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THE COURSE WILL OPEN ON MAY 25

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Descrizione

Soil is an essential component of the forest ecosystem. Soil is, above all, a living and dynamic system, as well as a physical support and mineral resource for plants. This course provides an update on forest soil ecology, with a focus on the morpho-functional classification of humus systems and forms.
The main types of topsoil (humipedon) and their relationship with forest dynamics, biodiversity and the carbon cycle are analysed. Forest soil is considered a living reservoir of organic carbon that is strategic in the mitigation of climate change. The relationships between the biological quality of humipedon, the formation of organic and organo-mineral aggregates at specific diagnostic horizons, and the dynamics of carbon fluxes will be closely examined. The course offers an integrated view of forest management in which soil is the key element in ensuring resilience, productivity and sustainability of these ecosystems.

Acknowledgements to the Carabinieri Command – Biodiversity Unit of Vittorio Veneto for the permissions granted for filming carried out within the protected area.

Docenti

Augusto Zanella

Associate Professor in the Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Padua. Teaches Forest Botany and Dendrology at the University of Padua, as well as General Ecology and Soil Ecology at leading universities in Paris.

Course outline

Forest Humus - classification, dynamics, climate change

Platform Guide: How to Navigate the Course

Acknowledgement

Instructions to obtain the Micro-credential

How to get the most out of the course and the field manual

Starting with practical field elements

Philosophy of classification and course/guide structure

Basic vocabulary

Quiz - Introduction

Discover the biological roots of humus: soil organisms, evolution, and diagnostic horizons shaping forest ecosystems.

Soil organisms and evolution

Biological classification

Diagnostic horizons definition

Quiz - Module 1

Classify forest humus systems and forms across ecological gradients, from Mull to Mor and Tangel, through field observation.

Terrestrial humus systems ecology and classification

Humus forms classification - acidic series

Humus forms classification - calcareous series

Specific Conclusions Part 1

Quiz - Module 2

Preface

Connect global soil frameworks to local actions: explore semiterrestrial, aquatic, and anthropogenic humus systems under climate change.

Semiterrestrial humus systems and forms

Aqueous, Para, Complex and Anthropogenic Humus systems

Humus systems and climate change actions

Quiz - Module 3

Final recap of key concepts, active resources for further learning, final test, and course feedback to close the learning journey.

General conlusions

Instructions to obtain the Micro-credential

Final Test

Risultati di apprendimento attesi

At the end of the course you will be able to:

Describe and detect a humus profile through direct observation.
Accurately analyse and interpret humus horizons using standardised methods and industry-specific vocabulary.
Write detailed and accurate diagnostic reports based on the observed characteristics of the soil profile.
Carry out self-assessments and correctly associate soil horizons with the appropriate humus system.
Identify the biological actors involved in the degradation of litter and its incorporation into the mineral part of the soil.
Understand how soil works within its natural environmental context.
Use applications such as TerrHum on iOS devices and consult Open Access publications to update and broaden their skills in the field.

THE COURSE WILL OPEN ON MAY 25

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Acknowledgements

Augusto Zanella, principal author and founder of the Humus Group, thanks the 29 co-authors from 24 universities or research institutions in 12 countries who contributed to these volumes. Many have also been active in the Humus Group, established in Trento in 2003 and still active today, which in 2018 produced the Humusica special issues (122a, 122b, and 123) of Applied Soil Ecology. He gratefully recalls their meetings and field excursions.

Part 1: Terrestrial humus systems and forms
(Chapter) Contributing Authors [Affiliation]

(12) Björn Berg [1]
(18) Jean-François Ponge [2], Jérôme Juilleret [3]
(24) Nathalie Cools [4], Jean-François Ponge [2], Nicolas Bernier [2], Bernard Jabiol [5], Klaus Katzensteiner [6], Anna Schrötter [7], Michael Englisch [7], Giacomo Me [8], Eckart Kolb [9], Anna Andreetta [10], Eleonora Bonifacio [11], Adriano Sofo [12], Renée-Claire Le Bayon [13]

Critical Review

Nathalie Cools [4] and Jean-François Ponge [2]

