Ecological and Forest Restoration
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
This course will introduce the key concepts, methods and processes for planning, carrying out, and monitoring effective ecological and forest restoration.
The lecturer will implement: (i) in-presence lecture sessions to stimulate the discussion with the students on the topics treated; (ii) field lessons to further develop the students' practical capacity; (iii) teaching labs to consolidate the learning; (iv) tests to verify the learning progresses.
The lecturer will implement: (i) in-presence lecture sessions to stimulate the discussion with the students on the topics treated; (ii) field lessons to further develop the students' practical capacity; (iii) teaching labs to consolidate the learning; (iv) tests to verify the learning progresses.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding.
o Understand the causes and consequences of forest ecosystem degradation and deforestation, and identify restoration goals.
o Describe and analyze forest climate and the physical, chemical, and biological properties of forest soils.
o Describe the different strategies of forest restoration via natural and artificial regeneration.
o Summarize the ecological characteristics of forest species and distinguish the dynamics of ecological succession.
o Recall forest restoration strategies, barriers and opportunities at an international, European and national level.
o Understand the different stages of forest restoration programs, from seed collection and nurseries to tree planting or proforestation.
Applying knowledge and understanding.
o Analyze the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to climate change and assess their resistance and resilience.
o Monitor the severity of disturbance, degradation and deforestation using remote sensing techniques.
o Plan an intervention to restore forest vegetation following deforestation, degradation or natural disturbances.
o Assess and monitor the outcomes of forest restoration in terms of carbon sink and biodiversity.
o Understand the causes and consequences of forest ecosystem degradation and deforestation, and identify restoration goals.
o Describe and analyze forest climate and the physical, chemical, and biological properties of forest soils.
o Describe the different strategies of forest restoration via natural and artificial regeneration.
o Summarize the ecological characteristics of forest species and distinguish the dynamics of ecological succession.
o Recall forest restoration strategies, barriers and opportunities at an international, European and national level.
o Understand the different stages of forest restoration programs, from seed collection and nurseries to tree planting or proforestation.
Applying knowledge and understanding.
o Analyze the vulnerability of forest ecosystems to climate change and assess their resistance and resilience.
o Monitor the severity of disturbance, degradation and deforestation using remote sensing techniques.
o Plan an intervention to restore forest vegetation following deforestation, degradation or natural disturbances.
o Assess and monitor the outcomes of forest restoration in terms of carbon sink and biodiversity.
Lesson period: Second 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
Second semester
Prerequisites for admission
Basic knowledge of principles of vegetation ecology.
English language level B2.
English language level B2.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The learning outcomes will be successfully verified by passing a final exam with a score from 18 to 30. 40% of the score (0-12) will be attributed to an ecological and forest restoration project carried out in groups according to the methods and criteria that will be published on the MS Teams page of the course. 40% of the score will be assigned after an oral interview with individual questions on the project (0-12 points), and 20% (0-6 points) according to in-course exercises to be carried out individually.
The groups for the preparation of the project (3-4 students) will be formed by the instructors. Each student will have primary responsibility for one or more chapters of the report and will be examined orally with detailed questions on their main chapter, as well as more general questions on the other parts of the project.
The assessment criteria for the project are: effectiveness and completeness of the risk reduction proposal, accuracy of calculations and maps, appropriate use of simulation tools, and completeness of the cost-benefit assessment. The assessment criteria for the ongoing assignments will be communicated each time via MS Teams and by the instructors.
Students with SLD or disability certifications are kindly requested to contact the teacher at least 15 days before the date of the exam session to agree on individual exam requirements. In the email please make sure to add in cc the competent offices: [email protected] (for students with SLD) o [email protected] (for students with disability).
Non attending students will have to consult the teachers to agree on how to replace graded in-course exercises and/or the final project, also focusing on specific excerpts from the textbooks listed below.
The groups for the preparation of the project (3-4 students) will be formed by the instructors. Each student will have primary responsibility for one or more chapters of the report and will be examined orally with detailed questions on their main chapter, as well as more general questions on the other parts of the project.
