2. Professors
  3. BELLINO ALESSANDRO
  4. Teaching

ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

ALESSANDRO BELLINO ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS

0522400001
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY "ADOLFO ZAMBELLI"
EQF7
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
2024/2025

OBBLIGATORIO
YEAR OF COURSE 2
YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2022
AUTUMN SEMESTER
CFUHOURSACTIVITY
432LESSONS
224LAB
ALESSANDRO BELLINO T Curriculum
Objectives
GENERAL AIM
THE TEACHING GOALS ARE IN LINE WITH THOSE OF THE MASTER DEGREE COURSE, WHICH AIMS TO TRAIN EXPERT PROFESSIONALS IN THE FIELD OF MONITORING, ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC RISKS, BRINGING TO HIGHER LEVELS THE TRAINING PROCESS UNDERTAKEN BY STUDENTS DURING THE BACHELOR DEGREE. THIS TEACHING WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO ACQUIRE A SOLID SCIENTIFIC INTERDISCIPLINARY PREPARATION ON THE MULTITUDE OF TOPICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND EXCELLENT MASTERY OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD OF INVESTIGATION, MAKING GRADUATES ABLE TO DEAL IN AN INTEGRATED WAY AND WITH WIDE AUTONOMY THE CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ARISING FROM THE NATURAL LAND EVOLUTION AND BY ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES.
THE TEACHING SPECIFIC AIM IS THE PROVISION OF STUDENTS WITH THE CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS NECESSARY FOR THE STUDY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS AT EACH LEVEL OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (FROM ORGANISMS TO LANDSCAPES), AS WELL AS THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO DEFINE PRAGMATIC METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR THE STUDY AND MODELLING OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, IN ORDER TO DEVELOP AND PUT IN PRACTICE ORIGINAL AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS TO BASIC AND/OR APPLIED RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING SKILLS
THE STUDENT WILL ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE ON THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONING OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS AT EACH LEVEL OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON THE EMERGENT PROPERTIES AND THE SCALES OF VARIATION, AS WELL AS ON THE TOOLS OF EXPERIMENTAL ECOLOGY AND ECOLOGICAL MODELLING.

CAPABILITY TO PUT IN PRACTICE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
THE STUDENT WILL ACQUIRE THE ABILITY TO AUTONOMOUSLY FORMULATE RESEARCH PROJECTS AIMED AT THE STUDY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS AT EACH LEVEL OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATION, ALSO THROUGH MODELLING APPROACHES AND IN INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTEXTS.

JUDGEMENT INDEPENDENCE
THE STUDENT WILL BE ABLE TO AUTONOMOUSLY APPLY THE ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE IN ORDER TO BETTER MANAGE THE COMPLEXITY OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND WILL DEVELOP THE NECESSARY SKILLS TO EVALUATE EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACHES FOR THEIR STUDY, ALLOWING THE THOUGHTFUL CHOICE OF THE BEST STRATEGIES AND TOOLS FOR THE PURSUED GOAL.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
THE STUDENT WILL DEVELOP THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE THROUGH THE ECOLOGICAL JARGON, CARRYING OUT EFFECTIVE RESEARCH PROJECTS FOR THE STUDY OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND INTERACTING WITH SPECIALIST AND NON-SPECIALIST INTERLOCUTORS.

