The course presents the physical environment as support, resource and limiting for its planning and the land management. Therefore each subsystem in which it is decompose is studied to achieve the analysis, diagnose and planning of the physical environment on its whole.

SPECIFIC SKILLS:



G1.- Learn and be able to use the methods and techniques for the analysis of the physical environment (M03CM02)



G2.- Understand the conditionings of the physical environment that have to be taken into account for land management (M03CM03)



G3.- Identify and study to diagnose the processes that affect the physical environment (M02CM04)



G4.- Learn and make and appropriate use of the sources and tools in climatology and meteorology, geomorphology, hydrology and biogeography (M03CM06 and M04CM01).



G5.- Elaborate a diagnosis of the physical environment with the purpose to apply in the land planning (M02CM04).



LEARNING OUTCOMES:

- Recognises and knows how to apply the methods and techniques of analysis of all areas of the physical environment.

- Optimally considers the conditioning factors of the physical environment for land-use planning.

- Adequately identifies and diagnoses the different processes that may constitute a natural hazard.

- Uses and adequately handles sources of information, methods and techniques of climatology, geomorphology, biogeography and hydrogeography.

- Makes an optimal and useful diagnosis of the physical environment to be applied in planning.



CROSS-CUTTING SKILLS:

In this subject the problem-solving skill will be worked on the reach level 2, which means that the student should use his/her experience to analyse the causes of a problem and give a more efficient solution.



The indicators that will be used to assess the skill are:

- The student recognises a complex problem and is able to decompose in easy to handle parts.

- The student identifies the implicit causal factors and understands the multiple links and underlying relationships.

- The student sets out different options to reduce the problem or to control it and shows criteria to choose one among the most effective ones.

1. Physical planning:

1.1. Physical determinants of land use planning

1.2. Concepts and risk factors

2. Climate in land use planning and management

2.1. Treatment of climatic data

2.2. Climate indices

2.3. Climatic and meteorological hazards

3. Relief in planning

3.1. Geomorphological mapping

3.2. Geomorphological risks: slope processes and soil erosion

3.3. Geomorphological heritage

4. Water and hydrology

4.1. From precipitation to runoff

4.2. Estimation and representation of flow rates

4.3. Water planning in the territory: floods and water directives.

5. Vegetation in planning

5.1. Estimation of the probability of ignition risk

The methodology consists of theoretical-practical sessions in the classroom, map library, laboratory and field trip, as well as practices to be carried out by students on their own. For this purpose, they have at their disposal on the eGela platform the outline of the theoretical contents, complementary material and the practices to be carried out for each of the subjects. Various thematic maps and aerial photographs are available in the map library and materials for various analyses are available in the laboratory.



From the methodological point of view, the presentation of the topics through the systemic way will be achieved from the exposition of the processes, but also the capacity of the analytical way through the exposition of the agents, the antecedents and the conclusions.

Statistical and cartographic sources will be used.

Both the practices and the field trip are compulsory.

Practical assignments will be handed in via eGela and within the deadline established for each one of them.



The tasks to be carried out by the students in the practical part of the course will be:

- statistical data processing

- reading and elaboration of maps

- description of processes and field schemes

- field trip



The purpose of the practical tasks to be assessed during the course and the exam is to assess the acquisition of the specific and transversal competences.

• Continuous Assessment System
• Final Assessment System
• Tools and qualification percentages:
  • Written test to be taken (%): 55
  • Realization of Practical Work (exercises, cases or problems) (%): 40
  • Fieldtrip (%): 5

The EVALUATION SYSTEM of this subject is CONTINUOUS.

The evaluation method will assess the competences acquired in practice and theory, using exams and practices (individual and in groups).

The evaluation will be as follows:

- Theoretical-practical exam (60%)

- Practical work (40%)

The contents and competences acquired in the field trip will be evaluated.

The practices will be handed in during the school year on the date set by the teacher.

In order to add the marks for the exam and practicum, both must be passed. If either part (exam or practicum) is passed in the ordinary exam, this mark will be reserved for the extraordinary exam (but not for the following year).

Failure to sit the exam will mean that the student will not be able to sit the assessment exam, which will be graded as a no-show.

However, students will have the right to be assessed through the FINAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEM. In order to exercise this right, the student must submit to the lecturer in charge of the subject a written statement in which he/she states his/her waiver of the continuous assessment, for which he/she will have a period of 9 weeks from the beginning of the term (article 8 of the Regulations for the Assessment of Students of Official Undergraduate Degrees). In the case of the final assessment, failure to take the test will be understood as a waiver (article 12).

The evaluation will consist of:

Theoretical-practical exam: 60%.

Assessable practical work: 40%.

The contents and competences worked on in the field trip will be assessable.



Both the exam and the practices must be passed in order to pass the course. In case of having passed the exam or the practical part in the ordinary call, the grade will be kept for the extraordinary evaluation. If they are not passed, they will be handed in on the date of the exam.

Topographic and thematic cartography. Analog and digital.
Aerial photography and orthophotos.
Geographic information systems.
Planning regulations and documentation.
Field material (available at the Physical Geography Laboratory)

Basic bibliography

AGUILÓ, M. et al. (1996): Guía para la elaboración de estudios del medio físico. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente.

AYALA, F.J. (1988): Riesgos geológicos. Instituto Geológico y Minero de España.

AYALA, F.J. & OLCINA, J. (2002): Riesgos Naturales. Ariel Ciencia.

