88734 - Monitoring Techniques for Conservation of Wildlife

Learning outcomes

During the course the student will acquire basic knowledge of animal monitoring with reference to Birds and Mammals. The general principles of animal monitoring will be illustrated and the main methods currently available and commonly in use will be reviewed. At the end of the course the student will have the critical ability to design and implement monitoring activities in relation to the species being studied and the place to be monitored, as well as the ability to build usable datasets. Emphasis will also be given to the ability to communicate the results achieved. The skills acquired can be used for conservation, management or research on wildlife.

Course contents

During the first part of the course, some concepts of animal ecology will be recalled, preparatory to monitoring animals in nature. Particular attention will be paid to the concepts of population and community and to their properties. The different types of counting, the types of errors and the concepts of accuracy and precision will then be introduced.

After the introductory part, the main groups of vertebrates of the Italian fauna will be reviewed, with main reference to Mammals and Birds. For each taxon treated, the basic notions of identification and the salient characteristics of the biological cycle will be illustrated; the most used monitoring techniques will be described in detail based on the biological and behavioral characteristics of the different species.

The main capture and marking techniques for study purposes will also be described and the theoretical basis of manipulation in the context of animal welfare will be illustrated. In addition to the purely technical aspects, the legal and regulatory aspects of animal monitoring will also be addressed through the review of the relevant legislation

In the final part of the course, the theoretical bases of the study of animal movement will be introduced by reviewing the main telemetry techniques currently available with examples relating to ongoing projects.

Readings/Bibliography

Lovari S. e Riga F. (2016) Manuale di gestione della fauna. Greentime, Bologna. 517 pp.

 

Some freely downloadable ISPRA publications or scientific articles will be communicated during the lessons.

Teaching methods

The course includes traditional frontal teaching activities.

The lessons take place starting from tracks provided by slides, but are structured on the basis of interaction with the students. From this perspective, presence in the classroom is strongly recommended.

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Teaching tools

lectures with slide presentations that will be made available to students at the end of the course.

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Pezzo