Degree Course: Forestry and Environmental Sciences Syllabus for A.Y. 2020/2021  

1. Economics concepts. 1.1 Market equilibrium; 1.2 Close and linear economic model; 1.3 Gross domestic products.
2. Environment Economics. 2.1 Environmental, public and external goods. 2.2 Environmental Kuznets Curve. 2.3 Demand, supply and market equilibrium in the presence of environmental goods. 2.3 Sustainable development. 2.4 Strategies to include the environment in the economic system
3. World Forest heritage. 4.1 Heritage and distribution; 4.2 Qualification; 4.3 Degradation processes.
4. Forest natural capital and forest ecosystem services. 3.1 Natural Capital. 3.2 Forest natural capital. 3.3 Ecosystem services: source, characters, role, and classification
5. Sustainable management of forest resources. 5.1 Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainability Types. 5.2 Sustainable management of forests, wildlife, grazing and tourism.
6. Institutions and forestry policies: 6.1 Cycle of policy. 6.2 International forest policy system. 6.3 Type of fest policies. 6.4 International forest institution and policies. 6.5 Regional forest institution and policy. 6.6 European forest institution and policy.
7. Forest protection and enhancement tools: 7.1 policy tools; 7.2 legal and regulatory tools; 7.3 Financial; 7.4 market-based; 7.5 Volunteers, 7.6 Negotiators, 7.7 Consumer orientation.
8. Evaluation of forest ecosystem services: Total economic value. Methods of assessment of environmental assets: a) market approaches; (B) non-market approaches.
9. Environmental investment assessment: cost-effectiveness analysis; cost benefit analysis.
10. Environmental evaluation tools: Strategic environmental evaluation; Environmental Impact Assessment; Assessment of Environmental Incidence.

Turner R.K., Pearce D., Bateman I., 1993. Environmental Economics. The Johns Hopkins. University Press, Baltimore
Other material: scientific articles, relevant documents, power point presentations, will be produced from the theacher.

The concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and its tools.
The functions of forest.
Different level of forest planning in Italy.
Stages of a land plan and of a traditional forest plan
Target and actors of forest planning
Stage I: data collection; mandatory knoledge about environmental socio-economic factors
Forest compartments and other basic territorial units of a forest under management.
How to divide a forest ownership into compartments
The concept of evenaged normal forest.. Rotation. Criteria to choose the rotation. Yield tables.
Methods to calculate the allowable cut of evenaged normal forest. The area methods for the management of coppices.
The Austrian methods, the Paulsen-Hundeshagen principle, the Masson formula, the Patrone formula.
The management of the normal unevenaged forest. The reverse j shaped curve; the cutting cycle. How calculate the allowable cut.
Management methods which do noto refer to a normal forest model: the silvicultural method; the control method.
New trend in forest planning.
The landscape forest planning tool.
Forest planning in designated protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.

Peter Bettinger, Kevin Boston, Jacely Siry, Donald Grebner
Forest management Planning
Academic Press, 2017

The Vertebrates, origin, general features and classification of the subphylum.
Fish .: general features and diversity; notes on the freshwater Italian fish fauna .
Amphibians: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; salamanders and frogs of the Italian fauna.
Reptiles: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; terrestrial and freshwater reptiles fauna of the Italian water.
Birds: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; the Italian avifauna especially with regard to forest and mountain ecosystems; notes on birds of wetlands and coastal areas.
Mammals: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; terrestrial mammals of the Italian fauna, with particular regard to forest and mountain ecosystems; hints on marine Italian mammals.
Aspects of conservation of terrestrial vertebrates of the Italian fauna (extinct species, endangered species, non-native species, problematic species).
Biogeography of terrestrial vertebrates of the Italian fauna.

The exam can be prepared on the slides shown in class, which the teacher will make available to the student. For some topics scientific articles and in-depth essays could be made available.