The assessment criteria for the project are: effectiveness and completeness of the risk reduction proposal, accuracy of calculations and maps, appropriate use of simulation tools, and completeness of the cost-benefit assessment. The assessment criteria for the ongoing assignments will be communicated each time via MS Teams and by the instructors.
Students with SLD or disability certifications are kindly requested to contact the teacher at least 15 days before the date of the exam session to agree on individual exam requirements. In the email please make sure to add in cc the competent offices: [email protected] (for students with SLD) o [email protected] (for students with disability).
Non attending students will have to consult the teachers to agree on how to replace graded in-course exercises and/or the final project, also focusing on specific excerpts from the textbooks listed below.
Functional ecology and forest restoration
Course syllabus
Forest restoration Module
1. Lectures - 3.5 CFU, 28 hours
Forests of the world and forest ecosystem services.
Threats to forests: deforestation, forest degradation and climate change.
Impacts of climate change and extreme events on forests.
Disturbance ecology: disturbance regimes, resistance, resilience and recovery.
Site analysis and abiotic factors: light, temperature, water, nutrients and Ellenberg indicators.
Ecosystem functioning, population and community ecology, species interactions and ecological succession.
Principles of ecological restoration: defining the desired state, objectives and success criteria.
Restoration of urban forests and climate adaptation.
Rehabilitation of polluted sites and the role of forest nurseries.
Biodiversity crisis and restoration: levels of biodiversity, measurement and monitoring.
Rewilding, old-growth forests and biodiversity-friendly forest management.
Restoration following biological invasions.
Restoration of riparian, lowland and alluvial forests.
Mountain forests: management and restoration for climate resilience.
Mountain afforestation and post-disturbance restoration.
Forests as carbon sinks and climate mitigation in the forest sector.
Restoration of hydrogeological protection functions.
Principles of landscape ecology.
The role of animals in forest restoration.
Categories of mountain forests and valuation of forest ecosystem services.
Discussion and support for the development of the project work.
2. Classroom practicals - 1 CFU, 16 hours
Climate change scenarios and their use for assessing forest impacts.
Tree mensuration and collection/processing of forest inventory data.
Analysis of field data and interpretation of results.
Forest carbon accounting and estimation of carbon stocks and fluxes.
Application of landscape ecology, ecosystem service assessment and forest restoration concepts to the project work.
3. Field trips - 1.5 CFU, 24 hours
Campo dei Fiori - mountain forests, tree mensuration and observation of forest dynamics.
Parco Nord Milano - urban forest restoration and climate adaptation.
Ticino Park - restoration of riparian forests and heathlands, and management of invasive tree species.
Assignment 1 - Italian forests and forest ecosystem services
Analysis of the distribution, diversity and functions of Italian forests, with particular attention to the main ecosystem services provided by forest ecosystems and to potential drivers of degradation.
Assignment 2 - Climate scenarios applied to the project area
Application of climate change scenarios to the project area, with analysis of possible implications for site conditions, forest vulnerability, disturbances, resilience and restoration priorities.
Assignment 3 - Forest carbon accounting and climate mitigation
Estimation and interpretation of forest carbon stocks, fluxes and balances, with reference to the role of forests in climate mitigation and the implications for management and restoration.
Functional Ecology Module
Field trips and in-field training (3 CFU). Candidate sites include:
(1) Botanic gardens in Milan and the hinterland of Milan - General botany to aid tree identification
(2) The Seveso and Meda Oak Woodland - Environmental recovery of the world's first large scale chemical/industrial disaster
(3) Woodland understorey recovery project, Cislago - A visit to a project for the control of invasive Prunus serotina and the recovery of the understorey herb layer
(4) The Red Oak control project and Native Flora Centre at Monte Barro park - A visit to an ongoing project for the control of the naturalized species Quercus rubra, with a visit to the Lombardy Region's main plant conservation centre, including a germplasm bank and plant propagation laboratory.
(5,6) The future of spruce forests destroyed by the "Vaia" storm - A visit to a forest destroyed by the "Vaia" storm and subsequent bark beetle outbreak. Analysis of current vegetation and future scenarios. This includes two field trips to the project site.
1. Lectures - 3.5 CFU, 28 hours
Forests of the world and forest ecosystem services.
Threats to forests: deforestation, forest degradation and climate change.
