Threats to soil and from the soil toward other environment subsystems. Soil architecture: texture, structure, porosity. Soil-water relations, water holding measurement and models. Soil water movement, measurement and models. Infiltration and topsoil compaction. Soil erosion, processes and factors; long-term estimates. Adsorption and chemical retention. Soil acidification, natural and anthropogenic. Soil sealing effects and their evaluation.
Ability to assess actual and potential soil degradation processes. Ability to evaluate and use models of soil physical processes. Capacity to design and propose preventive and remedial techniques
Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
Lectures, 32 hrs. Laboratory sessions with mathematical models, 8 hrs. Field or laboratory practical measurements, 8 hrs.
Further information
None
Type of Assessment
Single exam, oral; the student will be called to answer some questions about the contents of the course; evaluation will cover knowledge of arguments, ability to make connections between them and critical capabilities. During the exam, the student will be allowed to peruse a printed document, showing the most complex and/or less important mathematical formulas.
Course program
Threats to the soil and from the soil towards other environmental subsystems. Soil architecture: texture, structure, porosity. Soil-water relations; matric potential, water holding, measurements and model estimation. Water movement in soils, measurements and model estimation. Infiltration and topsoil compaction. Soil erosion: wind erosion, water erosion; physical processes, factors and long-term estimation models. Adsorption phenomena and chemical retention. Soil acidification, natural processes and effects of pollution. Soil sealing consequences and soil sealing evaluation.