| CODE | RFS1700 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Soil and Water Resources | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Rural Sciences and Food Systems | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This is an introductory study-unit in soil science covering the basic principles of soil biology, soil physics and soil chemistry. The students will be introduced to the soil environment including the diversity of life and the soil biota. This will complement the quantitative and qualitative estimation of microorganisms in soil, leading to the understanding of organisms interactions and soil processes and function. Students will understand better the involvement of microorganisms in nutrient cycling and their association with the roots of crops/plants. However, emphasis will be made on the effect of higher fauna on soil processes, consumption of litter and the production of faecal pellets. This topic will link to soil chemistry which deals with biochemical processes within living organisms and chemical processes in the soil. Their relationship leads to the cycling of nutrients between the soil, plant and atmosphere. The students will be shown how soil chemistry and biology, influence the physical aspects of soil. This, in particular, focuses on soil formation and morphology, soil development, soil texture, and mineral composition. Soil physics will lead to another aspect of the soil component which contributes to about 25% of the soil, which is soil water. However, this topic will be discussed in a broader perspective with the students, i.e. in terms of the groundwater zone under natural and human-induced conditions, interrelations between groundwater and the other components of the hydrological cycle. 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. This study unit emphasizes 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: 1) Describe key properties of soil and water 2) Describe the major soil processes with special reference to: a) soil formation and taxonomy b) the availability of nutrients c) the transport of nutrients in soil d) soil water e) chemical remediation and bioremediation f) degradation and dynamics of organic matter in soil g) the role of microorganisms in soil 3) Recognise the importance of soil in agriculture and in the natural environment 4) Explain the relationships between the mineral/organic fraction of the soil and the soil biota 5) Identify the main strategies for soil management and remediation 6) Describe the hydrological cycle 7) Explain the importance of water in agriculture and in the natural environment 8) Describe the various methods of water storage, water harvesting and distribution systems used in agriculture 9) Describe the limitations and opportunities in water management in Malta 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1) Apply the fundamental principles of chemistry, physics and biology in soil science 2) Examine the processes of soil formation and demonstrate an understanding of techniques involved in soil description and classification 3) Analyse the physical and chemical properties of soil components 4) Analyse the factors and processes influencing soil fertility, structural stability, water availability and movement, temperature fluctuations and soil biology 5) Analyse the factors and processes that lead to the degradation of soil resources 6) Evaluate the management practices used to reduce soil degradation or increase productivity in sustainable systems 7) Interpret the physical and chemical data of a water analysis 8) Identify anthropogenic factors and natural processes that lead to the degradation of ground water quality Main Text/s and any supplementary readings - Ashman, M., R., and G. Puri . 2002. Essential Soil Science. Blackwell Publishing. - Eldor, P. 2006, Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry. Academic Press. - Troeh, F. R., and L. M. Thompson.1993. Soils and Soil Fertility. Oxford University Press. - Van Breeme, N. and P. Buurman, 1998. Soil Formation. Kluwer Academic Publisher. - Bohn, H. L. , B. L. McNeal and G. A. O'Connor, 2001. Soil Chemistry. John Wiley and Sons. - Hillel, D. 2003. Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics. Academic Press. - Rowell, D. L. 1994. Soil Science Methods and Applications Prentice Hall. - Bardgett, R.D., 2005. The Biology of Soils. A Community and Ecosystem Approach. Oxford University Press. - Wood M., 1995 Environmental Soil Biology, Springer Publishers. - Elsas, J. D., J. K. Jansson and J. T. Trevors 2006. Modern soil microbiology. CRC Press. - Killham, K. 1995. Soil Ecology. Cambridge University Press. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Study-units: RFS1100, RFS1200 or related study-units Co-requisite Study-units: RFS1102 or related study-unit Biology for Agricultural Sciences BIO/03 |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork, Lectures and Tutorials | ||||||||||||||||
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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 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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