The goal of this course is to provide students with the basic knowledge to describe and understand the functioning of the soil and to characterize the soil properties, both for geopedological and interdisciplinary studies. At the end of the course, the student will be able to: 1. understand the soil system and its main features; 2. understand the processes of formation and evolution of the soil. 3. describe the profile of a soil on the ground 4. classify soils on the basis of the most widespread pedological taxonomies 5. discuss the soil analysis methods 6. understand the role of soils in environmental processes
Course Prerequisites
Knowledge of the main geomorphological and physical geography processes is required, as well as the main characteristics of vegetation and basic notions of organic and inorganic chemistry
Teaching Methods
0.5 ECTS will be devoted to laboratory (i.e. physical and chemical analyses on soils and micropedology) 1 ECTS will be provided on the field (i.e. profile description and sampling, classification and basis of cartography)
Assessment Methods
The verification of the learning will take place at the end of the course with an oral test, at the end of which a mark expressed in thirtieths will be recorded. The final evaluation will consider the knowledge acquired (60%) and the ability to organize and illustrate the arguments (30%) and the exposition skills (10%).
Contents
1 - Soil as interface between biosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere: soil definitions; soil constituents. 2 - Pedologic profile and soli horizons: characteristics and nomenclature of different types of soil horizons; field soil profile description. 3 - Processes and factors of the pedogenesis: general soil evolution processes; fundamental pedogenetic processes; soil evolution factors and the Jenny’s equation; time factor and paleosols. 4 - Soil classification: genetic classifications and Duchaufour’s French ecological classification; hierarchic classifications and Soil Taxonomy; referential classifications, FAO-Unesco, IRB, WRB. 5 - Soils and environmental context: soils and geomorphology; soil - landscape relationship; soil survey and soil mapping; land evaluation, land capability and land suitability. 6 - Analytical methods: physical, chemical and mineralogical analyses; microscopic analyzes and basis of micromorphological investigation.
