Download Tropical land management - University of London International

Course information 2016–17
GY3156 Tropical land management
This course focuses on the use and management of the land resource in the semi-arid,
the seasonal wet-dry and the humid tropics.
Prerequisite
Learning outcomes
If taken as part of a BSc degree, courses which
must be passed before this course may be
attempted:
At the end of the course and having
completed the essential reading and activities
students should be able to:
GY2149 Biogeography or
GY2150 Geomorphological processes or
GY2152 Hydrology
Aims and objectives
• To introduce students to the factors that
underlie the nature and development of
tropical soils.
• To show students how these soils can be
used sustainably.
• To enable students to examine the
consequences of disturbing the natural
environment (which undermines
sustainability).
• To enable students to assess and classify
land resources as to their potential for
agricultural land use.
• To introduce students to a range of
contemporary issues which impact on
tropical land management.
• To indicate the likely consequences for
tropical agriculture of environmental
change as predicted by global warming.
Assessment
understand the nature of tropical
weathering and soil formation
assess the factors (both natural and
human-induced) which may cause tropical
soils to degrade
apply this knowledge to analysing
whether a particular land use will be
sustainable or not
understand the potential consequences of
changing environmental factors for
tropical agriculture.
Essential reading
For full details please refer to the reading list.
Webster, C.C. & P.N. Wilson (eds) Agriculture
in the Tropics (Oxford: Blackwell)
Kellman, M. and R. Tackaberry Tropical
Environments: the Functioning and
Management of Tropical Ecosystems.
(London: Routledge)
Johnson, D. and L.A. Lewis Land Degradation:
Creation and Destruction. (Lanham, MD:
Rowman & Littlefield)
This course is assessed by a three-hour unseen
written examination.
Students should consult the appropriate EMFSS Programme Regulations, which are reviewed on an annual basis. The Regulations
provide information on the availability of a course, where it can be placed on your programme’s structure, and details of co-requisites
and prerequisites.
GY3156 Tropical land management
Page 1 of 2
Syllabus
This is a description of the material to be examined. On registration, students will receive a detailed
subject guide which provides a framework for covering the topics in the syllabus and directions to the
essential reading.
The course focuses on the use and
management of the land resource in the
semi-arid, the seasonal wet-dry and the
humid tropics. In particular the course
covers:
Tropical weathering: types and products of
tropical weathering.
Tropical soils: common soil types of the
humid, wet-dry and semi-arid tropics,
importance of soil properties (texture,
structure, permeability) under agriculture.
Effects of deforestation on humid tropical
soil: hydrological change, nutrient
depletion, erosion.
Semi-arid soils and land use problems:
water management, irrigation and
salinisation, erosion.
Desertification: causes, effects on
agriculture, management options.
Geomorphology and tropical land
management: slope failure, soil erosion,
management of geomorphological hazard
(soil and water conservation).
GY3156 Tropical land management
Land degradation: causes (physical and
human), consequences for livelihoods,
assessment and monitoring, management;
desertification (land degradation in
drylands): causes, effects on agriculture,
management options.
Land classification and land capability:
planning for effective tropical land
management, importance of growing
period, agro-ecological zones, recent
international projects such as LADA (Land
Degradation Assessment in Drylands),
contemporary land-use issues in tropical
land management
Tropical land management and
environmental change: effects of
temperature increases on crop viability,
changes in rainfall amounts and annual
pattern, effect of changing CO2 on plant
viability, Caribbean case studies.
Response to changing climates: potential
for adaptation of tropical farming systems,
importance of indigenous knowledge,
intervention and policy issues.
Page 2 of 2