Duration
23h Th, 23h Pr, 8h FT
Number of credits
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
The course deals with the management of agricultural watersheds with an objective of soil and water conservation. It gives theoritical basis as well as practical application on real case study. In this application they will have to quantify the hydrology and soil losses and to propose and assess mitigation measures.
The course includes
Erosion processes
Hydric erosion processes
Field measurements of erosion
Erosion modelling
Soil and water conservation technics
Basics of spatial modelling using GIS applied to soil conservation.
A field application is proposed. The students work in group of 4-5.
Furthermore, the course will deal with the soil physico-chemical analyses, the principles of distribution and analysis of soil in the landscape and soil cartography. This part will be organized as follow:
- Ecosystemic soil functions in the landscape
- Soil physico-chemical analyses
- Soil distribution in the landscape
- Soil classification
- Geographical information system about soils
- Pedoclimate concept
Finally, the third part of the course covers the questions of data exploratory analysis, spatial analysis of soil properties, and interpolation techniques.
These concepts will be teached during lectures, practical exercises on PC and field trips.
A field work by groups will conclude the formation.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
After completing the course, the student will have progressed on the following situations :
- optimizing and managing the flows between water, soil, fauna, flora and atmosphere
- conceiving and managing environmental data bases and/or geographical data bases; developping interpretation tools, mapping tools, and modelling tools
The course certifies the ability of the students to "conceive land planning and management projects in view to manage and protect ecosystems at various spatial scales".
Particularly, at the end of the course, the student will be able to
- recognize the different erosion processes
- quantify erosion risks
- mesure and model soil loss
- propose an ensemble of conservation measures in order to limit soil losses and/or damages at the catchment's outlet.
The student will be also able to:
- illustrate in the field regional pedogenic features and soil-plant / soil-society relationship
-comment soil in landscape
- do a geomophorphological and pedological characterization of a landscape and comment agroenvironmental and lanscape features
- make the basis of regional geographical information system about soils
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
General Hydrology
GIS
Evaluation of soil quality
Soil science
Pedogenesis, Soil classification and soil hydrodynamic
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
lectures manipulations on computers field visits oral presentations
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
face to face and group work
Recommended or required readings
Slides shows, documents and reference papers are available on eCampus
Written work / report
Additional information:
evaluation on the basis of the student's attendance to lectures, practical work and field trips and on the basis of a group report and presentation potentially including individual interview.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
It is compulsory to attend field visits and workshops.
Contacts
Aurore Degré
aurore.degre@uliege.be
Gilles Colinet
gilles.colinet@uliege.be
Jeroen Meersmans
jeroen.meersmans@ulieg.be