet Your Soil: Soil Analysis and Interpretation Laboratory | 4 |
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
SOIL SCI 321 | ||
| Soil and Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Plant Nutrition Management | ||
| Mineral Nutrition of Plants | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Environmental Monitoring and Soil Characterization for Earth's Critical Zone | ||
| Soil Physics | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Soil Biology | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | ||
| Focus Areas | ||
| Students must complete 1 of 3 focus areas: 1. Environmental Soil Science 2. Soil and Food Systems 3. Turf and Grounds (see below) | 29-44 | |
| Capstone | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| Soil Management 3 | ||
| Assessment of Environmental Impact | ||
| Decision Methods for Natural Resource Managers | ||
| Total Credits | 66-89 | |
- 1
- 2
BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 is required by the Turf and Grounds focus area.
- 3
SOIL SCI 499 capstone required for Turf and Grounds focus area.
Focus Areas within the Major
Environmental Soil Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 5 | |
| Survey of Calculus 1 | ||
| Calculus and Analytic Geometry 1 | ||
| Calculus with Algebra and Trigonometry II | ||
| Physics | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 4-5 | |
| General Physics (recommended) | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| General Physics | ||
| Chemistry | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 4-8 | |
| Option 1: | ||
| Chemistry Across the Periodic Table | ||
| Fundamentals of Analytical Science | ||
or CHEM 329 | Fundamentals of Analytical Science | |
| Option 2: | ||
| Elementary Organic Chemistry and Elementary Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Option 3: | ||
| Organic Chemistry I and Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory and Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Physical Environment | 6 | |
| Select one course from the following: | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | ||
| Introduction to the Earth System | ||
| Physical Systems of the Environment | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Introduction to Geologic Structures | ||
| Earth's Soil: Natural Science and Human Use | ||
SOIL SCI 321 | ||
| Plant Nutrition Management | ||
| Select at least one course from the following: | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
ATM OCN 323 | ||
| Soils and Environmental Quality | ||
| Urban Soil and Environment | ||
| Soil and Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Soil Physics | ||
| Mineral Nutrition of Plants | ||
| Environmental Biophysics | ||
| Principles of Landscape Ecology | ||
| GIS Applications | ||
| Living Environment | 11 | |
| Select one course from the following: | ||
| Principles and Practices in Crop Production | ||
| Cropping Systems | ||
| People, Land and Food: Comparative Study of Agriculture Systems | ||
| Limnology-Conservation of Aquatic Resources | ||
| Fruit Crop Production | ||
| World Vegetable Crops | ||
| Study Abroad in Agroecology | ||
| Grassland Ecology | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | ||
| Select one course from the following: | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Forest Ecology and Forest Ecology Lab | ||
| Principles of Genetics | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | ||
| Genetics Laboratory | ||
| Phylogenetic Analysis of Molecular Data | ||
| Mineral Nutrition of Plants | ||
| Toxicants in the Environment: Sources, Distribution, Fate, & Effects | ||
| Select one of the following options: | ||
| Option 1: | ||
| General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| Biology of Microorganisms and Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory | ||
| Option 3: | ||
| Algae and Fungi | ||
| Environmental Policy, Management, and Analysis | 9 | |
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Forum on the Environment | ||
| Environmental Studies: Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Environmental Studies: Environmental Humanities | ||
| Principles of Environmental Science | ||
| Physical Systems of the Environment | ||
| Decision Methods for Natural Resource Managers | ||
| Assessment of Environmental Impact | ||
| Human Transformations of Earth Surface Processes | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Economics-Accelerated Treatment | ||
| The Environment and the Global Economy | ||
| The International Agricultural Economy | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources | ||
| Total Credits | 39-44 | |
Soil and Food Systems
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Environment | 8-10 | |
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
ATM OCN 323 | ||
| Introduction to the Earth System | ||
| Physical Systems of the Environment | ||
| Introductory Geology: How the Earth Works | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Soils and Environmental Quality | ||
SOIL SCI 321 | ||
| Plant Nutrition Management | ||
| Environmental Biogeochemistry | ||
| Urban Soil and Environment | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Principles of Landscape Ecology | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| GIS Applications | ||
| GIS and Spatial Analysis | ||
| Earth's Soil: Natural Science and Human Use | ||
