OVERVIEW

The course deals with issues related to the management and conservation of the Earth's resources. Particular attention is paid to environmental alterations produced by man, to problems deriving from pollution and to the concept of sustainable development.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide students with the fundamental elements for the assessment of the anthropic impact, in its various forms (agriculture, breeding, fishing, aquaculture, industry) on the different areas of the Earth ecosystem (water, air, soil). Students will be able to acquire skills in analyzing the causes of degradation, in particular of aquatic ecosystems in order to identify the possibility of restoration and, before that, to foresee and manage environmental changes caused by human action on natural ecosystems.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to familiarize students with the observation, conducted with a critical spirit, of both the natural reality and the reactions of the Earth ecosystem to the changes / alterations caused by the multiple human activities, considered in their temporal evolution.

During the lectures, all the members of the class, protagonists of the learning process, are asked to present their knowledge / experiences on the topics covered. At the end of the meeting, the student, based on the multiplicity of previous knowledge and the different interpretations expressed by the class, will be able to constructively and subjectively re-elaborate the general information provided by the teacher.

At the end of the course, once the desirable habit of dealing with the multiple aspects of a problem / phenomenon has been consolidated, taking into account different points of view and the formulation of more and more detailed self-queries, the student will be able to proceed independently to the analysis and to the preventive evaluation of the positive or negative consequences / alterations that human activities can produce in the different natural environmental sectors.

PREREQUISITES

Knowledge of the basics (concepts and vocabulary) of ecology

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes lectures with the active participation of the class members who, through the prior consultation of the teaching material already uploaded in aulaweb, can be informed in advance about the topics addressed at each meeting, thus having the opportunity to organize a personal mind map on the subject under discussion.

Laboratories, exercises, seminars and field activities are defined, as far as possible, based on the preferences expressed by the students themselves. Thematic analyzes and group work are not excluded, even in relation to the preparation of the final exam.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The evolution of the relationship between man and nature: population growth, human impact, environmental changes, sustainable development.

Land resources: generality and use.

Air:

Atmosphere structure, pollution, greenhouse effect, acid rain, photochemical smog, ozone hole

Water:

Chemical and physical characteristics, Use and pollution, Flaps, Lakes, Rivers, Sea

Soil:

Features, Use and Pollution, Dilution, Desertification, Pesticides, Fertilizers, Waste

Food:

Fishing, Aquaculture, Livestock, Industrialized and Organic Agriculture

Power:

Renewable (Waves, Tides, Wind, Water, Sun)

Non-Renewable (Fossil Fuels, Oil, Coal)

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

All slides used during the lessons and other teaching material will be available on AulaWeb with an adequate advance compared to the day of the single lesson / laboratory exercise.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

PAOLO VASSALLO (President)

CRISTINA MISIC (President Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

APPLIED ECOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is oral and includes the autonomous creation of a final presentation / essay on a topic chosen by the student and the answer to questions asked by the teacher on topics covered in class.

At the end of the educational path, which provides the student as a central figure, the examiner will be able to present, with the correct use of the specialized vocabulary, his own evaluations on a human phenomenon / activity of his choice, concerning the themes of applied ecology, providing autonomously the creation of a final presentation / thesis with particular reference to the sustainability of the activity, to the possible consequences of the anthropic impact and to the possible recovery interventions to support the natural ecosystem response / resilience.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The final presentation, in addition to allowing the teacher to evaluate the learning achieved by the student, through appropriate questions related to the topic, will further aim to represent for the examining a test bench for the synthetic and scientifically correct exposition of the his own critical reasoning in front of a qualified audience and also, for the fellow students present at the examination, may represent a further educational moment.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Due to the particular direction of teaching, constant attendance and active participation of the entire class is recommended.