D BAUG Soilprotection 2012

7/30/2019 D BAUG Soilprotection 2012

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Major

Bodenschutz

Soil Protection

Prof. Dani Orand Dr. Peter Lehmann

Soil and Terrestrial Environmental Physics


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Contents

Why is soil protection important; functions of soil

Courses in major Soil Protection

Research/diploma topics


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The vadosezone

The vadose zone (also the unsaturated zone) is the biosphere compartment

between land surface and the saturated zone ("vadose= shallow in Latin) The vadose zone is where the biosphere meets the atmosphere, the

lithosphere and the hydrosphere)

In many places the vadose zone is synonymous with soil (humid regions) butnot always (e.g., arid regions with deep water tables)

Soil and the vadose zone


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Critical provisioning and regulating services by soil

Provides anchoring and growth mediafor higher plants (most of our food andfiber) supports >95% global biomass

Serves as water reservoir and functionsas a water purification system

Natures recycling system supportingglobal biogeochemical cycles (C, N)

Provides habitats to the largest numberof species in the biosphere

Used as building material and providesfoundation for engineered systems

The economic value of soil services is estimated at $100

Trillion (1014) per year exceeding annual global GNP (BSP)

of $70 Trillion (Costanza et al. 1997; Young 2006)


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Water storage function - although the amountof water held in soil pores in the vadose zone isless than 5% of the global fresh water reservoir

(less than 0.1% of total water), it has a key rolein life support

Vadose zone surfaces are main entry points forpollutants to subsurface, and actively

exchange water and energy with atmosphere

Water supply and exchange regulation


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Soil as a bioreactor

Key biogeochemical (carbon, nitrogen)cycles are regulated by soil processes

due to presence of inorganic andorganic material, air, water andorganisms

The vadose zone is the richest compartment of life hosting unparalleled microbialdiversity at all scales

A handful of fertile soil contains billions of microorganisms !

The passage of water through the small pore spaces, and numerous bio-geochemical interactions taking place across numerous interfaces makes thevadose zone the largest water purification system on the planet


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Spatial scales - from pore to watershed

Soil science is concerned with

processes taking place acrossmany spatial scales rangingfrom single pore(10-6m) to awatershed (104 m)

Proper consideration of thescale of a process and thephysics governing transitionsacross scales remain one ofmost important challenges for

earth sciences andengineering


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Why soil protection?

Soil and water contamination Natural hazards

and landslides

Soil contamination Natural Hazards

Water management

Salinization protection

Soil erosion


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Objectives of major Bodenschutz (soil protection)

To understand composition and structure of soil

To study key physical, chemical and biological processes insoils and their relation to soil architecture

To quantify role of soils on climate, stability, and waterbalance

To measure and model mass and energy fluxes in soils

(water, air, nutrients and pollutants)

To provide solutions for sustainable land use / management


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Mandatory Courses 1. semester

Environmental Soil Physics/ Vadose Zone Hydrology (D. Or)

The course addresses major biogeochemical processes that drive the cycling ofdifferent groups of trace elements (heavy metals, redox-sensitive trace elements,

chalcophile elements) in the environment, and the chemical methods that are

used to study the behavior of these elements in the geosphere.

Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (C. Mikutta, A. Voegelin, J. G. Wiederhold)

Element Balancing in Managed Ecosystems (A. Keller)

Applying element balances of agricultural soils in computer exercises as a tool to

design and monitor preventive strategies against soil pollution and to support

sustainable management of regional agro-ecosystems.

The course provides the theoretical and practical basis for understanding and

quantifying physical and hydrological properties of soils and other porous media.


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Mandatory Courses 2. semester

Advanced Vadose Zone Hydrology (D. Or, P. Lehmann)

Advanced concepts required for quantifying flow and transport in partially-saturatedporous media are presented through a series of case studies designed to address

fundamental issues and requiring integration of concepts and teamwork towardsmeeting design and learning objectives. Formal lectures related to case studieswould provide the necessary foundation for addressing project objectives.

Fundamentals of soil mechanics including key processes: classification, siteinvestigation, stresses & their distribution in soils, influence of groundwater, piping,erosion & filters, stress-strain relationships, stress history, stiffness, strength, slopestability. Recent case histories of field monitoring experiments on slopes, withapplication of geophysical methods, are used for illustration.

Soil Mechanics / Soil Mechanics for geophysics

(S. Springman, R. Herzog, L.J. Seward)

Angewandte Bodenkunde - Applied Soil Sciences (M. Gnter, R. Schulin)

Am Beispiel einer zweckorientierten Bodenkartierung lernen die Studierenden, ihreKenntnisse in Bodenkunde auf praktische umweltrelevante Fragestellungenanzuwenden, wie beispielsweise die Kartierung der Verdichtungsempfindlichkeit von

Bden fr UVP-pflichtige Bauvorhaben, die Planung von Bodensanierungen etc.


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Bodenbiologie

(soil biology)

Bodenschutz- und Landnutzung(soil protection and land use)

Wildbach- und Hangverbau(management of hillslope and channel

processes)

Optional courses

Flora, Vegetation und Bden der Alpen(flora, vegetation and soils of the Alps)

Angewandte Bodenkunde(applied soil science)

Angewandte Bodenkologie(applied soil ecology)

kologie von Waldbden(ecology of forest soil)

Pedosphre (pedosphere)

Bodenchemie(soil chemistry)

Fall Semester Spring Semester


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Topics: Landslide research


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Topics: Water exchange between soil and atmosphere


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Documents

D BAUG Soilprotection 2012