Environmental Systems and Anthropic Impact

The general aim of the teaching is to allow the student to link environmental problems to anthropogenic impacts in a multidisciplinary perspective. The student is guided by lectures and critical analysis of real case studies, scientific literature and Internet, by interaction with professionals in scientific dissemination, and by carrying out hands-on exercises and journal clubs. Particularly, this course aims to: i) describe the role of plants and microbiomes in environmental processes: ii) elucidate the impact of anthropogenic and natural disturbances on plant and microbial ecosystems; ii) describe contamination sources and explain how physic-chemical properties and reactivity of contaminants affect living organisms and influence their fate in soil, water and atmosphere.

Knowledge and understanding. At the end of the course, students will be able to:
o understand the role of plants and microbial communities in environmental processes and explain how they are impacted by anthropic activities and natural events
o recognize the main classes of organic and inorganic contaminants released in the environment, explain their toxicity against microbes, plants and animals, and predict their fate in soil, water and atmosphere
o evaluate plant responses to contaminant-induced stress and select their main characteristics for potential use as pollutant bioindicators
o critically assess the exposure-effects-risks attributable to anthropogenic impacts by theoretical knowledge of main analytical techniques and statistical approaches used in environmental research
o communicate to peers and speak in public
o work in teams