AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students will be provided with the basic knowledge about system ecology and environmental sustainability. In particular system ecology methodologies described aiming at the supply of tools for sustainability evaluation and assessment of natural capital value, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services, even through case studies presentation. Moreover students will be trained about main concepts about informatics applied to topics previously described. At this goal students will acquire basic knowledge about digitalization, collection, analysis and representation of data in the contest of territorial planning and decision support also through Geographic Information Systems.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching contabilità e valutazione ambientale is expected to give the basic knowledge for the biophysical evaluation of natural capital, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services making the student able to manage the ability to evaluate on a Eco-centric basis the natural systems value.

Specifically, the student will be able to:

• understand and structure models of natural systems

• measure the ecological and monetary value of natural systems

• identify the ecosystem functions and services generated by natural systems

• measure the ecological value of ecosystem functions and services

• produce cost-benefit ecological balances

• illustrate the results obtained through Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching consists of lectures and a series of practical exercises and small group activities aimed at consolidating the knowledge acquired and self-assessment of the level of learning and understanding.

Lectures in the classroom are delivered through multimedia presentations.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

NATURAL SYSTEMS VALUE CONCEPT – THE BIOPHYSICAL APPROACH - ecological economics basis – ecosystem value as a biophysical property – whole system measures of environmental value – input/output analysis – emergy analysis

VALUATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF BIOPHYSICAL VALUE– methods for the assessment of the monetary assessment of biophysical value – tecniques for the analysis of spatial data – environmental accounting procedures – applications of the biophysical evaluation to natural systems

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lessons and multimedia files employed during classes will be available on AulaWeb repository at the end of every classes cycle.

The suggested books are to be intended as further supporting material. The list is not complete and other texts may be used. Many of the suggested titles are available at the Scuola di Scienze M.F.N. library

Energy Basis for Man and Nature, H.T. Odum McGraw Hill Higher Education
La soglia della sostenibilità. E. Tiezzi et al.; Donzelli ed
 

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

BARBARA CAVALLETTI (President)

CHIARA PAOLI (President)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

For lessons start and timetable go to the link: https://easyacademy.unige.it/portalestudenti/

Please check the module Aulaweb page for timetable updates dependent on the sanitary and epidemic situation.

Class schedule

ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION AND ACCOUNTING - MOD. 1

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam will consist in the presentation of a project that the students will carry out during the lessons and will allow verifying that the students 1) have acquired a knowledge of the basic concepts of the economy such as and of environmental sustainability 2) they have learned how to evaluate the level of sustainability of a process or a territory and how to measure the natural capital, functions and ecosystem services of an ecosystem.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The ability to present the topics clearly and with correct terminology will be assessed, in order to verify that the fundamentals of ecological economics have been acquired, as well as the mastery in the use of the practical tools analyzed during the course through the application of same to a case study.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

It is recommended to attend classes