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Soils and Forest Productivity

Course developers

Course abstract

Students are able to acquire knowledge and understanding about the basic soil formation processes, soil genesis, principal soils’ properties, about soil classification, geography; know forest productivity indicators, their influencing environmental factors, risks and silvicultural measures.
Laboratory and practical work embraces skills in the morphological, physical and chemical analysis of soils, determining the effects of risks and various factors to the forest productivity, and information interpretation.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. Obtaining skills to accomplish basic soil analysis and to manage interpretation of obtained results – laboratory activity.
2. To be able make diagnosis of soil morphological properties – practicals.
3. To be able to classify soils according to the WRB system – practicals.
4. Understanding about soil formation, genesis, properties, classification, geography; the role of soil in human life, and its ecological functions – lectures, tests No. 1 to 2, final exam.
5. Know the forest productivity indicators, the factors affecting them (Lectures; Test No. 3) and silvicultural measures (workshop).
6. Can determine and calculate forest productivity indicators (Lectures; Practical Works)
7. Capable of analysing and independently evaluating the effects of different factors, measures and risks on forest productivity, and preventing their negative impacts (Lectures, Laboratory Works, Test No. 4)

Course Content(Calendar)

1.Introduction. The concept of soils, its functions. (Lectures 2 h + Practical work 4 h)
2.Basics of soil formation. Soil formation factors. (Lectures 2 h + Practical work 4 h)
3.Mineralogical composition and texture of soil and parent material. (Lectures 1 h + Laboratory work 3 h)
4.Soil organic material. (Lectures 1 h + Laboratory work 3 h)
5.Chemical and colloidal properties of soil. (Lectures 2 h + Laboratory work 2 h)
6.Soil physical properties and structure. Test No. 1. (1 h)
7.Soil fertility. Soil genesis and evolution. (Lectures 2 h + Practical work 4 h)
8.Soil classification. Soil geography (Soil cover of Northern Europe and Latvia). Test No. 2. (1 h)
9. The concept of forest productivity, its indicators. (lectures 3 h)
10. Measurement and calculation of forest productivity indicators. (practical work 4 h)
11. Environmental factors affecting forest productivity. (Lectures 2 h + Laboratory work 2 h)
12. Indicators of forest productivity, measurement of them and environmental factors affecting. Test 3. (1h)
13. Silvicultural measures affecting forest productivity. (Workshop 8 h)
14. Risks influencing forest productivity and their mitigation options (Lectures 3 h + Laboratory works 3 h)
15. Relationship of forest productivity with wood quality for different tree species (Lectures 2 h + Laboratory works 3 h)
16. Silvicultural measures and risks affecting forest productivity, preventing their negative impacts. Test 4. (1h)

Requirements for awarding credit points

Written exam, which includes test questions about theoretical aspects of the course content. Before final examination, all laboratory and practical tasks must be finished and intermediate tests (No. 1 to No. 4) successfully passed.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

Systematic studies of theory. Accomplishment of laboratory and practical works – timely, according to the fixed timetable.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

At the time of the semester, 4 written tests shall be carried out, the subject of which covers the issues affected by lectures, the laboratory, workshop and practical work substance, and the material to be acquired independently, according to the scope of the study subject programme.
A student may obtain a successful check on the test or exam test if at least 50% of the test questions are answered correctly.
If all the tests are successfully written and the sum of the points collected with these 4 tests exceeds 24 (25 and more), the final exam should not be sorted and the marking to be obtained is appropriate for the average assessment of the tests.
The total assessment of the study course consists of 4 tests (50 % of total; first writing, not corrected mark), a working semester mean mark, and a mark obtained in the final exam (50 % of total) for 1: 1. For example, if the average mark obtained during semester is 6, but in the final exam 8, then the knowledge assessment in the study course will be 7.
Lecture attendance mandatory. Up to the exam (or crediting of the collected points) shall be worked and credited to all practical, workshop and laboratory work provided for in the study plan, successfully written for all the tests. Final exam written, without use of consumables. If the exam mark is unsuccessful, the overall rating of the course is
6
unsuccessful! Note: Examining and further work in the current study year may be abandoned for students who inappropriately hindered in total 10 or more lectures, laboratory, practical jobs or workshop.

Compulsory reading

1. Blum W.E.H., Schad P., Nortcliff S. Essentials of Soil Science. Stuttgart: Borntraeger Science Publishers, 2018. 171 p.
2. Switoniak M., Kabala C., Karklins A., Charzynski P. et. al. Guidelines for Soil Description and Classification: Central and Eastern European Students’ Version. Torun: Polish Society of Soil Science, 2018. 286 p. [tiešsaiste] [skatīts 28.10.2019.] Pieejams: http://www.academia.edu/36680011/Guidelines_for_Soil_Description_and_Classification_Central_and_Eastern_European_Students_Version

3. Materiāli E-studiju vietnē.

Further reading

1. Buol S.W., Hole F.D., McCracken R.J., Southard R.J. Soil Genesis and Classification. 4th ed. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1997. 527 p. LLU 276204.
2. Harpstead M.I., Sauer T.J., Bennett W.F. Soil Science Simplified. 3rd ed. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1997. 210 p. LLU 276206.
3. Soil Atlas of Europe. European Soil Bureau Network, European Commission. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2005. 128 p. LLU, INTERNET. .
4. Soil Atlas of the Northern Circumpolar Region. European Soil Bureau Network, European Commission. Luxembourg: Publications of the European Comnunities, 2010. 144 p. INTERNET.
5. European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity. European Soil Bureau Network, European Commission. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Comnunities, 2010. 128 p. INTERNET.
6. Encyclopaedia of Soils in the Environment (2005). Ed.-in-chief D. Hillel. Amsterdam ... [etc.]: Elsevier, 2005. Vol. I – 548 pp.; vol. II – 542 pp., vol. III – 570 pp., vol. IV – 459 p. .
7. Soil Sequences Atlas II. Ed. by M. Switoniak, P. Charzynski. Torun, 2018. 248 p.
8. Soil Sequences Atlas IV, Ed. by M. Switoniak, P. Charzynski. Torun, 2018. 262 p
https://www.academia.edu/38013329/SOIL_SEQUENCES_ATLAS_IV?campaign=upload_email

Periodicals and other sources

1. Materiāli E-studiju vietnē
2. INTERNET resursi.

Notes

For academic bachelor study program “Sustainable forestry” students