ECTS credits ECTS credits: 6
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 99 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 24 Interactive Classroom: 24 Total: 150
Type: Ordinary Degree Subject RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Center Faculty of Geography and History
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable
Soil is an essential part of environmental services and territorial planning, since it fulfills environmental and productive functions essential for life on Earth and for the sustainability of human societies, constituting a non-renewable resource that needs to be protected and conserved and, therefore, be taken into account in environmental and territorial management processes.
Throughout the course, students are expected to acquire basic knowledge about:
- The composition, organization and properties of soil, the different types of soil in the world, the factors and processes that govern their formation, distribution and evolution, as well as their role in the environment and in the management and use of resources.
- The most important methodological aspects for soil characterization and interpretation.
- The most significant tools for the use of soil information for its application to environmental management and land use planning studies, providing basic notions of soil cartography and evaluation.
In general, the aim is to awaken the students' interest in soil science, its applied nature, and to instill the need for commitment to self-learning.
PROGRAM OF THEORETICAL CLASSES
I. THE NATURE OF SOIL
Soil science. Historical development and relationship with other sciences. 1 hour
2. Concept of soil. Soil as a system. Productive and environmental functions of soil. Threats. 2 hours
3. Soil organization. From the edaphosphere to the microstructure. Pedion, profile and horizons. Nomenclature of soil horizons. 3 hours
4. Soil components. Nature, composition, properties and methods of study. Solid phase: mineral and organic components. Liquid phase: soil water. Gaseous phase: soil atmosphere. Soil biota. 3 hours
II. SOIL PROPERTIES
Physical properties. Color, texture, structure, density, porosity, permeability, temperature. 2 hours
2. Physical and chemical properties. Fundamentals of soil reactivity. Dissolution-precipitation reactions. Surface interactions: ion exchange and ion retention. Acid-base reactions: pH and acidity of the soil. Oxidation-reduction processes. 4 hours
III. SOIL FORMATION: FACTORS AND PROCESSES
1. Factors of formation. Influence of environmental factors on soil formation and characteristics: material, climate, relief, organisms and time. Human influence. 4 hours
2. Edaphogenesis processes. Types of edaphogenesis processes. Horizonization and edaphoturbation. Maturation. Meteorization and evolution of organic matter. Processes in hydromorphic media: reducing conditions and alternating redox conditions. Transfers in solution. Transfers in suspension: argilluviation, podzolization. Metaedaphogenesis. 6 hours
IV. SOIL CLASSIFICATION
1. The classification of soils. Principles and problems. Historical evolution of soil classification. Types of soil classification. 1 hour
2. Modern classifications. World Reference Base of Soil Resources (FAO, IUSS, ISRIC). Soil Taxonomy (USDA). 1 hour
3. The World Reference Base of Soil Resources. Structure and rules of use. Horizons, properties and diagnostic materials. Reference groups and second level units. 2 hours
V. TYPOLOGY AND DISTRIBUTION OF SOILS
1. Reference groups of the World Reference Base of Soil Resources. Description, distribution, management and use (6 hours)
Soil Taxonomy Orders: Alfisols, Andisols, Aridisols, Entisols, Xelisols, Histosols, Inceptisols, Mollisols, Oxisols, Spodosols, Ultisols, Vertisols. Equivalence with the World Reference Base of Soil Resources. 2 hours
VI. SOIL AND LAND ORGANIZATION. MAPPING AND EVALUATION OF SOIL RESOURCES.
1. Soil mapping. Cartographic units. Types of soil maps. 1 hour
2. Soil evaluation. The need to evaluate soils: ecological functions, productive and socioeconomic aspects. Intrinsic and extrinsic parameters for evaluation. Types of soil evaluation systems: methodology and objectives. 2 hours
INTERACTIVE TEACHING PROGRAM
The main objective of the interactive teaching is to train students in the knowledge of the basic techniques of morphological and physical-chemical characterization of soils, the interpretation and evaluation of their properties and the use of soil information for its application to the interpretation of the physical environment and land management, as well as its recognition in the field. For its development, special emphasis will be placed on the most representative soils of the Galician.
