This unit of study is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts within pedology, soil physics and soil chemistry. These concepts are part of the grounding principles that underpin crop and animal production, nutrient and water cycling, and environmental sustainability taught by other units of study in the Faculty. Students will participate in a two-day field excursion in the first week of semester to examine some common soils of the Sydney Basin, they will also learn to describe soil, and measure soil chemical and physical properties in the field. Referring to common soil profiles of the Sydney Basin, students will concentrate on factors affecting soil formation, the rudiments of soil description, and analysis of soil properties that are used in soil classification. Students will also develop knowledge of the physics of water and gas movement, soil strength, soil chemical properties, inorganic and organic components, nutrient cycles and soil acidity in an agricultural context. At the end of this unit students will become familiar with the factors that determine a soil's composition and behaviour, and will have an understanding of the most important soil physical and chemical properties. Students will develop communication skills through essay, report and practical exercises. The final report and laboratory exercise questions are designed to develop team work and collaborative efforts.

This unit will familiarise students with the description and mapping of soil types in the Australian landscape, with common analytical methods for soil and with the various forms of degradation that may alter the quality and function of soil. It is an applied soil science unit that builds on the fundamental soil science concepts learned in the SOIL2003 unit. The first practical component of the unit, a five-day soil survey, will give students experience in soil description and classification in the field, and soil samples collected during this survey will be subsequently analysed for a variety of attributes by the students in laboratory practicals. In the lecture series, topics including soil type distribution, soil quality, soil function, soil fertility and soil degradation will be discussed and linked to practical sessions. By the end of this unit, students will be able to construct maps of soil properties and soil type distribution, describe primary soil functions, soil attributes and types of soil degradation in an agricultural context, and be able to recognize and communicate the ability of a soil profile to sustain plant growth. Students will gain research and inquiry skills by collecting, analysing and interpreting soil survey data, and will gain communication skills by having to prepare and present a poster.

This unit introduces students to hydrology and water management in the context of Australian integrated catchment management. It particularly focuses on the water balances, rainfall runoff modeling, analysis and prediction of streamflow and environmental flows, water quality and sustainable practices in water management. Through theoretical work and case studies, the students will engage with problems related water quantity and quality in Australia and the world. The unit builds on knowledge gained in AGEN 1001 and AGEN 1002, and establishes the foundation for later units in the hydrology and water area. The unit provides one of the essential building blocks for a career related to water management and hydrology. The unit consists of two parts; the first part will involve a series of lectures, tutorials, practical exercises and case studies. The second part of the unit consists of a field excursion to regional NSW. During the field excursions, which are aligned with the ENVX3001 unit in the AVCC week, students will engage with current water problems and engage in basic hydrometric and water quality data collection. The data will be used later to analyse catchment condition and water quantity issues.
After completion of this unit, you should be able to:
Explain the different processes in the hydrological cycle
Measure and interpret hydrometric and basic water quality data
Elucidate the processes involved in generation of streamflow from rainfall.
Distinguish the link between water quantity and water quality and its implications for water management.
Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the unique nature of Australian Hydrology

This is a theoretical and empirical unit providing specialised training in three important areas of contemporary soil science, namely pedology, soil chemistry and soil physics. The key concepts of these sub-disciplines will be outlined and strengthened by hands-on training in essential field and laboratory techniques. All of this is synthesized by placing it in the context of soil distribution and use in North-Western New South Wales. The unit is motivated by the teaching team's research in this locale. It builds on students, existing soil science knowledge gained in SOIL2003. After completion of the unit, students should be able to articulate the advantages and disadvantages of current field and laboratory techniques for gathering necessary soil information, and simultaneously recognise key concepts and principles that guide contemporary thought in soil science. Students will be able to synthesise soil information from a multiplicity of sources and have an appreciation of the cutting edge areas of soil management and research. By investigating the contemporary nature of key concepts, students will develop their skills in research and inquiry. Students will develop their communication skills through report writing and will also articulate an openness to new ways of thinking which augments intellectual autonomy. Teamwork and collaborative efforts are encouraged in this unit.

