Syllabus
I. Introductory works in field 1. Investigated plots: location, maps, GPS coordinates, description of the site, marking for finding the investigated plot in the future 2. Collection of samples: representative sample, how many samples to collect, randomized and aimed collection of samples. Digging of soil pits, determination of colours using a soil colour chart, description of soil horizons (soil types), collecting of soil samples for the laboratory exercises. Collecting of soil samples for determination of of a current soil moisture variability and detection of the normalized volumetric water content (100 cm3-cylinders)
II. Laboratory works, training of elementary laboratory works 1. Gravimetric grounds. Determination of the current soil moisture, (oven) bulk density, maximum capillary capacity, portion of soil skeleton, "specific soil density" (pycnometers). 2. Measurements of electric conductivity in soil extracts, founding a relationships between NaCl concentration in water and E.C., active and exchangeable soil reaction (combine glass electrode), determination of buffering capacity of soil probes. 3. Titration methods: Determination of hydrolytic acidity of soil samples, founding of cation adsorption capacity of the soil samples. 3. Humus: forms of forest floor humus, fractional compounds of humus, HA:FA ratio (Q4/6), loss-on-ignition, determination of oxidizable soil carbon after the dichromate digestion of soil samples.
III. Processing and expression of obtained results 1. Number of valid digits, rounding of results, detection limits of methods used, variability of results, uncertainty of measurements, expression of the uncertainty of results, varies units for concentration are used, importance of reference materials for the laboratory practice.
Textbook: Suchara I. (2007): Praktikum vybraných ekologických metod.- Učeb. texty UK v Praze, Karolinum, Praha, 134 s.
Recommended textbooks:
Kubíková J. (1970, 1971): Geobotanické praktikum.- Učení texty, Př.F UK v Praze.
Rychnovská M., Balátová E., Úlehlová B.,Pelikán J. (1985): Ekologie lučních porostů.- Academia Praha, 291 pp.
Steubing L., Fangmeier A. (1992): Pflanzenökologisches Praktikum.- Verl. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart, 205 pp.
Requirements for credits:
Attendance at least 80%
Records from the individual exercises
Knowledge of the demonstrated methods
Annotation
Please note, the lectures are given in Czech language only.
Description and location of plots under investigation. Collection of soil and plant samples, determinanion of current soil moisture variability and making a decision how many samples to collect. Digging of soil pits and description of pedogenetic horizons. Determination of elementary physical and chemical properties of the collected soil samples (available water capacity, current moisture,bulk and specific densities, pH-H2O, pH-KCl, buffer capacity, electrical conductivity of soil extracts, cation exchange capacity). Humus and its forms (Q4/6, loss-on-ignition, oxidizable carbon). Expression of obtained results and their uncertainties.
Syllabus:
Suchara I. (2007): Praktikum vybraných ekologických metod.- Karolinum, Praha, 136 pp.