Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 1

Soil, Water, Vegetation (SFI - 3 08 04)

prof. dr. Nico van Breemen Soil Formation and Ecopedology Groupdr. Marcel Hoosbeek Soil Formation and Ecopedology Groupdr. Marcel Meinders Soil Formation and Ecopedology Group

dr. Wim Braakhekke Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Groupdrs. Dick van der Hoek Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group

dr. Flip Witte Soil Physics, Agrohydrology and Groundwater Management Group

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 2

• List of Participants: newcomers fill in list now

• Syllabus: Price: € 14.00 (secretary SFI; pay exact please)

• Time table: NB. rooms have been changed ! see hand out

• Web link: www.dow.wau.nl/natcons/NP/

Click on Student info or Education and on Soil, Water, Vegetation to find:

• Time table

• Presentations of lectures on Ch. 1 – 3 (updated after each lecture)

• Excel worksheet needed for tutorials in Ch 3.7

• Information on other chapters follows later

Practical points

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 3

• Ecologie (NCP- 1 03 04) Hfdst Kringlopen + werkcollege 5

• Inleiding Bodem en Water (SFI - 1 08 04) (or : Inl. Bodem + Inl. Water)

Prerequisite knowledge

Assumed knowledge:

• Systems and Landscape Ecology A (NCP - 3 04 04) Ch 6 and 7

• Bodemkunde I

• Related ecological courses:

• ‘Vegetation Science and Systems Ecology’ and ‘Groeiplaatsanalyse’

(analysis of vegetation and abiotic factors and their (cor)relation

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 4

Aim of the course SWV

Understand the processes causing the correlation vegetation - habitat

• short term processes: plant physiology, organic matter and nutrient

dynamics in the soil

• long term processes: soil development; evolution

• cyclic interactions of soil and vegetation; chains of causes and

consequences:

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 5

Cyclic soil vegetation interactions

Soil adapted plant speciesSoil adapted plant species

long term evolution

Local vegetation composition

Local vegetation composition

local flora

localhabitat

Soil development

Soil development

plant effects on organic matter and nutrient dynamics

Soil conditionsSoil conditionsPlantsPlantsimprovement

or not (?)

ecosystem

development

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 6

Basic questions of the course SWV

1. How can plant species adapt to different soil conditions? (Ch 3)(acidity, toxic ions (Al), nutrients, water-oxygen)

2. How do soil conditions determine vegetation composition? (correlation; descriptive)

3. How does vegetation composition affect soil processes? (organic

matter and nutrient dynamics soil formation)

4. How do plant induced soil processes affect plant life and vegetation

composition? (direction of succession; self-organisation of vegetation patterns)

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 7

What is the result of cyclic soil - vegetation interactions?

Do plants improve the soil conditions to benefit plant growth?

• Are plants ‘ecosystem engineers’? Are soils ‘biotic constructs’?

Does spontaneous ecosystem development automatically lead to

‘improved’ conditions and a ‘climax’ ecosystem? e.g. high biomass, efficient resource utilisation, high bio-diversity(?)

How can this be reconciled with Darwinian evolution theory?

• Why would pioneer species change the soil in favour of their successors?

• Why wouldn’t plants control soil development in a more selfish manner?

(1) improving conditions for themselves and

(2) creating conditions unfavourable to others

(3) and stop succession

Answers ??

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 8

Work forms of the course

Lectures (24 h)

Self study (80 h; questions at the lectures)

Tutorials (40 h; making exercises; working with computer models)

Field excursions (8 h)

Case studies (40 h; group work; written report + oral presentation)

Written examination (English questions, Dutch or English answers)

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 9

Contents of the course

Ch 1. Introduction

Ch 2. Basics principles and concepts (self reading + question hour) (Braakhekke)

Ch 3. Adaptation of plants to soil and water (lectures + tutorial) (Braakhekke)

Ch 3. Behaviour of water and air in soils (lectures + tutorial) (Witte)

Ch 4. Soil processes (lectures + tutorial) (Van Breemen)

Ch 5. Resource supply and hydrology (lectures + class work) (Van Breemen + Witte)

Ch 6. Soil Processes (lectures) (Van Breemen)

Ch 7. Terrestrial carbon cycle (lectures + computer modelling) (Hoosbeek)

Ch 8. Terrestrial Biogeochemical cycling (lectures + computer modelling) (Hoosbeek)

Ch 9. Correlation Vegetation – Habitat (lectures + class work) (Witte)

Ch 10. Landscape ecological relations (lectures) (Witte)

Ch 11. Self-organisation of soil vegetation patterns (lectures) (Van Breemen)

Ch 12. Description of the case studies (all teachers)

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 10

Procedure:

- read the case descriptions (Chapter 12)

- choose one or two cases that you like (wk 1 - 2)

- formation of groups of 4 - 5 students (wk 3 ?)

- working at the case study (wk 5 - 6)

- oral presentation and written report (wk 6)

Case studies

Sept. 2003 SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 02 11

Ch 2. Basic Principles and Concepts

Ch 2.1 Basics of pools and fluxes (summary of ‘Ecologie’ werkcollege 5)

Ch 2.2 Environmental factors (terms and concepts)

Tasks

• Read chapter 2.1 and 2.2 (today)

• Make Chapter 3.7 (Tutorial) Exercise 3.1 (today)

• Ask questions (tomorrow)