Impacts of climate change and extreme events on forests.
Disturbance ecology: disturbance regimes, resistance, resilience and recovery.
Site analysis and abiotic factors: light, temperature, water, nutrients and Ellenberg indicators.
Ecosystem functioning, population and community ecology, species interactions and ecological succession.
Principles of ecological restoration: defining the desired state, objectives and success criteria.
Restoration of urban forests and climate adaptation.
Rehabilitation of polluted sites and the role of forest nurseries.
Biodiversity crisis and restoration: levels of biodiversity, measurement and monitoring.
Rewilding, old-growth forests and biodiversity-friendly forest management.
Restoration following biological invasions.
Restoration of riparian, lowland and alluvial forests.
Mountain forests: management and restoration for climate resilience.
Mountain afforestation and post-disturbance restoration.
Forests as carbon sinks and climate mitigation in the forest sector.
Restoration of hydrogeological protection functions.
Principles of landscape ecology.
The role of animals in forest restoration.
Categories of mountain forests and valuation of forest ecosystem services.
Discussion and support for the development of the project work.
2. Classroom practicals - 1 CFU, 16 hours
Climate change scenarios and their use for assessing forest impacts.
Tree mensuration and collection/processing of forest inventory data.
Analysis of field data and interpretation of results.
Forest carbon accounting and estimation of carbon stocks and fluxes.
Application of landscape ecology, ecosystem service assessment and forest restoration concepts to the project work.
3. Field trips - 1.5 CFU, 24 hours
Campo dei Fiori - mountain forests, tree mensuration and observation of forest dynamics.
Parco Nord Milano - urban forest restoration and climate adaptation.
Ticino Park - restoration of riparian forests and heathlands, and management of invasive tree species.
Assignment 1 - Italian forests and forest ecosystem services
Analysis of the distribution, diversity and functions of Italian forests, with particular attention to the main ecosystem services provided by forest ecosystems and to potential drivers of degradation.
Assignment 2 - Climate scenarios applied to the project area
Application of climate change scenarios to the project area, with analysis of possible implications for site conditions, forest vulnerability, disturbances, resilience and restoration priorities.
Assignment 3 - Forest carbon accounting and climate mitigation
Estimation and interpretation of forest carbon stocks, fluxes and balances, with reference to the role of forests in climate mitigation and the implications for management and restoration.
Functional Ecology Module
Field trips and in-field training (3 CFU). Candidate sites include:
(1) Botanic gardens in Milan and the hinterland of Milan - General botany to aid tree identification
(2) The Seveso and Meda Oak Woodland - Environmental recovery of the world's first large scale chemical/industrial disaster
(3) Woodland understorey recovery project, Cislago - A visit to a project for the control of invasive Prunus serotina and the recovery of the understorey herb layer
(4) The Red Oak control project and Native Flora Centre at Monte Barro park - A visit to an ongoing project for the control of the naturalized species Quercus rubra, with a visit to the Lombardy Region's main plant conservation centre, including a germplasm bank and plant propagation laboratory.
(5,6) The future of spruce forests destroyed by the "Vaia" storm - A visit to a forest destroyed by the "Vaia" storm and subsequent bark beetle outbreak. Analysis of current vegetation and future scenarios. This includes two field trips to the project site.
Teaching methods
The lecturers will use:
a) lectures and interactive teaching activities (28 hours) aimed at providing students with the theoretical concepts of the course and fostering critical thinking through discussion;
b) teaching laboratories and practical exercises (16 hours) to consolidate the knowledge acquired during lectures and develop applied ecology skills that will be useful in professional practice;
c) in-course exercises and quizzes aimed at consolidating and assessing knowledge acquisition;
d) field trips (72 hours) to learn how to measure, describe and analyse forest stands;
e) Asynchronous online lectures, amounting to no more than 10% of the total lecture hours, aimed at illustrating basic concepts.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
For the field trips, students travel with their own means to the meeting place. Students are allowed to participate in field activities only if they have:
- Mountain boots with vibram soles
- Water (minimum 1 l per person) and snacks
- First aid kit
- Clothing for rain and cold temperatures
- Notepad and pencil
Inclusiveness. The teacher is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment, providing listening and prompt action following any report or request for support, and adopting the compensatory tools provided for by the University guidelines for students with Specific Learning Disorders. Students wishing to make use of compensatory tools must report it to the teacher via e-mail within the first week of the course, and / or within 15 days of the exam.
