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Unit of Study AGR00214 - Soil Processes (2020)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    This is an Intermediate level unit that requires students to have an understanding of minerals and landscape development and of basic chemistry. This essential background is provided by completion of the pre-requisite units or equivalent experience. There will be a three day compulsory residential for Online students that will be held on the Lismore campus. Please refer to http://scu.edu.au/timetables for further information on timetables. For on-campus students there are weekly compulsory practical sessions. Please refer to timetable information for details.

Unit description

Examines the main soil forming processes and the role of both organic matter and clay minerals in soil processes and properties is explored. Field soil assessment and classification skills are developed and methods for the examination of soil invertebrates introduced. The main concepts and methods used to assess soil physical and chemical properties are introduced, as is the use of soil moisture characteristics for the prediction of water movement. The behaviour of soil nutrients is examined.

Unit content

The unit will cover the following topics (not necessarily in the order presented) which will be dealt with in the topic notes, readings, laboratory notes and in the field:

  • soil and its constituents
  • soil physical properties: texture, structure
  • soil water
  • soil organic matter
  • soil and clay mineralogy
  • soil and plant nutrition: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and trace elements
  • soil formation
  • soil classification
  • soil biology.

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Lismore
Session1
Session1
Online
Session1
Session1

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 describe the main soil forming processes
2 describe the role of organic matter and clay minerals in soil processes and properties
3 discuss the role of the major soil nutrients in plant nutrition and outline the main plant nutrient cycles
4 assess soil structure, texture and consistence in the field sufficient to enable soil classification
5 demonstrate soil surveying technique
6 discuss the use of soil classification systems in general and understand the features of a range of soil classification systems as well as classify soils according to two major Australian soil classification systems
7 describe some important soil chemical and physical processes and properties.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. describe the main soil forming processes
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  2. describe the role of organic matter and clay minerals in soil processes and properties
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  3. discuss the role of the major soil nutrients in plant nutrition and outline the main plant nutrient cycles
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  4. assess soil structure, texture and consistence in the field sufficient to enable soil classification
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  5. demonstrate soil surveying technique
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
  6. discuss the use of soil classification systems in general and understand the features of a range of soil classification systems as well as classify soils according to two major Australian soil classification systems
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:
  7. describe some important soil chemical and physical processes and properties.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA6:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.