LEARNING SKILLS
THE STUDENT WILL DEVELOP THE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR THE AUTONOMOUS ACQUISITION OF INFORMATION THROUGH THE CONSULTATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC REFERENCE LITERATURE, KEEPING THE PACE OF THE ONGOING SCIENTIFIC AND METHODOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS, IN ORDER TO UNDERTAKE INDIVIDUAL PATHS TO ADDRESS THE THE COMPLEX AND MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM ANALYSIS.
Prerequisites
FOUNDAMENTALS OF ECOLOGY, APPLIED ECOLOGY AND DATA ANALYSIS ARE USEFUL TO UNDERSTAND THE TOPICS, BUT THE COURSE CAN BE FRUITFULLY FOLLOWED BY STUDENTS WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
Contents
THE COURSE, OF 56 HOURS, IS PROVIDED BY ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
1) WHAT NEEDS TO BE ANALYSED;
2) WITH WHICH CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES;
3) WITH WHICH METHODS AND TOOLS;
4) HOW TO PROCESS THE DATA AND INTERPRET THE RESULTS.
THE TEACHING HOURS ARE DIVIDED INTO CLASSROOM LECTURES (32 HOURS) AND GUIDED FIELD TRIPS AND
CLASSROOM/LABORATORY EXERCISES (24 HOURS). LECTURES ARE MAINLY ADDRESSED THROUGH A MAIEUTIC APPROACH BASED ON COLLECTIVE ANALYSIS AND DIALECTICAL COMPARISON OF THE PROPOSED TOPICS, ALSO INCLUDING CRITICAL REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE, ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS. THE LECTURES ARE SUPPORTED BY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES DURING WHICH STUDENTS GAIN DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUES AND REFINE THE CONCEPTUAL AND METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS REQUIRED TO TACKLE THE STUDY OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AT ANY LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY.
THE TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE CLASSROOM LESSONS ARE:
- THE COMPLEXITY PARADIGM (2 HOURS);
- SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SCALES, PERCEIVED SCALE (4 HOURS);
- NATURAL, ALTERED AND CONSTRUCTED ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (4 HOURS);
- CHARACTERISTICS AND ANALYTICAL TARGETS OF ORGANISMS, POPULATIONS, COMMUNITIES, ECOSYSTEMS AND LANDSCAPES (6 HOURS);
- RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS THEORY TO ADDRESS THE STUDY OF NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC SYSTEMS (3 HOURS);
- EPISTEMOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (3 HOURS);
- DEFINITION OF METHODOLOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS: FORMULATION OF HYPOTHESES, CHOICE OF EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN, SAMPLING, DEFINITION OF ECOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES (UNIVARIATE, MULTIVARIATE, MACHINE LEARNING), INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS (4 HRS)
- ECOLOGICAL MODELLING (6 HOURS);
THE TOPICS ADDRESSED IN THE FIELD AND LABORATORY ACTIVITIES FOCUS ON THE ANALYSIS OF THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF TERRESTRIAL AND AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS IN NATURAL AND ALTERED CONDITIONS.
IN THIS PHASE, ECOLOGICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS WILL BE DEVELOPED, WHICH WILL ALLOW, THROUGH SIMULATIONS, A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF PROCESSES.
Teaching Methods
THE COURSE CONSISTS OF 56 HOURS OF TEACHING (6 ECT) COMPRISING CLASSROOM LECTURES, GUIDED FIELD TRIPS AND LABORATORY EXERCISES. IN PARTICULAR, THERE ARE 32 HOURS OF LECTURES (4 ECT) AND 24 HOURS OF EXCURSIONS AND CLASSROOM/LABORATORY EXERCISES (2 ECT).
ATTENDANCE OF THE CLASSROOM LECTURES, EXERCISES AND FIELDWORK IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
Verification of learning
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE COURSE OBJECTIVES IS CERTIFIED BY PASSING AN EXAM, WITH A GRADE EXPRESSED IN THIRTIETHS AND WITH LAUDE IF POSSIBLE. THE EXAM GENERALLY CONSISTS OF AN ORAL TEST LASTING APPROXIMATELY 40-60 MINUTES AND IS PASSED WITH A MINIMUM MARK OF 18/30. THE TEST IS CONDUCTED IN TWO STAGES THAT CONTRIBUTE EQUALLY TO THE DEFINITION OF THE FINAL GRADE:
1) PRESENTATION OF A RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSED BY THE STUDENT ON THE STUDY OF AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM (APPROXIMATELY 10-20 MINUTES);
2) DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT PRESENTED (APPROXIMATELY 20-40 MINUTES).
THE TEST IS AIMED AT ASCERTAINING THE STUDENT'S ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE DEFINITION OF AN INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF AN ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM AND, AS A WHOLE, IT ENABLES THE ASSESSMENT OF BOTH THE ABILITY TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, THE ABILITY TO APPLY THE SKILLS ACQUIRED AND THE ABILITY TO LEARN AND DEVELOP SOLUTIONS INDEPENDENTLY.
THE MINIMUM MARK FOR PASSING THE EXAMINATION IS 18/30, AND IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATES A LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF APPROACHES AND METHODS FOR THE STUDY OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.
THE MAXIMUM MARK (30/30) IS AWARDED WHEN THE STUDENT DEMONSTRATES MASTERY OF ALL THE TOPICS COVERED IN THE COURSE AND IS ABLE TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE PROJECTS FOR THE STUDY OF ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS.
HONOURS MAY BE AWARDED TO STUDENTS WHO ACHIEVE THE MAXIMUM MARK OF 30/30 AND WHO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY APPLY THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS ACQUIRED EVEN IN CONTEXTS OTHER THAN THOSE PROPOSED IN CLASS
Texts
IN VIEW OF THE ABSENCE OF A SINGLE REFERENCE TEXT, TEACHING MATERIALS (SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS, REFERENCE
BOOKS, SLIDES, ETC.) WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE DURING THE COURSE.
More Information
COURSE LANGUAGE: ITALIAN
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