3 ECTS credits
75 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4018768DNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.
Table of contents :
Lectures:
General concepts on soil stability
Soils of the littoral environment; mangrove soils, beach ridge and dune soils
Sulphidic and sulfuric soil materials, development of sulphate acidity
Soil salinity and sodicity
Organic soils, different types of tropical peats and associated alluvial soils
Problems of drainage
Long-term peat subsidence
Soils of the rainforest: Ferralsols, Nitisols, Acrisols, Plinthosols, rainforest Umbrisols and Cambisols
Fertility and acidification of rainforest soils
Soil erosion in the humid tropics
Project:
Evaluation of real field situation; data gathering and organization, with database and GIS applications; drafting a report and a further investigation project.
Course material, text books and further reading :
Basic theory explanation and project data will be provided during the course, being necessary and sufficient for exams. Further reading will be assigned on individual or small group basis, in the frame of project activity.
Please consult the course descriptions on the TROPIMUNDO website for the most completed and updated course descriptions.
Course objectives :
The target is to make the students able to understand the soils of the humid zones of the tropics, with special focus on the wetlands. Students are expected to be able to gauge soil problems within a given ecosystem and to require and successfully manage specialized assistance.
Learning outcomes :
please note the general comment on learning outcomes
Education level: Basic Ecosystem focus: Interactions Biological level: Ecosystem
Students should be able to diagnose the main soil conservation problems in the humid tropics by direct field observation and literature reference. They also should be able to select appropriate specialist help and to write suitable, technical, terms of reference.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
Exam : 50% Written
Exam : 50% Project
2ndsession : oral or written exam to be decided by the teacher.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Brussels
Master of Biology: AR Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems, start at Cayenne