PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN FIELD

The "practical activities in-field" laboratory represents the experimental validation of the knowledge acquired with the theoretical and practical in-laboratory courses. The activities of the in-field laboratory will be carried out in direct contact with environmental matrixes (rocks, soils, water, and organisms) in a multidisciplinary approach, which includes the scientific areas of Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Animal and Plant Ecology.

The "practical activities in-field" laboratory aims to integrate the course of study in Environmental Sciences, allowing students to acquire fundamental skills to become future professionals.
In particular, students:
i) will learn how to perform a multidisciplinary study;
ii) will compare different experiences and scientific approaches applied to real environmental matrices;
iii) will learn how to use some in-field and in-laboratory sampling and analysis techniques;
iv) will improve their team working skills, also enhancing their communication and collaboration skills;
v) will learn how to organize and analyze environmental data and how to interpret the results with a critical sense, appropriate terminology and scientific accuracy;
vi) will improve their ability to write technical and scientific reports by producing a final report that demonstrates the achieved learning level, including the ability to organize, compare, criticize, synthesize and discuss the environmental data.

As an exception to the teaching regulations of the degree course in Environmental Sciences, and in relation to stringent organizational needs, the prerequisites and timescales required to participate in the 2023/2024 edition of the in-field laboratory have changed.
This change applies to the 2022/2023 cohort, i.e. to students currently enrolled in the second year, and to previous cohorts who have not yet completed the Field Laboratory.
It is necessary:
1. having successfully passed 4 of the 6 exams scheduled for the first year (i.e. four of: Mathematics institutions with exercises [CT0622], General physics [CT0583], General and inorganic chemistry and laboratory [CT0320], Principles of animal and plant biology [CT0525], Biodiversity Laboratory [CT0440], Fundamentals of Earth Sciences and Laboratory [CT0592]);
2. having attended the 2nd year laboratories, namely: Analytical chemistry and laboratory [CT0366], Ecology I and laboratory of methods of analysis of ecological systems [CT0364] and Physical geography and geomorphology [CT0624] (for cohorts prior to 2022/2023 , this last exam is replaced by Sepidology and environmental geomorphology and laboratory [CT0589]);
3. holding a valid certificate relating to the Safety and health course in teaching and research activities [SIC001] (5 years from when taken).
Given the reduction in the number of exams required to access the 2024 Field Laboratory, the requirement referred to in point 1. must however be achieved no later than the end of the winter exam session, which this academic year falls on 10 February 2024.

Students will stay for a week in a mountain environment located in the area of Falcade (BL) - Passo Valles (BL-TN) - Passo Rolle (TN). Field excursions are planned, aiming to perform in-field practical exercises within different scientific disciplines, such as Earth Sciences, Vegetation Science, and Ecology; chemical analyses of water quality will be also carried out. Some examples of serious hydrogeological instability in the territory are also discussed and a survey using Unoccupied Aircraft Systems (UAS) also known as drones will be planned. In addition to the in-field experiences, the course also includes seminars in the classroom for the preparation of the in-field activities and on specific topics of environmental interest. The lessons (mandatory) will be held in the weeks preceding the field activities. However, some of the planned in-field activities (and how to carry out them) may vary based on weather conditions, logistics and the teaching offered within the academic year.

Support materials are provided for the students (class notes, maps, technical documents, etc.).

The students, divided into groups, will collect, analyze and interpret environmental data both from a disciplinary perspective and by highlighting the relationships between the various disciplines studied during the course in Environmental Sciences. The students of each group will write a collective report (one report for each group) which (i) presents the context of the area/areas of study, (ii) describes the in-field activities and their scientific basis, (iii) describes the sampling and analysis procedures and data processing, (iv) summarizes, synthesizes and interprets the obtained results, and (v) supports the interpretation of the results from an environmental point of view, discussing the data with critical sense and scientific accuracy, both in a mono-disciplinary and multidisciplinary perspective. The report will be evaluated by the teachers, who will give a grade to each part of the report relating to the different disciplines. All parts must be positively evaluated (>=18/30); in this case, the final mark is the arithmetic mean of the grades in each individual part. The final mark must also be accepted or rejected by all members of the group.

Conventional.
Lessons are held both in the classroom and in the field. Classroom lessons aim to recall some basic theoretical concepts and to organize the sampling, as well as the interpretation of the data collected from a multidisciplinary perspective. In addition, concepts of safety and health in outdoor activities will be recalled.

Italian

The students are taught a short course on personal protection devices and on the procedures for working in the field in safe conditions.

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development