| Environmental Biogeochemistry | ||
| Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | ||
| Soil and Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Soil Physics | ||
| Mineral Nutrition of Plants | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resources | ||
| Economics and Food Management | 6-8 | |
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Introductory Financial Accounting | ||
| Introductory Managerial Accounting | ||
| Accounting Principles | ||
| Financial Reporting I | ||
| Taxation: Concepts for Business and Personal Planning | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | ||
| Agricultural Systems Management | ||
| Commodity Markets | ||
| Cooperatives and Alternative Forms of Enterprise Ownership | ||
| Agricultural Finance | ||
| Economic Decision Analysis | ||
| Economic Problems of Developing Areas | ||
| Human Resource Management | ||
| Compensation: Theory and Administration | ||
| Strategic Talent Management | ||
| Labor-Management Relations | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Principles of Economics-Accelerated Treatment | ||
| Introductory Financial Accounting | ||
| Introductory Managerial Accounting | ||
| Accounting Principles | ||
| Financial Reporting I | ||
| Taxation: Concepts for Business and Personal Planning | ||
| Agricultural Systems Management | ||
| Commodity Markets | ||
| Cooperatives and Alternative Forms of Enterprise Ownership | ||
| Agricultural Finance | ||
| Economic Decision Analysis | ||
| Economic Problems of Developing Areas | ||
| Environmental Microbiology | ||
| Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry | ||
| Human Resource Management | ||
| Compensation: Theory and Administration | ||
| Strategic Talent Management | ||
| Labor-Management Relations | ||
| Specialized Sciences (complete all) | ||
| AGRONOMY 100 | Principles and Practices in Crop Production | 3-4 |
| or HORT 120 | Survey of Horticulture | |
| AGRONOMY 300 | Cropping Systems | 3 |
| or AGRONOMY 302 | Forage Management and Utilization | |
| or HORT 345 | Fruit Crop Production | |
| AGRONOMY/HORT/SOIL SCI 326 | Plant Nutrition Management | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 | Introduction to Plant Pathology | 3-4 |
| or ENTOM 351 | Principles of Economic Entomology | |
| A A E 101 | Introduction to Agricultural and Applied Economics | 4 |
| or A A E/ENVIR ST 244 | The Environment and the Global Economy | |
| or A A E 319 | The International Agricultural Economy | |
| or A A E/AGRONOMY/NUTR SCI 350 | World Hunger and Malnutrition | |
| Total Credits | 30-36 | |
Turf and Grounds
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Environment | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Earth's Water: Natural Science and Human Use | ||
| Introduction to the Earth System | ||
| Physical Systems of the Environment | ||
| Introductory Geology: How the Earth Works | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Core Turf and Grounds Sciences (complete all) | ||
| ACCT I S 300 | Accounting Principles | 3 |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 | General Botany (also counts for Soil Science Biology requirement) | 5 |
| HORT/PL PATH 261 | Sustainable Turfgrass Use and Management | 2 |
| M H R 305 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PL PATH 300 | Introduction to Plant Pathology | 4 |
| HORT/SOIL SCI 332 | Turfgrass Nutrient and Water Management | 3 |
| Specialized Sciences | 7 | |
| Select 7 credits from the following courses: | ||
| Dendrology: Woody Plant Identification and Ecology | ||
| Landscape Plants I | ||
BSE 243 | ||
| Land Information Management | ||
| Principles of Economic Entomology | ||
| Survey of Horticulture | ||
| Turfgrass Management Laboratory | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Honors in the Major
Students admitted to the university and to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences are invited to apply to be considered for admission to the CALS Honors Program.
Admission Criteria for New First-Year Students:
- Complete program application including essay questions
Admission Criteria for Transfer and Continuing UW-Madison Students:
- UW-Madison cumulative GPA of at least 3.25
- Complete program application including essay questions
How to Apply
The application is available on the CALS Honors Program website. Applications are accepted at any time.
New first-year students with accepted applications will automatically be enrolled in Honors in Research. It is possible to switch to Honors in the Major in the student’s first semester on campus after receiving approval from the advisor for that major. Transfer and continuing students may apply directly to Honors in Research or Honors in the Major (after approval from the major advisor).
Requirements
All CALS Honors programs have the following requirements:
- Earn at least a cumulative 3.25 GPA at UW-Madison (some programs have higher requirements)
- Complete the program-specific requirements listed below
- Submit completed thesis documentation to CALS Academic Affairs
Honors in the Major Requirements
To earn Honors in the Major, students are required to take at least 20 honors credits. In addition, students must take SOIL SCI 681 Senior Honors Thesis and SOIL SCI 682 Senior Honors Thesis when completing their thesis project; please see the Honors in Major Checklist for more information.
