Pedology for Planning

Code: GEO13356L

3 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours

Scientific Area: Ciências do Solo

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English

Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Learning Goals

Students must be able to understand, interpret, describe and transmit, using proper technical language, generic information about the soil, namely, about its functions, basic constituents and properties. It is expected that students can identify the main soil units of the "Classificação dos Solos de Portugal" and be able to read and interpret soil maps. They also must be able to identify and describe main causes and processes of soil degradation and establish relationships with main types of land use.

Soil functions, spatial and temporal framework for soil study. Soil profile, horizons and soil material. Soil composition. Basic chemical and physical soil properties. "Classificação dos Solos de Portugal". Soil maps and soil information systems. Sustainable soil use and main types of soil degradation. Soils and land use management.

Teaching Methods

This course is held on mixed classes with presentation of theoretical concepts and the execution of different types of exercises, namely, laboratory activities, problem solving and brief questionnaires. Although some work can be done in small groups, most practical activities are individual and require reports to be done outside the period, which have to be submitted to the moodle platform in predefined deadlines. The set of reports and brief questionnaires conducted throughout the semester is the continuous evaluation component.
Approval in the course requires the approval of mandatory written tests, which focus on the entire program (set of partial tests or a final exam). The final grade is given by the final exam grade (or by the average of the partial tests) and by the continuous evaluation.