Unit Code: FAS601

Unit Name: Plantation Forestry

Description: The course covers and emphasizes on: Introduction of plantation forestry - Concept, definition, scope/importance, objectives; plantation planning, objective, importance, plantation maps and records; plantation establishment; site preparation; planting layout; choice of species on ecological aspects; enrichment planting; plantation maintenance; thinning; effect of methods of thinning on stand development; fertilizers and weedicides for plantation management; forest nursery, management - types of nursery, nursery beds and preparation of beds, pricking, watering methods, weeding, hoeing, fertilization, shading. This course focuses on the study of soil in relation to forestry. Introduction: Soil - major components, forest soils Vs. cultivated soils. Properties of soils under forest ecosystems. Types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic; weathering of rocks and minerals. Factors of soil formation and soil profile. Physical properties of soils, soil texture, structure, bulk density, particle density and pore space, soil colour and soil moisture. Chemical properties of soils, soil colloids organic matter, secondary silicate clay. Cation exchange phenomenon. Soil acidity and soil alkalinity. Mineral nutrition of plants: Essential nutrient elements, availability and their functions. Diagnosis of nutrient deficiencies. Soil organic matter decomposition, mineral nutrient transformation, Carbon and Nitrogen cycle in forest ecosystems. Role of organic matter in soil fertility. Soil survey, soil classification, soil orders and land capability classification system and Soil erosion.

Learning Target Outcomes:

Prerequisite: N/A

Prerequisite Sentence: Student must be enrolled in the programme.

Credit Point: 15

Offered In: Semester 1