Duration
18h Th, 6h Pr
Number of credits
| Bachelor in bioengineering | 2 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
- Introduction to soil quality/soil health, indicators and monitoring policies
- Basics of soil physics
- Description of soil phases
- Liquid/ solid relationship
- Water flows in saturated and isotropic soils
- Water flows in unsaturated soils
- Anisotropy (basics) - Basics of soil chemistry
- Acido-basic status and nutrient balances,
- Soil texture and mineral reserve,
- Status and dynamics of soil organic matter
- Cationic exchange capacity
- Main contaminants and indicators of soil degradation
- Basics of soil biology
(2) soil biota organisms: description and ecological roles,
(3) approaches to study soil biota, associated processes and functions. Concepts of indicators of soil biological quality
(4) threats to soil biology
(5) How can the biological properties of soil be improved?
- Integrated exercice of soil functionning assessment
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
After completing the course the student is expected to
- Understand importance of soil functions within ecosystems and the services they provide
- Understand the soil's role in regulating water flows
- understand the complex interplay between soil and plant with a focus on water
- apply this knowledge to caracterize water-controlled ecosystems
- Understand chemical soil functionning in relationship with bioavailability of elements within soil-water and plant systems
- understand roles played by soil organisms and make links with the physico chemical properties of a soil.
- Gain a comprehensive overview of the tools and levers that can be used to assess and improve the biological quality of soil.
- Apply the concepts to a diagnostic of soil fertilty
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
GEOP0009-1 Science du sol
BIOL2044-1 Physiologie végétale
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
- Classical courses and exercises.
- Group work (field observations and measurments)
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
/
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
written exam
Written work / report
Further information:
Written examination + group report
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Gilles Colinet
gilles.colinet@uliege.be
Caroline De Clerck
caroline.declerck@uliege.be
Aurore Degré
aurore.degre@uliege.be