| Responsible Department | Department of Basic Science and Environment | ||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 2 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Level of Course | Joint BSc and MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination Written Exam in Lecturehall All aids allowed Description of Examination: Evaluation 4 hours written exam. Weight: 100% 7-point scale, internal examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Requirement for Attending Exam | At least 3 of the 4 possible reports on excursions and laboratory results and the project report must be submitted and approved before the exam. | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Integration of lectures, problems solving, excursions, laboratory exercises and report writing. | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 4 Week Structure: B, The course runs only in odd years Field excursions will be followed by laboratory analyses on soil samples from excursion sites. | ||||||||||||||||
| Language of Instruction | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | 250021 Jord, vand og planter or equivalent. | ||||||||||||||||
| Restrictions | None | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Content | |||||||||||||||||
| Soil spatial and temporal variability is overviewed. Structure, chemical composition and properties of soil minerals and humic matter. Interactions between abiotic and soil biochemical processes. Soils in relation to ecosystems. Sampling, description, properties and designations of soil profiles and horizons. Diagnostic horizons and properties, and overall principles used in classification. Introduction to soil distribution and geography. Soil forming factors and soil forming processes with emphasis on acidification, mineral weathering, humification/mineralization, clay migration, podzolization, redox processes and leaching. Concentration on soil formation, development and classification in order to understand relationships between the soil forming factors, soil properties and sustainable soil use in a global perspective. Occurrence, quality and properties of various soil types are highlighted and exemplified, and their suitability for various land uses such as conventional and ecologic agriculture, horticulture and forestry is evaluated in relation to plant growth and environmental protection. Emphasis is put on training soil classification by the American Soil Taxonomy system as a tool for understanding soil composition and properties under current and changing external conditions. The consideration of the soil forming factors (parent material, climate, topography, vegetation, human influence, time) and the soil forming processes (acidification, clay migration, erosion, gleization, humification, podzolisation, salinization, weathering) in soil classification and evaluation is taught. | |||||||||||||||||
| Teaching and learning Methods | |||||||||||||||||
| Lectures, theoretical exercises and case studies are integrated. Four excursions will be arranged followed by laboratory exercises resulting in a report on classification and evaluation of each soil. At the excursions, soils with different composition and properties because of natural and anthropogenic factors are studied in situ, and samples are taken and analysed in the laboratory. Lectures are based on the textbook used. The theoretical exercises/cases are integrated in the lectures. Groups of students work together in the field and laboratory as well as in solving theoretical exercises/cases. | |||||||||||||||||
| Learning Outcome | |||||||||||||||||
| In a global perspective, the course addresses the following overall issues: i) how soils form and develop in response to the soil forming factors and processes, ii) how soil composition determines quality and properties of soils, iii) how soils are described, sampled and classified and iv) what are the potentials and limitations of different soils in relation to plant growth and environmental protection. Upon completion of the course, the student is expected to be able to: Knowledge: - Describe spatial and temporal variability of soils. - Explain the importance of soils as part of ecosystems. - Describe driving forces, processes and mechanisms controlling soil formation in a global context. - Explain the global distribution of various soils. - Reflect on terms such as "soil quality", "soil sustainability", "soil degradation", "soil suitability", "soil variability". Skills: - Evaluate soils in relation to plant growth and environmental protection. - Conduct soil classification to subgroup level according to the American Soil Taxonomy system. - Perform soil description and sampling in the field. - Carry out simple soil analyses in the laboratory. - Use soil classification as a tool to assess potentials and limitations of soils. Qualifications: - Comprehend mechanisms of soil degradation and measures of soil amendments and remediation. - Handle soil as an indispensable but vulnerable and limited resource. - Apply principles of soil surveying in relation to sustainable soil use. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Literature | |||||||||||||||||
| Borggaard, O.K. & Elberling, B. (2007). Pedological Biogeochemistry. Handout notes. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Ole K. Borggaard, okb@life.ku.dk, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment, Phone: 353-32419 Merete Elisabeth Styczen, styczen@life.ku.dk, Department of Basic Sciences and Environment/Environmental Chemistry and Physics, Phone: | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Fee | |||||||||||||||||
| None | |||||||||||||||||
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