Graduate Calendar 2000 - University of Guelph

Land Resource Science

Faculty
MSc Program
PhD Program
Interdepartmental Programs
Courses

Disclaimer

Chair
Terry J. Gillespie (104 Richards, Ext. 2447)
(E-mail: tgillesp@lrs.uoguelph.ca)

Graduate co-ordinator
Ward Chesworth (007 Richards, Ext. 2457)
(E-mail: wcheswor@lrs.uoguelph.ca)

Acting Graduate secretary
Paula Conley (102 Richards, Ext. 2488)
pconley@lrs.uoguelph.ca

Graduate Faculty:

Michael E. Brookfield
BSc Edinburgh, PhD Reading - Associate Professor

Nigel Bunce
BA, MA, DPHIL Oxford - Adjunct Professor

Ward Chesworth
BSc, MSc Manchester, PhD McMaster - Professor

Leslie J. Evans
BSc Southampton, PhD Wales - Professor

Terry J. Gillespie
BSc British Columbia, MA Toronto, PhD Guelph - Professor

Michael J. Goss
BSc London, MSc Birmingham, PhD Reading - Professor and Chair of Land Stewardship

Pieter H. Groenevelt
Ldb Ing, PhD Wageningen - Professor

Beverley Hale
BSc, MSc Toronto, PhD Guelph - Associate Professor

Stewart G. Hilts
BA Western Ontario, MA, PhD Toronto - Professor

Beverley D. Kay
BSA Toronto, MSc Guelph, PhD Purdue - Professor

I. Peter Martini
dott Florence, PhD McMaster - Professor

Ray A. McBride
BSc (Agr), PhD Guelph - Associate Professor

Ivan O'Halloran
BSc MSc Guelph, PhD Saskatchewan - Associate Professor

Gary W. Parkin
BSc, MSc Western Ontario, PhD Guelph - Assistant Professor

R. Paul Voroney
BSc Calgary, MSc, PhD Saskatchewan - Associate Professor

Claudia Wagner-Riddle
BSc, MSc Sao Paulo, PhD Guelph - Assistant Professor

Jon S. Warland
BSc Cornell, MSc British Columbia, PhD Guelph - Assistant Professor

Associated Graduate Faculty:
Denis A. Angers
BSc Laval, MSc Guelph, PhD MacDonald College - Agriculture Canada

J.A. Baldock
BSc (Agr), MSc Guelph, PhD Adelaide - CSIRO, Australia

Thomas E. Bates
BSA Toronto, MS North Carolina State, PhD Iowa State - Retired

Eric G. Beauchamp
BSc (Agr), MSc McGill, PhD Cornell - University Professor Emeritus

Kimberley Bolton
BSc, PhD Guelph - University of Toronto

Brian Brisco
BSc, MSc Guelph, PhD Kansas - Intera Information Technologies Nepean, CCRS Ottawa

D. Murray Brown
BSA, MSA Toronto, PhD Iowa State - Retired

C. Chong
BSc, MSc, PhD McGill - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Vineland

Craig F. Drury
BSc, MSc McGill, PhD Guelph - Research Scientist, Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow

David E. Elrick
BSA Toronto, MSc, PhD Wisconsin - University Professor Emeritus

Robert W. Gillham
BSc Toronto, MSc Guelph, PhD Illinois - University of Waterloo

P. Howarth
BA Cambridge, PhD Glasgow - University of Waterloo

R. Gary Kachanoski
BSc, MSc Saskatchewan, PhD California - University of Saskatchewan

Kenneth M. King
BSA Toronto, MS, PhD Wisconsin - Professor Emeritus

Sarah B. Lowe
BSc St. Andrews (Scotland), MSc West Indies (Trinidad) - Dufferin Aggregates, Downsview, Ontario

K. Bruce MacDonald
BSA Guelph, MSc Toronto, PhD Guelph - Agriculture Canada (retired)

Ron Martin
BSc, MSc St. Francis Xavier, PhD Western Ontario - University of Western Ontario

Murray H. Miller
BSA Toronto, MSc, PhD Purdue - University Professor Emeritus

Richard R. Protz
BSA, MSc Saskatchewan, PhD Iowa State - Adjunct Professor

Richard D. Reeleder
BSc New Brunswick, PhD Wisconsin (Madison) - Agriculture Canada, Research Station, Delhi, Ontario

Daniel W. Reynolds
BSc, MSc Waterloo, PhD Guelph - Soil Scientist, Greenhouse and Processing Crops Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Harrow, Ontario

Graeme A. Spiers
BSc Waikato (New Zealand), MSc, PhD Alberta - Laurentian University