-Design peak discharge and design hydrograph
-Return period: meaning, equation, and practical implication
-Rational Formula, theory and practice
-Intesity-Duration-Frequency curves, theory and practice (Excel Lab)
-Rainfall- Runoff Event-Based Approach
-Design Hyetograph
-Net Rainfall estimation, the NRCS-CN curve number method
-Rainfall-runoff transformation, the IUH approach and the WFIUH approach.
-GIS tool for watershed management
-The EBA4SUB software: introduction and project discussion (project Lab).
-Hydrological application case studies.

Applied Hydrology, Chow, Maidment, Mays,
McGraw-Hill

In addition to the textbook, papers and materials will be available on GOMP useful for the Lab exercise and the project development.

1. Introduction and objectives of the course. Near-to-nature silviculture and sustainable silviculture: theoretical basis and applicative principles. Effects of silviculture on the genetic characteristics of forests. Forest resources in Europe: an integrated perspective on ecosystem services, disturbances and threats. Brief outline of forest bio-based economy in Europe.
2. European forests: an ecological overview. Forest vegetation belts in Italy. European forest classifications. European Forest Types: tree species matrix. Past forests of Europe.
Silviculture of Mediterranean and temperate forests, in particular:
3. Silvics and silviculture of Mediterranean forests: Mediterranean macchia; Mediterranean pine stands, (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster, P. pinea); evergreen oak stands (Quercus ilex, Q. suber, Q. coccifera). Wood production in Mediterranean forests. Silviculture of minor tree species of the Mediterranean environment.
4. Silvics and silviculture of plain / sub mountain forests: deciduous oak stands (Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens, Q. frainetto, Q. cerris, Q. trojana); chestnut stands (Castanea sativa). Brief outline on silvics and silviculture of the main broadleaf species related to the deciduous oak stands (Carpinus spp., Acer spp., Fraxinus spp.). Outline on the riparian tree vegetation in Europe. Wood production in plain / sub-mountain forests.
5. Silvics and silviculture of mountain forests: European beech stands (Fagus sylvatica); European silver fir stands (Abies alba); Mountain pine stands (P. sylvestris, P. nigra, P. laricio, P. leucodermis). Brief outline on silvics and silviculture of valuable broadleved stands (Acer spp., Tilia spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium). Wood production in mountain forests
6. Silvics and silviculture of subalpine forests: Norway spruce stands (Picea abies); European larch, stone pine, Swiss mountain pine, dwarf pine stands (Larix decidua, Pinus cembra, Pinus uncinata, Pinus mugo). Wood production in subalpine forests. Silviculture in protection forests.
7. Outline of forest reproductive material and forest nursery techniques. Technical principles for the establishment and management of forest plantations. Outline on clonal forestry, short rotation forestry, forest restoration.

San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), 2016. European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Silviculture Handbook. Wisconsin DNR, Publication Number 2431.5, Madison: Wisconsin DNR, 2010. www.dnr.state.wi.us/forestry/Publications/H andbooks/24315/
The books are available in the university library or on the web. Teaching material will be distributed during the course and/or made available on the web.

Background of wood science and technology: Wood chemistry: cellulose, hemicellulose, extractives (terpens, tannins, quinones, lignans).
Wood durability. Biotic agents of degradation, hazard classes, permeability, weathering.
National bodies and European Committee for standardization (CEN): types of technical standards
Solid wood. Standards for log and load bearing structures grading. Strength classes in structural timber EN technical standards. Structures in historical buildings, classification. Classification of quality in logs: EN technical standards. Marking CE.
Use of wood extractives, cork, gums, other non wood products.
Wood Preservants and consolidants.
Wood modification: Heat treatments (thermowood, Plato-wood, Moldrup), Chemical modification (acetylation, furfural alchol, isocyanates), properties of chemically modified wood.
Wood adhesion and wood adhesives. Liquified wood, welding wood, natural glues (proteins, starch, tannins…)
Laminated timber and solid wood panels: plywoods, X-LAMS, gluelams, KVH, LVL, PVL etc. EN technical standards
Particle wood biocomposites: particleboards (waferboard, flakeboards, OSB, LVL, etc.)
Fiber-wood composites (MDF, HDF, LDF), wood-plastic composites (WPC),
Cellulose nanopapers, cellulose nanocomposites, cellulose biofoams and aerogels. Plasma treatment of wood
Biorafinery, recycled wood.
Lignin nanoparticles and cellulose nanofibrils.
Applications to bio-coatings, bio-vernishes, biomedical products
Wood polymers composite

