912114 Forest soils and mineral nutrition of forests

Type
Lecture and exercise
Semester hours
4
Lecturer (assistant)
Schume, Helmut , Mayer, Mathias , Berger, Torsten Winfried
Organisation
Offered in
Wintersemester 2024/25
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

Lecture: Parent material for soil formation, pedogenous materials, soil flora and fauna, texture, structure, porosity, chemical and physical processes in soils (hydration of soil particles, ion exchange, pH of soils, soil acidification and acid-base relations, redox processes, soil water, air in soil, soil temperature, transport processes in soils), soil profiles (humus and mineral soil profiles), forest soil classification, overview of the forest soil types of Austria, mineral nutrition of forest trees (nutrient uptake, nutrient accumulation and storage, dilution and concentration effects, nutrient deficiency, nutrient and metal toxicity, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycotrophy, determining the nutritional status of trees, nutrient demand of the most important native tree species), biogeochemistry of forest ecosystems (content and availability / reactivity of nutrient elements, biological cycles and biogeochemical cycles, global cycles), use of fertiliser in forest ecosystems. Exercises: Determination of soil texture by sensory evaluation, determination of soil colour, description of soil structure and porosity, description of forest soil humus, description of soil profiles, deduction of soil properties from soil profiles, demonstration of physical and chemical soil analysis, chemical calculations with relevance to chemical soil analysis and mineral fertilisation.
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Lecture: Imparting knowledge on forest soil formation and dynamics as well as chemical, physical and biological soil properties and processes, on forest soil and humus typology and classification, as well as principles of forest nutrition in the context of Central European forestry. Exercises: Exercise in forest soil humus and mineral soil profile description on soil cores, demonstration of physical and chemical soil analysis, exercise in stoichiometric calculations with relevance to chemical soil analysis and mineral fertilisation.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.