Z0121 Field work on physical geography

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 2 credit(s). Type of Completion: z (credit).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Máčka, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Mgr. Monika Šulc Michalková, Ph.D. et Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Máčka, Ph.D.
Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: doc. RNDr. Zdeněk Máčka, Ph.D.
Supplier department: Department of Geography – Earth Sciences Section – Faculty of Science
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SEMESTR(2) && (NOW( Z2111 Research Methods - PG ) || Z2111 Research Methods - PG ) && Z0026p Physical geography
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 26 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/26, only registered: 25/26
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
Field course is directly connected to the lecture Physical geography which students passed in the previous term. The aim is to show phenomena and processes of physical environment on the real world examples in the countryside. Field course is supervised by two teachers who cover different sub-disciplines of physical geography - geomorphology, soils and biogeography (dr. Máčka) and meteorology, climatology and hydrology (dr. Šulc). Field course has a form of excursion combined with practical excersises on the selected localities which are typical examples of the south Moravian landscapes. The content of the course includes explanation on geology of the visited area, geomorphological mapping, survey of soils and description of soil profiles, mapping of vegetation in ecosystems, land use mapping etc.
Main objectives can be summarized as follows:
- to learn the field techniques of physical geography;
- to visit and study various landscapes with different physiographic setting.
Learning outcomes
Main objectives can be summarized as follows:
to learn the field techniques of physical geography;
to visit and study various landscapes with different physiographic setting.
After finishing the course student should be able to:
apply the selected research methods in physical geography
Syllabus
  • Excursions and connected practical field activities include primarily following thematic fields (part of geomorphology, soil geography, biogeography):
  • 1. Introducing the lithology and geological setting of the visited area, seeking connections between lithology, soils and organisms in ecosystems, seeking the linkages between geological structure and landforms.
  • 2. Mapping meso- and microrelief, delimitation of elementary geoforms from maps and their validation in the field, comparison of the geomorphological processes in various landform units.
  • 3. Mapping the soil cover at small territory, description of soil profile in excavated soil borrow-pit.
  • 4. Description of plant component of ecosystem, phytocenological survey.
  • 6. Synthesis, delimitation of basic geoecological units in the visited area.
  • 7. Delimitation of land use categories on the basis of aerial images and topographic maps, mapping the land use and landscape structure in the visited area, evaluation of ecological stability of the territory.
  • 8. Morphological parameters of the river channel and the river basin.
  • 9. Analysis of hydrological data, flow measurements, measurements with ADCP.
  • 10. Evaluation of the hydrometric data.
  • 11. Excursion to the dam by location.
  • 12. Study of the river interaction with other landscaping elements.
Literature
  • STRAHLER, Alan H. and Arthur Newell STRAHLER. Introducing physical geography. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2003, xix, 684. ISBN 0471238007. info
  • FORMAN, Richard T. T. and Michel GODRON. Krajinná ekologie. Translated by Jan Těšitel. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 1993, 583 s. ISBN 8020004645. info
  • DEMEK, Jaromír. Vybrané kapitoly z krajinné ekologie. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita v Brně, 1999, 102 s. ISBN 8021021683. info
  • DEMEK, Jaromír. Nauka o krajině. Vyd. 1. Praha: Státní pedagogické nakladatelství, 1981, 234 s. URL info
Teaching methods
The course has a form of five day field work out of Brno. The visited area changes annualy. Students find out information on selected themes, which they present in the field to other participants and utilise it during field work. The outcome is either the final report or the poster, where the results of the field work are summarized.
Assessment methods
The credit is granted against 100% participation on field work and compilation of final report or poster.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: in blocks.
General note: Předmět lze zapsat jen současně s předmětem Z2111.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: 5 dní.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008 - for the purpose of the accreditation, Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2000, Spring 2001, Spring 2002, Spring 2005, Spring 2006, Spring 2007, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2013, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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