Introduction to Soil Geography

This course explains how geological processes and soil forming processes shape the soil and lead to soil spatial variation. It describes the main physical, chemical and biological properties that characterise the soil and explains how soils are grouped by soil classification systems. Students also learn how soil maps are made and how these maps are used in land evaluation studies.
Practicals alternate lectures and illustrate and deepen the subject knowledge. A field excursion shows the relationships between geology, soils, and landscape (including land use) around Wageningen.

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

• Recognise and explain geological processes in relation to the genesis of landscapes, parent materials and soils
• Recognise and interpret how soil-forming processes lead to different soil properties and variations in soil types
• Recognise and apply basic approaches in soil inventarisation and digital soil mapping in order to use relevant soil information as a basis for land evaluation

Mandatory Knowledge:
ZSS06200 Fieldwork Safety