| Department of Natural Sciences | |||||||||||||||||
| Earliest Possible Year | BSc. 3 year to MSc. 2 year | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | One block | ||||||||||||||||
| Credits | 7.5 (ECTS) | ||||||||||||||||
| Course Level | MSc | ||||||||||||||||
| Examination | Final Examination written examination Written Exam in Lecturehall All aids allowed Description of Examination: Evaluation of project report and 4 hours written exam. Weight: Project report: 25% Written exam: 75% 13-point scale, external examiner | ||||||||||||||||
| Requirement For Attending Exam | Submission of project report | ||||||||||||||||
| Organisation of Teaching | Contains the common and pedological parts of the course Soil and Environment A. The common part will be taugt the first two weeks, while the more specific pedology part is taught in one module during following weeks. | ||||||||||||||||
| Block Placement | Block 1 Week Structure: A, The two first weeks will be organized in respect of the students other study activities Field excursions with soil description and sampling are included; laboratory exercises | ||||||||||||||||
| Teaching Language | English | ||||||||||||||||
| Optional Prerequisites | Jord, vand og planter or equivalent. Arealanvendelse, stofbalancer og miljøpåvirkning | ||||||||||||||||
| Areas of Competence the Course Will Address | |||||||||||||||||
| Basic Science Comprehend spatial and temporal variability of soils Comprehend the importance of soils as part of ecosystems Transfer and evaluate soil classification by the American Soil Taxonomy system Understand and comprehend the molecular mechanisms controlling soil formation in a global context Understand global soil distribution Applied Science Understand soil description and sampling in the field Comprehend and evaluate soils and soil classification in relation to plant growth and environmental protection Understand and comprehend mechanisms of soil degradation and measures of soil amendments/remediation Understand and evaluate soil quality and sustainability under different global conditions Ethics & Values Ability to discuss the criteria underlying key terms such as "soil quality", "soil sustainability", "soil degradation", "soil suitability", "soil variability" Awareness of soils as an indispensable but vulnerable and limited resource | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Objectives | |||||||||||||||||
| In a global perspective, the course objectives are to comprehend i) how soils form in response to the soil forming factors, ii) how soil forming processes determine the properties of soils, and iii) how soils are described, sampled and classified as well as to understand potentials and limitations of different soils in relation to plant growth and environmental protection | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Contents | |||||||||||||||||
| Part I (common): 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. Sampling, fractionation and analysis of soil solutes in relation to land use and soil properties. Sampling, description, properties and notation 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. Part II (pedology): Focus 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 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. 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 as well as problem-based work on a selected topic. At least three half-day excursions will be arranged. Lectures are based on the textbook used. The topics of the theoretical exercises/cases run in parallel with the topics treated in the lectures. Groups of students work together to discuss and solve the selected problems. The aims of the project work are to train soil classification and interpretation in relation to sustainable soil use globally. The project work is usually carried out by groups of 2-4 students. The project report is presented orally at end of the course. 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. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Litterature | |||||||||||||||||
| Borggaard, O.K. & Elberling, B. (2004). Pedological Biogeochemistry. Paritas Grafik A/S, Brøndby. Handsout notes. | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Coordinator | |||||||||||||||||
| Ole Kragholm Borggaard, okb@life.ku.dk, Department of Natural Sciences/Soil and Environmental Chemistry, Phone: 35332419 Hans Christian Bruun Hansen, haha@life.ku.dk, /VIVA - Knowledge about Water, Phone: 3528 | |||||||||||||||||
| Attendance Fee | |||||||||||||||||
| None except 100 DDK per excursion | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Board | |||||||||||||||||
| Study Committee NSN | |||||||||||||||||
| Course Scope | |||||||||||||||||
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