LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching aims to provide the theoretical bases and methodological tools for the knowledge of the main floristic and vegetational aspects of plant cover, for the interpretation of the natural and human causes that determine it, for the study of plant components in the analysis and interpretation of ecosystems. In particular, and with greater detail, aspects and characteristics of the flora and vegetation of Liguria are described.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The module aims to enable students to understand and use data concerning current and past flora and vegetation obtained from specialized texts, floristic and vegetational cartography, management plans for institutions and protected areas, etc. In particular, the sequence of the topics addressed and their correlation are intended to guide the student along a logical path that, in addition to providing the disciplinary content of the subject, helps to develop an autonomous capacity for analyzing the reality, assessment of environmental complexity and of the degree of naturalness / modification of the plant component, and application of the results of the analysis to the purposes from time to time required by the research. One of the main aspects of the course is the stimulus to continuous correlations between ecological factors (climate, soil, animals, human activities) and distribution characteristics and the ability to associate species and phytocenosis from the global (biomes) to the local (plant associations). Another fundamental concept that is provided is the tendency of plant populations to change over time, until a more or less stable equilibrium is reached with the local ecological conditions (vegetation series). The module also allows the student to deal with application issues related to the most innovative and eco-sustainable technologies for the use of plants for the improvement of the environment.

PREREQUISITES

Passing the exam of systematic Botany, considered preparatory, should ensure sufficient knowledge of at least the main tree and shrub species characteristic of the different types of vegetation in Italy. A general knowledge of the concepts and language of ecology and in particular of plant ecology is also indispensable; of this, however, the most important elements are mentioned at the beginning of the course.

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes frontal lessons and exercises in the classroom and fieldwork. The lessons are held with the help of Powerpoint presentations that illustrate the concepts and the contents expressed orally by the teacher. This material is then made available to students in the course site of Aulaweb.

In the case of measures to combat any health emergency, lessons and exercises will take place remotely, via TEAMS program

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Principles of plant ecology: environmental factors and plant adaptations; Raunkiaer Biological forms. Chorology:  distribution types; Geographic and taxonomic relics; endemism; Geographical and ecological vicariance. Chorotypes of Italian flora; Chorological spectra. Floristic kingdoms. Modifications of the distribution area; Biogeographic models of dispersion, vicariance, ecology and integrated model.  Floristic features of the Ligurian flora. Biodiversity: concept and evaluation criteria; Richness and specific variety, gradients of diversity in space and time. Biomes. Study of vegetation: structural and functional features of phytocenoses; Dynamics of vegetation: successions, steady stages.  Bioclimatic vegetation belts in Italy and in Liguria; Species typical of the main vegetal environments in Liguria. Phytosociology: criteria and methods, nomenclature, syntaxonomy, main classes of European vegetation; Mapping of vegetation; Description of plant landscapes: synphytosociology. Applied Bonany: History of Vegetation and its Methods of Study. Examples of applications of geobotany and archaeobotany to studies of historical ecology and environmental archaeology. The course is held in the classroom and in the field.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

for the preparation of the exam, in addition to the lessons and exercises, it is recommended to read specialized texts, among which we highlight:

UBALDI D., 2012 - Guida allo studio della flora e della vegetazione. CLUEB. Bologna.

(eventually, previous editions, eg. UBALDI D., 2003 – Flora, fitocenosi e ambiente.  Elementi di Geobotanica e Fitosociologia. Clueb. Bologna.)

PIGNATTI S.,1976 - Geobotanica. In: CAPPELLETTI, Botanica, vol. II. UTET. Torino.

PIGNATTI S. et al., 1995 -Ecologia vegetale. UTET. Torino.

PIGNATTI S., 1994 - Ecologia del paesaggio. UTET. Torino

other sources:

EHRENDORFER, 1979 – Geobotanica. In: STRASBURGER, Trattato di Botanica, parte sistematica. Delfino Editore.

CANEVA G. (a cura di), 2005 – La biologia vegetale per i Beni culturali. Vol II. Conoscenza e valorizzazione. Nardini Editore. Firenze. 500 pp. (per la Geobotanica storica, specialmente cap. 10, ma anche capp. 1,3,8).

POLUNIN O. e WALTERS M., 1987 – Guida alle vegetazioni d'Europa. Zanichelli. Bologna.

GIACOMINI V., FENAROLI L., 1958 - La Flora. Collana "Conosci l'Italia.". T.C.I. Milano.