| CODE | EMP1024 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Essential Soil Science | ||||||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This is an introductory study-unit in environmental soil science covering the basic principles of soil physics, soil chemistry, soil biology and soil management. This will be achieved through lectures, fieldwork and labwork. Students will first be introduced to various fundamental aspects of soil science, including soil formation and morphology, soil profile development and soil classification systems. The study-unit will also address the study of soil texture, including the mineral composition of soil, soil particle distribution, sedimentation theory, and the determination of particle size distribution. Aspects of soil structure will also be outlined, with the explanation of concepts such as volume, porosity and density, and a discussion of the characteristics of soil liquid (including various aspects relating to soil water) and gas phases. The study-unit will then introduce various aspects of soil chemistry, including soil minerals, soil organic matter, the soil solution, soil acidity & salinity, and chemical soil analysis. The soil solution covering chemical speciation, complexes, aspects of soil acidity and buffering capacity, oxidation-reduction reactions in the soil solution, soil adsorption phenomena, exchange isotherms, cation exchange capacity, anion exchange capacity, soil colloids and soil salinity, as well as soil analysis, will also be covered. The study-unit will also introduce various aspects of soil biology, including the diversity of soil biota and interactions between various organisms, and methods for the quantitative and qualitative estimation of micro-organisms in soil. The interactions between floral species and soil biological communities will also be addressed. Finally, the study-unit will address major aspects of soil management, including problems of soil erosion, soil degradation and desertification. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims: - To introduce students to various concepts of soil structure and morphology; - To introduce students to fundamental concepts of soil physics, soil biology & soil chemistry; - To demonstrate various methodologies used in the study of soil; - To develop students' awareness of major soil management issues and of the ways that these affect human livelihoods; - To develop students' understanding of ways in which soil aspects interact with other ecosystem components, including flora and fauna. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe key properties of soil; - Describe the major soil processes with special reference to: - soil formation and taxonomy; - the availability and transport of nutrients in the soil; - soil water; - chemical properties of soils; - degradation and dynamics of organic matter in soil; - the role of microorganisms in soil. - Describe the importance of soil in the natural environment; - Identify the relationships between the mineral/organic fraction of the soil and the soil biota; - Identify the main strategies for soil management. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply the fundamental principles of chemistry, physics and biology in environmental soil science; - Examine the processes of soil formation; - Analyse the physical and chemical properties of soil components; - Analyse the factors and processes influencing soil fertility, structural stability, water availability and movement, temperature fluctuations and soil biology; - Analyse the factors and processes that lead to the degradation of soil resources; - Evaluate the management practices used to reduce soil degradation or increase productivity in sustainable systems. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Eash, N.S., Sauer, T.J., O'Dell, D., Odoi, E. & Bratz, M.C. 2016. SOil Science Simplified, 6th Ed. Wiley and Sons. ISBN: 978-1118540695. Foth, H. 1991. Fundamentals in Soil Science. Wiley. ISBN: 0-471-52279-1. Available:http://the-eye.eu/public/WorldTracker.org/Geology/Foth%20-%20Fundamentals%20of%20Soil%20Science%208e%20%28Wiley%2C%201990%29.pdf |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Fieldwork and Lab Sessions | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Anthony Sacco |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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