Lecturer:                       Ms. K. Verbeek office DG30

 Time Table:
 Lectures:                       Thu 8-9 an LTII
                                      Fri 11-12 am LTII
 Practical:                        Wed 14-17 pm LTII

 GENERAL INFORMATION

70 hours divided over 20 weeks with two lectures a week and a 3-hour practical on alternate weeks. Practical time might be used for lectures as well.

Practicals are compulsory and will consist of laboratory work and guided fieldtrips.

 1. COURSE ASSESSMENT

 The course assessment consists of:

• the final written examination accounting for 67%
• continuous assessment accounting for 33%

• end of term tests
• reports on the practicals
• reports on fieldtrips
• assignments and seminars.

The lectures have been subdivided into topics (see below) which may cover several lectures.
Participation in the lectures by questions and discussion is encouraged. Students will be given handouts wherever possible but are also required to take notes during lectures. A reading list of books available in the departmental resource room is provided. Articles from journals will be made available in a reading file to be obtained in the departmental resource room.

     1.2 Practical exercises and fieldtrips

These are  compulsory and  occur once every two-week. They  consist either  of exercises,  visits to  institutions or fieldtrips (see program). Practical exercises are regarded as an essential component of the  course and  for each  a report  needs to be written up,  counting  for  continuous  assessment.  The  program  of the  practicals may  change depending  on arrangements made for fieldtrips and visits to institutions.

    1.3 Regulations

Absence from a practical exercise is only acceptable with prior authority given OR through a certificate e.g. medical. Timely submission of reports and assignments (one week unless otherwise stated) is a requirement for marking. Copying from other students will result in negative marks. Points will be given not only for contents hut also for timely submission, neatness, logic, referencing and completeness. Beware of contradicting statements.

2. AIM OF THE COURSE

A general introduction to concepts and principles of soil and fertilization with soil  terminology. The  course hopes to  give  the  students  an integrated  and comprehensive  understanding of  soils in  relation with  their environment especially tile relationship between Soils auld geology The course includes applications  of soil  science in quaternary geology  and geological  mapping, techniques  used in soil science, soil classification, soil map interpretation and field visits.

The course is build up in a "developing trend", sorting with the smallest entity,  the individual  soil characteristics and their interpretation. This is followed by how these characteristics are found  (the processes)  and why  (the soil forming factors). The  more applied  topics: classification,  soils of  Zimbabwe, mapping  and uses  of soil  science for geologists are discussed using the previous concepts.

An attempt will be made to make the course as practical oriented as possible however it is essential that the relation between soils and their environment is understood as a basis for the more applied parts of the course.

3. COURSE OUTLINE

1. Basic concepts of soil,

   The relationship between soils and geology.

2. Profile Morphology: how to describe soil

   Site and profile description, interpretation of morphological properties: e.g. what can be deducted from
   a specific morphological property.

3. Soil constituents

   Mineralogical, chemical and physical soil properties and their analyses: clay mineralogy, ion
   exchange, exchangeable bases, soil pH, salinity, sodality, particle size analyses, structure and
   porosity, soil strength, bulk density, water behavior in soils.

 4. Weathering and soil forming processes

    A detailed description of the weathering from rock to soil through clay  mineral transformations  will
    be  given. The various soil processes will be discussed related to their environment of formation and to
    the diagnostic  horizons in classification.

 5. Factors of soil formation.

    Soils and their environment: relationship between geology, landforms and soils their relevance in
    survey and mapping.

 6. Soil maps and survey

 7. Identification of clay minerals

     Methods: X-ray diffraction, DTA, TGA, and X-ray fluorescence
     Industrial uses of clays

 8. Soil micromorphology

     Techniques and concepts, pedogenic processes

 9. Soil classification

    Soil classification system, brief references to USDA and FAO systems,  correlation with Zimbabwe
    classification system.

 10. Soils of Zimbabwe

     Major soil types, problem soils.

 11. Use of soil science for geologists

     Applications in Quatenmy geology, geological niapping.
     Soil processes and ore deposits

 4. LIST PRACTICAL EXERCISES

   1         Profile morphology: assessment texture, color, and consistency
   2         Fieldvisit site and soil description: UZ catena
   3         Fieldvisit site and soil descriptiou: Ruwa
   4         Laboratory determination of particle size (2 weeks)
   5         XRD - clay mineralogy
   6         DTA - clay mineralogy
   7         Analytical data discussion
   8         Micromorphology
   9         Fieldvisit Domboshawa: parent material, slope
   10        Film podzols
   11        XRF, Microprobe, electron microscope
   12        Visit to IAE - erosion studies