Syllabus
Introduction, soil definition, pedosphere; importance of soil, soil functions
Soil development, soil forming factors and conditions
Soil composition, major soil minerals
Soil physical properties: texture, structure, porosity
Soil water; soil air; thermic conditions in soil
Soil organic matter
Soil colloid system; soil solution
Soil reaction; soil sorption (mechanisms, soil sorption complex)
Soil organisms and biological activity
Soil classification - principles, overview of principal soil classification units
Cycles and behaviour of selected elements in soils; forms, fractionation and speciation of elements, their importance and effects; human influence
Potentially toxic elements in soils
Xenobiotic organic substances in soils
Soil conservation and protection (pollution, limit values, vulnerability, remediation)
Annotation
Soil composition. Mineral components of soil.
Soil organic matter. Physical and chemical properties of soils.
Overview of soil classification. Sources, forms and behaviour of elements in soils.
Soil pollution.