Contents:
Soil life is key to sustainable (agro)ecosystems. Soil biology studies the role of soil life in key element (carbon, nutrient) transformations in soils using a wide array of laboratory-based methods. Soil biologists study the role of the soil biota in ecosystem processes at a range of scales; from the life in a soil ped to the role of soil biota in climate change at a global scale. Studies focus, for example, on the role of soil life in the cycles of nutrient elements (N, P, micronutrients) to enhance soil ecosystem services and warrant a more efficient agriculture that is more sustainable with the environment.
The primary objective is to teach you the principles of experimentation in soil biology. You will design your own experiment, carry out field sampling and laboratory work and analyze and present your findings. You will cover a variety of laboratory techniques, and gain necessary practical experience for a future thesis in soil biology. Furthermore you will address practical questions regarding data documentation, data transformation, statistics and presentation of your research. There will be lectures and workshops to support you in writing and presenting your results. At the end of the last week you will present your results in the form of a short research article focusing on the research methods.
This research methods course prepares you for a master thesis in soil biology or a related topic.
Learning outcomes:
After successful completion of this course, students are expected to be able to:
formulate a research plan for a field study in soil biology, including research questions and hypotheses, aims and objectives, and a short explanation on how you intend to conduct the research;
perform laboratory research at the soil biology lab using the research plan and the relevant methods and tools available;
analyze and synthesize the data in order to answer the research questions, including the application of data normalization and data transformation, and the application of statistical tools provided in the course;
report on the research in the form of a short scientific article with a focus on the research methods;
independently discuss about acquired knowledge and experience.