George W. Thurtell
BSA, MSA Toronto, PhD Wisconsin - Adjunct Professor

Alan Tomlin
BA, MSc Western Ontario, PhD Rutgers - Agriculture Canada, London, Ontario

G.C. Topp
BSA Toronto, MSc, PhD Wisconsin - Agriculture Canada, Ottawa

Gregory J. Wall
BSc (Agr), MSc Guelph, PhD Ohio State

Special Graduate Faculty:
H. Peter Van Straaten
Dipl. Geol., Dr. rer. nat Gottingen (Germany) - Adjunct Professor

     The objective of the MSc and PhD programs in land and atmospheric science is to provide opportunities for advanced studies and research on the lower atmosphere, soil, water, surficial geological deposits, the relationships among these resources, and their management within the context of sustainable development. Cross-disciplinary research with a focus on biophysical sciences is emphasized.
     The fields of study and the areas of specialization are as follows:

Atmospheric science: agricultural and forest meteorology, agroclimatology and modelling, air quality, boundary layer meteorology, microclimatology

Soil science: soil chemistry, soil physics, soil genesis and classification, soil biology, soil plant relations

Environmental earth science: sedimentology; environmental water chemistry, geochemistry and weathering; clay mineralogy; groundwater; remote sensing

Land resources management: land reclamation and conservation, waste management, land management for the production of agricultural and forest crops (soil, nutrient, crop and water management; agrogeology), land resources planning and ecosystem stewardship

MSc Program

Admission Requirements
     In addition to the minimum requirements stated elsewhere in the Graduate Calendar, admission to the graduate program is dependent on the availability of an adviser, space and funding.
     Students entering the MSc program will be expected to have taken, or be familiar with the content of, introductory courses in atmospheric science, soil science, earth science and land resource management, either through appropriate courses or a program of self study.

Degree Requirements
    All students in the MSc program are required to enroll in the two-course sequence Research Issues I and II. The objectives of these courses are to enhance the skills needed for a research career (including cross- disciplinary research); foster the development of superior communication skills; increase the student's awareness of major issues related to land resources, and current research; and provide an environmental, social and economic context for this research. It is recommended that students enrol in the courses during their first year.
     Enrolment in the resource-development emphasis of the University School of Rural Planning and Development enables students to register in the Department of Land Resource Science and complete a joint MSc program between these two units. The prime interest of students choosing this option will usually involve biophysical aspects of resources management and land use planning. Considerable flexibility is thus provided; students are advised to contact the department to discuss individual programs.

PhD Program

Admission Requirements
    Students who are applying for admission to the PhD program, and who have completed an MSc in another program (at Guelph or at a different University), will follow the application procedures prescribed by Graduate Program Services. Students lacking the same level of understanding across fields and within fields as graduates from the MSc program will be expected to correct this deficiency early in their PhD program.
     Students intending to continue directly into a PhD program after the completion of an MSc within the program must complete a full application for the PhD degree. This application should be submitted at least two months before meeting the requirements of the MSc degree. Superior MSc students may be permitted to transfer to the PhD program without completing the master's degree.

Degree Requirements
    Students must pass a qualifying examination and successfully prepare and defend a thesis, as specified under the general regulations for the PhD degree. Students must complete Research Issues I, LRS*6900, and Research Issues II, LRS*6910, as the minimum course requirements. Additional courses will be determined by the advisory committee.
     Students are encouraged to develop an advanced level of understanding of two or more additional areas of specialization which are related to the area of their research and to participate in cross-disciplinary or collaborative research programs where opportunities permit.

Interdepartmental Programs
Rural Planning and Development Shared MSc Program

Enrolment in the resource development emphasis of the University School of Rural Planning and Development enables students to register in the Department of Land Resource Science and complete a shared MSc program between these two units. The prime interest of students choosing this option usually involves biophysical aspects of resources management and land use planning. Considerable flexibility is thus provided; students are advised to contact the department to discuss individual programs.

