Introduction to Soil Science

This course focuses on the relationships between global geological processes, landforms, soil-forming processes, soil types and land use potential.

Practicals alternate the lectures and illustrate and deepen the treated topics. In the last week of the course, a field excursion shows the relationships between geology, soils, and landscapes (including land use) around Wageningen.

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:

• Recognize global geological processes that form landscapes, landforms and sediments.
• Describe different parent materials of soils and explain their origin.
• Interpret soil profiles to derive which soil-forming process led to development of the soil horizons, and explain why and how this took place.
• Analyse the land use potential of soils based on soil characteristics and related land qualities.
• Apply and interpret soil horizon codes and soil classifications.

Mandatory Knowledge:
ZSS06200 Fieldwork Safety
Assumed Knowledge:
Geography at high school level.