The document discusses a workshop on analyzing how human activities have physically, chemically, and biologically modified soils in the territory of Ripa and TorrevecchiaTeatina, Italy. Samples of soil and sedimentary rocks were collected from the area and analyzed. The soil sampling involved removing soil clods to examine layers and profiles. Various sedimentary rocks were found in the soil samples, including limestone, flint, and gravel/sand. Experiments were conducted to analyze the porosity, permeability, acidity, and carbonate content of the soils. The analyses found the soil in more developed urban areas was more porous, less permeable, and more acidic compared to less disturbed hilly soils.

1. THE GROUND UNDER
OUR FEET!
Workshop on physical, chemical
and biological modifications
of ground due to human activities

2. OBJECTIVES of the work: analyze the possible alterations of the soil,
which may concern its structure and chemical composition, in the
territory of Ripa andTorrevecchiaTeatina.
The soil analysis has been facilitated by the acquisition of the ability to
recognize various types of sedimentary rock samples, in order to
correctly identify samples taken in the territory of interest.
The SAMPLING activities include:
 Collection of samples from sandstone and stone escarpment,
distinguishable from carryover materials;
 Removal of soil, to observe the profile of the layers (according to the
ISPRA protocol.

3. Collection
of different samples
of stones
SAMPLING PHASES

4. Removal of soil clods
to examine the profile
of the layers
(according to the ISPRA protocol)

5. • First phase: recognition of sedimentary rocks, present in the territory of
interest, using a dichotomous key (photo), described in two operative
sheets
• Second phase:
recognition of the rocks
taken in the field, to
arrive at the
determination of the
petrological structure of
Ripa and Teatina.
• Third phase: analysis of
the soil profile
• Fourth phase:
observation of the
stratification of the
different soil
components.
WORKSHOP

7. In the soil samples taken in the RipaTeatina there are the following
sedimentary rocks:
 limestone: organogenic or biogenic carbonate rock (deriving from the
deposition of skeletal bony parts of marine organisms);
 small samples of flint, although polished: organogenic rock (derived from
siliceous skeletons).
 gravel, sand: clastic rocks.
We understand that the soil is different from rocks
because it is also made up of incoherent surface materials.

8. ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT ON CLODS OF GROUND
Analysis of the sequence of pedological horizons
according to the ISPRA.
The height of each component is measured with the
ruler, showing the thickness in the relevant sheet.

9. samples taken on the territory of RipaTeatina

10. ACTIVITIES CARRIED ON SOIL SAMPLES
Materials
 gauge to determine the diameter of the
grains
 graduated jar with lid
 water
 ruler
The top and middle part of the soil sample,
taken from the plate, which must be
separated, are introduced into the jar; water is
added, mixed and left to decant.
Method
 A thin portion of soil is taken at least from the first two layers of the plate,
 The sample is introduced into the can with three parts of water with respect to
the ground, mixed and left to stand for decanting;
 after 5 minutes, the separation of two layers and one overlying turbidity is
observed.
 the rest of the materials has been observed in the sediment after one day.

11. • the water is cloudy;
After 24 hours, above the solid layer, the water is transparent, as all the material is
sedimented, with the exception of some organic residues present on the surface.
Remarks:
After 5 minutes it is observed that
• the components of the sediments that are deposited on the bottom are the
coarsest: gravel, coarse and fine sand

12. Four layers have been identified in the plate: O, A, E, B:
• the layer of organic material
• that of humus
• the lighter underlying layer (eluvial)
• while the darker and colored band (iluvial layer) is not well defined and is
only partially seen in some samples.
RESULTS

13. One wonders if the soil on the plateau has never been formed or
is being reformed.
In this case it could represent the trace of the renaturalization of
a previously altered soil.
It is also possible to question the type of alteration that may
have occurred.
There may have been a leveling, after which the first two layers
are immediately reformed (it may take two months for the litter
and a few months, about six, for the humus), while the mineral
takes much longer (for the times of transport phenomena)

14. Currently an international commission ,
the International Committee Antrhopogenic Soils
(ICOMANTH),
works for the classification of altered soils.
We have come to the conclusion that natural soils no
longer exist, but anthropogenic soils.
These soils have suffered due to human activities,
with consequent physical, chemical and biological
modifications.

15. The change found in "our" soil is physical. Living things (earthworms)
have been observed in soil samples, so it is a "living" soil.
In the process of anthropopedogenesis, man has made or subtracted
materials. The subtraction takes place directly, through extractive
activities, excavation, decortication. In our case there may have been
excavation and mining, probably due to the finding of sand. In an
indirect way the subtraction can take place by removal of trees.
Some soils evolve under the influence of man, while others are
completely distorted.

16. The International Committee Antrhopogenic
Soils therefore distinguishes:
• the natural soils:
 weakly or
 partially modified;
• the artificial soils:
 strongly modified or
 totally shaped by man.
In the latter case, the technogenic soil is produced, for example
the soil consisting of industrial waste.
According to this classification,
our soil is weakly modified (ARIK category)

17. CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SOIL
THE SOIL IS ANALYZED ACCORDINGTO:
 POROSITY
 PERMEABILITY
 ACIDITY
 CARBONATES

18. Students
•organize materials and
laboratory spaces on the
experience to be achieved
•plan the phases of the
activity using a form on the
experiments to be achieved

19. Soil preparation
Students have been divided into groups; each group had 2 samples of soil:
 one from the sandstone
hill (analyzed from a
physical and structural
point of view in the
previous workshop)
 one taken near the
school (more subject to
anthropic action).
 The sampling has been
done at a depth of 30/40
cm after removing the
superficial part formed
only by solid organic
material (twigs, leaves,
debris ...).
 The soil samples have been placed in special sterile envelopes. Students have
shaken the samples in order to pulverize the soil as much as possible;

20. Part of the pulverized material was poured into an
experiment cup, taking care to further eliminate the
organic debris and any other materials.

