The aim of module “Ecology of farming system” of the course “Forests ecosystems and ecology of farming system” is to understand and analyse different aspects of the management of ecosystems both from scientific and legislative points of view. Italian and international examples will be presented to the students in order to understand the ecological processes behind farming ecosystems. Moreover, students will be encouraged to actively discuss the proposed case studies. Thus, at the end of this module, students will be able to understand the basic information about the structure of ecosystems and the basic principles regulating an agro-ecosystems, to evaluate the effects of agriculture on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and how to improve the sustainability of agro-ecosystems.
Course Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of biology and natural sciences concepts (e.g., ecology, zoology and botany) are recommended.
Teaching Methods
In this module, it will be used an active learning approach as much as possible. Lessons will be in presence and the pdf of the presentation will be available on the KIRO platform when necessary. The material proposed will vary from scientific articles, short videos and power point presentation in order to stimulate an active discussion. The first lesson will be dedicated to understanding the level of natural sciences knowledge of the students and the basic gaps in ecology will be covered during the rest of the course. In each lesson, the students will be divided in groups and a scientific article related to the topics of the course will be introduced. After having read the provided material, some time will be dedicated to actively discuss the material provided and any issues that arise. Finally, using a power point presentation, the main ecological information related to the topic of the lesson will be explained.
Assessment Methods
The final written exam will be composed of open and closed questions which will explore different aspects and topics arose during the lessons. The final mark will be based on the level of knowledge of the students.
Texts
The teaching material will be provided using scientific articles, international reports and online databases which are easily accessible via internet.
Contents
In the module “Ecology of farming system” will be presented some fundamental concepts of basic and applied ecology, providing information on how organisms interact with the surrounding physical and biological environment, both under natural conditions and under current anthropogenic change. Several Italian and international case studies and good practices in the management of ecosystems will be proposed during the lessons in order to understand the functioning of ecosystems and concepts of ecology applied to agriculture. More specifically, the students will have the opportunity to focus their attention on the impacts of agriculture on natural ecosystems, particularly on freshwater ecosystems and explore possible impact mitigation practices.
