OVERVIEW

The teaching in "Rilevamento, Cartografia e Monitoraggio della Vegetazione" (Surveying, Cartography, and Vegetation Monitoring) defines the characteristics and methods of vegetation cartography, as well as the foundations for identifying the habitats of the Natura 2000 network and monitoring their management and proper conservation over time.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to lay the foundation for applying current environmental legislation, requiring familiarity with major natural and semi-natural habitats and plant species protected at the European, national, and regional levels. It offers essential knowledge for identifying Natura 2000 network habitats (Directive 92/43/EEC) and conducting monitoring actions to ensure their proper management and conservation over time. Additionally, the course covers fundamental methods for identifying different vegetation types based on physiognomic-structural or phytosociological criteria. It defines the characteristics and methods of vegetation mapping, including main typologies, detection methods and techniques, applications, and the resulting maps.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The objectives are achieved through an initial phase of lectures, followed by exercises and group work to gain proficiency in identification, surveying, and cartographic techniques.

The course provides the tools for:

1. Applying current environmental legislation (primarily the Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC), which requires knowledge of major natural and semi-natural habitats and the plant species protected at European, national, and regional levels.
2. Acquiring essential knowledge to identify habitats and plant species and carry out monitoring activities aimed at ensuring their long-term management and proper conservation.

Additionally, the course covers fundamental methods for identifying various types of vegetation based on physiognomic-structural or phytosociological criteria. It outlines the characteristics and methods of vegetation mapping, including main types, surveying methods and techniques for implementation, applications, and derived maps.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures; practical exercises involving identification, inventory, and detection activities; group work supervised by the teacher through assistance meetings and review sessions of intermediate cartographic documents. Field work with students

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

Vegetation survey and mapping

1) Introduction: A) General information on cartography (traditional, dynamic cartography, in a GIS environment). B) General information on vegetation: a) structure, physiognomy and texture of vegetation; b) original vegetation, natural potential, current, relict, azonal, extrazonal, zonal; c) dynamic processes of vegetation (chrono- and topo-sequences, succession and series, potential and climax); d) phytosociological and symphytosociological definitions (grouping, association, plant community, facies, phase, formation and zonation). e) biogeographical regions and geographical distribution of habitats;

2) Approaches and methods for surveying and classifying vegetation. A) Phytosociological method and other methods; transects and transects oriented on a gradient; permanent plots. B) Phytosociological syntaxonomy and other hierarchical vegetation classification systems. C) The vegetation series in Italy and Liguria.

3) Methods of cartographic survey of habitat vegetation. A) Types of vegetation maps (current and potential; basic and derived). B). Mapping methods: a) The operational scale and nominal scale, the objectives and the choice of method; b) remote sensing and field detection. c) notes on photointerpretation of the vegetation cover; main platforms, photographic sources and software used in photointerpretation; d) operational vegetation mapping plans. C) Application aspects of vegetation cartography: a) artificiality/naturalness/hemerobia maps, b) quality maps; d) pressure and threats paper; e) maps of degradation/state of conservation; E) Analysis of cartographic products: a) statistical processing relating to the mapped units (surfaces, perimeters, shape indices, other indices); b) re-elaborations of the mapped units for statistical purposes.

Habitat monitoring

1) Definitions and classifications. A) Definition of habitats in the scientific and regulatory field (pursuant to European Directive 92/43): a) natural and semi-natural habitats; b) dimension and multiscale vision of habitats (micro-, meso- and macro-habitats; mosaics and mixed aspects); B) Hierarchical habitat classifications (CORINE BIOTOPES, PALAEARCTIC, EUNIS); C) relationships between habitat classifications and vegetation syntaxonomy; D) habitat interpretation manuals: a) community, b) national; c) regional.
2) The habitats of the Natura 2000 network at a supranational, national and regional scale (examples). A) General information: b) guide species; c) elementary habitats and phytosociological references; d) dynamic aspects and potential; identification techniques. B) Techniques: a) identification; b) assessment of the state of conservation; c) pressures and threats d) National Relations pursuant to art. 17 of the Habitats Directive c) monitoring methods; d) indicators and indices for monitoring. C) Habitat categories: a) marine and coastal; b) fresh water; c) heaths, scrublands, garrigues and prairies; d) peat bogs and other types of wetlands; e) rock habitats; f) forest habitats; g) species habitat (not Annex 1 DIr. 92/43).

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Notes provide by teachers

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

CLAUDIA TURCATO (President)

CHIARA VALLESE (President Substitute)

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Oral exam with the discussion of a cartographic project created by the student

Exam schedule