Duration
20h Th, 37h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in environmental bioengineering (120 ECTS) | 6 crédits |
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
This course aims at introducing basics of
- hydrodynamic modelling in soils with emphasis on plant uptake and solute transport and transformation.
- modelling the population dynamics and the matter and energy transfer in the terrestrial ecosystems
During this course, the students will implement the different stages of the modeling methodology. This course allows also the student to improve their understanding of such phenomenon and the principles of modelling. The exercices are based on situations related to the professionnal context of bioengineers, i.e. quantification of water flows to surface and groundwater and the related transfer of nutrients and pesticides; heat transfers in the soil layers; exchanges of carbon in the crops and temporal evolution of the number of members from one population.
The course includes:
- The general methodology of modelling
- Soil caracterisation in the context of modelling : rentention and conductivity functions, pedotranfer functions, thermal properties.
- Notions of numerical computation applied to hydrodynamic in soils.
- 1D modelling of water, solutes and heat transfers in variably saturated soils.
- Representation of tranfers and transformation/degradation of solutes.
- The study of computational tools allowing resolving 1D transfer problems in variably saturated soils.
- The study on the main model types for population dynamics (Malthus, Volterra) and for the energy and biochemical cycles in ecosystems
- The achievement of all the model building phases to obtain some validated descriptive and predictive models simulating the evolution of the populations of a species, temperature of different soil layers or carbone biomass of the vegetation elements
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
By the end of the course, the student will have reached an intermediate level of skills in the different step of development:
- Design and model scientific and technical solutions, support decision.
- Optimise and manage fluxes between water, soil, fauna, flora and atmosphere.
- Design and implement solutions of environmental remediation in soil-water-plant systems and atmosphere.
- Design and manage environmental and geographical database systems and develop tools for interpretation, cartography, spatial modelling and diagnostic.
In addition, the course certifies that the students are able to "compare and discuss the choice of appropriate models in order to establish predictions, interprete results and conclude a research work".
More particularly, the students will be able to:
- Parametrize a 1D hydrodynamic model in order to represent a soil profile on the basis of a pedologic description.
- Perform simulations in various conditions (with plants, under irrigation, fertilizers application, ...).
- Present its results and discuss them (water and solutes).
- Understand the basic principles of computational frameworks to resolve transfer problems in soils.
- Choosing the type of model to respond to biomass or energy transfer problems, determining the spatial and temporal scales of this model, equating the related processes, parameterizing-calibrating and validating these models.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
General Hydrology
Edaphology
Pedogenesis, international references and soil hydrodynamic
Pedology
System dynamics
Environmental Physics
algorithmics
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
oral lectures and computer workshops
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
25% lectures
75% workshops
Organisational adjustments related to the current health context
Here are the modalities that will be applied in case of restrictions related to the health crisis:
- If the theoretical courses are not authorised in the classroom, they will be virtual via the Collaborate platform.
- If tutorial sessions are not allowed in the classroom, computer-based sessions will be held at home with support from the teaching staff via the Collaborate platform.
- If laboratory sessions are not authorised in the classroom, they will be conducted and filmed by the teaching staff. The filmed sessions will be available on the Collaborate platform and the acquired data will be provided to the students for their analysis.
- If face-to-face examinations are not authorised, students will be assessed remotely via the Collaborate platform and on the basis of reports provided by them.
Recommended or required readings
"soil physics with hydrus" Radcliffe and Simunek 2010 slideshows and articles (available on eCampus)
Assessment methods and criteria
Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.
Any session :
- In-person
oral exam
- Remote
oral exam AND written work
- If evaluation in "hybrid"
preferred remote
Additional information:
The evaluation is based on a personnal work on numerical applications and oral discussion with teachers.
The three domains covered by the course have to be mastered by the students. A lack of knowledge in one of those will be reflected in the final mark.
Work placement(s)
Organizational remarks
It's compulsory for students to attend the workshops. In case of unjustified absence, a penalty will be applied on the final cotation.
Contacts
Aurore Degré (aurore.degre@uliege.be)
Benoît Mercatoris (benoit.mercatoris@uliege.be)
Bernard Longdoz (Bernard.Longdoz@uliege.be)