Learning objectives
At the end of the training, the student should have acquired knowledge and skills related to the mechanisms that regulate ecological processes at different levels of complexity (organism, population, community and ecosystem). The course also aims to provide the first rudiments to apply some methods and techniques of ecological investigation.
In particular, the student should be able to:
D1. Understand and know the structure, and the adaptations of the main groups of animals and plants, the fundamental functions of living things and their interactions at levels of increasing complexity, the relationships between organisms and the environment and between organisms at different levels of organization biological properties, the emerging properties of populations, communities and ecosystems and the main issues related to environmental sustainability. (Knowledge and understanding).
D2. Use the specific language of Ecology. Apply basic mathematical, statistical and computer methods for the analysis and processing of information, experimental data relating to biological systems and phenomena and apply the main techniques of ecological analysis (Applying knowledge and understanding)
D3. Being able to expose the results of biological / ecological studies even to a non-expert public. (Communication skills)
D4. Evaluate and interpret the experimental data. Critically use data from the scientific literature. Evaluate the computational and experimental methodologies that allow the optimal resolution of a biological / ecological problem. Evaluate teaching. (Making judgments)
D5. Connect the different topics covered with each other and with the basic and related disciplines. Update by consulting the scientific publications of Ecology. Participation in seminars and training study days. Acquire a study methodology that allows the continuation of university education. Reach the skills required for inclusion in professional activities at the end of the three-year course. (Learning skills)
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
What is ecology.
Definition of: biodiversity, species, fitness and ecotype
Natural selection.
Conditions and Resources
How the performance of a species is related to the intensity of an environmental conditions
Temperature and individuals: Q10 and the day-degree concepts.
Ectoterms and endotherms.
Acclimatisation.
Radiation as a resource for green plants. Photosynthetic activity and water supply.
The nutritional content of plant and animals as food.
The C:N ratio in plants and animal tissues.
The ecological niche.
Patterns in community structure
Main terrestrial biomes and aquatic habitats.
Population ecology
Counting individuals. Life cycles. Cohort life tables. Reproductive rates, generation lengths and rate of increase. Population structure and sex ratio.
Migration and dispersal in space and time. Seed bank.
Intraspecific competition
The regulation of population size.
Mathematical models: exponential and logistic increase
Interspecific competition
The Lotka-Volterra model.
An outline of mutualism and parasitism.
Predation. The basic dynamics of pradator-prey, the Lotka-Volterra model. A simple model of harvesting: fixed quotas.
An outline of decomposers and detritivores.
Communities
Theories of species abundance.
Patterns of species richness.
Removal or introduction of key species
The number of trophic levels and food webs.
Compexity and stability. Resilence and resistence. Diversity indeces
Ecological theories of island communities.
Ecological succession
Optimal foraging theory
The Flux of energy and matter through communities. Patterns in primary productivity. P:B ratio. Consumption, assimilation and production efficiency. Patterns of energy flow in terrestrial and aquatic communities. Biogeochemical cycles.
Global perturbation of biogeochemical cycles: pollution and global climate changes.
Applied ecology: conservation, ecotoxicology, water depuration, sustainability.
Full programme
What is ecology.
Definition of: biodiversity, species, fitness and ecotype. Natural selection.
Conditions and Resources. How the performance of a species is related to the intensity of an environmental conditions.
Temperature and individuals: Q10 and the day-degree concepts.
Ectotherms and endotherms. Acclimatisation.
Radiation as a resource for green plants. Photosynthetic activity and water supply.
The nutritional content of plant and animals as food.
The C:N ratio in plants and animal tissues.
The ecological niche.
Patterns in community structure
Main terrestrial biomes and aquatic habitats.
Population ecology. Counting individuals. Life cycles. Cohort life tables. Reproductive rates, generation lengths and rate of increase. Population structure and sex ratio.
Migration and dispersal in space and time. Seed bank.
Intraspecific competition. The regulation of population size.
Mathematical models: exponential and logistic increase
Interspecific competition. The Lotka-Volterra model.
An outline of mutualism and parasitism.
Predation. The basic dynamics of predator-prey, the Lotka-Volterra model. A simple model of harvesting: fixed quotas.
An outline of decomposers and detritivores.
Communities. Theories of species abundance. Patterns of species richness.
Removal or introduction of key species. The number of trophic levels and food webs.
Complexity and stability. Resilience and resistance. Diversity indexes.
Ecological theories of island communities.
Ecological succession
Optimal foraging theory
The Flux of energy and matter through communities. Patterns in primary productivity. P:B ratio. Consumption, assimilation and production efficiency. Patterns of energy flow in terrestrial and aquatic communities. Biogeochemical cycles.
Global perturbations of biogeochemical cycles: pollution and global climate changes.
Bibliography
Smith T.M., Smith R.L. 2013. Elementi di Ecologia. Pearson.
Cotgreave P., Forseth I. 2004. Introduzione all'ecologia. Zanichelli.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons with interacts with soliciting comments and questions from the students. During the exercises in the classroom the teacher requires individual or collective collaboration of students in the solution of the questions proposed.
Assessment methods and criteria
Learning objectives were verified by ongoing audits, in the form of questions put to the audience of students during the lesson and random testing of proper conduct of exercises. The final exam can be written within one week of the end of the course or oral, according to the call calendar, during the year.
The written test includes 25 open questions and 5 exercises. The final vote comes from the sum of the scores obtained for question (maximum 1 point) and for exercise (from 2 to 5 points). The oral exam is at least 3 questions referred, at least one is the contextualization and carrying out an exercise. The final vote is defined as percentage of: correctness of foreground (50%), and reasoning (30%), communication skills and synthesis (10%), language property (10%).
Other information
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