University Degree Requirements
| Total Degree | To receive a bachelor's degree from UW–Madison, students must earn a minimum of 120 degree credits. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 degree credits. Students should consult with their college or department advisor for information on specific credit requirements. |
| Residency | Degree candidates are required to earn a minimum of 30 credits in residence at UW–Madison. "In residence" means on the UW–Madison campus with an undergraduate degree classification. “In residence” credit also includes UW–Madison courses offered in distance or online formats and credits earned in UW–Madison Study Abroad/Study Away programs. |
| Quality of Work | Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum grade point average specified by the school, college, or academic program to remain in good academic standing. Students whose academic performance drops below these minimum thresholds will be placed on academic probation. |
Learning Outcomes
- To instill in our undergraduate majors the knowledge base required for them to intelligently discuss, debate and communicate those aspects of soil science pertinent to their degree, specialization and career goals.
- To provide our undergraduates with the skills and experience needed to identify and solve problems and issues of the types they may encounter in their professions.
- To ensure that our undergraduates possess an awareness of and an appreciation for the potential impacts of soil, water, crop and waste management practices, and land use on the quality of the environment.
Four-Year Plan
Sample Soil Science Four-Year Plan
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 103 or 109 | 4-5 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| MATH 114 or 171 | 5 | ETHNIC STUDIES | 3 |
| FIRST YEAR SEMINAR | 1 | ELECTIVES | 7-8 |
| COMM-A/ELECTIVES | 3-4 | ||
| 13-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 or ZOOLOGY 1511 | 5 | ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 |
| SOIL SCI 301 & SOIL SCI 302 | 4 | COMM-B/ELECTIVES | 3 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDIES | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSE | 4-5 |
| ELECTIVES | 3 | ELECTIVES | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 321 | 3 | SOIL SCI 622 | 3 |
| STATISTICS | 3 | SOIL SCI/PL PATH 323 | 3 |
| FOCUS AREA COURSE/ELECTIVES | 6 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 9-10 |
| 12 | 15-16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 499 (Capstone) | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 15-16 |
| FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 12 | ||
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 115-121 | |||
Sample Soil Science Four-Year Plan: Soil & Food Systems; Turf and Ground Focus Areas
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 103 or 109 | 4-5 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| MATH 114 or 171 | 5 | ETHNIC STUDIES | 3 |
| FIRST YEAR SEMINAR | 1 | ELECTIVES | 7-8 |
| COMM-A/ELECTIVES | 3-4 | ||
| 13-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 28-31 | |||
| Sophomore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 or ZOOLOGY 1511 | 5 | ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 |
| SOIL SCI 301 & SOIL SCI 302 | 4 | COMM-B/ELECTIVES | 3 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDIES | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSE | 4-5 |
| ELECTIVES | 3 | ELECTIVES | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 30-31 | |||
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 321 | SOIL SCI/PL PATH 323 | 3 | |
| STATISTICS | 3 | SOIL SCI 622 | 3 |
| FOCUS AREA COURSE/ELECTIVES | 6 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 9-10 |
| 9 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 24-25 | |||
| Senior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 499 (Capstone) | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 15-16 |
| FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 12 | ||
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 30-31 | |||
- 1
BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 and ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101/ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 are required for Turf and Grounds focus area.
Sample Soil Science Four-Year Plan—Environmental Soil Science Focus Area
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| CHEM 103 or 109 | 4-5 | CHEM 104 | 5 |
| MATH 114 or 171 | 5 | ETHNIC STUDIES | 3 |
| FIRST YEAR SEMINAR | 1 | ELECTIVES | 7-8 |
| COMM-A/ELECTIVES | 3-4 | ||
| 13-15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 28-31 | |||
| Sophomore | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 or ZOOLOGY 151 | 5 | ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 101 & ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 | 5 |
| SOIL SCI 301 & SOIL SCI 302 | 4 | FOCUS AREA COURSE | 4-5 |
| INTERNATIONAL STUDIES | 3 | ELECTIVES | 3 |
| ELECTIVES | 3 | COMM-B/ELECTIVES | 3 |
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 30-31 | |||
| Junior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 321 | SOIL SCI 622 | 3 | |
| FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 6 | SOIL SCI/PL PATH 323 | 3 |
| STATISTICS | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 9-10 |
| 9 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 24-25 | |||
| Senior | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SOIL SCI 499 (Capstone) | 3 | FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 15-16 |
| FOCUS AREA COURSES/ELECTIVES | 12 | ||
| 15 | 15-16 | ||
| Total Credits 30-31 | |||
Advising and Careers
Students are assigned a faculty advisor once they declare the major. Prospective students should contact the undergraduate coordinator, Zach Wyman (zwyman@wisc.edu, 608-265-2925), with questions.
