Vibrant and creative ways soil science

Transcription

1 Vibrant and creative ways soil science Alfred Hartemink University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Soil Science, FD Hole Soils Lab, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison WI, USA Megan R. Balks, David J. Lowe, Louis A. Schipper University of Waikato, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand Zueng-Sang Chen National Taiwan University, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Taipei 10617, Taiwan Patrick Drohan The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, 452 ASI Building, University Park, USA Damien Field The University of Sydney, Department of Enviromental Sciences, 1 Central Avenue, The Australian Technology Park, NSW, Australia Pavel Krasilnikov Lomonosov Moscow State University, Eurasian Center for Food Security, Leninskie Gory, 1, , Moscow, Russia Martin Rabenhorst University of Maryland, Dept. of Environmental Science & Technology, H.J. Patterson Hall, College Park, MD , USA Ken van Rees University of Saskatchewan, Department of Soil Science, 51 Campus Dr. Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N5A8 Peter Schad Lehrstuhl für Bodenkunde, Technische Universität München, D Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany Marthijn Sonneveld Wageningen University, Soil Geography and Landscape Group, PO Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, the Netherlands Christian Walter Agrocampus Ouest, UMR 1069 SAS- Equipe MO-SOL, 65 rue de St Brieuc - CS 84215, F Rennes Cedex - France 15 soil scientists with >300 years of teaching experience in 9 countries on 4 continents. 1

2 Yes, I have copied from others and I have milked a thousand cows, but the cheese is all mine 2

3 Soil science is a special science Preamble (i) (ii) (iii) the formation and properties of soil horizons the occurrence and properties of aggregates in soil the occurrence and behaviour of soil colloids. (Churchman, 2010) Some tension between fundamental research and its application (Ruellan, 1997; Bouma, 2001) the content of soil science is uneasily placed between natural science on the one hand, and the world of professional practice on the other (Philip, 1991). 3

4 Time 12/20/2013 The themes and our impact Agriculture Food 1950s Pedobarometric index Environment 1970s Sustainability Climate change Policy Food, water, climate, energy, biodiversity 1990s 1995s Now! (Hartemink, 2008) 4

5 The issues (Bouma and McBratney, 2013; McBratney, Field and Koch, 2013) 5

6 The demand Environmental science community, industry and policy makers (NERC, 2012) 6

7 The demand 7

8 The students influx PhD -63% MSc -48% (Baveye et al., 2006) 8

9 Changes Rapidly expanding knowledge base Research: specialisation Teaching: generalisation More teaching to non-soil science majors (botany, geology, ecology, hydrology, horticulture, agronomy, forestry, geography) Other teaching tools, blended learning, online, active learning More PhDs training, fewer MSc Our tasks remain: impart knowledge, insight and inspiration 9

10 Teaching (15 cases) 1. Engagement and awakening Students increasingly urban, cyber-world oriented, need to understand that soils: exist are vital to life on earth are not all the same and the differences matter are a response to the environment in which they form, and are fascinating in their complexity, diversity, and aesthetic appeal. 10

11 Teaching (15 cases) 1. Engagement and awakening Enthusiasm Pictures, stories, bring soils alive, fascination, discovery Big global themes Make things local, observeable Make things technologic, artistic Go to the field 11

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15 Field work in

16 Field work in

17 Teaching (15 cases) 2. Problem based learning Knowledge into practice Makes linkages between pedology, soil physics, chemistry and biology Investigate the real world Talk other people s language Industry and community development 17

18 Teaching (15 cases) 3. Deepening field training with a small group of students that already have basic knowledge Soil mapping, soil sampling, analysis, lab 18

19 Some conclusions The special traits of our scientific discipline require a particular way of teaching Three levels: (i) engagement, (ii) problem based learning, (iii) deepening Creativity needed to engage and problem based learning Disconnect between research and teaching less of an issue at deepening There is a need for soil science specialists with a broad set of skills preparing those is a joyous job for us teachers of soil science 19

20 Some conclusions We need the students to get our profession going and growing What expertise needed? Is our soil science teaching yielding capable graduates? Are we too practical? Our graduates need to be able to work in multidisciplinary teams Not many of them will end up in academia 8.0 Billions 7.0 Millions now 1950s Global population (x2.6) Scientists (x32.5) 20

21 But let s have some fun too. read each landscape for practical purposes or simply for the pleasure of it When you stop doing things for fun, you might as well be dead 21 21

22 Thank you for your attention 22