The course will provide the basic knowledge about soil formation and evolution. Moreover, students will learn to describe and analyze specific soil characteristics. We will discuss the spatial distribution of particular soil types and their representation in form of analogue and digital maps.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge in physics, chemistry, and GIS. Basic knowledge in geomorphology and mineralogy.
Teaching Methods
lectures, seminars and practical work in the field
Assessment Methods
Esame intermedio e presentazione di un lavoro di gruppo. Alla fine del corso verra fatta una esame scritto e/o orale
Texts
• Brady C.B. & R.R. Weil (2002): The nature and properties of soils. 13. Aufl. Upper Saddle River NJ. Prentice Hall, 960pp. • Hillel, D. (1998): Environmental Soil Physics. Academic Press, San Diego, London. 771pp. • Cremaschi, M., Rodolfi, G. (1991): Il suolo. La Nuova Italia Scientifica, Roma. • Dazzi, C. (2013): Fondamenti di pedologia. La penseur. 356pp.
Contents
The course contains lectures, exercises and fieldwork. The course will focus on: - Introduction to soil science - the soil as interface between atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere - the soil and related soil formation concepts - soil horizons and their differentiation - typical diagnostic horizons and their characteristics - pedogenesis and pedogenetic concepts - the soil and its organic and inorganic components - soil physics and soil chemics - soil water dynamics - soil biodiversity - soil landscape relations (pedon, polypedon) - how to describe a soil in the field - soil classifications (Soil taxonomy, WRB, FAO)
