Unit VEGETATION SCIENCE

Course
Biological sciences
Study-unit Code
GP003057
Curriculum
Ambientale - naturalistico
Teacher
Corrado Marceno'
Teachers
  • Corrado Marceno'
Hours
  • 42 ore - Corrado Marceno'
CFU
6
Course Regulation
Coorte 2022
Offered
2024/25
Learning activities
Affine/integrativa
Area
Attività formative affini o integrative
Academic discipline
BIO/03
Type of study-unit
Opzionale (Optional)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa monodisciplinare
Language of instruction
Italian
Contents
In the first part of the course, I will introduce the concept of
environmental variables and, therefore, the biotic and abiotic factors that
contribute to determining the different compositions of plant
communities. I will introduce the concepts of life forms, traits, and
chorotypes and how these can be used as indicators. Students will have
the opportunity to carry out surveys in the field by recording the
vegetation data and the environmental variables. In the second part of
the course, I will introduce the concept of phytosociology with a brief
excursus on the history of vegetation. Finally, the main classes of
vegetation in Europe will be shown with a particular emphasis on the
Umbrian territory. The course will be accompanied by vegetation
cartography laboratories using the open-source QGIS and laboratories on
data storage and processing.
Reference texts
- Lecture notes
- JUICE: https://www.sci.muni.cz/botany/juice/JUICEman_all.pdf
- QGIS: https://docs.qgis.org/3.10/it/docs/user_manual/index.html
- TURBOVEG: https://www.synbiosys.alterra.nl/turboveg/tvwin.pdf
Educational objectives
At the end of the course, students will acquire the keys for reading and
interpreting the landscape. Students will be able to apply different
methodologies to data vegetation sampling and environmental variables,
directly in the field or to use national and international databases to
recover them. Students will also be able to perform data storing,
classification, and analysis of vegetation data. Particular attention will be
given to the vegetation of the Umbria region.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites to take the course.
Teaching methods
- Traditional lectures, supported by PPT images, accompanied by
interactive teaching.
- Fieldwork
- Lab-based course on QGIS
- Lab-based course on data-storing usingTURBOVEG.
- Lab-based course on vegetation data analysis using JUICE
Other information
-
Learning verification modality
Final oral exam: Students will have to answer questions on the topics
covered during the course and field activities
Extended program
Environmental Variables: Biotic and Abiotic Factors. Solar Radiation, Temperature, Air Humidity, Precipitation, Pressure, and Winds. Bioclimatic Indices. Climate Diagrams. Climate Classifications. Bioclimates of Italy. Climate and Vegetation. Substrate and Soil. The Basic Processes of Pedogenesis. Profiles and Horizons. Soil Distribution According to Latitude.

Flora: General Concepts, Floristic Diversity. Biological Forms (the Raunkiaer System). Chorotypes. Exotic Species. Traits.
Phytosociology: The Quali-Quantitative Approach. General Concepts, Methods, Plant Associations. Competition and Disturbance.
History of Vegetation.
Territorial Articulation: General Concepts, Vegetation Zones, Altitudinal Belts. Successions.
Vegetation in Europe.
Vegetation of Umbria.
Vegetation Cartography: Vegetation Distribution in the Territory. Actual and Potential Vegetation Maps. Construction of Vegetation Maps. Cartographic Bases.
Data Storing and Data Processing.
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
Goal 15: Life on Land
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