Ecology

The course aims at providing students with basic knowledge of ecology, defined as the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms and of the interactions that determine them as well as of the matter and energy fluxes within ecosystems. An integrated view of ecosystems functioning will be given, as well as of the different levels of ecological organization, from organisms to populations, communities and ecosystems. The human impact on the biosphere will be considered, as well as the interactions between human activities and ecological processes, with particular reference to ecosystem services. The main aim will be to stimulate a scientific approach to the concept of sustainability.

At the end of the course the student will know and understand the fundamental concepts of ecology, in particular: the main terrestrial and aquatic biomes, the adaptations of organisms to their environment, the populations of organisms, their dynamics, the factors that determine them, the relationships that are established between populations within a community, the biodiversity and the possible ways to evaluate it, the ecosystems and the flows of matter and energy that occur within them, the landscapes and the management of the environment; the biogeochemical cycles taking place on a global scale, the main challenges linked to sustainability. The student will develop skills to apply this knowledge to the resolution of practical cases of environmental analysis. In particular, he or she will be able to analyze, individually or in groups, an environment, highlighting its ecological characteristics. This activity also intends to develop the critical capacity of the student in analyzing the ecological characteristics of the environments. Furthermore, the student will develop competences that will allow him or her to effectively communicate these results through a short report and a presentation, to be held also through a short video.