OVERVIEW

The Nature Campaign is used as an open-air interdisciplinary laboratory, where the students, guided by several teachers, tackle problems relating to land use and assessment. The collection of climatic, geological, geomorphological, floristic, vegetational and faunal data, samples of rocks, plants and animals from terrestrial environments and the development of biotic indices for the ecological assessment of fresh waters are necessary for an integrated reading of the territory. Finally, the campaign is also considered by the students as a fundamental moment in the preparation of a modern naturalist because the disciplinary notions acquired during the course of study are experimented and applied in the field.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course provides:

• basic practical knowledge of naturalistic investigation techniques;
• the opportunity to experience aspects of the future free profession of Naturalist;
• the experience of teamwork in a scientific research work;
• understanding of the meaning and value of environmental diversity and how many disciplines contribute to its definition and documentation;
• practical skills in writing descriptive naturalistic and environmental reports.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Specifically, the student will be able to:

• assess the ecological status of habitats on the basis of physical and biotic characteristics;
• apply methods of naturalistic investigation in the field
• integrate in a group work with the fusion of skills and personal relationships;
• describe the structure of a whole environment in scientific language with the presentation of field data;
• distinguish and quantify plant taxonomic groups;
• distinguish and quantify animal taxonomic groups;
• interpret habitats and relate a territory in an organic way;
• interpret and describe the geological and geomorphological structure.
• describe and interpret a soil profile

PREREQUISITES

As established by the course teaching commission, to participate in the Campagna Naturalistica the student must have acquired at least 60 training credits by March of the relevant academic year and passed the following exams:

•    BOTANICA SISTEMATICA (57291)
•    PRINCIPI DI GEOMORFOLOGIA (52673)
•    ZOOLOGIA EVOLUTIVA (84435

TEACHING METHODS

• Two introductory seminars explaining aims, sampling sites, research methods and data processing and drafting of a personal report describing and assessing the ecology of the area and its environments
• Field exercises and surveys
• Seminars with lecturers for further study of methods

Working students unable to participate in the Naturalistic Campaign are invited to contact the course teacher (Prof. Rellini I.) to agree on an alternative project.

"Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Professor Sara Ferrando (sara.ferrando@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.”

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The Nature Campaign concludes and completes the three-year degree course in Environmental and Natural Sciences. The aim is to put into practice many of the notions learned in various fields of natural sciences, with observations, recordings and evaluations of the geological and geomorphological structure, animal and plant populations and their interactions. A further aim is to simulate a professional activity, as may be required after graduation, for which a detailed report on the environmental characteristics of an area must be provided to a client.

• Entomology: drawing up checklists and entomological surveys
• Geological-geomorphological characterisation: geological description and geomorphological characterisation with the drafting of relative cartography.
• Detailed pedological survey: soil characterisation of the study sites with the creation of profiles and drafting of a final descriptive sheet.
• River environment: Application of the extended biotic index (EBI) through the sampling and classification of freshwater macroinvertebrates; measurement of the main chemical and physical parameters.
• Flora and vegetation: Creation of floristic lists of the studied territory with relative statistical processing; creation of survey transects and floristic monitoring; phytosociological surveys and their processing.
• Climatic framework: General climatic assessment of the territory based on bibliographic research of climatic data.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Supporting teaching material will be available on the AulaWeb module in the form of guides and fact sheets for the different disciplines and links to map sites.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

The nature campaign takes place in June, from Monday to Saturday in a natural area where the students reside for the entire period, together with some teachers who alternate according to the planned activities.

Class schedule

NATURAL HISTORY FIELD STUDIES

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Each student is required to prepare and write a personal report on the course of the entire campaign, describing, in a disciplinary and integrated manner, the experiences made. See guide sheet for writing the report. The report must be sent by e-mail in pdf format by 31 October to Professors I. Rellini, L. Minuto, L. Galli respectively. As established by the Course Council, the evaluation of the quality of the paper and the punctuality of its delivery will contribute to the determination of the degree grade, according to a scheme approved by the CCS.

Those who intend to graduate in sessions prior to the autumn session must send the paper to the relevant lecturers no later than 15 days before the date of graduation.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The final report will make it possible to assess not only whether the student has reached an adequate level of knowledge, but whether he or she has acquired the ability to use naturalistic methods of investigation in the field independently.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance compulsory as the grade contributes to the final grade of the degree.