Evelpidou, N.

Figueiredo, T., de

Graaff, J., de

Martinez-Casasnovas, J.A.

Merino, A.

English

Wageningen Yield 

 1
 
1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Editores: Copicentro Granada 
                                                                     Granada 21 a 24 de septiembre de 2010  
ISBN:  978 84-15026-39-6 
Depósito Legal: Gr-3675-2010 
                                                                     © Sociedad española de la ciencia del suelo  
 
  517 
SPinSMEDE: first presentation of a transnational training experience on soil protection 
[SPinSMEDE: primeira apresentação de uma experiência transnacional de ensino em 
protecção do solo] 
 
 
FIGUEIREDO, T. DE1, DE GRAAFF, J.2, EVELPIDOU, N.3, MARTÍNEZ-CASASNOVAS, 
J.A.4, MERINO, A.5 
 
1 Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (IPB/ESAB), CIMO – Mountain Research Centre, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5301-855 
Bragança, Portugal, tomasfig@ipb.pt. 
2 Wageningen University, Land Degradation & Development Group, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands. 
3 Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 157 84, Athens, Greece. 
4 Department of Environment and Soil Science, University of Lleida, Spain. 
5 Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Unit of Sustainable Forest Management, University of Santiago de 
Compostela, E- 27002, Lugo, Spain. 
 
Abstract 
SPinSMEDE, acronym of Soil Protection in Sloping Mediterranean Agri-Environments, an 
Erasmus Intensive Programme, funded by the EC Lifelong Learning Programme, was 
designed and implemented following the policy context of the Thematic Strategy for Soil 
Protection in Europe. This document announced expectable demand for technical 
competences to meet increased requirements on the issue, most needed to cope with the 
specific soil degradation problems of Mediterranean hill-slopes. SPinSMEDE took place 
during three years (2008-2010), in three different places (Portugal, Greece and Spain), 
involving students and lecturers from five Universities. The presentation aims at reporting, at 
a preliminary stage of data exploration, this transnational training experience on soil 
protection. The design, implementation and evaluation phases are described, outlining the 
main background elements, methodological approaches and outcomes of each phase. Namely, 
context-driven justification of the project, a description of the partnership and programme 
contents are included in the design phase. Programme implementation is addressed in terms of 
students profile, activities performed, assessment requirements, support material provided, 
and project deliverables. After describing the programme evaluation procedures developed 
and applied, the discussion focuses on SPinSMEDE success, drawbacks, and problems arose 
and ways adopted to cope with them. Final remarks state main lessons learned and and 
programme follow-up activities envisaged. 
 
Key words 
Soil Protection, Erasmus Intensive Programme, Transnational training. 
 
 
 
1. Introduction 
 
Soil degradation affects the Mediterranean basin under different forms as salinization, 
pollution, structural degradation and erosion (CEC 2006). Soil erosion by water is first in rank 
s far as sloping areas are concerned (Boardman & Poesen 2006). Corresponding to a very 
large surface of Mediterranean land, these are especially sensitive areas, where soils are a 
qualitatively scarce resource (Ibanez et al. 1996). They are ground for cropping systems, 
crops and products traditional of the Mediterranean (vineyards, olives). To a large extent, the 
long-term cultivated and highly eroded slopes ask for alternative land use models and 
management options that allow recovery of already much degraded environments (Jones et al. 
2005). To cope with threats to soil resource, soil protection initiatives are, therefore, needed. 
  518 
 
The thematic strategy for soil protection in Europe clearly transfers the topic from 
science to policy (CEC 2006). This strategy is expected to become a policy driver tool, 
encouraging the definition of specifically oriented rationale in view soil protection measures 
design and implementation. Actually, expertise acquired in the last couple of decades 
throughout Europe, as part of the European strong research efforts in the topic, shows the high 
level of specialization necessary to tackle with soil protection issues. The still growing 
research-borne information should contribute to real world problem solving, and 
Mediterranean sloping areas are certainly important test-subjects for such challenge. 
Technical staff specifically qualified to deal with the design and implementation of soil 
protection measures is required in this context. Competences have to be provided to students / 
trainees either as an integral part of higher education programmes, or as life-long learning 
training packages. This is why and what for SPinSMEDE was designed, planned and 
organized. 
 