Integrity. The teacher commits to evaluate the achievement of the objectives stated by this syllabus and the knowledge acquired on the program specified here with objectivity and transparency. Students are committed to the utmost integrity during the assessment test.
Responsibility. Attendance to the course is not compulsory, but strongly recommended. Lessons and field trips will start no later than 15 minutes after the scheduled time. The teacher and the students are committed to punctuality, respect for each other's work, and to collaborate proactively during teaching activities. The teacher will promptly report any schedule or program changes using the online course bulletin board. Students commit to consult the course website frequently and to make informed use of the study material. Reading the recommended textbook passages before each lesson will help you learn more effectively in the classroom.
a) lectures and interactive teaching activities (28 hours) aimed at providing students with the theoretical concepts of the course and fostering critical thinking through discussion;
b) teaching laboratories and practical exercises (16 hours) to consolidate the knowledge acquired during lectures and develop applied ecology skills that will be useful in professional practice;
c) in-course exercises and quizzes aimed at consolidating and assessing knowledge acquisition;
d) field trips (72 hours) to learn how to measure, describe and analyse forest stands;
e) Asynchronous online lectures, amounting to no more than 10% of the total lecture hours, aimed at illustrating basic concepts.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
For the field trips, students travel with their own means to the meeting place. Students are allowed to participate in field activities only if they have:
- Mountain boots with vibram soles
- Water (minimum 1 l per person) and snacks
- First aid kit
- Clothing for rain and cold temperatures
- Notepad and pencil
Inclusiveness. The teacher is committed to providing an inclusive educational environment, providing listening and prompt action following any report or request for support, and adopting the compensatory tools provided for by the University guidelines for students with Specific Learning Disorders. Students wishing to make use of compensatory tools must report it to the teacher via e-mail within the first week of the course, and / or within 15 days of the exam.
Integrity. The teacher commits to evaluate the achievement of the objectives stated by this syllabus and the knowledge acquired on the program specified here with objectivity and transparency. Students are committed to the utmost integrity during the assessment test.
Responsibility. Attendance to the course is not compulsory, but strongly recommended. Lessons and field trips will start no later than 15 minutes after the scheduled time. The teacher and the students are committed to punctuality, respect for each other's work, and to collaborate proactively during teaching activities. The teacher will promptly report any schedule or program changes using the online course bulletin board. Students commit to consult the course website frequently and to make informed use of the study material. Reading the recommended textbook passages before each lesson will help you learn more effectively in the classroom.
Teaching Resources
Slides and course notes; study material provided by lecturers on MS Teams channels (for both attending and non attending students).
Recommended texts:
- Stanturf J., Lamb D., Madsen P. (2012) Forest Landscape Restoration, Springer.
- Lamb D. (2014) Large-scale Forest Restoration, Routledge.
- Mansourian S., Parrotta J. (2018) Forest Landscape Restoration. Integrated Approaches to Support Effective Implementation, Routledge.
- Van Andel J., Aronson J. (2012) Restoration Ecology: The New Frontier, Second edition, Wiley
- Howell E.A., Harrington J.A., Glass B.S. (2011) Introduction to Restoration Ecology, Island Press
- Rieger J., Stanley J., Traynor R. (2014) Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration. Island Press
- Holl K.D. (2020) Primer of ecological restoration. Island Press
- Schulze D., et al. (2019) Plant Ecology. Springer
Recommended texts:
- Stanturf J., Lamb D., Madsen P. (2012) Forest Landscape Restoration, Springer.
- Lamb D. (2014) Large-scale Forest Restoration, Routledge.
- Mansourian S., Parrotta J. (2018) Forest Landscape Restoration. Integrated Approaches to Support Effective Implementation, Routledge.
