1. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 021 Soil, Water, Vegetation (SFI - 3 08 04) prof. dr. Nico van Breemen Soil Formation and Ecopedology Group dr. Marcel Hoosbeek Soil Formation and Ecopedology Group dr. Marcel Meinders Soil Formation and Ecopedology Group dr. Wim Braakhekke Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group drs. Dick van der Hoek Nature Conservation and Plant Ecology Group dr. Flip Witte Soil Physics, Agrohydrology and Groundwater Management Group

2. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 022 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

3. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 023 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

4. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 024 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:

5. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 025 Cyclic soil  vegetation interactions Soil adapted plant species long term evolution Local vegetation composition local flora local habitat Soil development plant effects on organic matter and nutrient dynamics Soil conditions Plants improvement or not (?) ecosystem development

6. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 026 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)

7. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 027 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 ??

8. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 028 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)

9. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 029 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)

10. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 0210 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

11. Sept. 2003SWV - Ch 01 and Ch 0211 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)