SPinSMEDE is the acronym of Soil Protection in Sloping Mediterranean Agri-
Environments, an Erasmus Intensive Programme, and part of the European Union Lifelong 
Learning Programme. SPinSMEDE took place during three years (2008-2010), in three 
different places (Portugal, Greece and Spain), involving students and lecturers from five 
European Universities. 
 
2. Objectives 
 
The paper aims at reporting on this transnational training experience on soil protection, 
in a preliminary attempt to data exploration. It is worthy to further stress that: (i) the 
provisional nature assumed for this paper stems on SPinSMEDE late formal closure, actually 
ongoing, which did not allow in-depth data analyzes; (ii) most of the paper content closely 
follows documents specifically prepared for the proposal and as project deliverables, issued 
either in SPinSMEDE’s webpage or in published or dissemination material. 
 
3. The project 
 
Erasmus Intensive Programmes (IP) are short-term specifically oriented programmes in 
which a partnership of European Universities is formed to lecture on (a set of) subject(s), 
involving professors and students from the partnership members, awarding to well-succeeded 
students a mutually recognize number of ECTS credits. 
 
The project was designed and submitted to the spring 2007 call for Erasmus Intensive 
Programme proposals opened by the National Agency for Life-Long Learning Programme. 
The project was the result of three background conditions: 
(i) A top-down initiative by the Rectorate of the Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, 
within an institutional strategy of internationalization; 
(ii) The, at the time recently established and promising, policy context of the 
Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection in Europe, that rose expectations on the 
demand for technical competences to meet increased requirements in the issue, 
most needed to cope with the specific soil degradation problems of 
Mediterranean hill-slopes 
(iii) Existing professional relations between researchers from different European 
Universities developing similar or complementary research topics, all standing 
on not equally ripened previous positive contacts or work experiences 
  519 
 
SPinSMEDE aimed at providing basic tools to assess soil degradation and design soil 
protection initiatives in Mediterranean sloping areas. This IP was targeted at post-graduate 
students from life / earth sciences and agricultural / forest / environmental engineering, in 
view of their capacity in such specific issue, therefore improving their current job market 
opportunities. SPinSMEDE was built-up as a more than 80h "hands on" programme (60h 
classes plus 15h tutorials plus a one day excursion), comprising application exercises 
(computer, field and laboratory work) and field trips. After the two-week lecture period, 
additional remotely assisted 80h work enabled students to present a written memory. 
Successful fulfilment of evaluation requirements awarded 6 ECTS. 
 
SPinSMEDE comprised 8 modules, forming its two parts and the opening lectures 
(Table 1). It is important to stress the input in the programme of socio-economic approaches 
to and the European policies for soil protection, because it is by far recognized how critical 
these topics are for the success of soil protection schemes (Hudson 1991, Morgan 2005). 
Moreover, GIS as working tool is already a must as far as methodological approaches to soil 
degradation mapping is concerned but, innovatively, the tool is used in soil protection design. 
 
Table 1. Structure, contents and specific aims of SPinSMEDE Erasmus Intensive Programme 
Module Title Description and aims 
Overview lectures 
10% time, given by host university invited experts 
Module 1 Overview lectures providing an overview on Mediterranean 
geography, climate, geology, soils and vegetation 
Part I – Background subjects 
40% time, providing concepts and tools on soil protection 
Module 2 Soil degradation background on soil erosion processes and factors 
and on methodologies for assessing and mapping 
soil erosion (using GIS tools) 
Module 3 Soil protection measures: 
technical criteria 
background on technical criteria for soil protection 
measures design and implementation 
Module 4 Soil protection 
implementation: 
socioeconomic approaches 
background on socio-economic design criteria and 
on European policies for soil and water 
conservation 
Part II – Case studies 
50% time, providing opportunities for discussion about examples of soil 
degradation and soil protection in Mediterranean hill-slopes 
Module 5 Olive groves discussion and practical exercises on erosion, soil 
conservation practices and sustainability in olive 
groves in sloping land 
Module 6 Vineyards Discussion and practical exercises on the new 
terraces in the Spanish wine regions of Priorat and 
Pénèdes 
Module 7 Forest and soil 
conservation 
presentation, discussion and practical exercises on 
forest management practices affecting erosion rates 
and nutrient balance 
Module 8 Other case studies Presentation and discussion on miscellaneous case 
study agri-environments (winter crops, centre-pivot 
irrigated areas, shrubs, recently afforested areas) 
  520 
 
