Course Title and Number:
Soils for Plant Growth, For 2505
UNB Course Outline & Forest Watershed Research Centre Course Information
Instructors:
Dr. P. Arp, M. Castonguay
Teaching Assistants:
Marie-France Jones, Shane Furze, Douglas Hiltz, Monique Goguen
Course description:
This course introduces the subject of forest soils, by emphasizing the nature and properties of soils
within the general forestry context, with reference to best management practices, ecology, tree
biology, silviculture, soil quality and productivity, and matters of soil pollution, sustainability and
soil conservation. The course also prepares students for other courses such as forest watershed
management (For 3456, For 3457), biodiversity and ecosystem management (For 4545),
silviculture and stand intervention design (For 3005) and forest management practicum (For
4020).
Course objectives:
1.
To explore the origin of soils (geological, topographical, historical, climatological),
2.
To become familiar with processes of soil formation, and to understand the concept of soil
as a three-dimensional body and portion of the natural landscape
3.
To gain insight in the basic physical, chemical, and biological nature and properties of the
soil and the general interactions of soil properties with vegetation type and growth,
including soil fertility and productivity, and laboratory investigations (pH, texture, soil
organic matter, soil iron, exchangeable bases)
4.
To become acquainted with the distribution and classification of soils (as well as forest site
classification) through field exercises
5.
To develop an ability to recognize spatial and temporal variability in soils and soil-plant
interactions
These objectives correspond with the CFAB academic objectives regarding Forest soils, and include
matters pertaining to soil drainage and soil hydrology.
Course duration:
12 weeks
Total number of hours scheduled:
96
Scheduled lecture hours:
24
Scheduled laboratory hours:
72
Scheduled field work hours:
36
Other scheduled hours:
6 (tutorial & exam)
Course Content
1.
INTRODUCTION
a) Importance of soil: past, present, and future
b) The soil profile
c) Soil as a portion of the landscape
2.
SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
a) Soil as a three-phase system
b) Soil texture
c) Soil structure
d) Soil volume and weight relationships
e) Soil moisture and water movement
3.
SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
a) Mineralogical and chemical composition of soil
b) Cation exchange reaction, cation exchange capacity, and base saturation of soil
c) Soil reaction (pH)
d) Chemistry of plant nutrients
4.
SOIL BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
a) Soil inhabiting organisms: Macrofauna, Mesofauna, and Microorganisms
b) Inorganic nitrogen and sulfur transformations
c) Soil organic matter: Origin and nature of residues, decomposition of residues
and humus formation, and types of organic matter
5.
SOIL FORMATION
a) Differentiation of the soil profile
b) Climate, vegetation, and topography as factors in soil formation
c) Time as a factor in soil formation
d) Organic soils
Course Structure and Schedule:
Week 1:
Indoor Lab Session:
Introduction to field exercises and terminology
Week 2:
Outdoor Lab Session 1:
Location – TBA
Week 3:
Outdoor Lab Session 2:
Location – TBA
Week 4:
Outdoor Lab Session 3:
Location – TBA
Week 5:
Outdoor Lab Session 4:
Location – TBA
Week 6:
Outdoor Lab Session 5:
Location – TBA
Week 7:
Outdoor Lab Test:
Location – TBA
Week 8:
Indoor Lab Session:
Soil pH Analysis
Week 9:
Indoor Lab Session:
Soil Texture Analysis & Soil Organic Matter, N
Week 10:
Indoor Lab Session:
Soil Free Iron
Week 11:
Indoor Lab Session:
Soil Quality - Exchangeable Bases
Week 12:
Indoor Lab Session:
Tutorial
Course readings:
Required:
Brady, N.C., and Weil, R.R. 2003. The Nature and Properties of Soils. Prentice-Hall Inc., New Jersey.
Arp, P.A. 2003. FOR 2505 Soils for Plant Growth: Field Manual. Faculty of Forestry and
Environmental Management.
Autecology of Forest Vegetation: Hand-out Package. Faculty of Forestry and Environmental
Management.
Forest Watershed Research Centre Website. This site informs about and updates the weekly
For2505 exercises
http://watershed.for.unb.ca/education/undergraduate-studies/for2505/
Supplemental:
Canada Soil Survey Committee, Subcommittee on Soil Classification. 1978. The Canadian System of
Soil Classification. Can. Dept. Agric. Publ. 1646. Supply and Services Canada, Ottawa, Ont. 164 pp.
Canadian Soil Information System (CANSIS)
http://res.agr.ca/cansis/systems/online_maps.html#wms
Office Hours and Consultation:
Open door; clarifications (lectures, exercises, examinations)
Student assessment:
Grading of reports, quizzes, and examinations; altogether 14 separate assessments
Grading:
Field Exercises (5 reports)
20
Field Test
10
Laboratory Exercises (4 reports)
20
Quizzes (maximum 3)
10
Final Examination
40
Total
100