BIODIVERSITY MONITORING TECHNIQUES

This course pertains to the disciplinary groups of biological and ecological sciences of the Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Sciences, which aims at developing a scientific and holistic approach to the study of ecosystem structure and functions, in both natural and disturbed conditions. Since the biological diversity is a fundamental component of ecosystem functioning, the main goal of this course is to provide fundamental principles and conceptual background of biodiversity conservation and of the main techniques of biodiversity monitoring at its different organization levels.

Knowledge: assimilation of the conceptual framework at the basis of biodiversity conservation and of the main biodiversity monitoring techniques; knowledge on the main biodiversity monitoring techniques at all its organizational levels.
Skills: ability to correctly use the main biodiversity monitoring techniques; capacity to plan a biodiversity monitoring scheme; ability to analyse data from biodiversity monitoring plans;
Competence: to be able to understand, evaluate and discuss results from biodiversity monitoring plans.

Since the conceptual framework which the different monitoring techniques are based on refers to processes from the cell to populations, species and habitat levels, students should have developed knowledge on Biology, Botany, Zoology and Ecology.

The course is organised in four parts. 1) Biodiversity: organization levels; hierarchical organization; genetic diversity, species diversity, habitat diversity, diversity of ecological functions; biodiversity conservation at the global and local scales. 2) Red List of species and habitat: criteria for the evaluation of species and habitat status. 3) Definition of a biodiversity monitoring plan. 4) Monitoring techniques for species (main taxonomic groups); monitoring techniques for terrestrial and fresh-water habitats.

Lessons notes and ppts (provided in the Moodle platform).
Up-to-date scientific papers on the main topics

To test knowledge, skills, and competencies, students are asked to present the state of biodiversity in their municipality of origin. The exam aims to assess the ability to present, understand, and critically discuss a case study. Knowledge of the course content is then assessed.

To help students accomplish the learning goals, the course involves frontal lectures during which the topics are discussed using teaching modules (ppt slides), complemented by images, schemes and diagrams which help students visualize the concepts. Some arguments will also be examined in depth by analyzing papers on interesting case studies. Frontal lectures are integrated by 12 h of field trips.

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development