FBE 610 Forest Soils – Fertility and Plant Nutrition

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the soil fertility aspects and soil nutrition.
  2. Discuss basic ecological relationships between soils and other ecosystem components.
  3. Understand laboratory analysis of soil, plant and organic materials.

Course Content

The soil as a major substrate for ecosystem functioning, soils and provisioning services in ecosystems, the ecological relationships in soils; organisms in soils and their development in relation to physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. diagnosis and interpretation of soil and plants analyses; use of soil data in field studies, soil nutrients as ecological gradient in organism distribution.

Required readings

  1. Brady, N.C. and Weil, R.R. 2002. Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 559 p.
  1. White, R.E. 1997. Principles and Practice of Soil Science: The Soil as a Natural Resource. 3rd Edition. Blackwell Science Ltd., Oxford, UK. 348 p.

Recommended readings

  1. Gardiner, D.T. and Miller, R.W. 2004. Soils in Our Environment. 10th Edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 641 pp.