66101 - Plant Ecosystems, Protected Habitats and Environmental Restoration

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student has acquired knowledge about the role of plants in the ecosystems, the main Italian forest vegetation types, the roles and levels of biodiversity, the European protected habitats (Habitat Directive 92/43/EEC) and the main Italian and European regulations for biodiversity conservation. In particular, the student will be able to analyse the territory as an ecosystem and identify needs and actions to take for nature management and/or conservation.

Course contents

Note: This Academic Year the module numbering is inverted

 

MODULE 2 – Elements of ecology and vegetation

Ecology (8 hours)

The role of plants in the ecosystems: C cycle, primary production, habitats.

Factors that control plant distribution.

Adaptation process.

Ecosystems dynamics.

Ecosystem services.

Acquired knowledge: Basic ecology knowledge to address the territory as an ecosystem.

The vegetation and its spatial distribution (10 hours)

Factors that control vegetation distribution.

Methods to study vegetation and plant communities.

Geographic and altitudinal vegetation zones in Italy and Europe.

Climate and soil factors of the Mediterranean, basal/supramediterranean, mountain and subalpine Italian forests.

Ecology and ecosystemic role of the main forest species in the:

• Mediterranean zone: (Quercus ilex, Quercus suber, Quercus coccifera, Quercus calliprinos, Ceratonia siliqua, Olea europaea var. sylvestris, Pinus pinea, Pinus pinaster, Pinus halepensis and other minor species).

• Basale/supramediterranean zone (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea, Quercus pubescens, Quercus frainetto, Quercus cerris, Quercus trojana, Quercus macrolepis, Carpinus betulus, Carpinus orientalis, Ostrya carpinifolia, Laburnum anagyroides, Acer campestre, Acer opulifolium, Acer obtusatum, Acer neapolitanum, Fraxinus ornus, Castanea sativa, Salix sp. pl., Alnus incana, Alnus glutinosa, Alnus cordata, Fraxinus oxycarpa, Ulmus minor).

• Mountain zone (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer platanoides, Fraxinus excelsior, Ulmus glabra, Tilia cordata, Tilia platyphyllos, Prunus avium, Taxus baccata, Ilex aquifolium, Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra, Pinus laricio, Pinus leucodermis).

• Subalpine zone (Picea abies, Larix decidua, Pinus cembra, Pinus uncinata).

• Pioneer tree species

Acquired knowledge: main Italian forest ecosystems and tree species, and their reference value as native climax communities for environmental restoration.

Practical lab activities (12 hours)

• Identification of the main trees of the Italian forests.

• Methods to survey and inventory the vegetation.

• Project (with final written presentation/report): Ecosystem background of two case studies (max. 2 pages each): Foreste Casentinesi and a freely chosen case study in a territory with a strong human pressure (ex. Po Plain). The presentation/report has to address: Identification of the forest communities and climax stage. Identification of the factors that influence/ prevent or modify the natural succession towards the climax, or threaten its maintenance. Biodiversity conservation needs. Suggested restoration/ conservation actions.

MODULE 2 – Biodiversity and conservation

Measuring biodiversity (6 hours)

Levels of biodiversity.

Ecosystems dynamics.

The role of spatial scale and fragmentation for biodiversity.

Biodiversity quantification by remote sensing.

 

Acquired knowledge: basic knowledge of biodiversity at vegetation and ecosystem levels. Quantitative and qualitative indices for biodiversity evaluation

Ecosystems and vegetation conservation (8 hours)

Climate and land use change. The need to conserve nature.

International conventions for nature conservation.

European directives: Bird Directive and Habitat Directive

Nature reserves (parks), protected areas, Nature 2000 network

CORINE and EUNIS to inventory European habitats

Examples of EU protected Italian natural and seminatural habitats

Acquired knowledge: Nature protection system in Italy and in Europe. Conventional systems to report biodiversity.

Biodiversity restoration (4 hours)

Principles of “Restoration Ecology”.

Site evaluation.

Species selection and procurement.

Analysis of nature restoration projects (from the literature).

Monitoring restoration actions and results.

Acquired knowledge: Principles to approach environmental restoration

 

 

Practical activities (12 hours)

Field excursions to identify spatial plant diversity patterns (Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi).

Readings/Bibliography

Ferrari C., Pezzi G. L’Ecologia del Paesaggio. Il Mulino Universale Paperbacks.

Teaching methods

Class lectures on concepts and methodological approaches.

Practical exercises to learn about the main tools for identifying the main plant species.

Field excursions, to analyse and discuss in the field the problems related to the management and conservation of ecosystems, habitats and vegetation.

Assessment methods

Type of assessment: Written test at the first examination call and interview for all the subsequent examination calls.

Type of questions: open questions.

Description of evaluation: The written test and the interview aims to verify the acquisition by the students the fundamental theoretical knowledge on the topics discussed during the course and her/his capacity to use these knowledge to understand the major issues in vegetation management and conservation.

Teaching tools

Slides of the teacher presentations during lectures, scientific reports and papers provided by the teacher, specialised web sites.

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro Chiarucci

See the website of Carla Lambertini