| CODE | RFS5003 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Soil and Water for Rural Sciences | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Rural Sciences and Food Systems | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit comprises of the following topics: A) Soil Chemistry. An informative introduction to soil chemistry which is divided into: - The soil solid phase covering: - Crystal chemistry of silicates - Silicates composition and structural classification - Weathering process and development - Development of layer silicates - Development of permanent and variable charge - Accessory mineral - The soil liquid phase covering: - Important ions - Solid - solute interactions - Cation and anion exchange capacity - Soil pH - Solute concentration and salt affected soil - Redox potential B) Soil Biology. An introduction to soil biology comprising of: - An introduction to the complex soil biota covering: - The microbial community structure - Their interrelation and interaction with the soil mineral and organic fractions. - Their interaction with plant roots - The plant root in the soil environment - Soil organic matter - Its importance in soil - Its formation process and interactions with soil inorganic matter C) Soil Formation and Morphology. An introduction to soil formation processes covering: - A general study of soil formation processes with reference to: - Parent material - Climate - Organisms - Topography - Time - An introduction to soil morphology. D) Soil Physics. This covers the basic physical properties of soils and includes: - Soil mechanics - Texture - Soil structure - Soil density - Soil porosity and compaction - Soil permeability and hydraulic conductivity - Soil aeration - Soil hydrology - Soil moisture content - Soil moisture potential - Water flow in soil - Water infiltration - Water evaporation E) A brief description of the soils of Malta. F) Water Resources. This topic will introduce the student to local water resources and focuses mainly on: - Groundwater - Interrelations between groundwater and the other components of the hydrological cycle - Water harvesting - Water quality - Basic aspects of water treatment Study-unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to provide the student a good grounding in fundamental soil science and basic hydrology. Soil and water are important natural resources that directly or indirectly support life and are an essential component in agriculture and environmental resource management. This study-unit will emphasize the basic principles of soil and water as they relate to environmental quality and agriculture. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain key properties of soil and water. - Differentiate between the major soil processes with special reference to soil formation and classification, nutrient interactions and availability, the transport of nutrients in soil, soil hydrology, dynamics of organic matter in soil, the role of microorganisms in soil. - Evaluate the importance of soil in agriculture and in the natural environment. - Explain the relationships between the mineral/organic fraction of the soil and the soil biota. - Evaluate the components of the hydrological cycle. - Explain the importance of water in agriculture and in the natural environment. - Distinguish between the various methods of water storage, water harvesting and distribution systems used in agriculture. - Evaluate the limitations and opportunities in water management in Malta. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Apply the fundamental principles of chemistry, physics and biology in soil science. - Examine the processes of soil formation and demonstrate an understanding of techniques involved in soil description and classification. - Analyse the physical and chemical properties of soil components. - Analyse the factors and processes influencing soil fertility, structural stability, water availability and movement. - Analyse the factors and processes that lead to the degradation of soil resources. - Evaluate the management practices used to reduce soil degradation or increase productivity in sustainable systems. - Interpret the physical and chemical data of a water and soil analysis. - Identify anthropogenic factors and natural processes that lead to the degradation of soil and ground water quality. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: Bennett, W. F., Eash, N. S., Green, C. J., & Razvi, A. (2008). Soil Science Simplified. Blackwell Pub. White, R. (2005) Principles and Practice of Soil Science: The Soil as a Natural Resource. John Wiley & Sons. Supplementary Readings: Chesworth, Ward, (2007) Encyclopedia of soil sciences. Springer. Gregory and Nortcliff. (2013) Soil Conditions and Plant Growth, Wiley-Blackwell. Tan, K., (2010) Principles of Soil Chemistry, Fourth Edition. CRC Press. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Anthony Sacco |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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