Learning objectives
This module aims at providing the background of modern ecology. Emphasis is posed on the role of ecology as a skill for graduates, who are requested to address, in an interdisciplinary way, the management and conservation of natural resources within the frame of the sustainable production of food resources.
At the end of the course, students are expected to be able to:
- know and analyse fundamental topics of general ecology: structure and processes of the ecosystem, interaction between living organisms and the environment, ecology of population and community, - identify and analyse, at least in general terms, environmental problems linked to the agri-food system, which are assessed either as cause or target of environmental pollution; degraded ecosystem functioning, and over-exploitation of natural resources.
Prerequisites
The basic concept of chemistry, geology and biology will be summarized in the introductory lectures.
Course unit content
This course deals with the main concepts of ecology so that they contribute to shape the professional profile of the students in the field of sustainable agri-food sector. The acquired knowledge will be applied with examples to understand how ecology can contribute to solve environmental problems related to agriculture and livestock farming (e.g. pollution, biodiversity loss, conservation of natural resources, management of altered environmental processes).
Full programme
PRESENTATION OF BASIC CONCEPTS
1History of ecology: basic concepts and contribution to sustainable food production. Hierarchical organization and emerging properties. The concept of ecosystem and agroecosystem. Structural and functional characteristics.
2 Main environmental matrices: hydrosphere, atmosphere and pedosphere. Factors influencing the distribution of temperature, humidity and precipitation. Winds and ocean currents. Physical and chemical structure of the soil. Water properties and cycle.
3 Transformation and transfer of energy and matter in ecosystems.
Net and gross primary productivity, permanent biomass. Main factors regulating primary productivity. Yield of the main agricultural crops. Secondary productivity: biomass and energy pyramids and energy transfer efficiency. Grazing and detritus chains. Material recycling and decomposition: Reactions, processes and limiting factors.
Main biogeochemical cycles: carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus.
4 Environmental conditions and adaptations of organisms. Habitat, niche, tolerance and stress.
Populations: characteristics, structure, growth with and without resource limitation.
Population communities: characteristics, structure and functioning. Interactions between populations: competition, predation, mutualism and parasitism. Community development over time. Biodiversity. Stability of ecosystems: resistance and resilience. The limits of the planet.
PRESENTATION OF APPLIED ECOLOGY ISSUES DEALING WITH THE AGRICULTURAL, ZOOTECHNICAL AND AGRO-INDUSTRIAL SECTORS:
Ecosystem services: link between biophysical resources, ecosystem functions and human well-being
Energy and matter use in agroecosystems.
Direct use of water resources: water needs and supply
Indirect use of water resources: water contamination, the nitrate problem and eutrophication. Manure management in the farming system: waste or resource?
Aquaculture and the exploitation of aquatic ecosystems
Bibliography
The slides and teacher’s notes can be downloaded from the ELLY section "Teaching Materials" Suggested textbooks:
Galassi S., Ferrari I., Viaroli P., 2014. Introduzione all’ecologia applicata. Dalla teoria alla pratica della sostenibilità. CittàStudi, Torino
Pusceddu A., Sarà G., Viaroli P. 2020. Ecologia. Utet. Prima Edizione
Teaching methods
All teaching activities will be conducted in the classroom:
1) in class lectures of the teacher in which the main concepts of modern ecology are presented;
2) presentation of topics of applied ecology related to the agricultural and farming sectors: land use transformations and water pollution: the nitrate problem; aquaculture; nature-based solutions.
Assessment methods and criteria
The achievement of the objectives will be assessed by a written examination of a maximum duration of 2 hours to be held in classroom. It consists of multiple-choice questions, open questions and problems with marks proportional to the level of difficulty, for a total of 33 marks. The pass mark is 18 points. Score >32 corresponds to 30 cum laude. Students who pass the test will be admitted to the exam of the second module “Global Change”. The final overall evaluation will be the average of the scores of the two exams.
Other information
The “Applied Ecology” module is complementary with the “Climate Change” module (Prof. Mariolina Gullì). The two modules are evaluated by separate exams. Admission to the “Ecological Systems Analysis” exam is conditional on passing the Ecology exam. The final overall evaluation will be the average of the scores of the two exams.
