Jim Thompson
Assistant Professor
Pedology and Land Use
Division of Plant and Soil Sciences
1108 Ag. Sciences Building
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6108
Morgantown, WV 26506-6108
Office Phone: 304-293-6023 (x4348)
E-mail: james.thompson@mail.wvu.edu
Professional Experience:
Division of Plant & Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, Assistant Professor, 2004-Present
Department of Soil Science, North Carolina State University, Assistant Professor, 2001-2004
Department of Agronomy, University of Kentucky, Assistant Professor, 1997-2001
Educational Background:
University of Minnesota, Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science, with a minor in Water Resources, December 1996
The Ohio State University, Master of Arts in Geography, June 1992
The Pennsylvania State University, Bachelor of Science in Agronomy, May 1990
Research Interests:
The objective of my research program is to better understand and represent the relationships between soils and landscapes, both through field investigations of soil genetic relationships and through spatial analysis of geographic data. There are three fundamental questions that guide this research: (i) How and why do soils vary across the landscape, particularly at different scales? (ii) How can we measure and model this variability? (iii) How does this variability affect land use decision-making and environmental quality?
My current research focuses on quantifying and predicting soil variability at the landscape scale. One ongoing project examines soil carbon storage and dynamics in forested watersheds through measurement and modeling of organic carbon content and soil respiration rates. Results of this work will aid in our understanding of conditions that promote carbon sequestration and help us identify land predisposed for greater carbon accumulation. A second effort is directed toward developing soil-landscape models that can predict the spatial patterns of topsoil thickness, organic matter content, and clay content within agricultural fields. This work will provide producers with a means to quickly and easily assess the nature of soil variability in their fields and divide fields into meaningful management zones.