01/08/1997

Stolt Joins AU Agronomy Faculty - Soil Scientist to Focus on Soil Environmental Studies

AUBURN, Ala. - Soil science with an environmental slant will be the focus of research and teaching projects for Mark Stolt, a new faculty member in Auburn University's Department of Agronomy and Soils.

Stolt, a native of the Maryland, joined the agronomy and soils faculty in August as an assistant professor. In his new position, Stolt will use his training in pedology and mineralogy to examine issues relating to wetland soils, water quality, land reclamation and related soil environmental issues.

Though he grew up in an urban setting (the suburbs of Washington, D.C.), Stolt was an avid outdoor enthusiast at an early age. When he began to consider career options, Stolt wanted to pick an occupation that incorporated his affinity for the out-of-doors. "I liked being outside, fishing and hiking and so forth, so I decided on a career in natural resource sciences," recalled Stolt.

His interest in soil science was piqued by an undergraduate class he was taking at the University of Maryland. "I took a general soils class that made me recognize how important soils are to life on earth," he said. "Plants grow on them, people walk on them, buildings stand on them and people use and abuse them."

"Soils and landscapes also hold a lot of answers about the natural history of an area," he continued. "Natural processes are responsible for the landscape and its history. The answers to questions we have about this history are written in the soils and landscapes."

Intrigued by the idea of deciphering those messages and tracing that history, Stolt concentrated his educational pursuits on soils and landscapes. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in agronomy from the University of Maryland, then went to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VPI/SU) to earn the Ph.D. in crop and soil environmental sciences, graduating in 1990.

Stolt gained valuable first-hand work experience with soils as a research associate at VPI/SU. He also has been a soil-environmental consultant since 1989. His consulting work included inventorying soil and geologic resources and investigating soil-related water quality and wetland issues. In 1996, he served as an adjunct assistant professor in Auburn University-Montgomery's Department of Biology, where he taught a wetlands course to environmental science majors.

At Auburn, Stolt will be conducting research in the fields of pedology and mineralogy through the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station.

"Pedology may sound abstract but it is relative to everyday life," explained Stolt. "This field involves the physical, chemical, microbiological and mineralogical aspects of soils. Pedology includes how we describe and classify a soil."

"How a soil forms influences the various characteristics and properties of that soil, and these properties dictate how a soil performs under various uses," he said. "Soils used for row crop production may need different characteristics than soils used as foundations for roadways or buildings or soils used for landfills or wastewater treatment.

"Most of our households use soils to treat domestic wastewater," he continued. "Soils filter water entering our groundwater resources. Soils filter or trap herbicides, pesticides, excess nitrogen, pathogens and other potentially hazardous substances. Clean water requires good soil."

According to Stolt, a soil's mineralogy (the mineral make-up of a soil) is one of the most important factors affecting how soils can be used. "Certain minerals are very chemically and physically reactive, and others are fairly unreactive or stable," he explained. The type of mineral makeup of soil can affect the performance of soils under different uses."

"An example of this is Alabama's Blackbelt, or Blackland Prairie, soils," said Stolt. "This soil type contains a group of minerals called smectites. These minerals shrink and swell depending on whether they are dry or wet. This expanding and contracting of the soil, depending upon the season, causes significant damage to the houses and roadways built on such soils."

Stolt plans to conduct research on several soil-related environmental issues, including wetlands and wet soils. "I will be studying wetlands in relation to water quality, how wetlands function in the ecosystem and I will explore ways to put a value on that function," he explained.

He also plans to study the relationship between certain soil features and the location of the regional water table level, which is important in determining which soils are best suited for the treatment and disposal of wastewaters. Another research focus for Stolt will be the reclamation of drastically disturbed land, such as land that has been disturbed by mining activity.

In addition to his research program, Stolt is coaching AU's soil judging team (which recently won top honors in the regional soils contest) and is teaching both graduate and undergraduate level courses.

-30-

News from:

Office of Ag Communications & Marketing

Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)

Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Smith, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu

01/08/97