Climate Change: Impact and Adaptation
A.Y. 2023/2024
Learning objectives
Introducing earth's atmosphere and the basic physical mechanism of the Climate System, highlighting the key role of the interaction of earth's surface and atmosphere with long and short wave radiation.
Presenting the complexity of the climate systems highlighting a number of natural and anthropic factors that can affect earth's energy balance. Particular emphasis is naturally given to the factors that have been most relevant for climate change in the last decades.
Presenting observational and scenario data highlighting current and expected climate change.
Presenting tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions. This part of the course will be largely based on mathematical models simulating crop growth and development as a function of environmental variables and biotic/a-biotic stressors.
Discussing the use of simulation models to identify adaptation strategies in case of negative impact of climate change. Adaptation strategies will deal with changes/improvement in agro-management practices and in the in silico design and evaluation of plant types more suited to the climate conditions expected in the coming decades.
Presenting the complexity of the climate systems highlighting a number of natural and anthropic factors that can affect earth's energy balance. Particular emphasis is naturally given to the factors that have been most relevant for climate change in the last decades.
Presenting observational and scenario data highlighting current and expected climate change.
Presenting tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions. This part of the course will be largely based on mathematical models simulating crop growth and development as a function of environmental variables and biotic/a-biotic stressors.
Discussing the use of simulation models to identify adaptation strategies in case of negative impact of climate change. Adaptation strategies will deal with changes/improvement in agro-management practices and in the in silico design and evaluation of plant types more suited to the climate conditions expected in the coming decades.
Expected learning outcomes
At the end of the course, students must first understand the basic elements of Earth's radiative and energetic budgets. Then they must be aware on how much Earth's climate has changed in the last century and on how much it is projected to change in the next decades. Students must then learn using tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions and understand how adaption strategies can be managed.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
Characteristics, composition and vertical structure.
Observing the atmosphere: principal meteorological variables, meteorological networks, methods for the representation of meteorological data. From meteorology to climatology.
EARTH'S ENERGY BALANCE AND CLIMATE
Short wave and long wave radiation and their interaction with earth's surface and atmosphere. Role of oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the energy balance of the earth. Energy balance and local climate.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Natural and anthropic factors affecting earth's energy balance. The role of greenhouse gases and aerosols.
Climate change and the hydrological cycle.
Climate variability and change in the last two centuries and climate scenarios for the 21st century.
Climate data for impact assessment and climate services at international, national and local scales.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
Mathematical models for the simulation of crop growth and productivity.
Simulation of the impact of environmental (soil, climate) and management factors, as well as of biotic (e.g., pathogens, weeds) and a-biotic (e.g., extreme weather events) factors, on crop productivity.
Simulation model to quantify the impact of climate change on food production.
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
Identification of adaptation strategies based on changes/improvement of agro-management practices.
Identification of adaptation strategies based on the development of new plant types more suited to the expected climate conditions.
In silico evaluation of the benefits deriving from the adaptation strategies identified.
Characteristics, composition and vertical structure.
Observing the atmosphere: principal meteorological variables, meteorological networks, methods for the representation of meteorological data. From meteorology to climatology.
EARTH'S ENERGY BALANCE AND CLIMATE
Short wave and long wave radiation and their interaction with earth's surface and atmosphere. Role of oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the energy balance of the earth. Energy balance and local climate.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Natural and anthropic factors affecting earth's energy balance. The role of greenhouse gases and aerosols.
Climate change and the hydrological cycle.
Climate variability and change in the last two centuries and climate scenarios for the 21st century.
Climate data for impact assessment and climate services at international, national and local scales.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
Mathematical models for the simulation of crop growth and productivity.
Simulation of the impact of environmental (soil, climate) and management factors, as well as of biotic (e.g., pathogens, weeds) and a-biotic (e.g., extreme weather events) factors, on crop productivity.
Simulation model to quantify the impact of climate change on food production.
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
Identification of adaptation strategies based on changes/improvement of agro-management practices.
Identification of adaptation strategies based on the development of new plant types more suited to the expected climate conditions.
In silico evaluation of the benefits deriving from the adaptation strategies identified.
Prerequisites for admission
The competences that are usually acquired in the first year of Environmental Change and Global Sustainability Master are considered as sufficient to attend the course.
Teaching methods
The course will be articulated in a series of lectures and case studies that will focus on key issues related with climate change from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Practical activities will be also carried out on some of the main topics faced during the lectures.
Teaching Resources
D.L. Hartmann, 1994: Global Physical Climatology, Academic Press, Elsevier.
Scientific papers and other supporting documents will be indicated and suggested during the course.
Scientific papers and other supporting documents will be indicated and suggested during the course.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The final test is an oral exam of about one hour that aims at evaluating the acquired knowledge and at testing the ability of applying it to case studies concerning the main issues faced in the course. A critical approach to the studied issues will be one of the main evaluated points.
AGR/02 - AGRONOMY AND FIELD CROPS
FIS/06 - PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE CIRCUMTERRESTRIAL MEDIUM
FIS/06 - PHYSICS OF THE EARTH AND OF THE CIRCUMTERRESTRIAL MEDIUM
Practicals: 32 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Professors:
Confalonieri Roberto, Maugeri Maurizio
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