Ecology

Degree course: 
Corso di First cycle degree in ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2017/2018
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2017/2018
Course type: 
Compulsory subjects, characteristic of the class
Credits: 
9
Period: 
First Semester
Standard lectures hours: 
72
Detail of lecture’s hours: 
Lesson (72 hours)
Requirements: 

No prerequisites are required other than those provided by secondary school.

Final Examination: 
Orale

There will be a final written exams for evaluating: a) the acquired knowledge and the gained comprehension of key ecological issues (60%), b) ability in applying the acquired knowledge for discussing the environmental thematic (20%) and c) autonomy in interpreting the principal ecological theories (20%).

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

The course is devoted to deeply analyse the major questions, approaches, applications and tools of modern ecology. This will include consideration of physical, chemical, and biological components of the ecosystems. The many threats facing the natural resources will be also considered in topic lectures. The course is integrated with the basic principles of human ecology. Learning outcomes: Understand and explain major ecological concepts. Use scientific skills to analyse and solve ecological problems. Effectively communicate ecological problems and solutions. Formulate logical hypotheses and test them by designing appropriate experiments analyses. Use scientific knowledge of ecology to analyze present environmental crisis. At the end of the course the student will have gained the following skills: a) knowledge on the principal environmental problematic; b) ability in analysing the different levels of the life forms organization; c) understanding of the basic mechanisms of interaction between biotic and abiotic components.

- Basic Ecology (40 h – 5 cfu): Introduction (2 h). Energy fluxes and biogeochemical cycles (8 h). Individuals, populations and communities (8 h). Ecological successions (2 h). Community diversity (4 h). Ecosystem services (2 h). Conservation ecology (2 h). Limnology (8 h).
- Human Ecology (24 h – 3 cfu): Introduction to Human Ecology (2 h). Biological and cultural human nature (2 h). Human population growth (6 h).Biological and cultural evolution (4 h). Evolution of human societies (2 h).Ecosystems and social systems (2 h). Perception patterns of nature (4 h).Concluding remarks (2 h).
- Quantitative Ecology (8 h – 1 cfu): Data handling techniques & statistic descriptors (2 h). Multivariate data analyses, ordination and classification (6 h).

Elementi di Ecologia T.M. Smith e R.L. Smith, ed. Pearson; Basi di Ecologia E.P. Odum, ed. Piccin.
Gerald G. Marten. Human Ecology: Basic Concepts for Sustainable Development. Taylor & Francis Ltd
Slides and the electronic material used in the course will be placed in the e-learning site.

The educational objectives will be achieved during 72 hours of lectures. During the course specific case studies will be presented and discussed in order to promote the student ability of applying the acquired knowledge.

Students can meet with the professor in his study (via Dinant 3 - Varese) upon appointment.

Professors