Course:APBI200/Lab Assignments

From UBC Wiki
APBI200
Introduction to Soil Science
APBI 200 teaching team (2020)
Course Info
Instructors: Dr. Maja Krzic; Dr. Sandra Brown
Email: maja.krzic@ubc.ca; sandra.brown@ubc.ca
Office: MCML 227 (Maja); MCML 229 (Sandra)
Instructors' Office Hr: Wed 12-1 pm
Classroom: MCML 166
Lab: MCML 102A
TAs: TA Info
' PASS Info
Syllabus: | Syllabus
Course Material
Lecture Notes Lab Manual
Problem Sets Exams
Lab Assign. My Grades
Bonus Assign.
Course Discussion

At this page you can find information to help you with APBI 200 labs.

General Tips for APBI200 Labs

  • Always bring lab manual to the lab
  • Read info about the upcoming lab before coming to the lab.
  • All lab assignments are to be submitted as hard copies (in drop in boxes outside of the MCML102 lab). Please include your name (full name and nickname) and student number,on the front page of the assignment.
  • Lab assignments are due by 5pm a week after your lab (e.g., if you have a lab on Tuesday, your assignments is due following Tuesday by 5 pm)
  • All lab assignments should be handed in on time and a 10% mark subtraction will be made for each day being late. Assignments submitted passed day 4 will not be accepted.
  • You will need to bring your lab coats


APBI200 lab sections and lab instructors:

Day Time Lab Instructor
Monday 1 - 3 pm Maja Krzic
Monday 3 - 5 pm
Tuesday 8 - 10 am
Tuesday 10 am - noon
Tuesday 1 - 3 pm
Tuesday 3 - 5 pm
Wednesday 8 - 10 am Sandra Brown
Wednesday 1 - 3 pm
Wednesday 3 - 5 pm
Thursday 10am - 12 pm


Conversion help and hints
Attached document is intended to provide help with conversions and it will be useful throughout the course.
Unit conversion help

Lab 1 Assignment

Lab 1 is a field trip - weather permitting. The lab #1 (during week of Jan 13-16, 202) has been cancelled due to snow.
You should however read the section in your lab manual for this lab as it provides information on soil formation factors.
No lab assignment to hand in this week.

Lab 2 Assignment

Lab assignment - Parent material

Reminder for ALL lab assignments::

  • All lab assignments are to be submitted as hard copies (in drop in boxes outside of the MCML102 lab).
  • Lab assignments are due by 5pm a week after your lab (e.g., if you have a lab on Tuesday, your assignments is due the following Tuesday by 5 pm)


Useful tips re. this lab:

  • Collection of videos showing different types of parent material in their typical landscape settings can be found at Soil Formation and Parent Material - https://landscape.soilweb.ca/
  • Tutorial practice questions mentioned in the "Virtual Soil Monolith Collection" cannot be accessed at that website, so they are posted here Practice questions

Lab 3 Assignment

Lab assignment - Texture and bulk density
Pls read the manual. Introduction for each lab includes all the information needed to answer lab assignment questions.

Pls attach the following to your lab assignment:
•Your hydrometer data sheet with sample calculations written out for at least one line in the data collection table (ie one time of measurement).

•The particle-size distribution curve. Don’t forget to include a title and axes labels. Indicate the % sand, silt and clay and the soil textural class.

•The table regarding the soil texture of two “mystery” samples (determined by hand-texturing). Include a brief justification of your answer.

•Calculation for sample used for demonstration of bulk density determination by core method.


Semi log paper (needed to draw the particle-size distribution curve) can be found in the attached pdf file. Bonus mark if you plot the data in Excel (but pls remember to use semi-log scale). Semi-log graph paper

Lab 4 Assignment

Lab assignment - Water retention

Required attachments for lab assignment:
•Your data collection sheet with calculations written out for both samples parameters (lines a through k), and for the first 2 tension values. Be sure to include units when you enter your data and to keep track of units when making your calculations.

•The water retention curves for medium and fine sand samples indicating air entry value (AEV) and air intrusion value (AIV). Use your data that you collected in the lab and also data provided in the appendix A (on p.92) of the lab manual.

Lab 5 Assignment

Lab assignment - Soil chemical properties

Please note that some tips re. unit conversion can be found in the attached [file http://lfs-sw.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2017/02/Lab_4-unit-conversion-tips.pdf]


The data set for soil organic matter calculation is available at SOM google spreadsheet

The data for soil water content calculation is available at Soil water content google spreadsheet

Lab 6 Assignment

Lab assignment - Forest floor

Lab 7 Assignment - is now online; assignment due date April 2

Overview of this online lab, its learning objectives, and instructions can be found in this video clip Online lab #7
Presentation slides shown in the video clip mentioned above, can be found here Presentation slides for online lab #7


Virtual Lab 7 - the lab assignment is given below in word and pdf formats. Please review lecture notes for Mar 23-27, read the lab manual, and watch the online lab 7 video clip prior to doing your lab assignment.
Lab assignments for this virtual lab must be uploaded to Canvas (microsoft word or pdf formats accepted) on or before 5:00 pm on April 2.

Lab 7 assignment in pdf format

Lab 7 assignment in word format

Lab 8 Assignment - CANCELLED

As per message from President Ono sent out on Mar 13, 2020 https://broadcastemail.ubc.ca/ we need to transfer all classes (including labs) online. This particular lab cannot be moved online, hence it is CANCELLED