Soil and Watershed Sciences

The specialization in Soil and Watershed Sciences graduate program prepares students to address challenging environmental issues that involve the soil resource at field, landscape and watershed scales.

Soils are the most complex and ecologically significant biogeochemical systems on Earth. Soil processes and the soil resource are critical to all terrestrial ecosystems from prairies to the Alaskan tundra, to wetlands, to our cities, to forests to biofuel farms. Soil Science is at the center of the study of what the National Science Foundation terms the Critical Zone - the confluence of atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere near the surface of the Earth.

Soil Science Faculty

	Frank Coale, Professor and Chair Agricultural Nutrient Management, Soil Fertility, Agroecology fjcoale@umd.edu
	Gary Felton, Associate Professor Extension Water Quality Specialist gfelton@umd.edu
	Bob Hill, Professor Soil Physics, Soil & Water Management rlh@umd.edu
	Bruce James, Professor Soil Chemistry and Affiliate in Geology Director, Environmental Science and Policy Program. Director, Environmental Studies Program of College Park Scholars brjames@umd.edu
	Joshua McGrath, Assistant Professor Research and Extension in Soil Fertility, Nutrient Management, Environmental Sustainability mcgrathj@umd.edu
	Ray Miller, Professor Director, International Programs in Agriculture and Natural Resources millerrj@umd.edu
	Brian Needelman, Assistant Professor Soil Science (Pedology), Water Quality, Carbon Sequestration bneed@umd.edu
	Martin Rabenhorst, Professor Pedology, Soils of Wetland Ecosystems, Subaqueous Soils mrabenho@umd.edu
	Ray Weil, Professor Soil Science, Nutrient Cycling, Sustainable Agriculture Systems rweil@umd.edu

For more information, contact Graduate Studies Coordinator

Last updated: 06/15/2009