Module

Voraussetzungen

Inhalte

Part 1 Lecture: • Importance and Functions of Soils • Soil Morphology • Soil Horizons • Soil Mineralogy • Soil Organic Matter • Soil Chemistry • Soil Physics • Factors of Soil Formation • Soil Forming Processes • Soil Distribution Part 2 Excercise: • Excursion: field trip focusing on soil development and classification • Introduction to lab work: overview of available soil analytical methods • Laboratory exercises on analysing basic physical and chemical soil parameters • Sample preparation • pH, EC • Soil color • Soil texture • CaCO3 content • Soil organic matter content • Presentation and interpretation of soil data

Lernziele

Student will be able to: • understands the role of the most relevant functions of soils in ecosystems • explain the factors and processes of soil development • understand princples of soil taxonomy • get familiar with major soil types of Europe - evolution, horizonation, properties and distribution • explain the basics of global soil zones • know the organic and mineral constituents of soils and related interactions • explain the basics of soil physics and soil chemistry • find and work with the scientific literature regarding soil science • conduct basic laboratory analyses and interpret lab data (color, texture, Corg, pH, EC)

Prüfungsleistung

• • Mid term assessment (written or oral) on lecture Basic Soil Science, 40 min. (30 %) • Final assessment (written or oral) on lecture Basic Soil Science, 40 min. (30 %) • Practical excercises in the laboratory 3 x 240 minutes (20 %) • Presentation (10 min. talk) on laboratory exercise (20 %)