Desertification

Owner	Bachelor Future Planet Studies
Coordinator	dr. L.H. Cammeraat
Part of	Minor Global Water Challenges, year 1Exchange Programme Faculty of Science, specialisation BSc Future Planet Studies / Sustainability, year 1Bachelor Bèta-gamma, major Aardwetenschappen, year 2Bachelor Future Planet Studies, major Future Earth, year 2

Course manual 2023/2024

Course content

This course aims at learning how different landscape elements are interconnected in a complex (eco)system, and how this knowledge can be used to address environmental issues. This will be done by carrying out a geo-ecological field inventory and additional field measurement techniques in a desertification-threatened area in SE Spain. The obtained data will be used to understand landscape patterns, processes, and complexity and also to determine its vulnerability to desertification. The course is a part of the semester focusing on water-related issues. In this course the results of water shortage, as expressed by groundwater over-drafting, irrigation, salinization, desiccation, and erosion problems will be studied in the field. It addresses typical water-related issues in dryland regions, which is in contrast to the ecosystems which have an excess of water, and that are being dealt with in the other courses in the program. The course has also a function in providing a translation of landscape properties from the classroom to the field. As such it integrates earlier theoretically studied objects with real-world field conditions by carrying out an integrated landscape field inventory and analysis. Field experience is an important part of the education of earth and ecosystem science students and this course enables the development of required field skills. GIS techniques are used to handle field spatial data, both by preparation of pre-field material, as well as for collecting and processing field data and by implementing field knowledge into a model-based scenario study on the effects of climate change on desertification and biomass production.

General Layout

Introduction into the theoretical aspects of drylands and their threats such as desertification (land degradation, desiccation, salinization) in general and more specific for the field area to be studied. This is divided into the following sub-sets:

-In the course introduction an earth and ecosystem sciences framework for the landscape studied will be provided.

-Instruction and application of fieldwork in which geo-ecological field inventory techniques, along an illustrative gradient of landscapes including areas with different degrees of desertification vulnerability.

-Carrying out a climate scenario study using a simulation model for some of the sites studied in the field with emphasis on water availability and crop growth

-An introduction into measurement techniques to quantify soil degradation, desiccation, water quality parameters, and desertification processes and patterns, and the application of one or more of these methods in a spatial setting.

-Providing an explanation of the produced geo-ecological maps and elucidating the areas’ vulnerability to desertification

Study materials

Syllabus

• Syllabus Fieldwork SE Spain 2024

Software

• ArcGIS Pro 3.1.x

  Aquacrop 7.1

  ESRI Field map app

Objectives

• Apply theoretical concepts of earth and ecosystem sciences in a landscape study.
• Make an inventory of landscapes in order to relate substratum-soil-geomorphology-vegetation, land use and water availability.
• Integrate field observations in thematic maps with a written explanation of the produced maps.
• Understand the impact of climate and land use change on soil and vegetation with respect to desertification.
• Effectively co-operate in small research teams to efficiently collect and integrate data, and report results.
• Conduct vulnerability assessments of desertification threatened areas, using field data and quantitative approaches.
• Organize and integrate data in a clear and structured way.
• Apply field measurement and inventory techniques.

Teaching methods

• Lecture
• Computer lab session/practical training
• Fieldwork/excursion
• Self-study
• Supervision/feedback meeting

(Working) lectures and computer classes before fieldwork

An almost two weeks field course in southeastern Spain.

Computer classes after fieldwork

Organizing data and reporting results

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• Participation in fieldwork is compulsory and cannot be replaced by assignments or other courses.
• In case of practical sessions, the student is obliged to attend at least of 90% of the sessions and to prepare himself adequately, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. In case the student attends less than 90%, the practical sessions should be redone entirely.
• In case of tutorials/seminars with assignments, the student is obliged to attend at least 7 out of 8 seminars and to prepare thoroughly for these meetings, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. If the course has more than 8 seminars, the student can miss up to 1 extra meeting for every (part of) 8 tutorials/seminars. If the students attends less than the mandatory tutorials/seminars, the course cannot be completed.

Additional requirements for this course:

The maximum number of practicals and laptop practicals that can be missed is 2. The entire fieldwork practical in Spain is mandatory.

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade
30% Fieldwork part 1	Must be ≥ 5
30% Fieldwork part 2	Must be ≥ 5
10% Geo-database and fieldmaps data	Must be ≥ 6
30% Final report	Must be ≥ 6

Fieldwork part 1 (30% of the total mark) is assessed during the quiz, and at the end of the first week in the field, and is based on (fractions give the relative weight of each assessment item):

1. Effort put into the preparation and knowledge acquired (1/4), equally based on the quiz results, and demonstrated theoretical knowledge in the field.

2. Field practice (1/4)

3. Field performance (1/4)

4. Effort and perseverance, motivation, and development during the fieldwork (1/4)

Fieldwork part 2 (30% of the total mark) is assessed at the very end of the fieldwork period. The assessment in the field will include the same aspects as in the first week but will be condensed into (fractions give the relative weight of each assessment item):

1. Field skills development (1/4)

2. Excursion and quality of field presentation (1/4)

3. Draft map quality and reliability (1/4)

4. Completeness of the dataset in the field app (1/8)

5. Theme map cooperation (1/8)

Geodatabase (10% of the total mark)

(see syllabus for details)

Field report (30% of the total mark).

(see syllabus for details)

Assessment diagram

Learning Outcome	Field work 1	Field Work 2	Geo-database	Final Report
#1.	x	x		x
#2.	x	x	x	x
#3.		x		x
#4.	x	x		x
#5.	x	x	x	x
#6.		x		x
#7.	x	x	x
#8.	x	x

 

Inspection of assessed work

Contact your supervisor to make an appointment for inspection.

Assignments

Final Report

• The report is written jointly by the field team,

  Halfway through the reporting period feedback will be given on the draft report

  Feed-back will provided after the report has been submitted

Geo-database

• The geo-database is constructed by the field team and comprises the collector app data, and the GIS-based data

  The collector app data will be evaluated during and directly after the fieldwork. Halfway through the reporting period feedback will be given on the draft database

  Feedback will provided after the final version  has been submitted

Final field maps

• The final concept field maps have to be ready and approved before leaving the fieldwork area and will be assessed under part Field work 2

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Additional information

 

During the course, you will stay almost 2 weeks abroad continuously

See also the canvas page “Safety" within the Desertification course section

The courses Plant-Soil Interactions, as well as Digital Earth, should have been followed for enrollment. The report of the Plant-Soil Practical course should be passed with at least a 6.0.

Maximum capacity: approx. 75 students

 

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It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.

Last year's student feedback

In order to provide students some insight into how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

Contact information

Coordinator

• dr. L.H. Cammeraat

Staff

• dr. W.M. de Boer
• R.L. van Hall, MSc
• dr. A.M. Kooijman
• dr. W.E. Morriën
• dr. R. Ott
• E. Polman, MSc
• dr. Kenneth Rijsdijk