Program
1. Introduction to geopedology: definition and role in the environment and spatial landscape planning. (1 ECTS)
2. The concept of soil. Definition of “soil”, soil formation and evolution, the factors state and Jenny model. The pedon: definition and description of the components heterogeneity. The soil genesis and evolution. The pedosequence. (1 ECTS)
3. Soil properties: cation exchange capacity, anion adsorption, molecular retention, texture and structure, porosity, color, temperature, reaction (pH) and buffering capacity. (1 ECTS)
4. The soil formation factors: climate, vegetation, lithology, morphology, anthropic, time. (1 ECTS)
- The climate. Temperature and rainfall, ratios and charts thermo-precipitation, water regimes and thermal soil.
- The rock. Classification of rocks exogenous and endogenous, the primary and secondary minerals. Mineral crystalline and amorphous. Silicates and phyllosilicates. Oxides and hydroxides of Al, Fe, Ti, allophane The igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, physical disintegration and chemical alteration, rock chemistry and pedogenetic formation of the substrate.
- 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, humus forms and their ecological significance, formation of surface horizons.
- Morphology. Spot heights and contour lines, by altitude, slope and aspect, shallow and medium depth water system, modeling of the Earth's surface for actions water, ice, wind and pyroclastic.
5. The pedogenic processes. Formation and evolution of the soil and the steady state, the processes of transformation, translocation, addition and removal of materials, environmental contexts and dominant pedogenetic processes (1 ECTS)
6. The main soil types and their distribution. Soils according to international classification systems and their distribution to global and national levels. The causes of soil degradation and changes the landscape. Erosion: definition and types. RUSLE equation. (1 ECTS)

The use of material distributed by the lecturer made available online and lecture notes will be fundamental.
For further details we recommend:
Foundations of Pedology, C. Dazzi, Le Penseur 2013
Basics of Pedology, G. Certini and F.U. Ugolini, Edagricole 2010