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MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY AND LANDSCAPE
EDOARDO BIONDI

Seat Agraria
A.A. A.A. 2016-2017
Credits 6
Hours 54
Period 2^ semestre
Language ENG
U-gov code LM SAT 5A079

Prerequisites

General Botany, Systematic Botany, principles of Ecology, GIS basic concepts and Environmental Economy.

 

Development of the course

The didactic method is based on ppt lectures (4 ECTS), classroom practical (involving all students individually) and visits to natural environments and institutions dedicated to the environmental conservation and management (2 ECTS).

 

Learning outcomes

Knowledge. The course enables students to acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge on the principles related to the functions and the management of natural environments that can be also seen as an economic and social resource from sustainable development viewpoint.

Applying knowledge and understanding. The main aim of the course is to provide an integration ability of the agronomic knowledge, already acquired by students, in the management and conservation application in the context of European standards that also affect the agricultural management of the funds. This is a new vision of agronomy both in its narrow sense and in a broader vision of the value and meaning of recovering in a modern way also extensive agriculture for which abandonment resulted in very serious economic and social liabilities.

Agronomists will be able to relate especially to the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC through complete understanding of these complex regulations in order to inform farmers and farms on how to operate in this convenient area.

Cross-expertise. The cross connections that the program and the educational visits can give, will allow students to orient their choices even on that fields not yet connected to a professional role for the agronomist. Environmental management is undoubtedly a transversal activity in which the agronomists will be working with different professionals in a fully integrated environment to achieve the desired aims. Examples include the recovery of vegetation after the construction of infrastructure, the recovery of biotopes and habitats, preservation of secondary grasslands, the use of indigenous germplasm activities, the application in the management of funds of the PSR for a respectful agriculture of the environmental good.

 

 

Program

1. Introduction: meaning of biodiversity, different levels of biological and ecological organization: genetic level, species, ecosystemic level and landscape. Values of anthropogenic landscapes: the man and the environment (0.5 ECTS).

2. Value of Biodiversity: with specific reference to the value of biodiversity the main methodologies are processed that lead to such recovery through in situ and ex situ actions. A special chapter refers to monitoring of the species and habitats in order to assess whether the management of habitat types were effective in the conservation (0.5 ECTS).

3. Basic knowledge of Geobotany and Landscape Ecology: necessary to understand what is the field of action of Habitats Directive and, in particular, to evaluate the conservation status of habitats, and the correct conservation measures to implement (1 ECTS).

4. Habitats Directive: Directive 92/43/EEC and its implementations. The most part of the course will focus on these concepts: the Habitats Directive allows the identification of biodiversity at different levels and at the same time puts them into practice in safeguard measures. Among these, the Impact Assessment is one of the practices mentioned explicitly in the Directive, which are periodically performed by professionals related to the Agronomist and Forest professional Bar. Another important aspect to assess habitat quality over time is the monitoring of them that it is run periodically in accordance with Community rules. (2 ECTS).

5. European Landscape Convention: a special chapter regards organization and management of the landscape through the "European Landscape Convention", which presents remarkable points of contact with European legislation on biodiversity. Among these will be highlighted issues regarding environmental correlations with the principles of ecological networks that are then explicitly covered in the application stage as well as design planning type (0.5 ECTS).

6. Stages of application: Stages of application in land management are also regularly highlighted in specific projects related to environmental recovery after the passage of fire, recovery and restoration of habitats, with particular emphasis on those mountains, river and coastal (0.5 ECTS).

7. Forest and grassland habitats: A specific study dealt specifically with the recovery of forest and grassland habitats in the light of connections of flora and fauna (1 ECTS).

 

Development of the examination

Learning evaluation methods

Final assessment is carried out through an oral discussion at the end of the course. The teacher is available to perform the oral exam according to the dates indicated by students only if they do not contravene the Department rules.

 

Learning evaluation criteria

To pass the exam, the student must demonstrate knowledge of all the issues discussed in the course.

 

Learning measurement criteria

The final mark is attributed in thirtieths.

 

Final mark allocation criteria

The oral examination consists of three questions concerning the subjects listed in the teaching program, each of ones will be quantified in the range 0 - 10. The degree of 30 “cum laude” is attributed when the student demonstrates complete mastery of the subject.

Recommended reading

PowerPoint used for lessons.

Publications and books as .pdf files

EU websites on environmental management and the Habitats Directive.

Biondi E., 2012. Cap. XIII: pag. 507 and pag. 533-544; Cap. XIV: pag. 547-567 and pag. 602-617 In: Taffetani F. (Ed.) Herbaria. Il grande libro degli erbari italiani. Nardini Editore, Firenze

 

Tutorial session

Monday and Tuesday from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm

 

Courses

• C.L.M. - Scienze Agrarie e del Territorio - Curriculum PRODUZIONE E PROTEZIONE DELLE COLTURE (LM SAT - PP)
• C.L.M. - Scienze Agrarie e del Territorio - Curriculum AGRICOLTURA SOCIALE (LM SAT - AS)