Forest Melioration

Total Hours in Course81

Number of hours for lectures16

Number of hours for seminars and practical classes16

Independent study hours49

Date of course confirmation19.04.2021

Responsible UnitInstutute of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering

Course developer

Ainavu arhitektūras un vides inženierijas institūts

Artūrs Veinbergs

Ph.D.

Course abstract

Program deals with measures connected with drainage, land reclamation and irrigation. It examines water regime and necessity for drainage in excess moisture case, irrigation in plant nurseries as well as land reclamation for providing the land management system. Lectures include estimation of area and it soil moisture conditions. The effect of local and zonal factors and necessity of engineering measures should be examined. Program includes question of water balance hydrogeology, hydrostatics and hydrodynamic, provides a view of Law of Melioration.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. The course gain the knowledge and understanding in the foundation of soil moisture regime, the subject of water and land management systems and related actualities in the sector, the principles of artificial drainage systems for forests and agricultural lands - written test;
2. The course enables students with critical thinking to assess case-specific formations of soil moisture conditions and find the appropriate solutions for optimizing the moisture regime. These abilities students should demonstrate through the practical work and discussions in the auditorium;

3. The course elaborates competence to apply the knowledge to select appropriate technical solutions for soil moisture optimization. These competencies are based on existing regulations and standards in the field of water and land management sector. - written test.

Course Content(Calendar)

Week 1: introduction to the study course, conditions for obtaining the credit points, recommended bibliography - lect.1 hour; the concept of water and land management systems and its functional significance in Latvia and worldwide - lect.1 hour;
Week 2: drainage systems, their functional significance, characteristics of forest infrastructure - lect. 1 hour; design of ditches in the plan – lect. 1 hour;
Week 3: moisture regime and characterization of hydrological processes - lect. 1 hour; the concept of the river basin and watersheds – 1st practical work 1 hour;
Week 4: capillarity, formation of artesian waters, pressure gradient, and filtration through a dam – 2nd practical work 2 hours;
Week 5: causes of excessive soil moisture, moisture effects on soil and primary production in agricultural and forestry areas, selection of appropriate drainage systems design - lect. 2 hours;
Week 6: test on topics learned from weeks 1 to 5 - 3rd practical work 2 hours;
Week 7: error correction of test results – 4th practical work 1 hour; drainage system design in the vertical plane - lect. 1 hour;
Week 8: drainage network design in the project plan - lect. 1 hour, 5st practical work 1 hour;
Week 9: design of the drainage system in the vertical profiles - lect. 2 hours;
Week 10: selection of suitable ditch cross-sections and their parameters, calculations of the amount of excavated land - 6st practical work 2 hours;
Week 11: hydrology and applied methods for measuring hydrological processes and flow estimates - lect. 2 hours;
Week 12: hydrological calculations - 7st practical work 2 hours;
Week 13: hydraulics and hydraulic estimates for open streambeds, selection of erosion avoiding measures - lect. 1 hour, 8st practical work 1 hour;
Week 14: engineering structures in water management systems, design of culverts and their parameters - lect. 2 hours;
Week 15: test on topics acquired from weeks 7 to 14 - 9st practical work 2 hours;

Week 16: an overview of test results and course results, reports of oral presentations prepared by students - 10st practical work 2 hours.

Requirements for awarding credit points

1. Successful results in two written tests during the semester - mandatory.

2. The practical work and discussions during the semester or oral presentation of the subject agreed with the lecturer – optional.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

1. Before the lesson, students can get acquainted with the topic of the lectures and during the classes to discuss the issues included in the subject – involvement is optional.
2. According to the lecturer instructions, students solves practical work tasks – involvement is optional.
3. Preparation for two tests on the topics acquired in lectures and practical work – work is mandatory.

4. In coordination with the lecturer, an oral presentation can be prepared, where the topic of land reclamation should be discussed – work is not mandatory.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

The performance of the student will be assessed by counting the sum of the marks earned:
• In each of the tests being able to achieve a mark of 4.5 at the maximum;

• In practical work or oral presentation being able to achieve a mark of 1 at the maximum.

Compulsory reading

1. Latvijas būvnormatīvs LBN 224-15 „Meliorācijas sistēmas un hidrotehniskās būves” Rīga, 2015. MK noteikumi Nr.329 " Noteikumi par Latvijas būvnormatīvu LBN 224-15 "Meliorācijas sistēmas un hidrotehniskās būves"" [tiešsaiste]. Pieņemts 30.06.2015.; stājas spēkā 01.07.2015. [Skatīts 30.03.2020.]. Pieejams:
https://likumi.lv/ta/id/274993-noteikumi-par-latvijas-buvnormativu-lbn-224-15-melioracijas-sistemas-un-hidrotehniskas-buves
2. Meža infrastruktūras objektu projektēšana. Tehniskie noteikumi. Latvijas valsts standarts Nr. 8099. Reģistrēts 16.09.2015. apstiprināts ar AS „Latvijas valsts meži”. Prezidenta R.Strīpnieka 14.09.2015. rīkojumu Nr. 3.1-2.1_002y_101_15_29. 88 lpp. [Skatīts 30.03.2020.]. Pieejams:
https://www.lvm.lv/images/lvm/Profesionaliem/Infrastrukt%C5%ABra/MIO_TN/MIO_TP_noteikumi_2015.pdf

3. Labrencis V., R. Sudārs R. Meža meliorācija. Jelgava: LLU, 2005. 165 lpp.

Periodicals and other sources

1. Vides Vēstis: Vides aizsardzības kluba žurnāls. Rīga: Vides aizsardzības klubs. ISSN 1407-2939.
2. Baltijas Koks: starptautisks žurnāls uzņēmīgiem cilvēkiem. Rīga: Meža Mediju centrs. ISSN 1407-6667.

Notes

This study course is compulsory for study programs of Forestry Science in Forest faculty and and optional course for Environment and Water Management in the Faculty of Environment and Civil Engineering at Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies.

Atsauksmes