Elements of ecosystem ecology and biodiversity: ecosystem concept and definition; ecological factos; ecosystem functioning: flow of energy and matter through ecosystems, interactions at a community level, feed-back mechanisms, resistance and resilience of ecosystems; biodiversity concept and definitions: genetic diversity, taxonomic diversity, diversity of communities and ecosystems; reasons and geographic distribution of biodiversity; ecosystem productivity; agroecosystem types and their characteristics.

Environmental diversity: ecological systems, heterogeneity, complexity and scale; the landscape as ecological system; elements of landscape ecology; classification and mapping of climate, litho-morphology, soil, natural vegetation, land use and land cover; ecosystem geography and ecological classification of land.

Landscape ecology and agriculture: relationship between agriculture and natural vegetation; rural landscape and agricultural landscape; agriculture and biodiversity; landscape and cultural identity; threats to biodiversity and agriculture; sustainable development; traditional agricultural landscape; agriculture and protected areas.

Tools for the valorisation of food farming products: in-situ and ex-situ conservation, seed banks; environmental and landscape quality; multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services.

E.P. Odum, 2000. Ecologia. Piccin - Nuova Libraria
C. Ferrari, 2011. Biodiversità. Dal genoma al paesaggio. Zanichelli 184 p., 2 ed
C. Ferrari, G. Pezzi, 2013. L'ecologia del Paesaggio. Il Mulino
M.G. Turner, R.H. Gardner, R.V. O'Neill, 2001. Landscape ecology in theory and practice, SpringerVerlag
B. Fu, K. B. Jones, 2013. Landscape Ecology for Sustainable Environment and Culture. Springer
Capogrossi R., Laureti L., Bagnaia R., Canali E., Augello R., 2017 “Carta del Valore NaturalisticoCulturale d’Italia. Un applicativo di Carta della Natura”. ISPRA, Serie Rapporti, 269/2017

Teaching material (handouts), scientific and information provided by the teacher