Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Did you know that the volume of water held in soils is larger than that held in rivers? We’re talking worldwide, of course. Interesting facts like that made me want to get inside the head of Sandra Brown, soil scientist, to see if I could discover more interesting soil science facts! This month, we’re getting down to earth!

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W: I get the sense that soil science is more complex than just looking at soil. Can you please describe what you do?

S: I look at soil and water and how it affects – and how it’s affected by – the way we use and manage land.

W: So soil, water and land are all connected?

S: Yes. To illustrate the water cycle, we can think of it like a bank account. Money flows in and out of bank accounts. Similarly, water flows in and out of pools. There are many types of pools – oceans being the largest pool – but soil is a very important pool in terms of the terrestrial (land based) water cycle.

W: I see. Similar to how some bank accounts can be larger than others.

S: Correct, but we also have to consider the quality of our water (not just quantity). Water quality is influenced by how we manage the land base, and the quality also influences water use. I mainly look at rural land use and how rural communities are affected. For example, communities in the Andean mountains typically have very limited water storage and depend on ecosystems (soil-plant systems) for their water supply, making them vulnerable to water shortages. Closer to home, intensive livestock operations in the Lower Fraser Valley are raising concerns about stream water quality.

W: So the quantity (or availability) of water and the quality of our water ultimately affects how much water we have to use. I’m starting to understand it more now! Did you always like science?

S: Yes, I did!

W: What sparked your interest in soil science?

S: Funny, I never took soil science courses in my undergrad! I took geomorphology and never understood the importance of soils until I was into my Masters [here at UBC] and talked to Mike Novak. He inspired me to pursue soil science!

W: What do you love most about your job?

S: I get to work on interesting issues faced by real people and try to apply science to contribute to its solutions.

W: When you say “interesting issues”, what do you mean?

S: Water shortages, contamination related to livestock production, climate change. The impacts of climate change (e.g. more variable precipitation, higher temperatures) may affect the suitability of land to store water and therefore influence the type of crops grown, or may increase the need for irrigation.

W: I see. There is alot of buzz around these issues today and I didn’t realize its connection to soil.

S: If people rely on ecosystems for water, we need to understand how management affects each of the parts of the ecosystem (e.g. wetlands or forests). A municipality can try to make management decisions to address water quality and supply problems but science is needed to support decision making and to see if “best management practices” really work.

W: Anything else you love about being a soil scientist?

S: I get to work in interesting places with interesting people. For example, I was in the Andes for 5 years, where mountains are seen as water towers. How we manage the upper part of watersheds has important affects downstream.

W: Any exciting developments in the world of soil science?

S: It’s really good to see that water is becoming a bigger issue to the public, especially here when most people don’t think twice about water because we have so much of it – but we need to do a better job linking soils, land and water and building the understanding of the important role of soils. Food security is also an emerging issue, and that’s related to climate change, and soil and water quality, which affects food production. Concepts like the 100 mile diet have raised awareness.

W: Finally, if you were to be a type of soil, what would you be and why?

S: I would have to say sandy loam. Sandy because my name is Sandra. Loam because they are the “perfect” type of soil. In terms of the amount of sand, silt and clay in soil, loams are right in the middle. They have a little bit of everything but not too much!

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Well, I’ve discovered that soils are very much connected to the very relevant water, climate and food security issues that we talk about almost everyday. After interviewing Sandra, I feel enlightened but at the same time, feel like I’ve only scratched the surface and have much to learn! Thanks, Sandra for taking the time to explain the wonderful world of soil science to me!

Andean mountains photo courtesy of Photo Atlas