Students’ pre-requisites related either to communication language or to the post-
graduation level and target group selected. As all the lectures were given in English, the 
language of written material provided, students had to meet minimum proficiency 
requirements to attend SPinSMEDE. Also, before programme start, students were expected to 
be able to handle with life/earth science, agricultural/forest/environmental engineering 
graduation level basic concepts of environmental sciences related to land resources (soil, 
water, vegetation). Students successfully accomplishing the programme are expected to 
assemble the necessary competences to be considered base level specifically trained technical 
staff to deal with soil protection matters, oriented to Mediterranean sloping areas. 
 
Students and professors were selected from the partnership member institutions: 
Instituto Politécnico de Bragança (Portugal, co-ordinator), Wageningen University and 
Research Centre (The Netherlands), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens 
(Greece), University of Lleida (Spain) and University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). As 
stated above, previous professional contacts between researchers of these universities made 
possible building-up the partnership with no constraints. However, the partnership 
composition was actually the result of a clearly defined concept for this IP that helped setting 
the required specialization fields. Experts were then invited to contribute to SPinSMEDE, 
ensuring their home Universities formal involvement. 
 
The IP was funded through the EU Life-Long Learning Programme, for one year, and 
two renewals were approved so as to arrive at three SPinSMEDE editions (2008, 2009, and 
2010). Funds cover students and lecturers mobility grants, as well as organizational expenses. 
 
4. Programme implementation and deliverables 
 
SPinSMEDE took place for the first time in spring 2008, at Instituto Politécnico de 
Bragança, the coordinating institution. Considering the results of this experience, the 
partnership decided to extend it and the two allowed successive renewals were asked for and 
approved. The partnership decided also to shift programme location every year from one 
partner to another. This was seen as an opportunity to strengthen the partnership through 
better institutional acquaintance and increase students interest to the programme. It should be 
stressed that, in what concerns the number of students, funding requirements impose a 
maximum of 10 from host and a minimum of 10 from the group of non-host institutions. 
These conditions may be unfulfilled exceptionally, as it was the case of the first year in 
Bragança, due to students’ withdrawals during the programme. On the other hand, a severe 
selection procedure had to be performed in certain cases as in the USC for second edition. 
 
The total number of accepted students was 48, with 43 effective attendants in 3 years 
(Figure 1). Distribution of students according to home university is fairly regular in global 
terms. However, changes were important from one edition to the other (Figure 2). This is 
explained by the attractiveness of programme location (the most demanded and attended 
edition took place in Athens). 
 
It is worthy to stress that the international character of the programme was even 
enhanced by to the contribution of WUR students, following international programmes in this 
Dutch University (Figure 3). However and as expected, the major part of students attending 
SPinSMEDE was from partner countries. 
 
  521 
IPB 
23%
NKUA
19%
UdL
16%
USC
19%
WUR 
23%
Total number of students in 3 years: 43
IPB - Instituto Politécnico de 
Bragança, Portugal
NKUA - National and 
Kapodistrian University of 
Athens, Greece
UdL - University of Lleida, 
Spain
USC - University of Santiago 
de Compostela, Spain
WUR - Wgeningen 
University and Research 
Centre, The Netherlands
 
Figure 1. Students attending SPinSMEDE: global contributions from partners 
 
 
3
5
2
1
5
2
3
4
4
3
1
4
3
3
12
19
12
Bragança 2008
Athens 2009
Lugo&Bragança 2010
IPB NKUA UdL USC WUR Total
 
Figure 2. Students attending SPinSMEDE: distribution by home university and edition 
 
 
As part of programme implementation, a webpage and an e-learning platform were 
prepared for and used by students in the several editions of SPinSMEDE. In the former case 
(intensive.ipb.pt), it served also as students’ application platform. In the latter (virtual.ipb.pt), 
among other useful tools available, it served as a repositorium of support material provided to 
students (presentations, syllabus, and exercises). 
 
