Content (Syllabus outline)
The student will have basic knowledge of soil science , especially of processes, which are important for connection of geology, soil science, forestry and environment protection:
- basic processes in soil and Earth’s crust composition (minerals, stones and weathering)
- representation of the soil science branches, research and scientific fields
- soil as a natural body: its formation, development and composition
- physical soil properties (texture, structure, consistence, particle and bilk density, porosity, colour, temperature)
- soil air (oxidation and reduction processes, composition of soil atmosphere, gas transport)
- soil water (forms, movement, properties, hydrological cycle and human impact)
- chemical soil properties (soil colloids, soil solution, ion exchange, soil pH, buffering, nutrient availability)
- organic matter (the global carbon cycling, accumulation and decomposition, composition, properties and types of humus, types of organic soils, usage and importance in forestry)
- diversity of life in soil, classifications, and role in soil food web (bacteria, fungi, archea, soil fauna)
-fundamentals of microbial metabolism and genetics
- organism interactions and soil processes
- biological cycling of main elements, N, C, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, S, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Co, Cu, B….
- Soils as part of forest site and their impact on forest plant communities
- soil genesis and classification (pedogenetic factors and processes, soil horizons and soil types)
- soil evaluation (types of soil survey, sampling, interpretation of analyses results)
- soil pollution (sources and types of pollution, organic (pesticides…) and inorganic pollutants ((Cd, Hg, Cd, Pb, Cr….), prevention
- soil analyses methods
- soil information system
The student gets familiar with basic concepts of the structure and evolution of Earth, learns to distinguish the basic rock types, to use the geological maps, and to identify geological risks in the environmental activities:
- Rockforming minerals
- Clay minerals
- Igneous rocks
- Weathering and sedimentary rocks
- Metamorphic rocks
- Geological structures
- Geological time and geological maps
- Landslides
- Underground water
- Earth composition
- Plate tectonics
- Geology of Slovenia
Prerequisites
1. Condition for inclusion in the work:
- inscription to adequate academic year.
Before doing the exam of soil science, listening the lessons of botany and chemistry is recommended.
2. Condition for performing study obligations:
- attended field trip and passed exam in Geology,
- attended field trips and oral exam in Soil Science and Soil Microbiology.