Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
---|---|---|---|
2501915 Environmental Sciences | OB | 3 | 1 |
Although there are no prerequisites to take this course, the student should have:
1) Basic knowledge of Biology and Geology, Earth Sciences and the Environmental Sciences acquired during compulsory secondary education.
2) Knowledge of other disciplines such as biology, geology, physics, and chemistry.
The main aim of this course is to train the students in developing a basic understanding of the environmental functions of soils and the services that soil provides to society. Lectures will address the soil most relevant components and how they are organized in order to interpret their properties. The soil is shown as a complex natural system, resulting from the weathering processes that explain the diversity of soils. The main environmental problems affecting soils, such as pollution, erosion, salinization, among others are addressed in this course while providing knowledge on how to implement suitable and feasible corrective or rehabilitation measures. The role of soils in carbon sequestration and in the recycling of organic wastes will be also discussed. Furthermore, the legal framework promoting soil protection and other regulations aiming to achieve sustainable use of soils are considered.
Specific objectives:
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
• Describe and interpret a soil profile in relation to natural environmental factors.
• Identify the soil main components and interpret their properties.
• Understand the basics of soil classification as a tool to describe soil diversity and its environmental value.
• Assess soil use capabilities according to their properties.
• Identify common soil degradation problems (erosion, salinization, pollution, etc.) and suggest solutions.
• Recognize the main environmental soil functions and apply this knowledge in solving current environmental problems.
THEORETICAL FORMATION (concepts and experiences)
1. The soil as a natural system
2. Organization of soil components
3. Mineral constituents of soil
4. The organic matter, organic matter transformation, and the biological activity of the soil
5. Chemical properties of soil
6. The soil as a water reservoir
7. Soil diversity, mapping, and assessment
8. Soil degradation processes and their correction. principal soil degradation processes. Soil quality indicators. Acceptable rates of degradation and sustainable management of soils.
9. Erosion as a soil degradation problem. Water erosion: rainfall erosivity and soil erodibility. study of erosion models: the (R)USLE. Preventive and erosion control techniques, terraces and benches.
10. Contaminated soils. Causes and characteristics of soil pollution. Current legal framework and its application. Generic levels of reference, their setting, and their interpretation. Introduction to the remediation strategies of contaminated soils. Study of cases.
11. Management of soil organic matter. Recycling of organic wastes. Criteria of the application of organic wastes to soils. Composting and other organic matter valorisation alternatives through the soil. Regulations.
12. Management of agricultural soils fertility and environmental protection. Fertilization and biogeochemical cycles. Fertilization and nutrient-use efficiency. Best agricultural practices regarding nitrogen fertilization.
13. Environmental restoration and rehabilitation of degraded soils. Restoration ecology. Restoration of mining activities and slopes. Technosols.
PRACTICAL PART
Field description of soils: soil morphology, soil description, and soil sampling:
How to analyze soil samples
Soil analysis interpretation
Identification of soil degradation problems and proposals for corrective measures
Several teaching-learning strategies will be combined in order to achieve the objectives of the course.
1) Lectures and professor experiences. The expository sessions will be the main type of activity since basic concepts are transferred to students in a short time. The lectures will be accompanied by handouts and other educational materials that will be delivered to the students through the virtual campus. The learning contents and concepts explained during the lectures require student's autonomous work in order to assimilate them. As a guidance, it is estimated that every hour of master class requires two hours of self-study.
2) Field practice. The field practicals are essential for the student understanding of how soil is found in nature and how to describe a soil profile in a representative sampling. The practice will consist of a one-day trip to which assistance is mandatory, that will include an initial explanation by the professors followed by the students' autonomous work in small groups. They will describe the soil-forming factors for a given soil, excavate a pit, describe the different horizons, and take samples for analytical purposes. (5h guided work + 3h supervised work). If the field trip cannot be held as scheduled due to events of force majeure, it will be substituted by alternative activities.
