EAE3321 - Soils and land management

Overview

Soils are critical for food and water security, effective nutrient cycling for terrestrial ecosystems and sustaining human life. Sustainable land management of the soil resource is one of the important contemporary challenges facing society and identified in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This unit will engage you in the sustainable management of soil resources which are critical for agricultural production, support terrestrial ecosystems and provide a range of ecosystem services. You will be presented with a number of soil and land management issues, and explore alternative land uses and sustainable land management techniques.

Offerings

S2-01-CLAYTON-ON-CAMPUS

Rules

Enrolment Rule

Contacts

Chief Examiner(s)

Dr Vanessa Wong

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Vanessa Wong

Notes

One 2-day field trip on a weekend during semester

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

Exhibit a high level of skill in field description, identification and analysis of soils and regolith.

Assess the current explanations for landscape management problems through critical evaluation of the literature and field and laboratory data.

Discuss the processes that lead to soil and regolith formation.

Discuss the key threats to the soil resource and identify management and remediation strategies.

Describe soil and land management issues in the context of both longer-term environmental change and current environmental change.

Teaching approach

Online learning

Active learning

Assessment

1 - In semester continuous assessment

2 - Workshop quizzes

3 - Examination (2 hours and 10 minutes)

Scheduled and non-scheduled teaching activities

Lectures

Practical activities

Workshops

Workload requirements

Workload

The workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours spread across the semester (approx. 12 hours per week) - approximately an even mixture of attendance at scheduled activities and self-scheduled study time. Learning activities comprise a mixture of instructor directed, peer directed and self-directed learning, which includes face-to-face and online engagement.
One 2-day field trip on a weekend during semester

Other unit costs

Costs are indicative and subject to change.

A field trip with an estimated additional cost of $110 is recommended. A limited number of field trip scholarships are available via application to the Unit Coordinator. Alternative assessment is available for students with special consideration

Adequate clothing and protective footwear (closed) appropriate for field work and working outdoors MUST be worn and are at your own expense.

Availability in areas of study

Earth science
Environmental science
Geographical science
Human geography