Università Roma Tre

Looking at nature through different perspectives: ecological principles from ecosystems to populations, origin and development of ecology as a science. Ecology as a group of subdisciplines.

Ecosystem ecology: factors related to distribution of biomes. The main terrestrial biomes. Biomes and climate change. Ecology of ecosystems. Energy in ecosystems. Thermodynamic aspects of energy flows. Trophic structure. Production and productivity. Primary and secondary production. Methods for measuring primary productivity. Ecological pyramids. Biogeochemical cycles. Main biogeochemical cycles. Changes to biogeochemical cycles related to anthropic activities.

Community ecology: Community structure. Community analysis methods. Community dynamics. Ecological successions. Methods for studying succession. Diversity. Meaning and calculation of diversity. The factors that regulate diversity. Diversity in different ecosystems. Threats to biodiversity. Red lists of endangered species. The exotic species. Examples in Italian flora and fauna. Bioindicators.

Population ecology. Population structure and dynamics. Selection r and k. Inter-specific relationship interactions. Interspecific competition and ecological niche. Physical environment and organism-environment relations. Ecological factors. Response of organisms to environmental factors. Stress-Disturbance. The C-S-R strategies.

Ecosystems conservation and management. Biodiversity Conservation. Introduction to conservation ecology. Protected areas.

Introduction to landscape ecology. Landscape structure and landscape dynamics, landscape and ecosystem management.

Introduction to urban ecology. Major features of urban ecosystems.

SMITH, T. & SMITH, R. 2017. ELEMENTI DI ECOLOGIA. PEARSON-B. CUMMINGS

CAIN, M. BOWMAN, W. & HACKER, S. 2017. ECOLOGIA. PICCIN

The material will be indicated by the teacher during the lessons

Cultural competences (Knowledge of:) The teaching aims to provide students with basic knowledge related to the evolution of the different ecological components, to assess the degree of functional adaptation to the habitat.
Methodological skills (Know how to perform:) acquire and use experimental data related to the population status assessment
Teaching program:
Among the specific fields of the population ecology module are population astructure and dynamics, distribution strategies and models, evolutionary ecology, principles ecological genetics and genetic flow, theoretical models, conservation biology, and bioresource management.

Smith & Smith. Elements of Ecology. Pearson, Benjamin Cummings