GVMSES: Soil Ecology, Environment and Sustainability

Module code: GVMSES

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Professor Elizabeth Shaw, email: e.j.shaw@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to provide an understanding of the diversity of organisms living in soil (including the microflora and fauna, meso- and macro-fauna), their adaptations to the soil habitat and their impact on the wider environment.  Emphasis is placed on the role of soil (micro)organisms in global cycling of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus and the benefits of managing soil (micro)organisms for environmental sustainability.  The associated laboratory work provides students with practical experience of isolating, culturing and observation of soil organisms and methods for measuring biologically-mediated biochemical processes.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Interpret the functional roles of soil organisms in decomposition and elemental cycling (including natural and anthropogenic chemicals) based on their metabolic characteristics
2. Examine the biological and environmental controls on soil microbial functions
3. Argue the potential benefits of managing soil microorganisms for bioremediation, plant growth promotion and environmental sustainability, using examples from the forefront of the discipline
4. Identify and critique methodologies used to test, enumerate and isolate soil organisms and their functions in the laboratory.

Module content

Lecture content:

• Introduction to soil ecology, environment and sustainability
• The soil habitat
• Soil microflora and fauna
• Microbial metabolism
• Soil mesofauna
• Soil macrofauna
• Microbial and macrobial control of the carbon cycle
• The rhizosphere
• Plant-microbe symbioses
• Microbial control of the nitrogen cycle
• The nitrogen cycle gone wild and tamed
• Microbiology of soil contamination

Practical content:

• Bacterial oligotrophs and copiotrophs in the rhizosphere
• Soil animals micro- to macro-
• Biochemical processes in soil
• The drilosphere
• Plant-microbe symbioses
• Taming the nitrogen cycle
• Effect of environmental factors on soil microbes

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be delivered via a combination of lectures and practical sessions

Study hours

At least 39 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Laboratory report on ‘bacterial oligotrophs and copiotrophs’ in the rhizosphere practical (1,000 words)

Reassessment

Additional costs