Biodiversity

The course aims to provide the students with theoretical and practical background for understanding, analysing and conserving biodiversity. The course will address the concept of biodiversity, the levels of genetic, species, functional and ecological diversity. Multiple aspects of
biodiversity will be considered, including its origin and evolution, taxonomic and functional diversity, biogeography and macroecology, ecosystem functioning and services, the contribution of biodiversity to people and societies, threats to biodiversity and conservation strategies and management.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired advanced theoretical and practical knowledge to understand, analyse and conserve biodiversity. They will be able to describe and to measure the animal and plant biodiversity, to identify the main drivers of biodiversity loss and threats to its conservation, to explain the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning and human well being, to discuss the principles and the practices in biodiversity conservation. Students will have acquired skills to develop innovative approaches to assess and monitor the current state of biodiversity, including field sampling techniques and data analysis at global, regional, and local scales. They will be able to find solutions and strategies to preserve biodiversity in the context of climate change and its link with human and animal health. Students will be able to manage and to critically evaluate research activities and projects related to the conservation of biodiversity, and to communicate the scientific information acquired to different audiences.