Dawit Solomon, a Senior Research Associate at the School of Integrative Plant Science (specifically the Soil and Crop Sciences section) came to speak to us about the importance of soil. His research focuses on identifying and quantifying the processes and causes of soil degradation in natural and managed ecosystems. He led a very interesting discussion on why and how soil matters and it definitely is more important than I thought.

The bulk of his talk was actually a presentation on his own work in Africa. It was very informative and I learned a lot. He spoke about the basics, such as the fact that all elements are in soil, that’s why biohazard is taken seriously. He also went through  a quick overview of the different soils and their different formations.

The reason we study soils is because of the functions it has. These include serving as habitats, food supply and even climate moderation. Climate change affects rainfall pattern which in return affects the top soil layer. Heavy rainfall is actually bad, despite popular belief, as it actually removes top layer. Additionally, 25% of CO2 emission comes from soil.

He also spoke on how to study soil (by regions) and different levels associated with soil study. He also praised the engineering department as it has great opportunities for students to study soil. Geospatial analysis analyze greenhouse gases and substances at a landscape level. I found this interesting because I thought a lot of it would be outside but it’s mostly done in a lab.