Courses

Course/(Credit Value)	Term	Course Description
Atmospheric Science
LRS6000 Physical Environment of Crops and Forests* (0.5)	F	Recent literature on temperature, humidity, radiation, wind, gases and particles in crop and forest environments; evapotranspiration and photosynthesis of plant communities; modification of microclimates; applied micrometeorology. Offered in even-numbered years.
LRS6040 Micrometeorology* (0.5)	W	Exchanges of mass, momentum and energy between the surface and the atmospher will be studied in the context of larger-scale meterology. Diffusion and turbulence in and above plant canopies will be examined from theoretical and practical perspectives. Topics include time-series analysis, micrometeorological measurement theory, and basic principles of atmospheric science. Offered in even-numbered years.
LRS6060 Agrometeorological Instrumentation* (0.5)	W	Theoretical and practical aspects of electronic circuits, sensors, and equipment used in agrometeorological research. Offered in odd-numbered years.
LRS6241 Special Topics in Atmospheric Science* (0.25)	F & W	The content is determined by the interests of the students and the availability of instructors. Topics may include aspects of statistics for climatology, animal biometeorology, air pollution meteorology, and hydrometeorology.
LRS6242 Special Topics in Atmospheric Science* (0.5)	F & W	See LRS*6241 above.
Soil Science
LRS6250 Soil Genesis and Classification* (0.5)	F	A discussion of world soil regions for students not specializing in soil genesis.
LRS6280 Soil Physics* (0.5)	F	The soil as a physical system with special regard to soil water movement and the diffusion and dispersion of chemical substances. Numerical techniques and computer solutions will be developed.
LRS6300 Applied Soil Physics* (0.5)	F	The application of soil physical principles to practical problems concerning soil physical quality, erosion, land reclamation and industrial-waste disposal on land. Prerequisite: SOIL*3070.
LRS6320 Non-equilibrium Thermodynamics of Porous Media* (0.5)	W	Transport processes in porous media such as soils, clays, and membranes are dealt with in the framework of non-equilibrium thermodynamics with emphasis on the coupling between water, solutes, heat and electric charge transport. Offered in alternate years.
LRS6340 Soil Organic Matter and Biochemistry* (0.5)	F	(1) Soil organic matter characterization, (2) dynamics of soil organic matter, (0.5) nutrient cycling. Offered in odd-numbered years.
LRS6360 Soil and Water Chemistry* (0.5)	F	Thermodynamics of soil solutions; solution-solid phase equilibria; reaction kinetics; computer modelling of solute-mineral interactions.
LRS6380 Advanced Soil Chemistry* (0.5)	W	The mathematical development of solute speciation models for aqueous solutions, surface complexation models for inorganic soil constituents and descrete and continuous functional group models for humic materials.
LRS6400 Soil Nitrogen Fertility and Crop Production* (0.5)	W	Emphasis will be placed on soil N transformations and processes, and N sources for crops; field experimentation methods; environmental issues.
LRS6420 Soil Productivity (0.5)*	F	Soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics as they influence crop growth with emphasis on processes and mechanisms.
LRS6440 Field Sampling Strategies and Geostatistics* (0.5)	W (alternate years)	Concepts and practical aspects of collecting, synthesizing and interpreting data from spatially and temporally variable and/or correlated fields. Hands-on experience in describing spatial structure of large data sets (supplied by student or instructor) using available software.
LRS6581 Special Topics in Soil Science* (0.25)	TBA	Issues that are relevant to the current research of faculty or visiting faculty. Generally presented as a combination of lectures, student seminars and written projects.
LRS6582 Special Topics in Soil Science* (0.5)	TBA	See LRS*6581 above.
Environmental Earth Science
LRS*6280 Soil Physics		(See above)
LRS6360 Soil and Water Chemistry*		(See above)
LRS6730 Special Topics in Environmental Earth Science* (0.5)	TBA	A study of principles and analyses of local environmental problems involving the application of geological and soil information of land use applications and possible hazardous conditions.
Land Resources Management
LRS6760 Advanced Remote Sensing* (0.5)	W	Critical review of the latest research papers on the use of remotely sensed data for temporal monitoring of the biosphere.
LRS6881 Special Topics in Land Resources Management* (0.25)		Issues that are relevant to the current research of faculty or visiting faculty. Generally presented as a combination of lectures, student seminars and written projects.
LRS6882 Special Topics in Land Resources Management* (0.5)		See LRS*6881 above.
Other
LRS6900 Research Issues I* (0.25)	F	Principles and philosophy of scientific research including the development of superior communication skills.
LRS6910 Research Issues II* (0.25)	W	A continuation of Research Issues I.
LRS6941 Analytical Instrumentation and Techniques* (0.25)	TBA	Equipment and techniques of soil and plant analyses. Variable credit will be assigned based on the number of laboratory units covered.
LRS6942 Analytical Instrumentation and Techniques* (0.5)	TBA	See LRS*6941 above.

The Office of Graduate Studies has attempted to ensure the accuracy of this on-line Graduate Calendar. However, the publication of information in this document does not bind the university to the provision of courses, programs, schedules of studies, fees, or facilities as listed herein. Other limitations apply.