Rowell. 2013. Handbook of wood chemistry and wood composites. CRC Press
Ansell 2015, Wood Composites. Elsevier publishing.
Slides of the teacher.
Tsoumis 1991. Wood Science and Technology
Suggested Review Articles by the teacher

PROGRAMME TOPICS
Morphologic and functional features of the main organs of forest trees: adaptation and acclimation
Growth and development of forest trees and responses to environmental factors and stresses
Tree architecture and forest microclimate
Transpiration, water relations and stress
Photosynthesis, respiration and carbon cycle of forest ecosystems
Quantitative methods for forest ecophysiological analyses (lab)
Introduction to ecophysiological process based mathematical models

Textbooks

Thomas P. Trees: their natural history. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Hirons A. D., Thomas P. Applied tree biology Wiley, 2018.

Hans Lambers, F. Stuart Chapin III, Thijs L. Pons. Plant Physiological Ecology. Second Edition. Springer 2008.

What is remote sensing and what is it used for?
-Optical Image Formation Process: at-Sensor Radiance and Reflectance
-Spectral response of main land cover classes
-Vegetation indices

Type of remotely sensed data
-Satellite, airborne and drone platforms
-Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors
Resolution
-Image data preprocessing by data providers

Geodata handling and image data pre-processing in GIS
-Field work: acquisition of reference data
-Data preprocessing: image data enhancement
-Creating a geographic database: digitizing and managing coordinate systems

Remote sensing data applications to forest resource mapping
-Introduction to digital image processing techniques
-Photointerpretation for land cover and forest type mapping
-Automated classification of satellite images
-Forest change detection

- Franklin SE (2001). Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis
- Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (2015)- T.M. Lillesand, R.W. Kiefer, J.W. Chipman, Wiley International Edition

1. GHGs cycles, atmosphere and climate change
2. Monitoring carbon stocks changes in biomass and soil with inventory approaches
3. Monitoring canopy productivity and dynamics through periodic measurements of stock changes
4. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using chambers and practical applications
5. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using the Eddy Covariance technique: from setup to results (theory, sensors, fluxes calculation and correction, gapfilling, partitioning, evaluation)
6. Micrometeorological measurements and link to carbon and other GHGs monitoring
7. Remote sensing, phenology and Sun Induced Fluorescence
8. Global monitoring networks, data access and analysis
9. Data management, organization and interpretation

Burba, George. (2013). Eddy Covariance Method for Scientific, Industrial, Agricultural and Regulatory Applications: A Field Book on Measuring Ecosystem Gas Exchange and Areal Emission Rates. 10.13140/RG.2.1.4247.8561.

Aubinet M., Vesala T., Papale D (2012). Eddy Covariance - A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis. Springer, ISBN: 978-94-007-2351-1

The ICOS Instructions for Ecosystem measurements: http://www.icos-etc.eu/documents/instructions

Lectures and class activities will be focused on the following group of topics/abilities:
Forest Tree Plantations in the World and in Europe.
Assessment of plantations for wood production and features of the planting site.
Planting systems and practices adopted for forest tree plantations.
Silvics and tree plantation management of the following species: Hardwoods: Quercus suber, Castanea sativa, Juglans spp., Prunus avium, Populus spp., Eucalyptus spp., Robinia pseudoacacia, minor species. Conifers: Pinus halepensis ,Pinus pinea, Pinus pinaster, Pinus radiata, Cedrus spp, minor species.
Short Rotation Forestry - SRF.
Agroforestry.
Role of forest plantation in the preservation and improvement of the environment: biodiversity and landscape, riparian plantations, woodland buffer strips, carbon sequestration, phytoremediation.

Planted Forests: Uses, Impacts & Sustainability. 2009. FAO and CABI. pp 213.
Bibliography will be also suggested depending on the student background

The book is available in the university library or on the web. Teaching material will be distributed during the course and/or made available on the web.

