911301 Soil protection

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Wenzel, Walter
Organisation
Offered in
Sommersemester 2025
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

- Introduction
- Global issues and drivers of soil loss and degradation (theory / lecture)
- Major soil threats at global, European and national level (theory / lecture)
- Case studies covering different aspects of soil degradation and soil management (blended learning component: homework, peer review workshop).
Previous knowledge expected

Fundamentals of soil science (at least bachelor level, ideally the level after passing the exam of 911.014 - Soil Science Refresher)
Proficient English
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Overall aim: Provide an overview on major problems of soil protection and sustainable land use at global, European and national (Austrian) level.
Objectives:
- make you familiar with the main soil threats at global, european and national level
- make you familiar with (sources of) information on the current state of soil
- give you an appreciation of instruments of soil protection and their application to specific problems
- encourage critical evaluation and challenging of current concepts of soil protection
- provide guidance for informed use of soil information and decision making
- enable you to develop possible solutions for better protection of soil

Expected learning outcomes:
- Know and comprehend fundamental soil threats
- Recall the main soil threats
- Know about major drivers and causes of soil degradation
- Put them into context of natural, societal and economic conditions
- Rank their relative importance at national, European and global level
- Know about the state of soil (degradation)
- Recall major pattern of soil degradation at national and European scale
- Know about sources of soil information and their application
- Recall important sources of soil information in Austria, Europe and at global
level
- Make informed use of soil information
- Know about instruments / measures of soil protection
- Apply your knowledge to a case study
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.