This is a problem-based applied soil science unit addressing the physical, chemical and biological components of soil function. It is designed to allow students to identify soil-related problems in the real-world and by working in a group and with an end-user, to suggest short and long-term solutions to problems such as fertility, resilience, carbon management, structural decline, acidification, salinisation and contamination. The soil biology workshops will allow student groups to incorporate relevant measurements of soil biota in their experiments. Students will gain some understanding of the concept of sustainability, and will be able to identify the causes of problems by reference to the literature, discussion with landusers and by the design and execution of key experiments and surveys. Students will gain a focused knowledge of the key soil drivers to environmental problems and will have some understanding on the constraints surrounding potential solutions. By designing and administering strategies to tackle real-world soil issues, students will develop their research and inquiry skills and enhance their intellectual autonomy. By producing reports and seminars that enables understanding by an end-user, students will improve the breadth of their communication skills. This is a core unit for students majoring or specialising in soil science and an elective unit for those wishing to gain an understanding of environmental problem-solving. It utilises and reinforces soil-science knowledge gained in SOIL2003 and SOIL2004, as well as generic problem-solving skills gained during the degree program.

This unit is designed to impart knowledge and skills in spatial analysis and geographical information science (GISc) for decision-making in an environmental context. The lecture material will present several themes: principles of GISc, geospatial data sources and acquisition methods, processing of geospatial data and spatial statistics. Practical exercises will focus on learning geographical information systems (GIS) and how to apply them to land resource assessment, including digital terrain modelling, land-cover assessment, sub-catchment modelling, ecological applications, and soil quality assessment for decisions regarding sustainable land use and management. A 3 day field excursion during the mid-semester break will involve a day of GPS fieldwork at Arthursleigh University farm and two days in Canberra visiting various government agencies which research and maintain GIS coverages for Australia. By the end of this UoS, students should be able to: differentiate between spatial data and spatial information; source geospatial data from government and private agencies; apply conceptual models of spatial phenomena for practical decision-making in an environmental context; apply critical analysis of situations to apply the concepts of spatial analysis to solving environmental and land resource problems; communicate effectively results of GIS investigations through various means- oral, written and essay formats; and use a major GIS software package such as ArcGIS.

This unit of study is designed to allow students to examine advanced hydrological modeling and sampling designs focusing on catchment level responses and uncertainty. This unit builds on the theoretical knowledge gained in LWSC2002. Students will learn how to develop their own simulation model of catchment hydrological processes in R and using SWAT and review the possibilities and impossibilities of using simulation models for catchment management. Students will further investigate optimal sampling techniques for water quality data based on understanding the variability in hydrological responses. At the end of this unit, students will be calibrate and evaluate a catchment model, articulate advantages and disadvantages of using simulation models for catchment management, justify the choice of a simulation model for a particular catchment management problem, identify issues in relation to uncertainty in water quality and quantity, develop an optimal water quality sampling scheme. The students will gain research and inquiry skills through research based group projects, information literacy and communication skills through on-line discussion postings, laboratory reports and a presentation and personal and intellectual autonomy through working in groups.

This unit investigates the diversity of organisms living in the soil, their biology, interactions and ecology, and their roles in maintaining and improving soil function. The unit is an elective for BScAgr, BHortSc and BSc students. It builds on the material introduced in MICR2024, PPAT3003 and BIOL3017. Undertaking this unit will develop skills in monitoring soil microbes, designing, conducting and analysing experiments. At the completion of this unit, students will be able to exercise problem-solving skills (developed through practical experiments, projects and tutorial discussions), think critically, and organise knowledge (from consideration of the lecture material and preparation of project reports), and expand from theoretical principles to practical explanations (through observing and reporting on project work). Students will consolidate their teamworking skills, develop self-directed study skills and plan effective work schedules, use statistical analysis in research, keep appropriate records of laboratory research, work safely in a research laboratory and operate a range of scientific equipment. Students will gain research and inquiry skills through group research projects, information literacy and communication skills through assessment tasks and personal and intellectual autonomy through working in groups.