- Van Andel J., Aronson J. (2012) Restoration Ecology: The New Frontier, Second edition, Wiley
- Howell E.A., Harrington J.A., Glass B.S. (2011) Introduction to Restoration Ecology, Island Press
- Rieger J., Stanley J., Traynor R. (2014) Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration. Island Press
- Holl K.D. (2020) Primer of ecological restoration. Island Press
- Schulze D., et al. (2019) Plant Ecology. Springer
Remote sensing for forest restoration
Course syllabus
Lessons (1 CFU):
- Course presentation and Introduction: RS history, platforms/sensors, satellite orbits, missions, RS data and applications.
- Basic principles of Remote Sensing: Electromagnetic Spectrum (EM) and radiation, reflectance and spectral signatures.
- RS of vegetation: spectral signature, leaf optical properties, plants/canopy components, LAI, soil, phenology, Vegetation Indices
- Data characteristics: satellite swath width, sensor bandwidth, processing levels, image resolutions, geometric correction
- RS image interpretation : Classification principles and techniques: image interpretation, thematic classification, supervised and unsupervised classification.
Exercises (2 CFU):
- Geo-spatial data raster and vector formats, data access and availability, Copernicus browser, Earth Explorer.
- RS data download, clip on area of interest (AOI), visualization and processing in QGIS, RGB true and false colour visualization, vegetation indices VIs, band maths.
- GEE basics: image access and feature collections, metadata, filtering, visualization, Import/Export
- thresholds GEE mosaics and Composites from Image Collections, clip, masking, band math and indices
- GEE Vectors and tables, raster/vector conversions, zonal statistics
- Development of a project on a forested area (GEE): data, images, features
- Change detection techniques: algorithms and applications, change detection workflow, implementation in GEE of classification and change detection algorithms, validation through reference data, confusion matrix and accuracy metrics.
- Machine learning (ML) algorithms: definition, minimum distance algorithms, support vector machines (SVM), Random Forest (RF), K-means, implementation of ML algorithms in GEE
- Time series analysis of vegetation indices/NDVI, trend analysis, interpolation, time series visualization, compositing techniques, time series analysis in GEE
- Course presentation and Introduction: RS history, platforms/sensors, satellite orbits, missions, RS data and applications.
- Basic principles of Remote Sensing: Electromagnetic Spectrum (EM) and radiation, reflectance and spectral signatures.
- RS of vegetation: spectral signature, leaf optical properties, plants/canopy components, LAI, soil, phenology, Vegetation Indices
- Data characteristics: satellite swath width, sensor bandwidth, processing levels, image resolutions, geometric correction
- RS image interpretation : Classification principles and techniques: image interpretation, thematic classification, supervised and unsupervised classification.
Exercises (2 CFU):
- Geo-spatial data raster and vector formats, data access and availability, Copernicus browser, Earth Explorer.
- RS data download, clip on area of interest (AOI), visualization and processing in QGIS, RGB true and false colour visualization, vegetation indices VIs, band maths.
- GEE basics: image access and feature collections, metadata, filtering, visualization, Import/Export
- thresholds GEE mosaics and Composites from Image Collections, clip, masking, band math and indices
- GEE Vectors and tables, raster/vector conversions, zonal statistics
- Development of a project on a forested area (GEE): data, images, features
- Change detection techniques: algorithms and applications, change detection workflow, implementation in GEE of classification and change detection algorithms, validation through reference data, confusion matrix and accuracy metrics.
- Machine learning (ML) algorithms: definition, minimum distance algorithms, support vector machines (SVM), Random Forest (RF), K-means, implementation of ML algorithms in GEE
- Time series analysis of vegetation indices/NDVI, trend analysis, interpolation, time series visualization, compositing techniques, time series analysis in GEE
Teaching methods
The module consists of 1 CFU of lectures and 2 CFU of computer lab activities.
The lecturers will use:
a) lectures and interactive teaching activities aimed at providing students with the theoretical concepts of the course and fostering critical thinking through discussion;
b) classroom exercises aimed at consolidating and assessing knowledge acquisition and familiarizing students with computer-based analysis tools.
The remote sensing lectures will be integrated with practical exercises in Google Earth Engine, including data access, data visualization, image classification, and accuracy assessment.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
The lecturers will use:
a) lectures and interactive teaching activities aimed at providing students with the theoretical concepts of the course and fostering critical thinking through discussion;
b) classroom exercises aimed at consolidating and assessing knowledge acquisition and familiarizing students with computer-based analysis tools.
