Sciences and technologies for environment and resources

Professor
Academic discipline: Ecologia (BIO/07)
Field: Attività formative affini o integrative
Type of training activity: Related/supplementary

63 hours
of face-to-face activities

9 credits

hub: PARMA

course unit
in - - -

lectures timetable unavailable

exam calls

Learning objectives

improve the ecological skilss for analysing, managing and solving environmental problems

Prerequisites

background on basic ecology

Course unit content

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment. Processes, good and erivices of ecosystems. Changes and persistence of ecosystems. Resilience, stabuility, thresholds e shifts, sustainability. Hydrological cycle and water supply. Primary productivity, decomposition and processes of C cycle. Carbon sinks. Processes and regulation of N, P, S, Fe cycling. Biogeochemical buffe ring capacity.
Altered processes and eco system managemeent. Soil uses. Agriculture and animal husbandry. Bioenergetic crops. Nitrogen contamination. Acidification and regulation of CO2 cycle. Lake and coastal eutrophication. Global changes and aquatic ecosystem processes (meromixis, hypoxia, anoxia)
Study cases analysed with the DPSIR scheme. The Po river watershed. The Mincio river. The meromictic Lake Idro. Invasive aquatic vegetation in Lake Fimon. Shelfish farming in the Sacca di goro lagoon.
Conservation, recovery and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. Restoration ecology of pit lakes. Rehabilitation and restoration of wetlands in the Mincio River watershed. Restoration of coastal lagoon.

Full programme

- - -

Bibliography

Teacher's notes on Biogeochemistry Millenium Ecosystem assessment reports

Teaching methods

lectures (40%)
individual work on study cases with a final student workshop (30%)
on site activity in selected sudy case (30%)

Assessment methods and criteria

The evaluation is based on the analysis of a study case
Mid-term assessment: workshop
Final assessment: written report with discussion

Other information