Master students at the ISRIC (International Soil Reference and Information Centre, Wageningen)

11 April 2025, by Lars Kutzbach

Photo: UHH/IfB/L. Kutzbach

Students in the World Soil Museum, Wageningen

In the first week of April, students on the Geosciences Master's program visited the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC) in Wageningen as part of the Soil Diversity and International Soil Classification course. There they worked intensively in the World Soil Museum with the soil monoliths on display. The course focused on the detailed description and interpretation of the diverse soil profiles from different landscapes and climate zones around the world. The course pursued several learning objectives:

• Familiarization with the global diversity of soils in different landscapes and climates
• Discussion of soil development under different climatic and vegetation conditions
• Evaluation of the functions, potential uses and threats of different soils
• Application of the international soil classification according to the system of the World Reference Base for Soil Resources.

The perfect spring weather also provided the opportunity to explore the varied landscape of the Dutch province of Gelderland and the cities of Wageningen and Arnhem. The visit to the Wageningen Campus, which specializes in life sciences, was also very interesting.

Of course, practical field soil science was also included: At the end of the excursion, the students applied their knowledge of international soil classification to a Plaggenesch soil profile (Plaggic Anthrosol) in the  Ginkelse Heide.