AESC40250 Soil Resources

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module introduces you to soils and will discuss the formation of soils, soil descriptions, the nature and causes of soil variation, the diversity of soil organisms, and the response of soils to management practices.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course students will:
• understand pedogenesis
• understand the methods used in describing soils
• appreciate the factors which determine the type of soil occurring under particular environmental conditions
• understand the processes involved in the transformation of nutrients in soils
• appreciate the factors which determine the movement of water and nutrients through soil profiles
• appreciate the effects of physical manipulation on soil

Indicative Module Content:

The central role of soils in natural and managed systems paying particular attention to agricultural, forest and built environments; the formation of soils; the physical nature of soils; soil biology; soil descriptions; interactions between the physical and biological aspects of soil which help in the delivery of sustainable production and water management; and soil erosion.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

16

Autonomous Student Learning

40

Online Learning

48

Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Online lectures. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
AESC20070 - Soil Resources, ERM40280 - Land Utilisation

Equivalents:
Soil Resources (AESC20070), Soil Science Applications (AESC30220)


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Multiple Choice Questionnaire: MCQ Throughout the Trimester n/a Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No

70

Assignment: Soil-data report Week 11 n/a Graded No

30


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer Yes - 1 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Quizzes are given with online, automated feedback, following grading. Following assessment of the small project submitted in Week 11, students will be given individual detailed feedback in Brightspace.

Name Role
Professor Michael Bruen Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Eoin Campbell Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Paul Murphy Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Professor Olaf Schmidt Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Saoirse Tracy Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
 

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