208-230 Soils, Water and Catchment Dynamics

This subject should identify the importance of soil and water in the landscape as key components of both natural ecosystems and production systems. Knowledge of soil properties and behaviour will be applied to understanding cycling of water and nutrients, with emphasis on catchment-scale management using decision-support techniques.

The objective of this subject is to enable students to understand:

• basic soil properties and identification of soil types;

• the effect of soil management practices on soil properties and catchment health;

• data acquisition, storage, retrieval, and utilisation in decision-support systems for catchment monitoring and management;

• catchment-scale environmental mapping techniques, including remote data sensing, global positioning systems and GIS;

• hydrography of surface and subsurface water movement, stream flow, flooding and droughts and their impact on agricultural production and natural resource management;

• the hydrological cycle: precipitation; evaporation;

• runoff and drainage; catchment processes; farm-level water management, including irrigation;

• water balances at large (basin) and small (farm) scales;

• land degradation processes and their management - accelerated soil acidification, sodicity, salinity and erosion; remedial measures; and

• the impact of soil management on water quality, and especially nutrients and salts.

Three-hour examination (50%) and two assignments equivalent to 3000 words (each worth 25%). Note: this subject shares substantial material with 202-203 Soil and Water Resources.