Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
Objectives By completing this course students will be able to describe and classify soils according to the two main classification schemes currently in use in Australia (the `Northcote' and `Isbell' schemes); explain the formation of the principal soil types found in SE Australia; summarise the nature and causes of the main Australian soil management issues in the late twentieth century, and the general ways in which they relate to broader social issues; demonstrate understanding of the ways in which these issues may be addressed.
Synopsis This subject introduces soils and their management through the following topics: the constituents of soils, soil-forming processes and models of soil formation, soil characteristics and soil classification, and the principal issues in the management of Australian soils. By the end of the course, students must be able to use the standard soil classification schemes currently in use in Australia (Northcote and Isbell). In the management section of the unit, particular emphasis is placed on relating the management issues to pedogenesis and soils characteristics, rather than treating these two aspects in isolation from each other. The human dimension of soil management issues is introduced towards the end of the unit.
Assessment Written (2000 words): 40% + Examinations (one and a half hours): 50% + Practical work/Fieldwork: 10%