Efforts were made to outcome SPinSMEDE major deliverable in time: the textbook 
(Evelpidou & Figueiredo, 2009). This was published by IPB in December 2009, assembling 
contributions of lecturers during the 2008 and mainly 2009 editions, most of which developed 
from support material uploaded in the e-learning platform. The book was offered to 
contributors and SPinSMEDE former students. It was offered to students at programme start 
  522 
and adopted in regular classes of SPinSMEDE 2010 edition. A second and revised edition is 
envisaged for 2010, oriented to new and wider target groups. 
 
 
 
Figure 3. Students attending SPinSMEDE: global distribution by nationality 
 
 
5. Concluding remarks 
 
As stressed above, this is a first presentation of a learning experience on soil protection. 
The subjective perceptions of all involved in this experience are by far positive. However, 
very objective elements can be readily gathered to support such positive perceptions, which 
are: 
- Purposes stated in the project were accomplished under the organizational and 
academic viewpoints 
- Activities were performed according to predicted 
- A textbook as a major project deliverable was published 
- Drawbacks identified along the 3 years of SPinSMEDE were tentatively approached 
and in most cases corrected 
 
In-depth analysis of results and ripening of lessons learned with this experience are still 
needed. Moreover, as a core element of programme quality assessment, a follow-up of 
students’ competences as applied in real world context, is a necessary dimension to be 
considered in forthcoming approaches, for the sake of soil protection in Europe, in sloping 
Mediterranean agri-environments. 
 
6. Acknowledgements 
 
Authors wish acknowledge all colleagues that gave their contributions to SPinSMEDE 
along the last 3 years, either lecturing classes or providing support material to students, or 
even assisting the IP in organizational, managerial and financial issues. Funding of 
SPinSMEDE Erasmus Intensive Programme by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme and 
through the Portuguese National Agency is much acknowledged. 
 
  523 
7. References 
 
BOARDMAN, J., POESEN, J. (eds), 2006. Soil Erosion in Europe. Wiley. 400pp. Chichester. 
 
CEC (COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES), 2006. Thematic Stategy for 
Soil Protection. CEC COM(2006)231. 12pp. Brussels. 
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/soil/pdf/com_2006_0231_en.pdf 
 
EVELPIDOU, N., FIGUEIREDO, T. de (eds), 2009. Soil Protection in Slopinf Mediterranean 
Agri-Environments: Lectures and exercises. Instituto Politécnico de Bragança. xvi+300pp. 
Bragança. 
 
HUDSON, N., 1991. Study of the Reasons for Success Or Failure of Soil Conservation 
Projects. FAO Soils Bulletin Nº 64. 65pp. Rome. 
 
IBANEZ, J.J., BENITO, G., GARCÍA-ALVAREZ, A., SALDANA, A., 1996. Mediterranean 
soils and landscapes: an overview. Em: Rubio, J., Clavo, A. (eds): Soil Degradation and 
Desertification in Mediterranean Environments. 7-36. Geoforma. Logrono, Spain. 
 
JONES, A., MONTANARELLA, L., JONES, R. (eds), 2005. Soil Atlas of Europe. European 
Soil Bureau Network, European Commission. Office for Official Publications of the 
European Communities. 128pp. Luxembourg (EUR 21676 EN) 
http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/projects/Soil_Atlas/Pages/86.html 
 
MORGAN, R., 2007. Soil Erosion and Conservation. Blackwell. 314pp. Oxford. 


Mediterranean soils and landscapes: an overview.

Soil Atlas of Europe. European Soil Bureau Network, European Commission. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

Soil Erosion

Study of the Reasons for Success Or Failure of Soil Conservation Projects.

SPinSMEDE: first presentation of a transnational training experience on soil protection

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SPinSMEDE: first presentation of a transnational training experience on soil protection

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