Adaptive Management of Natural Resources and Agricultural Systems

The course is designed to introduce the students to the principles of natural resources management and the challenges of designing and implementing operational approaches in the real – changing – world. The focus is on the interactions between the natural and human components within the socio-ecosystems, with a focus on agro-ecosystems. The notions of sustainability and sustainable development are a common inspiration of the course.
Spatial and temporal dynamics are explored with concrete examples and case studies, with a common approach based upon system dynamics techniques and geographical information systems.
System dynamics modelling provides the methodological and operational approaches for the entire course.

1. Knowledge and understanding
1.1 Understand and recognize the relationships of interdependence that link economic activities - in particular those related to the primary sector - and natural resources in a changing climate
1.2 Know the main tools for analysis and territorial assessment to support planning
1.3 Understand the links between human activities and-natural resources.
1.4 Know how to define adaptive management strategies
2 Ability to apply knowledge and understanding
2.1 Use analysis tools such as indicators and evaluation indices in a territorial context
2.2 Apply dynamic and integrated models to agro-ecosystems
2.3 Apply evaluation methods to support decisions
3 Ability to judge
3.1 Reflect on the relationships between economic activities and the environment with integrated analysis tools
3.2 Choose between different approaches for sustainability measurement and environmental assessment
3.3 Reflecting on sustainability as a criterion for territorial economic development

Basic knowledge of ecology, economics, statistics and computer science

• Introduction to the course and to system dynamics
• System dynamics. Introduction to the Vensim modelling software
• Natural resources and sustainability; Vensim models and assignments: Water reservoir; Predator-prey; Easter Island
• Natural resources management
• Natural resources management and economic growth
• Climate change vulnerability, resilience and adaptation.
• Modelling sustainability
• Climate change and agroecosystems
• Climate change adaptation in agroecosystems
• Adaptation and decision making
• Homework: presentation and discussion

Teaching materials made available by the instructor through the Moodle web platform

Students are required to:
- carry out a modelling exercise by implementing some original developments to the prototype provided by the course
- present the preliminary outcomes of the homework at the end of the course
- write a concise paper reporting on the modelling exercise, developed upon the study of scientific literature on the selected topics. The final version of the paper should include the outcomes of the discussions at the oral presentation and should be uploaded on Moodle within a month.

written and oral

Below is a reference grading:
28-30L: excellent mastery of the topics covered in class and ability to select and prioritize information; use of appropriate terminology;
26-27: good knowledge of the topics covered in class and fair ability to organize information and present it orally; familiarity with terminology;
24-25: not always in-depth knowledge of the topics covered in class; correct oral presentation, but with limitations for example in the use of terminology;
22-23: superficial knowledge of the topics covered in class and unclear oral presentation, or lacking in terminology;
18-21: deficient knowledge of the topics covered in class and not completely adequate oral presentation.
Suggestions to obtain medium or high grades:
• Attend and participate in class and timely accomplish possible homeworks
• Study course materials in advance during the attendance
• Study in depth the various topics on recommended texts

The course foresees lecture-style presentations making use of powerpoint slides and model prototypes made available to students through the Moodle site of the course, seminars (given also by external experts), and homework.
The blog functionality provided by the Moodle platform is used for on-line communication between students and the professor.

Course materials (powerpoint slides, homework, forum, etc.) can be found in the Ca' Foscari Moodle web site: http://moodle.unive.it/ . Therefore, students’ registration in Moodle is needed since the start of the class

Accessibility, Disability and Inclusion. Accommodation and support services for students with disabilities and students with specific learning impairments
Ca' Foscari abides by Italian Law (Law 17/1999; Law 170/2010) regarding support services and accommodation available to students with disabilities. This includes students with mobility, visual, hearing and other disabilities (Law 17/1999), and specific learning impairments (Law 170/2010). If you have a disability or impairment that requires accommodations (i.e., alternate testing, readers, note takers or interpreters) please contact the Disability and Accessibility Offices in Student Services: disabilita@unive.it.

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