Università Roma Tre

Ecology and plant diversity of coastal ecosystems

Coastal ecosystems, the transition between land and sea. Environmental gradients. Ecotones and transitions. Plant diversity in coastal, rocky and lagoon coastal environments. Major features and distribution throughout the world. Plant communites in Italy and Europe (Mediterranean and Atlantic). Analyses of main plant communities and habitats (European Directive 92/43/EEC (Habitat Directive) present in Italy. Conservation problems. Sampling tecniques and data analyses.


Ecologia e diversità faunistica delle coste sabbiose, delle lagune costiere e delle coste rocciose
The animal communities of coastal dunes and their ecological relations with plants. Interactions between the animal communities of coastal dunes and Mediterranean evergreen scrub. The fauna of coastal wetlands and their importance as sites of bird nesting and winter refuges. The Ramsar Convention: conservation and management issues in wetlands. Stranding and recovery of marine vertebrates (whales, dolphins and sea turtles). Nesting of sea turtles and their conservation. Coexistence of marine and land animals in the intertidal zone. Fauna of tide pools. Sea bird nesting on rock cliffs: conservation and management issues.


Conservation and management of coastal ecosystems

Conservation of coastal ecoystems. Disturbance factors. The role of disturbance on coastal ecosystems. Response to disturbance. Endangered species. Alien species. Bioindicators. Environmental quality and conservation status. Conservation and Management.

Acosta A. & Ercole S. 2017. Gli habitat delle coste sabbiose italiane: ecologia e problematiche di conservazione. Quaderni ISPRA (Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale 215/2015.
Ruffo, S. (a cura di). (2002). Dune e spiagge sabbiose. Ambienti fra terra e mare. Quaderni Habitat, 4. Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio. Scaricabile dal sito del Ministero.