INTERDISCIPLINARY PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES IN FIELD

The practical course aims to deepen with the students some aspects of the applied ecology related to environmental monitoring and the implementation of management strategies. Measurements and applications are carried out together, directly in the field and combined with laboratory analyses of the samples taken in the field. In this case the course will be a full immersion study on the application of ecological status indicators for the determination of the environmental quality of the transitional environments through the study of biological communities (macroalgae, aquatic plants, terrestrial plants and benthic invertebrates). Biological communities are indeed more suitable than environmental parameters for an objective assessment of the environment quality.The course will therefore offer the opportunity to use knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study, both in theoretical terms (community analysis, application of indices, spatial analysis through GIS applications) and laboratory practices (recognition and systematic classification of organisms).

Ability to:
determine the environmental quality of transition environments and coastal areas, by applying indices suggested by the present legislation (WFD and HD);
define a sampling plan for monitoring both aquatic and terrestrial habitats;
classify specimens belonging to both plant and marine vertebrate and invertebrate communities

Students must have a good knowledge about analytic methods for aquatic and terrestrial plant/animal communities.

The field work will include sampling activities in different environmental compartments:
Terrestrial vegetation: Joint assessment of the plant communities and morphology of the dune system by integrating biodiversity analyses at different spatial scales and high-precision morphological surveys using GNSS RTK technology. The conservation status of the system will be assessed taking into account the correspondence with the physiognomic reference combinations of Natura 2000 habitats and the presence of synanthropic and alien species, which are indicators of possible changes due to anthropogenic impacts.
Aquatic vegetation – macrophytes: Observation and collection of samples, measurement of species abundance, and application of Ecological Status indices in accordance with the Water Framework Directive. These activities will be accompanied by an analysis of key environmental parameters for a better understanding of the results obtained.
Aquatic vegetation – microalgae: Collection of water samples from the sea and the lagoon, followed by microscopic analysis to compare two contiguous but potentially different ecosystems. Evaluation of the ecological role of microalgae, as well as their importance in the context of human health protection.
Aquatic macrobenthic fauna: Planning and execution of a marine invertebrate sampling campaign in coastal and/or transitional areas and following samples treatment phases, for taxonomic resolution of different sampled organisms, in order to produce a database useful for assessing the ecological status and/or for the application of diversity and ecological functionality indicators.

Ichthyofauna: Planning and implementation of a sampling activity along the shoreline using specific nets (beach seines) that allow the capture of present fish species. Once identified, individuals will be released. Sampling techniques using active acoustics in coastal and lagoon areas will also be described.

Avifauna: Daytime survey of nesting species in the supralittoral zone, foraging species in the mesolittoral zone, and cryptic/nocturnal species present behind the dunes. For each group, specific sampling methods will be applied, including distant observation, analysis of ground traces (footprints, nest excavations), nest census, and identification of species-specific calls.

Mammals: Data collection using photo and video trapping techniques, and the development of suitable sampling schemes to compile a checklist of species present in the area.

No reference text needed. Students will be provided with slides and scientific papers

The exam mark will be the combination of the partecipation to the field activites and the final discussion of 2 issues developed during the course, including an issue at the choice of the student, aimed to verify the student capability to apply the studied concepts to specific case studies.

written and oral

valuation Grid:
28-30L: Mastery of the topics covered in class, ability to prioritize information, excellent use of appropriate technical terminology, active participation to group activities;
25-27: Good knowledge of the topics covered in class, fair ability to organize and present information orally, familiarity with technical terminology, medium participation to group activities;
22-24: Knowledge of the topics covered in class is not always in-depth; oral presentation is organized but with not always correct use of technical terminology, low participation to group activities;
21-23: Knowledge of the topics covered in class is often superficial; oral presentation is unclear and lacking in technical terminology, scarce participation to group activities;
18-20: Knowledge of the topics covered in class is occasionally lacking; oral presentation is confusing, with little use of technical terminology, no participation to group activities;

Teaching activities are based on field and laboratory activites; seminars on specific topics will be held by experts about analytical techinques and/or indicators suitable for envrionmental monitoring. All teaching materials will be available on the Moodle platform.

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