Applied soil sciences
[BIRE2104]
[30h + 22.5h] 5 credits
This course is taught in the 2d semester.
Teacher(s): Bruno Delvaux
Language: French
Level: Second
Aims
Knowledge:
- Integrated knowledge of soil formation processes and current pedological processes, (1) considering the soil as natural object (2) framing the processes within the broad bio-climatic ensembles, (3) situating the soil at the local, toposequence and catchment scales, (4) by apprehending the human impact on the process.
Know-how:
- Ability to integrate the basic disciplines (1) to analyze and diagnose soil processes and the functioning of soils, (2) understand the impact of man on them.
- Ability to integrate the principles of soil functioning to understand the soil in the landscape and ecosystem.
Main themes
1 soil forming processes and current pedological processes: alteration, formation of secondary minerals, organo-mineral interactions, transfer of materials and types of major processes of weathering and pedogenesis, diagnosis of the current processes, acidification and net alcanilisation, soil evoluation.
2 Geography of major soil types: recognition of land in the international WRB system, study the functioning of major soil types in their natural ecosystems and in ecosystems modified by man.
3 R"Lateral" relations: functioning of the soil cover throughout a toposequence and catchment, dynamic evolution of a toposequence; skills station.
Content and teaching methods
Part II: The Geography of sols. Identification of soils in the international WRB system, study the functioning of major soil types in their natural ecosystems and in ecosystems modified by man; interpretation of morphological data and analytical profiles.
Part III: Lateral relations and toposéquences : Compréhension of "lateral" phenomena in the soil toposequence; interpretation of morphological data and analytical profiles, field work, excursions.
Part IV: Regional pedology. Application of the concepts developed in the previous three parts: reading of the Belgian soil map, interpretation of morphological data and analytical profiles, making of a detailed soil map.
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)
Evaluation : Exam; assessment of the reports of the practical work
Support Book : "Major Soils of the World", lecture notes
Supervision : 1 teacher, 1 assistant