Interdepartmental Problem-Based Seminars - An Effective Mechanism to Keep Soils in Undergraduate Science Education.

The role of Soil Science in undergraduate and graduate programs is rapidly evolving as enrollment in programs with a primary focus on soil science, agronomy, and forestry declines. Programs with a broader focus on Environmental Science, or Natural Resource Management are growing. Widespread interest in environmental quality, captured by the concept of ecosystem services, seems to be an important underlying factor. The complexity of issues and contexts in which soil science concepts are applied necessitates an integrated understanding with other disciplines as soils are now commonly utilized to support plant growth, stormwater services, engineering and other applications, often within the same project.  Instruction in Soil Science, a staple in classic programs, must evolve to insure that these needs are met. At SUNY-ESF, we developed an interdepartmental problem-based seminar that includes Soil Science as a critical component. The abrupt decline of 35 year-old hackberry trees that defined the main quad on the campus presented an opportunity for interdisciplinary teams of students from departments across the college: Bioprocessing Engineering, Environmental Forest Biology, Environmental Resource Engineering, Environmental Science, Forest and Natural Resource Management, and Landscape Architecture) to re-design the space to provide enhanced aesthetic and ecological service functions. Six teams (5 students each) developed alternative designs focusing on the relationship between vegetation and soils design to overcome limiting site conditions associated with high clay content and high bulk density. Our initial success has led us to development of a permanent problem based seminar.