Print Syllabus

Syllabus

MV0219 Soil Sciences, 15.0 Credits

Markvetenskap

Subjects

Environmental Science Soil Science Soil science Environmental science

Education cycle

Bachelor’s level

Modules

Title	Credits	Code
Soil physics	4.0	0102
Soil chemistry	4.0	0103
Soil biology	3.0	0104
General soil science and synthesis work	4.0	0105

Advanced study in the main field

First cycle, has less than 60 credits in first-cycle course/s as entry requirements
Bachelor’s level (G1F)

Grading scale

Language

Swedish

Prior knowledge

The equivalent of:

- 15 ECTS in Chemistry, of which 5 ECTS General Chemistry

- 5 ECTS Geology or Hydrology, or both, and 2.5 ECTS Meteorology or Climatology.

Objectives

After completed course, the student should be able to:

• describe soil physical, chemical and biological properties, conditions and processes as well as their interactions

• use methods to analyse and describe soil properties

• interpret, validate and give account of soil data

• present and discuss the soil system, its function as an environment for growing plants, and connections between soil properties, land use and environmental impact.

Content

The following is treated during lectures and exercises. Participation in most exercises is required for passed course:

• Texture and pore system of the soil. Soil structure as a result of interactions between soil components.

• Soil water: supply and adsorption at hydrostatic equilibrium. Soil water movements in saturated and unsaturated soil as influenced by hydraulic conductivity and gradients in hydraulic potential.

• Processes affecting the transport and leaching of solutes in the soil solution: convection, diffusion and dispersion.

• Composition and mass flow of soil air; diffusion of its gas components.

• Chemical weathering of soil minerals. Emergence of electrically charged soil particles with significance for the adsorption of cations and anions in soil.

• Soil acidity: methods to assess it, processes that affect it.

• Adsorption and redox processes: their influence on nutrients and harmful substances in the soil. Assessment of the cation adsorption capacity of the soil.

• Pedological factors and processes involved in soil formation. Properties, classification and worldwide distribution of pedological taxa.

• Soil organisms and their environmental adaptations: metabolism, trophic strategies, interactions and functions.

• Factors and processes controlling the content and turnover of soil organic matter.

• Cycling of nitrogen in the soil. Processes controlling its availability to plants.

• Soil profile description in the field.

• Soil-profile theme, group project: data processing, oral and written reporting of properties and land use of selected typical Swedish soils.

Grading form

The grade requirements within the course grading system are set out in specific criteria. These criteria must be available by the course start at the latest.

Formats and requirements for examination

Passed written exams, passed written reports from exercises requiring this, approved participation in other exercises with mandatory participation, approved participation soil-profile theme (group project).

• If a student has failed an examination, the examiner has the right to issue supplementary assignments. This applies if it is possible and there are grounds to do so.
• The examiner can provide an adapted assessment to students entitled to study support for students with disabilities following a decision by the university. Examiners may also issue an adapted examination or provide an alternative way for the students to take the exam.
• If this syllabus is withdrawn, SLU may introduce transitional provisions for examining students admitted based on this syllabus and who have not yet passed the course.
• For the examination of a degree project (independent project), the examiner may also allow the student to add supplemental information after the deadline for submission. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Other information

• The right to participate in teaching and/or supervision only applies for the course instance the student was admitted to and registered on.

• If there are special reasons, students are entitled to participate in components with compulsory attendance when the course is given again. Read more in the Education Planning and Administration Handbook.

Additional information

Recommended previous knowledge: Microbiology equivalent to 5 ECTS; Plant Anatomy or Plant Physiology equivalent to 5 ECTS; Mathematics equivalent to 2.5 ECTS, with orientation in derivatives and differential equations.

Responsible department

Department of Soil and Environment