Equipment needs for measurement of dynamic soil properties

PI: Chris Baxter

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Baxter is a professor of soil and crop science at UW–Platteville, coordinates the Reclamation, Environment, and Conservation (REC) Program, and also serves as a statewide Nutrient Management Specialist for UW–Extension. He teaches courses including soil science, soil fertility, nutrient management and soil physics, and advises students in independent research projects.

Baxter’s project will use three different instruments to determine soil properties that change with natural or anthropogenic disturbances within the human time scale, known as “dynamic soil properties”. Unlike basic properties such as soil texture that do not change with management, dynamic soil properties are useful in determining the effect of management practices on the many ecosystem services provided by soil. Specifically, the three dynamic soil properties that will be measured are carbon and nitrogen content, aggregate stability, and moisture retention.