Instructor(s)

W. Lee Daniels
Professor, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
Phone: (540) 231-7175
E-mail: wdaniels@vt.edu

John Galbraith
Associate Professor, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences
Phone: (540) 231-9784
E-mail: ttcf@vt.edu

Description

Wetland soils as components of natural landscapes and their interactions with hydrologic systems. Hydric soil identification and delineation, preparation of wetland water budgets, restoration of damaged wetlands, and creation of compensation wetlands. Utilization of advanced soil information systems and GIS/GPS in wetlands study. Constructed wetlands for nutrient removal and acid mine drainage treatment.

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

CSES 5114 Soils for Professionals (or an equivalent course, such as CSES 3114). Students must have a background in soil morphology, landscape relations, regional parent materials, and soil/plant relations to be able to deal effectively with the material covered in this course.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:

1. Discuss and apply legal and scientific wetland terms, concepts, and regulations.
2. Relate the chemical, physical, biogeochemical, and morphological characteristics of wetland soils to their location, role, and function in the landscape.
3. Identify individual wetland soils based upon use of Hydric Soil Indicators, Soil Taxonomy, and other appropriate techniques to currently accepted federal/state regulatory standards.
4. Apply essential principles of wetland restoration and creation to develop a proposed mitigation site design and develop site-specific success criteria.
5. Design appropriate soil and hydrologic monitoring and study procedures for natural and created wetlands, including appropriate GIS/GPS technologies.