Newcastle University

Aims

The aims of this module are
1. To encourage students to practice the evaluation of information from a variety of disciplines
2. To develop basic field skills, including the need to consider health and safety, and to practise observation, recording and interpretation of data
3. To challenge students to develop their own considered opinions about contemporary land use issues.

Outline Of Syllabus

Preparation classes and all day field trips in the second half of the Semester to study the land use issues in different parts of Northumberland
1) Northumberland Coastal Lowlands around Cresswell and Cockle Park
Influence of geology; coastal geological sections illustrating Carboniferous sedimentary rocks and till; opencast coal mining and issues associated with land reclamation after opencast coal mining.

2) Upland Land Resources in the Cheviots .
Effect of changing climate on the land water balance and soil-vegetation relationship. Formation of peat. Human-landscape interactions in the uplands since glaciation and including current issues associated with upland land use through a farmer interview.

3) Effect of Management on Vegetation and Soils through time:
Woodlands, Heathlands and Moorlands of the Fell Sandstone around Rothbury, Northumberland.
Cuesta landforms, soil and vegetation relationships on quartzitic sandstone; investigation of the effects of woodland clearance and spread of heath and moor on soil properties. Practice with techniques of soil description in relation to vegetation.

4)Glacio-fluvial deposits. Sandlands of North Northumberland, Wooperton District.
Effects of glacio-fluvial and glacio-deltaic sands and gravels on landforms, soils and land use; ; investigation of the effects of topography on soil properties, hydrology and consequent Land Use Capability using soil augers and transect techniques; wetland habitats and conservation. Visit to on-farm education centre and consideration of role of Stewardship approaches in agriculture.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The Module is introduced and students directed to key reading materials during the first practical class.
The students then prepare themselves for the fieldwork through scoping exercises in the practical class in the week before the trip. The final practical class allows time for supported development of the LUC maps and their interpretation.
Most work is based in the field where students undertake structured exercises in order to introduce major concepts. This learning is consolidated by the need to compile the field notes and use them to interpret observations and make judgements of the implications for land use.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Structured field reports or MCQ tests on Blackboard based on individual field trips assess the ability to methodically record field data as well as knowledge of the Northumbrian landscape and the factors shaping it gained in the scoping classes.
In the final trip students are required to report on the assessment of Land Use Capability carried out in the field in a professional context intended to be used by the land owner.

The resit case study is set annually and the exact requirements including the need for a field visit will depend on the engagement of the students with the field classes which have formed the main part of the Module.