Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the soil fertility aspects and soil nutrition.
- Discuss basic ecological relationships between soils and other ecosystem components.
- 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
- Brady, N.C. and Weil, R.R. 2002. Elements of the Nature and Properties of Soils. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 559 p.
- 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
- Gardiner, D.T. and Miller, R.W. 2004. Soils in Our Environment. 10th Edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 641 pp.