BUSQUETS, J. y CORTINA, A. (coord.): Gestión del paisaje. Manual de protección, gestión y ordenación del paisaje. Ariel Patrimonio, 703 p., Barcelona.

CENTENO, J.D., FRAILE, M.J., OTERO, M.A. y PIVIDAL, A.J. (1994): Geomorfología práctica. Ejercicios de fotointerpretación y planificación geoambiental. Ed. Rueda, 66 p.

DRAMIS, F. y BICI, C. (1978): Cartografia Geomorfológica. Pitagora Ed. 215 p. Bologna.

FERNÁNDEZ GARCÍA, F. (1995): Manual de climatología aplicada. Clima, medio ambiente y planificación. Síntesis, Madrid.

FUENTES YAGUE, J (1996): Iniciación a la Meteorología Agrícola. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.

GALAN GALLEGO, E. y FERNÁDEZ, F. (1991): Metodología del análisis temporal y espacial de los elementos climáticos. V Coloquio de Geografía Cuantitativa. Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, pp. 437-452

GUERRA VELASCO, Juan. La naturaleza civilizada: La planificación del medio físico en España. URBANA, jul. 2002, vol.7, no.31, p.31-37. ISSN 0798-0523.

LAMARRE, D. y PAGNEY, P. (1999): Climats et sociétés. Armand Colin, Paris.

OLCINA, J. (1994): Riesgos climáticos en la Península Ibérica. Libros Penthalon.

OLCINA, J. (2006): ¿Riesgos naturales? I. Sequías e inundaciones. Colección Geoambiente XXI. Ed. Davinci.

OLCINA, J. (2006): ¿Riesgos naturales? II. Huracanes, sismicidad y temporales. Colección Geoambiente XXI. Ed. Davinci.

PEÑA, J.L. (Ed., 1977): Cartografía geomorfológica básica y aplicada. 227 p. Ed. Geoforma. Logroño.

PITA, M.F. (1999): Riesgos catastróficos y ordenación del territorio en Andalucía. Consejería e Obras Públicas y Transportes, Junta de Andalucía.

SMITH, R. & SMITH, T. (2000): Ecología, Addison Wesley, 4º ed.

THOMPSON, R. y PERRY, A. (Eds., 1997): Applied Climatology. Routledge, Londres.

In-depth bibliography

ASWATHANARAYANA, U. (2001): Geoenvironment: an introduction. Rotterdam; Brookfield: A. ABalkema, D.L.
BESANCENOT, J.P. (1991): Clima y turismo. Masson , París .
CASTROVIEJO, M.(1991): Prácticas para la planificación de espacios naturales. Ministerio de Agricultura, pesca y alimentación, colección técnica. Madrid.
CUADRAT, J.M. y MARTIN VIDE, J. (2007): La climatología española. Pasado, presente y futuro. Prensas universitarias de Zaragoza.
DORNEY, R.S. (1989): The professional of environmental Management. New York: Springer Verlag.
LÓPEZ GÓMEZ, A. et al. (1993): El clima de las ciudades españolas. Cátedra, Madrid.
GUTIÉRREZ, M. (2001): Geomorfología climática. Ediciones Omega
GUTIÉRREZ, M. (2008): Geomorfología. Pearson Prentice Hall.
SEOÁNEZ, M. (2002): Tratado de Climatología aplicada a la ingeniería medioambiental. Mundi-Prensa, Madrid.
VAN ZUIDAM, R.A. y VAN ZUIDAM-CANCELADO, I.F.: Terrain analysis and classification using aerial photographs. ITC Textbook of Photointerpretation, VII-6, 348 p. 1979
VERSTAPPEN, H.Th. y VAN ZUIDAM, R.A.: The ITC System of Geomorphologic Survey. ITC Publ. 10. 89 p. Enschede. 1991

Journals

- Applied Geography ISSN: 0143-6228
- Boletín de la Asociación de Geógrafos Españoles ISSN: 0212-9426
- Cuaternario y Geomorfología ISSN: 0214-1744
- Earth Surface Processes and Landforms ISSN: 0197-9337
- Environment, Development and Sustainability ISSN: 1387-585X
- Geofocus ISSN: 1578-5157
- Geomorphology ISSN: 0169-555X
- Global Ecology and Biogeography ISSN: 1466-822X
- Investigaciones geográficas ISSN: 0213-4691
- Journal of Geographical Systems ISSN: 1435-5930
- Nimbus. Rev. Climat., Meteorol. Paisaje ISSN: 1139-7136
- Revista de Climatología ISSN: 1578-8768
- Scripta Nova ISSN: 1138-9788
- Water Resources Management ISSN: 0920-4741

Web addresses

http:/cervantesvirtual.com/portal/IIGG
http:/www.colorado.edu/hazards
http:/www.columbia.edu
http:/www.euskalmet.net
http://www.wetterzentrale.de
http:/www.ipcc.ch
http:/www. nas.edu
http:/www.noaa.gov
http:/www.proinco.net/staff/mogens/riesgo/desastre.html
http:/www.unes.org
http://www. em-dat.net
http://www.proteccioncivil.org
http://www.swissre.ch
http://www.usgs.gov
http://www.wmo.ch
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/hazard/hazards.shtml
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert.php?lang=eng
http://www2.scielo.org.ve/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0798-05232002000200003&lng=es&nrm=iso