Seminars
- Interpretation of the description and morphology of soils. 3 hours
- Interpretation of the physical and physical-chemical properties of soils. 3 hours
- Interpretation and classification of soils. 3 hours
- Soil maps. Information and use. 1 hour
Field practice
1 day of field work (6 hours). Oriented to the interpretation of formation factors, morphology, properties and formation processes of different types of soils in Galicia. Whenever possible, the field trip will be synchronized with other related subjects of the 4th year of the degree.
TUTORIAL - Oriented to the resolution of students' doubts. 1 hour
Basic bibliography
- DRIESSEN PM, DECKERS, JA. SPAARGAREN, OC AND NACHTERGAELE FO (Eds.). 2001. Lecture Notes on the Major Soils of the World. World Soil Resources Reports 94. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. http://www.isric.org/Isric/Webdocs/Docs/Major_Soils_of_the_World/start…
ftp://ftp.fao.org/agl/agll/docs/wsrr94e.pdf
- IUSS Working Group WRB, 2015. Base referencial mundial del recurso suelo 2014, Actualización 2015. Sistema internacional de clasificación de suelos para la nomenclatura de suelos y la creación de leyendas de mapas de suelos. Informes sobre recursos mundiales de suelos 106. FAO, Roma. https://www.fao.org/3/i3794es/I3794es.pdf
- PORTA, J., LÓPEZ-ACEVEDO, M., POCH, R.M. 2019. Introducción a la Edafología. Uso y protección del suelo. Mundi-Prensa 4ªEd. (Biblioteca da Facultade de Bioloxía e Biblioteca da Facultade de Farmacia)
Complementary bibliography
- EUROPEAN SOIL BUREAU NEWORK. 2005. Soil Atlas of Europe. European Comission, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Louxemburg.
http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/projects/soil_atlas/Download.cfm
- MACÍAS, F. & CALVO, R. 2001. Atlas de Galicia. Solos. Consellería de Presidencia, Xunta de Galicia.
General and Basic
CX2 - Know, understand and interpret the territory.
CX3 - Interrelate the physical and environmental environment with the social and human environment
CX4 - Combine a generalist approach with specialized analysis
CX5 - Interrelate phenomena at different territorial scales
CX8 - Analyze and interpret landscapes
CX9 - Generate sensitivity and interest in territorial and environmental issues
CB2 - That students know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and possess the skills they usually demonstrate through the preparation and defense of arguments and the resolution of problems within their area of study.
CB3 - That students have the ability to collect and interpret relevant data to make judgments that include a reflection on relevant social, scientific or ethical issues.
CB4 - Students should be able to transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialized and non-specialized audiences.
CB5 - That students develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.
Transversal
CT3 - Know the principles of land use planning.
CT5 - Relate and synthesize transversal territorial information.
TC6 - Generate agreements in interdisciplinary teams
TC7 - Manage complexity
CT8 - Organize and synthesize information
Specific
SC2 - Knowing the techniques of field work and data collection in the field
SC3 - Using Geographic Information Systems
SC4 - Expressing the information cartographically
SC6 - Carrying out analyses and proposals for territorial management
SC7 - Carrying out analysis and proposals for environmental management
Expository classes:
Alternating lecture classes, which offer the possibility to focus on the most important of each subject, with discussions and questions. These classes will focus on the understanding of the concepts of the subject and will offer a global vision of the subject. Activities supported by audiovisual and computer media, and with different formats (theory, general problems and/or examples, general guidelines of the subject), encouraging participation. Examples of the Galician natural environment related to the topics of study will be analyzed. This learning process will be reinforced by interspersing evaluation tests at the end of each block; these tests are part of the continuous evaluation. The most recommended resources for the further elaboration of the topic in depth will also be indicated.
Interactive classes:
Seminars: work of the students, individually and/or in small groups, under the supervision and direction of the teacher. In them, activities (exercises, practical cases, simulations, etc) of application of the theoretical knowledge in their resolution are proposed, deepening in the applicability of the knowledge acquired in the characterization of the natural environment and in the understanding of environmental processes and their territorial repercussions. These activities will require the active participation of the students. Specific work will be done on training in the characterization and classification of soils that will allow the resolution of problems and applied aspects of soil science.