3) Laboratory practices. These sessions intend for the students to learn the most common international soil analytical procedures using the samples obtained in the field by themselves, so they will obtain reliable and representative results for interpretation. The laboratory practicals will be organized in three sessions of four hours in which the students, keeping the field groups, will analyse the samples collected in the field. A brief report will be submitted by each group after the practical sessions. The report will contain the soil description, the analytical results, and their discussion and interpretation (12 h guided work). If the laboratory practices cannot be held as scheduled due to events of force majeure, the sessions will be substituted by case studies and/or practical exercises.
4) Classroom practices for the interpretation of soil analysis. Case-based learning is a particularly useful tool since it enables the student to apply the knowledge acquired in lectures and also in the laboratory. These activities will consist of the interpretation of the analysis of diverse soils and the resolution of complementary problems. (3h of guided work and 10h of autonomous work). If these sessions cannot be held as scheduled due to events of force majeure, the sessions will be online.
5) Collaborative work (team-work). It consists on the production of a video-documentary about a process of soil degradation or about the processes of soil degradation that affect a specific area. The video will include an explanation of the soil degradation process (s), the mechanisms involved, their relevance and implications, as well as the corrective measures that could be carried out and their potential viability. The video may include interviews, visits to the field or affected areas, visits to centers (eg: waste treatment, treatment plants, etc). As an assessable previous activity, a script will be delivered with the contents of the video, the target audience and communication objectives (eg: educational and training, informative, informative, awareness, etc). The maximum length of the video will be 15 min. The video will be made in groups of 3-5 people. There will be follow-up sessions (assistance will be voluntary) in which the professors will guide the progression of the work and a collective presentation session of some of the works.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|
Type: Directed | |||
Classroom practices (in person or online classes) | 3 | 0.12 | |
Field work or alternative activities | 5 | 0.2 | |
Lab work or alternative activities | 12 | 0.48 | |
Lectures | 30 | 1.2 | |
Type: Supervised | |||
Field work or alternative activities | 3 | 0.12 | |
Type: Autonomous | |||
Case studies and problems | 10 | 0.4 | |
Environmental evaluation of soils (video) | 25 | 1 | |
Study | 56 | 2.24 |
The evaluation of this subject is continuous and is based on the following elements:
1. First midterm test. It consists of questions and/or short answer exercises and/or a multiple choice test about the main concepts and competences of the subject explained before the test.
2. Second midterm test. It consists of questions and/or brief exercises that will be formulated in relation to any topic of the subject, and especially those corresponding to the thematic block of soil degradation processes and their correction.
3. Presentation of a brief report of the laboratory practices. The report will present the analytic results obtained by the working team or the responses for the practical problems, including an interpretation and discussion of the results. The quality of the interpretation of the results will be assessed. There is no resit of this activity.
4. Video-documentary about soil degradation processes. A first evaluation consists of the presentation of a video script, made in a group, about a process or processes of degradation of an area, the mechanisms involved, their relevance and implications, as well as the corrective measures that could be carried out and their potential viability. Thirty days before the delivery of the video, it will be delivered a video script, which will represent the 33% of the final qualification mark of the video. After this delivery, the students will have feedback from the responsible teacher and will have to make the pertinent modifications. The final video will have 66% of the weight final qualification mark of the video. The projection of some of the videos will take place in a joint session at the end of the course. There is no resit of this activity.
To pass the course, it is necessary to obtain a global average mark equal to or higher than 4,9. However, thestudentsthat do not reach this score and have been assessed of 2/3 of the overall assessed items, will be able to take an exam resit (it will assess the course materials included in the first and final exams). According to the current UAB assessment regulations, having an average score equal to or greater than 3,5 will be a sine qua non (i.e. 3.5 is the minimum required mark) to be eligible for the exam resit. The lack of attendance to or no submission of any of the evaluation activities will score a mark of 0. A student will be considered as 'non-evaluable' only if not attending to any of the evaluation activities. The professors will set a date for the revision of exams and other assessed activities and will inform the students via online communication. No appointments for marking revision will be accepted outside the times scheduled.
Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
---|---|---|---|---|
First midterm test | 30% | 2 | 0.08 | 3, 4, 6, 8, 1, 13 |
Presentation of a brief report of the laboratory practices | 10% | 1 | 0.04 | 2, 9, 3, 5, 4, 6, 8, 7, 11, 13, 12 |
Second midterm test | 35% | 2 | 0.08 | 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 |
Video-documentary about soil degradation processes | 25% | 1 | 0.04 | 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 8, 7, 11, 1, 12 |
Further web links and learning materials will be posted by the professors on the Campus Virtual during the course development.
Main books:
-Brady N. C. & R. R. Weil. 2017. The nature and properties of soils (15th ed.). Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 975 p. https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2007847__SBrady__Orightresult__U__X4;jsessionid=233CFE7E459E75085C79364D377BFEC4?lang=cat&suite=def#bannertop
-Lal, R.; W.H.Blum, C. Valentine, B.A. Stewart (1998) Methods for assessement of Soil Degradation, Advances in Soil Science, CRC press, New York, 558 p. https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1481201__SLal%2C%20R__Orightresult__U__X3?lang=cat&suite=def#courseReservesSection
-Magdoff, F. & H. van Es. 2009. Building Soils for Better Crops. Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) - USDA https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1874950__SMagdoff__Orightresult__U__X4;jsessionid=73123C4B13ABCA823612E8DBDBC21026?lang=cat&suite=def
-Porta, J., M. López-Acevedo & R. M. Poch. 2014. Edafología: uso y protección de suelos, 3ª ed, Mundi-Prensa. https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1795204__SL%C3%B3pez-Acevedo__Orightresult__U__X4?lang=cat&suite=def#courseReservesSection
-Porta, J.; López-Acevedo, M. 2005. Agenda de campo de suelos. Información de suelos para la agricultura y el medio ambiente. Ed. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid, 541p., ISBN 84-8476-231-9
-Tan, K. H. 2009. Environmental soil science. Marcel Dekker. New York. https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1874950__SMagdoff__Orightresult__U__X4;jsessionid=73123C4B13ABCA823612E8DBDBC21026?lang=cat&suite=def
-TRAGSA (1998). Restauración hidrológico forestal de cuencas y control de la erosión. Ed. Mundi Prensa. https://cataleg.uab.cat/iii/encore/record/C__Rb1450709__SRestauraci%C3%B3n%20hidrol%C3%B3gico%20forestal%20de%20cuencas%20y%20control%20de%20erosi%C3%B3n__Orightresult__U__X2?lang=cat&suite=def
- USDA - NRCS. 2006. Claves para la Taxonomía de Suelos. Keys to Soil Taxonomy | NRCS Soils (usda.gov)
Web links:
-USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/site/soils/home/
- FAO Soils Portal: http://www.fao.org/soils-portal/en/
- Universidad de Granada. Departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola: http://edafologia.ugr.es/index.htm
- Institut d'Estudis Catalans. Protecció de sòls, mapa de sòls de Catalunya: http://www.iec.cat/mapasols/
- Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya: https://www.icgc.cat/
- Sociedad Española de Ciencias del suelo: https://www.secs.com.es
- The nature Education KnowledgeProject, Soil, Agriculture and Agricultural Biotechnology: https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/soil-agriculture-and-agricultural-biotechnology-84826767/
- Soil-net. Welcome to Soil-net.com. http://www.soil-net.com/
- International Union of Soil Sciences. Soil science education. http://www.iuss.org/popup/education.htm
- European Society for Soil Conservation http://www.soilconservation.eu/
Common use software such as Microsoft Office will be used. Also common use GIS software.
Several internet browsers.
Free software for video editing (iMovie, Biteable, Shotcut, OpenShot, VideoPad, Lightworks, WeVideo, etc.)