Postgraduate Course: Soil Health Assessment: Principles and Practice (PGGE11316)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | A soil scientist requires the ability to collect and interpret information on soil physics, biology and chemistry to allow soil preservation, maintenance of soil health, and delivery of ecosystem services. As such, this module will provide students with a theoretical insight into soil science by looking at the biological, chemical and physical methods of analysis available to scientists, consultants and land managers. This theoretical delivery will be supported by both laboratory and field based practicals that allow the students to gain hands on experience in a range of methods, analysis and interpretation.
This course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of soil health and ecosystem service theory, integrated with hands-on field and laboratory analytical techniques. By bridging ecological theory with practical skills, students will enhance their employability in soil science and gain transferable laboratory experience critical for independent dissertation research. |
| Course description |
1 Introduction: Soils, sampling and safety
- Outline of course content and assessment.
- Overview of global soil systems and soil forming factors
- Introduction to soil survey, sampling and mapping
- Laboratory induction.
2 Soil Health and Ecosystem Services
- Defining soil health, soil functions, and global ecosystem services
- The role of soils in carbon storage, water filtration, and food security
- Valuing Soil Services
3 Soil Survey and Sampling
- Field trip to Boghall Farm, Edinburgh (Field visit)
- Introduction to different land use types
- Familiarisation with basic soil survey techniques and soil sampling strategies in practice
- Collection of soil samples for course practical workshops
4 Soil Physics (Theory)
- Background: soil physics and soil health
- Soil solids, pore space and soil structure
- Introduction to soil physics methods
5 Soil Physics (Practical)
- Visual evaluation of soil structure (VESS) and detecting compaction in-field *
- Bulk density, moisture content and porosity sampling and calculation
- Estimating soil texture and aggregate stability (slake test)
6 Soil Chemistry (Theory)
- Background: soil chemistry and soil health
- pH
- Plant macro- and micronutrients and biogeochemical cycles
- Soil carbon cycling and benefits
- Introduction to soil inorganic and organic chemistry methods
7 Soil Chemistry (Practical)
- Mineral N extraction and analysis
- Soil organic matter measurement
- pH and electrical conductivity
8 Soil Indices Presentation
- Presentation of a soil index for a soil system of your choice
9 Soil Biology (Theory)
- Background: Soil biology and soil health
- Functional groups of soil organisms: microorganisms, mesofauna and ecosystem engineers
- Plant roots and mycorrhiza
- Introduction to soil biology methods: Plant root architecture and biomass
10 Soil Biology (Practical)
- Microbial biomass estimation using substrate induced respiration.
- Soil Microbial Diversity (PCR)
10 Soil Ecology and Health in Extreme Environments
- Soil Ecology in Africa
- Soil Ecology and Antarctica
11 Writing a science paper
- Publishing research outputs: why and how
- Using R for statistical analysis of soil data
12
- Scientific Paper Submission support
- Personal Reflection Report Submission
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 30,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% coursework
Laboratory style report detailing sampling strategy, laboratory analysis (chemistry, physical and biological) and results presentation. LO1, 1000 words, 30%
Presentation - Students to research different soil health indexes, and present one confirming why they have chosen this index over others (advantages and disadvantages). LO2, 30%
Submit a professionally formatted scientific paper based on their data collection from the experimentation demonstrating ability to evaluate and critically assess their findings in relation to the literature. - 2500 words, LO3, 40% |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop and apply field and laboratory approaches to compare soil quality under different land uses.
- Use their understanding of soil quality parameters in mathematical modelling of soil health and function.
- Professionally evaluate and interpret collected experimental data and deliver in a scientific journal article.
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Reading List
Brady, N.C., and Weil, R.R (2008) The Nature and Properties of Soil. Revised 14th Edition. Pearson Education Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA.
Soil Sampling, Preparation, and Analysis, Second Edition: 108 (Books in Soils, Plants, and the Environment) [Hardcover], Kim H. Tan (Author) ISBN-13: 978-0849334993.
Robertson GP, Coleman DC, Bledsoe CS, Sollins P, (1999) Standard soil methods for long-term ecological research. Oxford University Press, New York. pp. 258-271.
Soil Ecology by Ken Killham (1994), ISBN 0 521 43521 8, Cambridge University Press
Environmental Soil Chemistry, 2nd Edition, Author : D Sparks, Release Date: 04 Jan 2003. Imprint: Academic Press. ISBN: 9780126564464 (In Edinburgh Library)
Smith, K.A. and Mullins, C.E. 2001. Soil and environmental analysis: physical methods. Second edition. Marcel Dekker, NY. 637 pp (In SRUC Library)
Soil sampling and methods of analysis. Edited by M. R. Carter and E. G. Gregorich, Canadian Society of Soil Science. 2008.
Evaluating land quality for carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching. In Visual Soil Evaluation: Realizing Potential Crop Production with Minimum Environmental Impact, (ed. Ball B.C. and Munkholm L.J.), CABI Publishing, Wallingford.
Whalen, J.K and Sampedro, L (2009) Soil Ecology and Management, CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK, pp.1- 296
Paul, E.A (2014) Soil Microbiology, Ecology and Biochemistry, Elsevier Science, UK, pp. 1- 598 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | soil biology,soil classificiation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Jennifer Carfrae
Tel: 0131 535 4417
Email: jennifer.carfrae@sruc.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Jennifer Gumbrell
Tel:
Email: Jennifer.Gumbrell@sruc.ac.uk |
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