00248 - Ecology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has knowledge of ecosystems, of the main environmental issues and appropriate methodologies to study them, and knows how to interact properly with the environment

Course contents

1) Introduction: the cultural roots of ecology, the aims of ecology, the levels of ecological organization, temporal and spatial scales, ecology as a science, ecological methods and tools

 2) The environment: the abiotic environment, the climate, the aquatic environment, the terrestrial environment

 3) Interactions between organisms and their environment: principles of evolutionary ecology, adaptations of organisms to the environment, and life histories

 4) Ecology of populations: population growth, the study of demography, exponential and logistic growth models, carrying capacity and intraspecific competition, the concept of metapopulation

 5) biotic interactions: competition, predation, facilitation and other positive interactions, direct and indirect interactions

 6) Ecological communities: community structure, the concept of biodiversity and diversity indices, ecological successions, disturbance and patch dynamics, factors maintaining diversity  - the role of competition, disturbance and environmental heterogeneity

 7) Ecology of ecosystems: the ecosystem concept, flows of energy in ecosystems, chains and food webs, decomposition, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity and functioning, ecosystem functions and services

Readings/Bibliography

REFERENCE TEXT: Elements of Ecology - 2009 - TM Smith, RL Smith. Pearson Education, Paperback

 

SUPPORT TEXT: Ecology - from organisms to ecosystems - 2004 - Chelazzi G., Specimens A., Santini G. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

 

Other text noted: Donald Worster, History of Ecological Ideas, Il Mulino, Bologna 1994.

 

Other bibliographical material will be provided during the classes along with a copy of power point presentations.

Teaching methods

The course is comprised of 6CFU of frontal teaching

Assessment methods

The exam will assess knowledge about the structure and functioning of natural systems (populations, communities, ecosystems). The final evaluation is expressed in 30ies.

There will be 1 written exam session (which will take place at the end of the course tentatively in February and will include about 20 questions both closed and open - the questions will cover all the topics of the course) and 5 oral exams. The dates of the exams will be posted on the site AlmaEsami. Students can book for the examination exclusively using the procedures provided by the online system Alma Exams (https://almaesami.unibo.it/almaesami/welcome.htm). Each student can not enroll in more than one exam call at a time. Students who have not passed an exam test will be eligible to take the exam only to the second round later (then jumping one call).

The written test will be delivered in Italian, while foreign students will be able to take the oral examination in English if preferred

Teaching tools

Teaching material will be available at the web site AMS Campus - Deposito istituzionale del materiale didattico
The password to access the teaching material will be given during the first teaching lesson

Office hours

See the website of Laura Airoldi