HR902-10 Soil sustainability and the environment
Introductory description
This module focuses on providing the students with an understanding of the environmental and safety risks associated with technology together with methods for limiting damage and risk. Reference to practical examples will be used wherever possible.
Module aims
- Understand the principles of soil science and soil management
- Understand the fundamental concepts of resource management for agriculture, landscape and conservation
- Evaluate the use of water, nutrients and other natural resources on agricultural regimes as well as their impacts on the wider environment
- Analyse the sources and effects of environmental pollution
- Select and apply appropriate tools and techniques to optimise cropping and limit and manage pollution
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
- Soil genesis, structure and classification
- Assessing soil quality and ecosystem services
- Soil Carbon cycling
- Above-below ground interactions
- Soil Carbon and climate change
- Management of soil Carbon
- Plant elemental nutrition and acquisition
- Soil nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and pollution
- Soil degradation and desertification
- Soil Water and cropping
- Sustainable soil management
- Soil Pollution
- Composting
- Compost and waste application to land
- Public understanding of soil science
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Understand the processes and timescales governing soil formation
- Understand the role of soil processes in regulating the global carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
- Critically evaluate approaches to define, assess and quantify soil quality
- Understand the role of soils in supporting agricultural productivity and the principles of sustainable agricultural soil management
- Have a critical awareness of environmental problems arising from unsustainable soil management practices
- Understand the key chemical and biological pollutants which affect soil and critically evaluate implications for human health
- Understand the principles of composting, approaches to evaluate compost characteristics, and regulations surrounding the application of organic materials to land
- Understand and challenge public perceptions of soils and their role in delivering ecosystem services
Indicative reading list
NC Brady and RR Weil (2017) The Nature and Properties of Soils. 15th Edition. Pearson e-book. ISBN 9781292034041
Richard D. Bardgett (2005) The biology of soil: a community and ecosystem approach. Oxford University Press.
View reading list on Talis Aspire
Subject specific skills
Understand the processes and timescales governing soil formation
Understand the role of soil processes in regulating the global carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles
Critically evaluate approaches to define, assess and quantify soil quality
Understand the role of soils in supporting agricultural productivity and the principles of sustainable agricultural soil management
Have a critical awareness of environmental problems arising from unsustainable soil management practices
Understand the key chemical and biological pollutants which affect soil and critically evaluate implications for human health
Understand the principles of composting, approaches to evaluate compost characteristics, and regulations surrounding the application of organic materials to land
Transferable skills
Understand and challenge public perceptions
Study time
Type | Required |
---|---|
Lectures | 12 sessions of 1 hour (12%) |
Seminars | 2 sessions of 2 hours (4%) |
Practical classes | 1 session of 3 hours (3%) |
Private study | 81 hours (81%) |
Total | 100 hours |
Private study description
Independent research
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A3
Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
---|---|---|---|
Poster Presentation | 50% | No | |
Essay | 50% | No |
Feedback on assessment
Written individual feedback to each student on essay and seminar assessments. Face-to-face feedback on any assessment provided on request from the student.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A1 Postgraduate Taught Environmental Bioscience in a Changing Climate
-
THRA-D4A3 Postgraduate Taught Food Security
- Year 1 of D4A3 Food Security
- Year 1 of D4A3 Food Security
- Year 1 of THRA-D4A2 Postgraduate Taught Sustainable Crop Production: Agronomy for the 21st Century
This module is Optional for:
- Year 1 of ULFA-C1A1 Undergraduate Biological Sciences (MBio)