2019/2020

2020/2021

DM270

GEO/04 (PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY)

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

NATURAL SCIENCES

PERCORSO COMUNE

2°

2nd semester (01/03/2021 - 11/06/2021)

3

38 lesson hours

English

WRITTEN AND ORAL TEST

MAERKER MICHAEL (titolare) - 6 ECTS

Basic knowledge in physics, chemistry, and GIS.
Basic knowledge in geomorphology and mineralogy.

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.

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 landscape relations (pedon, polypedon)
- how to describe a soil in the field
- soil classifications (Soil taxonomy, WRB, FAO)

lectures, seminars and practical work in the field

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.

there will be and intermediate test and a presentation that will be carried out in groups. At the end the will be an written and/or oral exam.