Departmental Description – what we do

Forestry Soil Science
  • Forest soil taxonomy
  • Relationship between woody plants and the soil environment
  • Edaphic category characteristics for forest typology
  • Habitat differentiation for forest management
  • Nursery substrates and intensive arboriculture technologies
  • Fertilisation of forest tree species
Environmental Soil Science
  • Micromorphology of soils and sediments
  • Soil water regime
  • Soil degradation
  • Soil erosion
  • Urban soil environment and structural substrates
  • Soil and geodiversity modelling and mapping
  • Soil revitalisation and reclamation
  • Optimising engineering of the soil environment
  • Soil Health
Soil Biochemistry and Biology
  • Soil enzyme activity
  • Soil respiration
  • Nutrient cycling in the forest ecosystem
Landscape processes
  • Sedimentation cycles
  • Quaternary soil evolution
  • Formative processes in cultural landscape development
  • Geoarchaeology
  • Environmental microgeomorphology
  • Geodiversity and biodiversity
  • Geoeducation and geotourism
  • Nature conservation and integrated landscape management

Background – where we work

  • Building B on the University campus – houses the main facilities for scientific work and teaching. The Department’s offices are located on the 2nd floor.
  • The Soil Science Laboratory is a modern, newly renovated and well-equipped site for processing and analysing soil samples. Much of our data, such as continuous measurements of moisture and temperature or meteorological data, is measured directly in the field – the forest is our living laboratory.
  • Room B11 (The Rejšek Lecture Hall) houses a collection of minerals and rocks and acts as a facility for teaching geology and subjects related to teaching.
  • The Department corridor houses one of the most extensive publicly accessible displays of minerals and rocks in Brno.

Cooperation – we are not alone

  • he Department has a long-standing commitment to collaborative research with national and international institutions. Additionally, we place significant emphasis on fostering close partnerships with practitioners specialising in forestry, agriculture and landscape subjects, including both private and state administration bodies. Importantly, cooperation with municipalities, stakeholder associations, educational and ecological institutions and nature conservation authorities is seen as an essential part of our work, and it is seen as crucial that this experience is reflected in the teaching of our students and the guidance given to PhD students.
List of cooperating entities
  • Agentura ochrany přírody a krajiny České republiky
  • Agrio ZS, s.r.o.
  • Agro CS, a.s.
  • Algiva, s.r.o.
  • Arcibiskupské lesy a statky Olomouc, s.r.o.
  • Cemex, s.r.o.
  • Czech Stone Cluster, družstvo
  • Česko-slovinská společnost, z.s.
  • Enzymix, s.r.o.
  • GasNet, s.r.o.
  • Geopark Vysočina
  • Geopark Železné hory
  • Heidelberg Materials CZ, a.s.
  • Kinský Žďár, a.s.
  • Kloboucká lesní, s.r.o.
  • LESCUS Cetkovice, s.r.o.
  • Lesoškolky, s.r.o.
  • Lesy České republiky, a.s.
  • Lipka – školské zařízení pro environmentální vzdělávání
  • Magistrát města Brna
  • NOZA, s.r.o.
  • P & L, spol. s r.o.
  • Paměť krajiny, s.r.o.
  • Rašelina Soběslav, s.r.o.
  • Salgiva Morava, s.r.o.
  • Střední průmyslová škola kamenická a sochařská Hořice
  • Školní lesní podnik Masarykův les Křtiny
  • Turistické a informační centrum Brno
  • Vodní zdroje Chrudim, s.r.o.
  • Vršanská uhelná, a.s.
  • Wienerberger, s.r.o.
  • Zemědělská společnost Sloveč, a.s.
List of research institutions
  • Archaia, z.s.
  • Archeologické centrum Olomouc
  • Centrum dopravního výzkumu v.v.i.
  • Czech Globe – Ústav výzkumu globální změny, Akademie věd ČR, v.v.i.
  • Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze
  • Egyptologický ústav FFUK
  • Geologický ústav Akademie věd ČR, v.v.i.
  • Jihočeská univerzita v Českých Budějovicích
  • Technická univerzita v Liberci
  • Ústav geoniky Akademie věd ČR, v.v.i.
  • Ústav pro hospodářskou úpravu lesů
  • Výzkumný ústav lesního hospodářství a myslivosti, v.v.i.
  • Výzkumný ústav meliorací a ochrany půdy, v.v.i.
  • Výzkumný ústav Silva Taroucy pro krajinu a okrasné zahradnictví, v. v. i.
  • Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
List of foreign partners
  • Academy of science of Uzbekistan
  • Austrian Institute of Technology, Tulln
  • Bar Ilan University, Tel Aviv
  • Biological research institute
  • BOKU University Vienna
  • Copenhagen University
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
  • European University Foundation
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • German Mongolian Institute of Technology
  • Mongolian University of Life Science
  • National University of Mongolia
  • New Mexico State University
  • Ohio State University
  • Sankalchand Patel University
  • Technical University in Zvolen
  • Technical University of Munich
  • Technion – Izraelský technologický institut
  • Thai Nguyen University of Sciences
  • The Bavarian State Institute of Forestry
  • The European Archaeological Centre Bibracte
  • Transilvania University Brasov
  • University of Eastern Finland
  • University of Florencia
  • University of Ljubljana
  • University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
  • University of Waterloo

Departmental staff – who we are

While our staff numbers are relatively low, the group is diverse in terms of specialisation and experience. While some members focus on soil science research, often with a narrow focus on one specialisation, others concentrate more on geological sciences, with an overlap into soil and/or ecosystem components. Our Department has a long tradition of cooperating with international institutions, undertaking internships at partner institutions and accepting fellow scientists and students for internships in our own Department. Doctoral students and Bachelor and Master’s Degree students form an integral part of our team and are often involved in research projects. Teaching, imparting knowledge and inspiring young people is a fulfilling experience for us all, and one which we are committed to.

doc. Ing. Valerie Vranová, Ph.D.
Academic staff – Associate Professor – Department of Geology and Pedology
Head of department – Department of Geology and Pedology
Vice-dean – Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
External Instructor – Faculty of AgriSciences
DGP FFWT, Zemědělská 3, 61300 Brno (Černá Pole)
Office: B2.46
+420 545 134 039
Department of Geology and Soil Science
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology
Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno
+420 545 134 035
List of employees

Department of Geology and Pedology

Staff