The main objective of the course is to provide knowledge of the methods and tools for observing and analyzing the territory, offering advanced insights into Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and spatial analysis of territorial data.

Knowledge and understanding
The student will acquire specific skills related to the acquisition of georeferenced data available from major databases (such as the National Geoportal, ISTAT database, Copernicus, Regional Web GIS, etc.), the analysis and processing of such data, and the production of georeferenced data through monitoring or derived from spatial analyses. Whenever possible, students will be involved in activities related to ongoing research projects.

Applying knowledge and understanding
By the end of the course, the student will be familiar with the fundamental elements of cartography and digital cartographic representation. They will be able to create thematic maps related to territorial elements, conduct spatial analyses of various phenomena, and develop a cartographic project. The student will have gained proficiency in using GIS software and employing remotely sensed images for territorial analyses.
Making judgements The course aims to develop analytical skills at the territorial scale with the goal of proposing technical and practical solutions

Communication skills
The student will be required to produce an exam work by applying the acquired knowledge, conducting part of the work independently and part in a group to promote learning ability and work autonomy.

Learning skills
During the course, the student will be able to develop learning skills through active participation. Throughout the lessons, the student will have the opportunity to identify methods for acquiring and updating information, select and utilize the most useful sources, apply the acquired knowledge, and assess their own level of learning.

The main objective of the teaching is to provide the knowledge required to understand the characteristics and spatial variability of soils, for proper site-specific soil management in agriculture and agro-ecosystem. Basic concepts of soil chemistry, physics and hydrology, pedogenetic factors and processes will be recalled. The student will learn to frame soil variability within an agro-ecosystem landscape, learn digital soil mapping techniques using GIS software and the use of innovative techniques for soil monitoring and mapping, in particular the use of proximal sensors such as electromagnetic induction and diffuse reflectance spectrometry. The student will also learn the applications of mapping products and soil data, such as land suitability maps, monitoring soil functionality, etc.

Knowledge and ability to understand
The student will have to demonstrate that he/she has learnt and understood the main aspects of soil mapping and monitoring, namely:
• the main chemical, physical and hydrological characteristics of soils;
• the principles of horizon and soil classification;
• the principles of soil mapping, especially digital mapping, using methods of data spatialization and clustering of homogeneous units through GIS software;
• the principles of soil science applied to agronomy with regard to soil suitability, water and nutrient availability, recognition of possible problems (e.g. waterlogging, erosion susceptibility, etc.).

Applying knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to use the acquired knowledge to:
• describe the main characteristics of a soil profile and the associated pedogenetic processes, understanding the links between environmental characteristics and the chemical-physical and hydrological ones;
• understand the location of a certain soil type within a landscape and its geographical limits related to variations in pedogenetic factors;
• apply proximal soil sensing techniques using sensors and carry out the spatialization of soil data;
• be able to identify any problems or risks related to soil functionality and circumscribe them.

Making judgement
The student must be able to independently recognise a certain soil type and the soil processes present. He/she must know how to set up a soil survey and a description of a soil profile or soil borehole, as well as interpret a soil map or a soil description and analysis. They must also know how to interpret data obtained from proximal geophysical sensors, how to spatialise them in the plot of interest and understand which soil characteristics are associated with the variability of these data.

Communication skills
The student should have the ability to explain in a simple and comprehensive manner the knowledge acquired, trying to connect the basic notions to the more complex topics related to soil mapping and applications of pedology.

Learning ability
The student will have to refer to the teaching program and to the lesson plan of the course, deepening the various topics addressed through the handouts provided by the lecturer, the consultation of recommended texts and publications of national and international relevance.