- Docente: Roberto Cazzolla Gatti
- Credits: 6
- SSD: BIO/03
- Language: English
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Biology of Human and Environmental Health (cod. 5909)
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from Sep 24, 2024 to Jan 17, 2025
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course, the student has an overall view on the state of the earth's ecosystems, their health and biodiversity, as well as the problems resulting from anthropogenic impacts. Furthermore, the student acquires notions about the conservation methods of ecosystem health.
Course contents
Brief history of the conservation of ecosystem diversity. Distribution and diversity of global ecosystems. Spatial and temporal gradients of ecosystems. Importance of biodiversity for the functioning of ecosystems, ecosystem functions, processes and global health. Threats to Earth’s ecosystem diversity, mass extinctions and global changes. Processes of overexploitation, degradation and contamination of ecosystems. Conservation methods of ecosystems. Social, economic and political elements for ecosystem conservation. National and international strategies and case studies, protected areas, ecological corridors, rewilding and other approaches to conserve ecosystem health. Outline of modern technologies in support of ecosystem conservation. Examples of success practices in ecosystem conservation.
Readings/Bibliography
- Weathers, Kathleen C., David L. Strayer, and Gene E. Likens, eds. Fundamentals of ecosystem science. Academic Press, 2021
- Cazzolla Gatti R., Biodiversity in time and space, 2018. Nova Science Publishers (some copies are available at the Zoology Library of UniBo)
Teaching methods
Lectures (in English), seminars (in English) and discussion groups (outdoors), and field activities (in different ecosystems)
Assessment methods
Type of assessment: Written test for the first examination session (with the possibility for oral test on student's choice) and oral tests for all subsequent sessions.
Type of questions: open questions.
Description of the assessment: The written test and oral tests aim to evaluate the student's acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics discussed during the course and the ability to use this knowledge to understand the main topics related to issues in ecosystem health.
Teaching tools
Presentations of lectures, video-documentary material, scientific publications, international reports and specialized websites provided by the teacher.
Office hours
See the website of Roberto Cazzolla Gatti