Most of our graduates find employment in a diversity of private and commercial enterprises and governmental agencies. Recent examples of employment include laboratory technician, turf and grounds manager, agrichemical sales representative, environmental scientist, land use planner, land zoning administrator, project manager, wetlands delineator, and hydrogeologist. Approximately 12% of our undergraduates pursue advanced degrees.
People
Faculty
Dr. Francisco Arriaga
Applied Soil Physics, Soil and Water Management and Conservation: Conservation agriculture systems; development of conservation tillage practices that enhance soil quality, soil hydraulic properties, and plant water use through the adoption of cover crops and non-inversion tillage for traditional cropping systems.
Dr. Nicholas Balster
Soil Ecology, Plant Physiological Ecology, and Education: Energy and material cycling in natural and anthropogenic soils including forests, grasslands, and urban ecosystems; stable isotope ecology; environmental education; nutrition management of nursery soils; tree physiology, production and response; ecosystem response to global change; urban ecosystem processes; invasive plant ecology; biodiversity.
Dr. Phillip Barak
Soil Chemistry and Plant Nutrition: Nutrient cycling; nutrient recovery from wastewater; molecular visualization of soil minerals and molecules; soil acidification.
Dr. Zachary Freedman
Soil microbiology, ecology and sustainability: Effects of environmental change on biogeochemical cycles; community ecology and trophic dynamics; forest soil ecology; soil organic matter dynamics; sustainable agroecosystems; bio-based product crop production on marginal lands.
Dr. Alfred Hartemink
Pedology, Digital Soil Mapping: Pedology; soil carbon; digital soil mapping; tropical soils; history and philosophy of soil science.
Dr. Jingyi Huang
Soil Physics, Proximal and Remote Sensing, Soil Monitoring and Management, Digital Soil Mapping: Application of proximal and remote sensing technologies for understanding the movement of water, heat, gas, and solutes in soils across different spatial and temporal scales; application of physical and empirical models for monitoring, mapping, and managing soil changes due to natural processes and human activities.
Dr. Inna Popova
Environmental soil chemistry; understanding and mitigating the response of soil systems to the increased pressure of organic contaminants; application of biopesticides; development of novel separation and analyses methods for contaminants in environmental matrices.
Dr. Natasha Rayne
Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management: Manure placement, timing, and nitrogen credits; Organic soil amendments and nutrient cycling; Climate-smart and site-specific nitrogen management; Improvement of nitrogen use efficiency in cereal crop production.
Dr. Matthew Ruark
Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management: Soil fertility and management of grain biofuel, and vegetable crops; cover crop management; agricultural production and water quality; sustainability of dairy cropping systems; soil organic matter management.
Dr. Douglas Soldat
Turfgrass and Urban Soils: Turfgrass, urban soils, nutrient management, water resources, soil testing, landscape irrigation; soil contamination.
Dr. Thea Whitman
Soil Ecology, Microbiology, and Biogeochemistry: Soil microbial ecology; organic matter decomposition and carbon stabilization; global environmental change; stable isotopes; linking functional significance of microbial communities with ecosystem processes; fire effects on soil carbon and microbes; management and policy.
Dr. Xia Zhu-Barker
Soil Biogeochemistry, Land Management, and Environmental Sustainability: Nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical cycles; greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions; nitrate leaching and runoff; innovative manure and nutrient utilization; composting; climate change mitigation and adaptation; ecosystem services and carbon markets; dairy environmental sustainability; novel methods in isotopic techniques; mechanistic exploration of soil-plant-microbe interactions; process-based modelling. The specific research topics include:
- Microbial and abiotic processes involved in the production and consumption of nitrogen and carbon gases (N2O, NOX, NH3, CO2, CH4)
- Land management practices (e.g., compost, fertilizer, cover crops, irrigation, and tillage) that change soil health, nitrogen use efficiency, crop productivity, nitrogen losses, carbon turnover.
- Process oriented modelling of carbon/nitrogen turnover in agricultural ecosystems.
- Environmental changes on the sustainability and resilience of agricultural ecosystems especially dairy production systems.
Wisconsin Experience
Students majoring in soil science are involved in an array of opportunities across campus. Students are highly encouraged to complement their coursework with out-of-classroom experiences such as research, volunteering, internships, and study abroad.
Resources and Scholarships
Financial support — in the form of approximately 15 scholarships, part-time employment, paid internships, and work-study programs — is available to qualified undergraduate students. The department also provides opportunities and limited financial support in the form of research assistantships to qualified students seeking MS and/or PhD degrees — see the Graduate Guide.