Field work: the personal work of the students will be aimed at promoting the capacity of observation and the description and interpretation of soils, through the analysis of the formation factors, morphology, properties and edaphogenesis processes of the different types of soils in Galicia.
Both the seminars and the field work seek to reinforce the learning of concepts, and to develop the instrumental, systemic and interpersonal skills necessary for problem solving.
Tutorials: individual or in very small groups, to clarify doubts, provide information or guidance to students, as well as to know the progress in the acquisition of skills.
To facilitate the preparation and monitoring of all activities by the students, the virtual classroom will be used in the Moodle platform of the virtual campus of the USC and MS Teams, where there will be available:
TEACHING GUIDE: the homologated teaching guide of the subject.
PRESENTATIONS: the presentations used by the teaching staff in the lectures.
PROBLEMS: material for the interpretation and classification of soils (solutions will be discussed in seminars).
Communication channels with students:
MS Teams: in the subject classroom, individual conversations for personalized tutorials.
Virtual classroom of the course
E-mail (only USC institutional e-mail).
The knowledge, competences and skills acquired will be evaluated by means of a set of activities that include a final exam and a continuous evaluation. The continuous evaluation will be carried out through periodic tests of the contents covered (approximately 1 test every two subjects taught) by means of multiple-choice tests, questions and/or short questions to be developed in person in the classroom or through the virtual classroom and work submitted or presented, seminar and field activities and tutorials. In the seminar and field activities, attendance, performance of activities and associated contributions will be assessed.
a) Continuous evaluation (50% of the final grade). It will be evaluated according to the attendance and participation in the face-to-face activities (10% of the final grade), the answers to the questionnaires and problems that will be given to the students through the virtual classroom (20% of the final grade) and the completion of an individual work (20% of the final grade). The students will have to hand in a work that will consist of the interpretation, evaluation and classification of soil types from real soil cards; which will be evaluated according to the quality of the memory, the clarity in the presentation of the results and their correct interpretation.
b) Final exam (50% of the final grade). It will consist of questions on the theoretical program and interactive activities.
General criteria
1st opportunity:
- To pass the subject it will be mandatory to have carried out the activities corresponding to the continuous evaluation (seminars, field, tests) reaching in each of them a score of at least 1/3 of its value.
- It is necessary to obtain a minimum mark of 4 (out of 10) in the final exam to be able to add the rest of the marks of the continuous evaluation, otherwise the final mark will be that of this test.
2nd opportunity:
It will be necessary to take the activities not passed in the first option. If the student chooses to take only the final exam, the maximum grade can only be a pass.
The grades of the continuous evaluation, if the minimum grade has been passed, will be maintained until the end of the following academic year.
In the event that a dispensation to attend classes is officially granted, students must complete a specific work (70% of the grade) and take asynchronous evaluation tests through the virtual classroom (30% of the grade), agreed with the teaching staff.
"For cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the regulations for the evaluation of the academic performance of the student body and review of grades will be applied."
The evaluation of competencies is carried out as follows:
-The exam evaluates the competencies: CE2, CE3, CT5, CT7, CT8.
-Periodic tests evaluate the following competences: CE4, CE6, CE7, CT3, CT7, CT8.
-In the seminars the following competences are evaluated: CE2, CE3, CE7, CT6, CT8.
-In the field, the following competences are evaluated: CE2, CE6, CE7, CT3, CT5, CT7.
Classroom work:
- Theoretical teaching in the classroom: 32h
- Field work: 6h
- Seminars: 10h
- Tutorials: 3h
- Taking the exam: 2h
Personal work:
- Individual study and preparation of the final exam: 60h
- Elaboration of individual work: 20h
- Recommended readings, library activities or similar: 6h
Total: 136 hours
Attendance and active participation in the expository and interactive teaching activities.
In order to encourage participation in classes, it is recommended to perform the required activities throughout the course and, in particular, work with the information provided through the virtual classroom, before the expository and interactive classes.
Use of specialized bibliography, not only textbooks, but also research and popular science articles.
Distribution of personal work (study, completion of assignments, recommended readings, etc.) throughout the semester.
Use of tutoring hours to resolve any doubts that may arise during the study of the subject.