Introduction to soil science, soil organic matter dynamics, and related laboratory techniques - MO550P25

• Title: Introduction to soil science, soil organic matter dynamics, and related laboratory techniques
• Guaranteed by: Institute for Environmental Studies (31-550)
• Faculty: Faculty of Science
• Actual: from 2022
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 3
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, C+Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unlimited
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: taught
• Language: English
• Note: enabled for web enrollment
• Guarantor: Gerrit Angst, Dr. rer. nat.
• Teacher(s): Gerrit Angst, Dr. rer. nat.
• Class: NIR spectrometr

Annotation

English

Last update: RNDr. Jolana Tátosová, Ph.D. (29.03.2019)

This lecture will deal with the basics of soil science, including soil development and classification, soil chemistry
and soil physics. Special focus will be put on soil organic matter dynamics and organic carbon storage in soil with
links to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. A part of the course will be taking place in the
field, where the students will classify a soil profile and take volumetric soil samples. These samples will then be
used to analyse basic soil properties in the laboratory, such as pH value, water content, density, or particle size.
Soil organic matter related laboratory methods taught will be the measurement of heterotrophic respiration and
organic carbon contents, and the separation of the soil into fractions relatable to different stabilization
mechanisms of soil organic carbon.

The subject is intended primarily for doctoral studies, requires knowledge of pedology, biogeochemistry and
basics of analytical chemistry.

Czech

Last update: RNDr. Jolana Tátosová, Ph.D. (27.09.2021)

This year (2021/2022) - the course will not be held - the teacher is abroad.

This lecture will deal with the basics of soil science, including soil development and classification, soil chemistry and soil physics. Special focus will be put on soil organic matter dynamics and organic carbon storage in soil with links to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations. A part of the course will be taking place in the field, where the students will classify a soil profile and take volumetric soil samples. These samples will then be used to analyse basic soil properties in the laboratory, such as pH value, water content, density, or particle size.
Soil organic matter related laboratory methods taught will be the measurement of heterotrophic respiration and organic carbon contents, and the separation of the soil into fractions relatable to different stabilization
mechanisms of soil organic carbon.

The subject is intended primarily for doctoral studies, requires knowledge of pedology, biogeochemistry and basics of analytical chemistry.

Aim of the course

English

Last update: RNDr. Jolana Tátosová, Ph.D. (29.03.2019)

Course outcome:
After the course, the students should be able to

• understand basic processes acting in and on soils with special emphasis on carbon storage and soil organic matter dynamics

• classify soil profiles according to genetic horizons and take soil samples in the field

• perform laboratory analyses to determine basic soil properties and measures of soil organic carbon/matter stability

Syllabus

English

Last update: RNDr. Jolana Tátosová, Ph.D. (29.03.2019)

Tentative syllabus
1.Introduction

• What is soil

• Components of soil

• Soil development and mineralogy

2. Soil chemistry

• Acidity/Basicity

• CEC

• Buffer capacity of soils

3. Soil physics

• Particle/pore size

• Soil structure

• Soil water

4. Soil organic matter

• Introduction

• Nutrients in soil

5. Soil classifications and geographical distribution of soil types

6. Deep delve into soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics

• Pathways of SOM formation

• Stabilization mechanisms

• Analytical techniques

7. Field day

8. Laboratory course