Seasonally perched water tables (PWTs) are common in loess‐derived Argixerolls and Fragixeralfs of the Palouse region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington. However, little is known about the short‐term PWT dynamics in these rolling to hilly landscapes and how they are influenced by a regional climatic gradient. In this study, PWTs on an Argixeroll hillslope receiving 700 mm of mean annual precipitation (MAP) and a Fragixeralf hillslope receiving 830 mm of MAP were monitored hourly for four seasons. Results demonstrate that timing of PWT formation may vary considerably from year to year, and may occur up to 3 wk earlier in Fragixeralfs than in Argixerolls. Once formed, the PWTs respond rapidly to precipitation and snowmelt in both soils, with PWT levels increasing as much as 60 cm within a period of <24 h. Water table levels are at or near the soil surface numerous times during the season following periods of rainfall or snowmelt. Perched water table dynamics are remarkably consistent across the region, with similar responses observed in hillslopes located 28 km apart. Relatively dense, light‐colored E horizons overlying the restrictive horizons remain continuously saturated for up to 6 to 7 mo yr−1 and develop redox potentials sufficiently low for Fe reduction to occur. Results suggest that seasonal PWTs drive the processes of ferrolysis and hydroconsolidation, and these processes are responsible for many of the E horizon properties common to Argixerolls and Fragixeralfs of the region.

This study compares learning success of online and on-campus students in a general education soil science course with lab and field components. Two terms of students completed standardized pre-and postassessments designed to test knowledge and skills from the lecture and lab content of the course. There was no difference in overall grade or lab assignment grades between course formats. Online students outperformed on-campus students on the preassessment in the first term and on the postassessment in the second term; the two populations scored the similarly for the other assessments. Online students showed a 42% grade improvement from pre-to postassessment; on-campus students had a 21% improvement. Online students also showed better learning success in lab-related knowledge and skills based on individual assessment questions. The students in both populations successfully met the learning objectives for this lab-and field-based science course.Students graduating with degrees in the natural resources field (e.g., natural resources, ecology, fish and wildlife, agriculture) often gain much of their real-world experience during field-based lab courses. Examples of such courses include plant identification, wildlife ecology, mapping and survey, and soil science. Academic programs have been reluctant to develop such courses in a distance format due to the uncertainty regarding effective delivery of fieldbased content in a distance format. The question at hand is whether such courses can be offered at a distance and effectively give students the field and lab skills outlined in course learning objectives.Teaching lab-based courses either online or with the aid of virtual laboratories is not a new practice. Eick and Burgholzer (2000) developed a Web-based clay mineralogy tutorial to assist students learning clay structures and cation exchange capacity. Additionally, students have been able to run a spectrometer Correspondence should be sent to Ron Reuter,

Hydraulically restrictive fragipans and argillic horizons are a common feature of loessial soils in the Palouse region of northern Idaho, resulting in perched water development during the winter and early spring. The high relief of the region may result in lateral flow of perched water and solutes. This study was initiated to quantify the rates of solute movement through perched water at three sites receiving 610, 700, and 830 mm of annual precipitation. Three transects, perpendicular to slope contours, consisting of seven, nine, and seven sampling wells, were installed at each site. Five kilograms of KBr tracer were applied in a trench upslope from the transects. Water samples were drawn biweekly to test for Br‐. Rate of Br‐ movement and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) of soil horizons were used to quantify flow of perched water. Results indicate that maximum observed Br‐ transport decreased with annual precipitation and was 86, 50, and 35 cm d‐1 at the 830, 700, and 610‐mm sites, respectively. Depth profiles for Ksat are similar among sites; values range from 63 to 129 cm d‐1 in the Ap horizons and decrease with depth to 0.10 to 0.21 cm d‐1 in the restrictive horizons. The E horizons immediately above the argillic‐fragipan horizons have Ksat values from 1.2 to 5.2 cm d‐1 suggesting that much of the rapid solute transport via perched water tables occurs in the more permeable horizons overlying the E horizons. Our results demonstrate that perched water flow through these landscapes may enhance agrichemical transport, thereby impacting both nutrient‐use efficiency and local water quality.

Traditional soil science courses, especially with a hands‐on lab component, have been face‐to‐face events. Several universities in the United States now offer a distance natural resources related degree, yet few have developed distance soils courses, arguably an essential part of a complete natural resource education. This article discusses the development of an introductory soils course with a hands‐on lab to support natural resources and environmental sciences distance degree programs. In addition to reading the textbook and lecture notes, students complete labs that range from hand and mechanical texturing to analysis of soil nitrogen and carbon contents, often using household equipment. Qualitative observation from teaching both online and on‐campus versions of the same course suggest that online students do as well, and sometimes better, than their on‐campus peers. Using online learning techniques along with simplified hands‐on labs may be very effective at conveying important concepts of soil science. In this way, students who have been excluded from a lab‐based introductory soils course due to separation of classroom and place of residence now have access to a vital learning opportunity.

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