Corso di laurea in Scienze Biologiche (L-13)

To provide the fundamental knowledge of the structure and function of
ecological systems, starting from populations and biological communities
up to ecosystems and eco-mosaics (landscape ecology), and at the same
time highlighting the effects of anthropogenic pressures.

The scope of ecology: levels-of-organizations hierarchy, the emergent property principle, reductionism and holism. The ecosystem: concept, trophic structure, gradients and ecotones, examples of ecosystems, ecosystem diversity, the Gaia Hypothesis, global production and decomposition, microcosms, mesocosms and macrocosms, cybernetics, techno-ecosystems, ecological footprint, classification of ecosystems.
Energy in ecological systems: the laws of thermodynamics, solar radiation, productivity, food chains and food webs, metabolism and size, carrying capacity and sustainability. Biogeochemical cycles: cycling of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulfur, Carbon, the hydrologic cycle. Limiting and regulatory factors: the Liebig Law of the Miminum, the Shelford law of tolerance, factor compensation and ecotypes, soil, fire ecology, other physical limiting factors, anthropogenic stress. Populaton ecology: basic concept of rate, concept of carrying capacity, population fluctuations and cyclic oscillations, density-independent and density-dependent regulation, patterns of dispersion, Alee principle, home range and territoriality, metapopulations, r- and K-selection. Community ecology: type of interactions between species, coevolution, interspecific competition and coexistence, positive/negative interactions, concepts of habitat and ecological niche, biodiversity. Ecosystem development: seral stages, autotrophic and etherotrophic successions, primary and secondary successions, concept of climax, restoration ecology.
Landscape ecology: landscape elements, island theory, temporal and spatial scale, landscape geometry. Global ecology: sustainable civilizations, ecological-societal gaps, global sustainability, scenarios.