CAREER: Human-induced Soil Change on the U.S. Great Plains

Human-induced soil change is driven by agricultural land-use. Two important drivers of soil change in agricultural lands include irrigation and accelerated erosion and deposition. This project seeks to better understand human impact on Great Plains soils – a resource vital to U.S. economic competitiveness. This will enhance our understanding of natural resources within the largest physiographic province in North America and improve resilience of agricultural systems in the face of extreme weather. Special attention will be given to alterations in the soils’ capacity to store carbon, an important climate change mitigation strategy. The education and outreach program will engage graduate students and advanced undergraduates in a summer field course, apply innovated pedagogies within undergraduate soil judging, and use art and technology to encourage scientific exploration among middle school students. Much is unknown about the state of soils on the Great Plains. This region’s thick, dark topsoil often masks degradation until it reaches an advanced stage. The program will uncover how anthropedogenesis — human-driven soil formation — has led to measurable soil change by testing the following hypotheses: (1) long-term impacts of irrigation and the erosion-induced carbon sink have altered patterns of carbon storage in Great Plains soils, (2) the vector of soil development can be predicted based on land-use, and (3) humans have a measurable effect on soil structure that extends into the subsoil. Soil data collected in the mid to late 20th century will be used as a reference point for quantifying soil change, including soil organic carbon, bulk density, calcium carbonate equivalent, particle size distribution, soil color, clay films, and soil structure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.