Students will explore topics within soil science such as soil physics, pedology, soil chemistry and microbiology. Normally, an independent course of study will be developed with a faculty advisor and one or more students in the semester prior to enrollment. Occasionally, the course will be offered as a lecture/seminar in a particular area, to be advertised in the semester prior to offering and listed separately as ENVS*6582 (section 02, 03...). Typically, students will produce a major paper or scientific report.