Ateneo - UPO

Organisms-enviroment relationship, population and community ecology, the ecosystems, landscape ecology, the bio-geochemical cycles and introduction to biomonitoring and ecotoxicology.

Fondamenti di ecologia, Odum & Barrett, ed: Piccin.Elementi di ecologia 8/Ed. Thomas M. Smith, Robert Leo Smith. Pearson, 2013. ISBN 9788871929439ECOLOGIA, A. Pusceddu, G. Sarà, P. Viaroli, Marchio, UTET Università, 2020, ISBN:9788860085856Ecology, Bowman W, Hacker S, OUP USA, 2023, ISBN-13 978-0197614044

To acquire the ability to understand, interpret and manage ecological data and to analyze issues related to the diversity, protection and monitoring of terrestrial and aquatic populations, communities, andecosystems. The aim of the course is to provide the student with practical skills that will enable him to work in the ecological field collaborating successfully with specialists and scientists

Zoology and Botany Courses. The student must have solid bases for the identification of animal and plant organisms and understand the interactions and complexity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Classroom lessons. The lessons are frontal and there are a couple of practical exercises.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services- students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

A written exam followed by an oral exam. Students will be required to sit a 20-question multiple-choice quiz, followed by an oral examination. To be eligible to sit the oral examination, students must have achieved a mark of at least 15/20 in the written examination. The overall examination will be passed if a total mark of 18/30 or above is achieved. To pass, students must have at least a basic understanding of the subject matter and demonstrate that they have grasped the nature of the analytical method.
Mark range Grade Description
18–20/30 Satisfactory Presents the content in a generally comprehensible manner, albeit with limited fluency and linguistic precision. Demonstrates a basic understanding of the topics, with some minor gaps in knowledge. Uses technical and scientific language in a basic and sometimes imprecise manner. Confidence in presentation is inconsistent and the argumentation lacks depth.
21–23/30 Fair Presents the topics clearly and with sufficient command of expression. Demonstrates adequate and fairly comprehensive knowledge of the content. Uses technical and scientific language generally correctly, with occasional terminological inaccuracies. Shows reasonable confidence in presentation and an adequate ability to argue a point.
24–26/30 Good Presents the material clearly, in an organised and coherent manner, with good command of language. Demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of the subject matter and an effective ability to link topics together. Uses technical and scientific language appropriately. Expresses themselves with confidence and independence, effectively supporting their arguments.
27–29/30 Excellent Presents the material with a high degree of clarity, precision and lexical mastery. Demonstrates an in-depth and well-organised knowledge of the topics, integrating them with relevant connections. Uses technical and scientific language with rigour and precision. The presentation is confident, independent and supported by an effective capacity for analysis and argumentation.
30/30 with distinction More Excellent The student presents the material with excellent expressive mastery, methodological rigour and terminological precision. They demonstrate a comprehensive, critical and in-depth understanding of the subject matter, with the ability to summarise, offer personal interpretations and make interdisciplinary connections. They use technical and scientific language in a fully appropriate and rigorous manner. The presentation is extremely confident, independent and characterised by a high degree of scientific maturity and argumentative skill.

Introduction to ecology: emerging properties and approaches (holism vs reductionism), levels of study in ecology. Auto-ecology: correspondece between organisms and their environment and its main envitonmental parameters. Habitat and ecolgical niche. Migration and dispersal. Population ecology and a brief introduction to metapopulations. Community ecology and a brief introduction to metacommunities. Biodiversity: definition, indices and international legislation. Biotic interactions inside communities. Ecological successions. Limits between natural communities (ecotones). The view of Gleason and Clements. Ecosystem. Resistance and resilience. Energetic pathways inside foodwebs. Production and decomposition, Bio-geochemical cycles (water, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, carbon) Landscape ecology and the island biogeography theory. Exotic species: definition and examples. River Ecology and a brief introduction to bio-monitoring. Introduction to ecotoxicology

In order to reach the level of sufficiency, the student must demonstrate: - to know the theoretical bases and the application of the main ecological themes - to know the function and organization of the different levels of the ecological organization. - to know how to analyze and discuss the results of ecological reports To achieve an advanced level, the student must demonstrate: - to master the subject being also able to make personal interpretations and readings - to be able to communicate clearly (also to non-specialist public) the main ecological concepts