Affiliations

[1] University of Helsinki, Finland
[2] Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
[3] Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, Belvaux (Luxembourg)
[4] Research Institute for Nature and Forest, Geraardsbergen, Belgium
[5] AgroParisTech, Paris, France
[6] University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
[7] Federal Forest Research and Training Centre, Vienna, Austria
[8] Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
[9] Technical University of Munich, Germany
[10] University of Cagliari, Italy
[11] University of Torino, Italy
[12] University of Basilicata, Potenza, Italy
[13] University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Part 2 Global humus system classification and soil-conscious management
(Chapter) Contributing Authors [Affiliation]

(35) Silvia Chersich [1], Michele D’Amico [2]
(37) Lingzi Mo [3]
(38) Maria Camila Buitrago [4], Amauri Garcia [4], Elena Velasquez [4], Damien Banas [5]
(39) Jean-François Ponge [5]
(40) Irina Korkina [6], Evgenii Vorobeichik [6]
(41) Gabriele Zandegiacomo [8], Cristina Menta [9], Darko Bakšić [10]
(42) Giacomo Mei [8]
(45) Patrick Lavelle [9]

Affiliations

[1] University of Milano, Italy
[2] Universituy of Torino, Italy
[3] University of Guangzhou, China
[4] Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Palmira, Colombia
[5] Université de Lorraine, France
[6] Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
[7] Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
[8] University of Padova, Italy
[9] University of Parma, Italy
[10] University of Zagreb, Croatia
[11] University Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
[12] Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

Sincere thanks are also due to Prof. Giuseppe Concheri (DAFNAE Department, University of Padova) and to Gabriele Zandegiacomo, a student in Forest and Environmental Sciences, for their conviviality and the enthusiasm reflected in their video contributions, both in the field and in the laboratory.

Target audience

Foresters, ecologists, and personnel involved in forest management in Europe.

Prerequisites

To have basic knowledge of ecology (life cycle, photosynthesis, carbon cycle, etc.) and silviculture (understanding the stages of forest development).

Accesso e micro-credenziale

Course enrollment includes:

1. Basic Course Access: €50

This allows you to attend all lessons.
It does not include access to the Certification Area for the issuance of the Micro-credential.

2. Access to the Certification Area: additional €150

Includes:
- Final assessment test
- Issuance of the Micro-credential

For graduates of the University of Padua

Graduates of the University of Padua are entitled to free enrollment in one online professional development course per year, including the related micro-credential, among which is this course.

To be eligible for the free enrollment, it is necessary to log in to the platform using SPID, CIE, or SSO, allowing the system to verify the tax identification code.

Requirements for the issuance of the Micro-credential

To receive the Micro-credential, in addition to payment, you must:

complete all mandatory course activities;
pass the final test;
fill in all required fields in your user profile;
upload a valid identity document.

After enrolling in the course, you will find all the instructions needed to make the €150 payment required to access the Certification Area and obtain the Micro-credential.

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Forest Humus - classification, dynamics, climate change

Forest Humus - classification, dynamics, climate change

THE COURSE WILL OPEN ON MAY 25

Descrizione

Docenti

Augusto Zanella

Course outline

Forest Humus - classification, dynamics, climate change

Introduction

Platform Guide: How to Navigate the Course

Acknowledgement

Instructions to obtain the Micro-credential

Part 1 Terrestrial Humus Systems And Forms

How to get the most out of the course and the field manual

Starting with practical field elements

Philosophy of classification and course/guide structure

Basic vocabulary

Quiz - Introduction

Module 1: Biological basis

Soil organisms and evolution

Biological classification

Diagnostic horizons definition

Quiz - Module 1

Module 2: Classification of forest humus systems and forms

Terrestrial humus systems ecology and classification

Humus forms classification - acidic series

Humus forms classification - calcareous series

Specific Conclusions Part 1

Quiz - Module 2

Part 2 - Global Humus System Classification And Soil-Conscious Management

Preface

Module 3: From Global Framework To Local Action

Semiterrestrial humus systems and forms

Aqueous, Para, Complex and Anthropogenic Humus systems

Humus systems and climate change actions

Quiz - Module 3

Wrap Up

General conlusions

Instructions to obtain the Micro-credential

Final Test

Risultati di apprendimento attesi

THE COURSE WILL OPEN ON MAY 25

Acknowledgements

Target audience

Prerequisites

Accesso e micro-credenziale

For graduates of the University of Padua

Requirements for the issuance of the Micro-credential

Corsi suggeriti

Scienze della terra/Earth Sciences, Scienze Umane/Humanities

Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Forestry-related Sectors (ForGEDI)

Scienze della terra/Earth Sciences

Biosecurity Compliance in European Poultry Farms