21. Pores are of great importance for the circulation of air and water in the
soil. After an intense rain these are occupied by the water while usually a
part of the porosity of the ground is not occupied by liquids but by the
gases present in the ground.
DID YOU KNOW…..?
The typical smell emitted from the earth after a rain is the proof of this
gas that has been freed from the water that has invaded the pores.
POROSITY

22. A less porous soil (that of the
Ripa sandstone hill) retains less
water and is therefore more
permeable
A more porous soil (the
anthropized one of RipaT.)
retains more water, so in fact it is
less permeable;
The different vegetable mantle
that characterizes the two areas
is proof of this.

23. poured 70ml of soil into a graduated
cylinder
added an amount of water to get to
100 ml
The two soils behaved differently:
The soil from the hill on which
man has not operated actions in
recent years, has shown less
porosity and therefore less ability
to retain water and air.
The other soil has shown a greater
porosity therefore a greater
circulation of water and air
EXPERIMENT
POROSITY
Students prepared the two soil samples to be examined, than:

24. A good agricultural land is composed of 60% of sand, 20% of clay, 12% of
limestone and 8% of humus.
An excessively clay soil becomes compact and impermeable (it is the typical
terrain that is flooded when raining).
A sandy soil easily absorbs the water, but does not keep it and dries out
quickly
A soil rich in humus gives us a good absorption of water but determines a
greater acidity.
Students compared a calcareous and sandy hilly terrain to the soil of an
almost urban area richer in humus.

25. EXPERIMENT
 they placed the soil
in a graded funnel,
after having
occluded the
orifice with cotton
wool to allow the
passage of water;
 they placed the
funnel on a graded
cylinder and began
to pour 100 ml of
water into the
funnel, taking note
of how much water
passed into the
cylinder.
Students prepared the two soil samples to be examined:

26.  Students have shown that the sandy hilly
terrain has easily absorbed the water but
has not held it back enough;
 the other sample showed lower permeability
by holding more water.
 This explains that the strong permeability of
the hill, now no longer used by man, allows
the growth of only plants that require little
water, showing greater fragility and
instability not suitable for human activities ...
in fact the men of Ripa have abandoned it.
CONSIDERATION

27. The pH of the soil, or the level of acidity, can vary from a
minimum of 3.5 to a maximum of 9, but the neutral or slightly
alkaline soils (7 / 7.5) are the best from the fertility point of
view.
When the pH deviates from these values, the fertility
decreases until it reaches a total sterility of the soil.
ACIDITY

28. Students have prepared the two soil samples to be tested,
assuming that the arenaceous and calcareous hilly terrain
is more basic (or less acid) than the ground in the urban
area that man has over time adopted to his needs;
They created an aqueous extract of the two soil samples,
dissolving in a test tube 5-6 grams of test material, in 25-
30 ml of water and stirring the preparation for 10 minutes;
After decanting the solution, they put some filter paper in
a funnel, pouring the solution;
then they placed different types of indicator strips in a
Petri dish, where they dripped the filtered solution.
Finally they measured the pH with the colorimetric
method.

29. The two soils have
provided different results:
The hilly sandstone had
a higher alkalinity
 the flat one used most
by man was more acid.
Later they used a pH meter to check the previous
results with a method this time called potentiometry.

30. To better explain what happens in a field, students reproduced an acid-base reaction
using acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate, demonstrating:
 the phenomenon of effervescence and
 how the pH of the soils can be balanced.
Of course, soil is able to regulate its own pH, but the need of man to obtain large
quantities of product in a short time, forces him to modify the pH of the soils
chemically, causing a progressive impoverishment.

31. It has been shown that
the soil used by man(urban area)is more acidic for
the release of substances deriving from human
activity, while the hilly soil has a greater alkalinity.
Another aspect that characterizes an urbanized
environment is the spillage of products such as
detergents, diluents, which create a greater
alkalinity in the soil with loss of nutritional capacity
and consequent soil pollution;
The ideal grounds for most plant species tend to be
more neutral

32. The calcium carbonate, the salt most
present in our territory, is of great
importance for the fertility of the soil as the
plants derive the essential calcium for the
activities of the plant cell; this, however,
does not mean that the share of carbonates
should exceed the 12% average.

33. Students prepared the two soil samples to be examined
They arranged them in two Petri dishes.
They poured low concentration hydrochloric acid (HCl) onto the
ground, observing the phenomenon of effervescence due to the
production of CO2 caused by the chemical reaction between the acid
and the carbonates of the soil.
The phenomenon was measured on the amount of effervescence,
concluding that :
the hilly sandy soil had a share of carbonates equal to not less than 5-
10%, while
the anthropized one recorded a value no higher than 2-5%.
Thus the data on the soil acidity measured previously were confirmed.
the carbonates in the soil: experiment

34. What’s the impact?
What did the anthropogenic impact consist of?
In the urban area there is no mining part because it has
been continuously manipulated
The action of man has caused an impoverishment of the
mineral component which leads to a reduction of limestone
content.

35. Chemical analysis
and the human impact
the chemical analysis show the anthropic impact but this
does not necessarily have to be considered only
negatively, in fact:
in the natural area (the hilly one), we found a
lower biodiversity, while in the most
anthropized one we found less naturalness, but
greater biodiversity induced by human actions.