In the name of Soil 2800-SOIL-BIP

The main aim of the course is to raise theoretical and practical qualifications and skills of students and young researchers. We expect a significant increase of both hard and soft competences of students. Students will learn to describe and classify soils and how to interpret it in terms of their ecological value, sustainable use and protection of soil resources. Students will be instructed how to lead scientific discussion when giving and/or receiving feedback and how to evaluate and judge effects of others work. The possibility of communicating and working in international teams will be developed, as well as self-motivation. Students shall complete their assignments and will be encouraged to seek a solutions, be flexible and manage their time efficiently, as well as to prioritize and organize tasks to meet deadlines.

Draft schedule:
Virtual component:
i. Introduction to WRB as Lingua Franca;
ii. Diagnostic features - structure, accumulation of substances;
i. Redoximorphic features;
ii. Diagnostic horizons;
iii. Diagnostic properties and materials;
iv. Reference Soil Groups (RSGs);
v. Qualifiers and soil naming;
vi. Geography and geology of the Toruń area;
vii. Soils of Northern Poland;
viii. field soil description;
ix. field soil classification.
x. laboratory methods for WRB soil classification.
Face-to-face component:
 Day 1–Monday: welcome speeches and Workshop opening, ice breaking and international soil introductions, lectures: Soil degradation as a factor influencing migrations; study profile – practical lesson how to interpret soils systematic position in relation to environment, spatial planning and protection?
 Days 2-4, Tuesday-Thursday
The classification of exemplary profiles of soils from region of workshop area (Vistula Landscape Park, Toruń Basin, Brodnica/Dobrzyń lakeland)according to international classification system WRB and comparison it with national classifications – fieldworks and mobile data collection; Discussion on the classification of the observed soils;
 Day 5 –Friday: Workshop – filling in in mixed international groups soil reports from collected data in on-line data base gathered during fieldworks, discussions, improvement suggestions,
• Assesment - Student presentations of collected materials in the form of reports prepared in mixed international groups – seminar and discussion;