The remote sensing lectures will be integrated with practical exercises in Google Earth Engine, including data access, data visualization, image classification, and accuracy assessment.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
Course slides and notes; additional study materials will be provided by the lecturers through the MS Teams channels of the course, for both attending and non-attending students.
Reference texts:
Wegmann M., Leutner B., Dech S. (2016) Remote Sensing and GIS for Ecologists. Pelagic Publishing
Reference texts:
Wegmann M., Leutner B., Dech S. (2016) Remote Sensing and GIS for Ecologists. Pelagic Publishing
Soil dynamics in ecosystem restoration
Course syllabus
Part 1
Forest and natural soils in general: soil-based ecosystem services
(carbon stocks, climate mitigation, control of surface and groundwater quality, support for biodiversity, palaeoenvironmental proxies) (0.5 CFU)
Soil formation processes and factors, and soil diversity across different habitats (0.5 CFU)
Soil degradation processes associated with deforestation and forest degradation, erosion, desertification, vulnerability to climate change and extreme events (0.5 CFU)
Soil restoration in the main forest and natural habitats affected by degradation, from the tropics to boreal and mountain ecosystems. Ecological properties of restoration sites and identification of reference soils to be used for restoration. Introduction to soil restoration legislation and economics (0.5 CFU)
Part 2
Field activities (0.5 CFU fieldwork, 0.5 CFU data analysis): soil characterization, description and sampling
Forest and natural soils in general: soil-based ecosystem services
(carbon stocks, climate mitigation, control of surface and groundwater quality, support for biodiversity, palaeoenvironmental proxies) (0.5 CFU)
Soil formation processes and factors, and soil diversity across different habitats (0.5 CFU)
Soil degradation processes associated with deforestation and forest degradation, erosion, desertification, vulnerability to climate change and extreme events (0.5 CFU)
Soil restoration in the main forest and natural habitats affected by degradation, from the tropics to boreal and mountain ecosystems. Ecological properties of restoration sites and identification of reference soils to be used for restoration. Introduction to soil restoration legislation and economics (0.5 CFU)
Part 2
Field activities (0.5 CFU fieldwork, 0.5 CFU data analysis): soil characterization, description and sampling
Teaching methods
The module consists of
a) 16 hours of lectures and discussions, aimed at providing students with theoretical concepts and encouraging critical thinking through discussion;
b) 8 hours of classroom and laboratory exercises, aimed at consolidating and verifying knowledge;
c) 8 hours of field trips to learn how to measure, describe, and analyze soils.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
a) 16 hours of lectures and discussions, aimed at providing students with theoretical concepts and encouraging critical thinking through discussion;
b) 8 hours of classroom and laboratory exercises, aimed at consolidating and verifying knowledge;
c) 8 hours of field trips to learn how to measure, describe, and analyze soils.
Attendance is strongly recommended.
Teaching Resources
Lectures and lecture slides; further materials will be made available during the course on the MS Teams channel (for both attending and non attending students).
Modules or teaching units
Functional ecology and forest restoration
AGRI-03/B - Silviculture, Forest Ecology and Management - University credits: 6
BIOS-01/C - Environmental and Applied Botany - University credits: 3
BIOS-01/C - Environmental and Applied Botany - University credits: 3
Field activity: 72 hours
Exercises: 16 hours
Lessons: 28 hours
Exercises: 16 hours
Lessons: 28 hours
Shifts:
Remote sensing for forest restoration
CEAR-04/A - Geomatics - University credits: 3
Computer classroom exercises : 32 hours
Lessons: 8 hours
Lessons: 8 hours
Professor:
Sona Giovanna
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Sona Giovanna
Soil dynamics in ecosystem restoration
AGRI-06/C - Pedology - University credits: 3
Field activity: 8 hours
Laboratories: 8 hours
Lessons: 16 hours
Laboratories: 8 hours
Lessons: 16 hours
Professors:
D'Amico Michele Eugenio, Rossi Lorenzo Matteo Walter
Shifts:
Professor(s)
Reception:
Tuesday 14h-16h
Via Celoria 2, edificio 5, primo piano