1. Introduction to geopedology: definition and role in the study of the environment and in land and landscape planning. (1 CFU)
2. The concept of soil. Soil definition, soil formation and evolution, state factors and Jenny's model. The pedon: definition and description of the heterogeneity of the components. The genesis and evolution of the soil. Pedosequences (1 CFU)
3. The properties of the soil: cation exchange capacity, anionic adsorption, molecular retention, texture and structure, porosity, color, temperature, reaction (pH) and buffer capacity (1 CFU)
4. The factors of pedogenesis: climate, vegetation, lithology, morphology, anthropic, time. (1 CFU) a. the climate. Temperature and rainfall, thermo-pluviometric coefficients and diagrams, water and thermal regimes of the soil b. the mother rock. Classification of exogenous and endogenous rocks, primary and secondary minerals. Crystalline and amorphous minerals. Silicates and phyllosilicates. Al, Fe, Ti, allophane oxides and hydroxides Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, physical disintegration and chemical alteration, rock chemism and formation of the pedogenetic substrate. c. the vegetation. The types of vegetation cover, the constituents and the cycle of soil organic matter. Humification: definition and theories. Humic substances: composition and properties, forms of humus and their ecological meaning, formation of surface horizons d. morphology. Dimensioned points and level curves, altitude bands, slope and slope exposure, surface and medium deep hydrographic system, modeling of the earth's surface by water, glacial, wind and pyroclastic actions.
5. Pedogenetic processes. Soil formation and evolution, the processes of transformation, translocation, addition and removal of materials, environmental contexts and dominant pedogenetic processes (1 CFU)
6. The main types of soil and their distribution. The main types of soil according to international classification systems and their distribution on a global and national scale. The causes of soil degradation and landscape changes. Erosion: definition and types. The RUSLE equation. (1 ECTS) The topics referred to in points 3 and 4 will be treated with laboratory and field activities.

The use of material distributed by the lecturer made available online and lecture notes will be fundamental.
For further details we recommend the following books:
Fondamenti di Pedologia, C. Dazzi, Le Penseur 2013
Basi di Pedologia, G. Certini e F.U. Ugolini, Edagricole 2010

Bibliography:
Atlante dei paesaggi, Orografia, Suoli e Acqua dell'Italia e delle regioni. http://dipsa.unibo.it/aposa/atlanteP.htm; Cartografia, Aerofotogrammetria, Telerilevamento, Sistemi Informativi Geografici http://www.Dipsa.unibo.it/CATGIS