Courses:
NRM 697 - Individual Study-Geomorphology and Soils
NRM 489/689 - Alaska Soil Geography Field Study

Research Interests: Soil genesis and classification of permafrost affected soils, soil organic carbon dynamics in soils of the arctic and boreal regions, soil climate and its application in land-use interpretation

Current Research Programs:
1) Black Spruce Forest Soils in boreal regions of Alaska: Their Characterization, Organic Carbon Pool and Relationship to Forest Management, USDA-Hatch and USDA-Global Change Initiative Program - The primary objective of this study is to study the morphological, chemical and physical properties of soils associated with black spruce forest stands. Secondary objectives are to determine the quantity of charred carbon in these soils and to relate soil properties to the site quality of black spruce forest stands.
2) Biocomplexity associated with biogeochemical cycles in arctic frost-boil ecosystems -National Science Foundation
3) Soil Environment Monitoring in Alaska - USDA -NRCS Wet Soils Monitoring

Examples of Research Support:
Biocomplexity - soils associated with frost boils, NSF grant $80,000/yr., 2000-2005

Winter C-flux in arctic ecosystems under changing climate: Effects of soils carbon and active layer dynamics, NSF fund, $80,000, 1998-2004

Wet soil and permafrost soil monitoring in Alaska, USDA-NRCS grant, $55,000/FY04

Soils associated with black spruce ecosystem, USDA Hatch grant, $75,000/yr., 2003-2006

Examples of Publications:
Ping, C.L., R. Boone, M.H. Clark, E.C Packee, and D.K. Swanson. Soils of the boreal forest regions. In press. In Chapin et al. (eds.) LTER Book Chapter. Oxford Press.

Michaelson, G.J., C.L. Ping. 2003. Soil organic carbon and CO2 respiration at subzero temperature in soils of Arctic Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research. 108 (D2): 8164 (ALT 5-1 - 5-10).

Ping, C.L., L. Zhao, S.L.Wang, R.F. Paetzold, J.M. Kimble, and B.S. Ye. 2002. Morphogenesis of Cryosols and Associated Soils in the Alpine Zone of Tienshan, West China. J. Glaciology and Geocryology 24:517-522.

Dai, X.Y., C.L. Ping and G.J. Michaelson. 2002. Characterization of soil organic matter in Arctic tundra soils by different analytical approaches. Organic Geochemistry 33(4):407-419.

Dai X.Y., C.L. Ping, R. Candler, L. Haumaier and W. Zech. 2001. Characterization of Soil Organic Matter Fractions of Tundra Soils in Arctic Alaska by Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Soil Science Society of Am. J. 65:87-93.

Ping, C.L., J.G. Bockheim, J.M. Kimble, G.J. Michaelson, and D.A. Walker. 1998 Characteristics of cryogenic soils along a latitudinal transect in arctic Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(D22):28,917-28,928.

Michaelson, G.J., C.L. Ping, G.W. Kling, and J.E. Hobbie. 1998. The character and bioactivity of dissolved organic matter at thaw and in the spring runoff waters of the arctic tundra north slope, Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research, 103(D22):28,939-28,946.

Hoefle, C.M., C.L. Ping, and J.M. Kimble. 1998. Properties of permafrost soils on the Northern Seward Peninsula, Northwest Alaska. Soil Science Society of America Journal Vol. 62 (6):1629-1639.

Ping, C.L. G.J. Michaelson, J.M. Kimble, and L. Everett.2002. Chap. 47. Soil organic carbon stores in Alaska. P.485-494. In R.Lal, J.M. Kimble, and R. Follet (eds.) Agricultural Practices and Policies of Carbon Sequestration in Soils. CRC Press LLC.

Overduin, P.P., C.L. Ping and D. Kane. 2003. Frost boils, soil ice content and apparent thermal diffusivity. p. 869-974. In M. Phillips, S. M. Springman and L.U. Arenson (eds.) Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Permafrost, Zürich, Switzerland. 20-24, 2003.

Ping, C.L., Michaelson, G.J., Overduin, P.P. & Stiles, C.A. 2003. Morphogenesis of Frostboils in the Galbraith Lake area, Arctic Alaska. p. 897-900. In M. Phillips, S. M. Springman and L.U. Arenson (eds.) Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Permafrost, Zürich, Switzerland.