I. Introduction
Soil and its different definitions
Role and position of soils in terrestrial ecosystems
Ecosystem services and soil functions
Concepts of chemical and biological fertility

II. Indicators of soil quality and health
Review of concepts of soil quality, soil health and soil security. Rationale for the use of soil indicators and specific requisites. Physical, chemical and biological indicators. Static and dynamic descriptors.
Pools and processes.
Main bioindicators: definitions and functions.
Soil health and resilience
Soil quality indexes

III. Soil organic matter (SOM)
Main features, composition, physical, chemical and biological properties.
SOM as a complex indicator of soil quality. Quantity and quality of SOM
Role of SOM to maintain soil fertility, to promote carbon storage and as the site of tight interactions with soil biota. Pools of ecological relevance.

IV. Soil microbial biomass
Definition, composition and main characteristics
Factors influencing microbial biomass development. Trophic conditions and adaptation strategies. Functions of soil microrganisms and their specific role within nutrient cycles.
How to study microbial biomass. Quantitative and qualitative approaches. FE method, SIR, multi-SIR, CLPP techniques. Concepts of genetic and functional diversity.
Microbial indexes: the microbial quotient, significance and measurement.

V. Mineralization processes (C & N mineralization)
Significance of mineralization processes to guarantee soil fertility
C mineralization. Soil respiration and its components: definition and measurement
Microbial indexes: the metabolic and the mineralization quotients: significance and measurement
N mineralization. Mineralization potential and in situ measurements

VI. Soil enzymes
Definitions and main features. Notes on enzyme kinetics: general infos. Localization and origin of soil enzymes. Classes of soil enzymes. Functions and stability of enzymes in soil. Immobilized enzymes.
Intra- and extracellular enzymes.
Determination of enzyme activities by means of different methods : colorimetric and fluorimetric techniques. Specific activities. Real and potential activity.

VII. Drivers of global soils change:
Natural and anthropogenic pressures (climate changes, land use changes, pollution)
Threats to soil functions
Soil degradation, soil loss

VIII. How to plan a monitoring activity
WWWHWWW scheme.
Experimental design, sampling schemes.
How to choose the right indicators. New sets of indicators.
Presentation of specific case studies in forest soils



Laboratory classes (if allowed)
1 - Determination of soil respiration
2 - Determination of acid phosphatase activity

Working group
Reading and discussion of recent literature

Texts
1) Brady NC, Weil RR, 2016
The nature and properties of soils, XV Ed. (Chapt. 1, 11, 12, 20), XIV Ed.(Chapt. 2, 12, 13, 21) or XIII Ed. (Chapt. 1-11-12-20)(University Library)

2) FAO and ITPS., 2015.
Status of the World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) – Main Report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, Rome, Italy (selected chapters)

3) NERI Technical Report No. 388, 2002
Microorganisms as indicators of soil health,

4) European Commission - DG ENV, Report 2010
Soil biodiversity: functions, threats and tools for policy makers,

5) Gardi C., Jeffrey J. , 2009
Soil biodiversity, JRC Scientific and Technical Reports

6) Shukla G., Varma A., 2011,
Soil enzymology –Springer Verlag
(selected chapters)

7) Course slides

The class and lab. activities lectures will be focused on the following groups of topics/abilities.
- General introduction to plant biotechnology: history, global significance of modern plant biotechnology, biotech trees;
- Model plants for tree species: the need of a model plant for tree species;
- Vegetative propagation and tissue culture (tree cloning, micropropagation, cryopreservation, callus culture, haploid plants, protoplast isolation, production of secondary metabolites);
- General introduction to the genetically modified trees; Methods of genetic transformation of forest trees (Agrobacterium, biolistic, and electroporation)
- Applications of recombinant DNA technology for the improvement of forest trees
- General introduction to the Omics sciences (genomics, proteomics and metabolomics)
- Sequencing of tree species (history and main methodologies), Next generation sequencing
- Molecular markers history, molecular markers currently used in plant biotechnology
- Marker Assisted Selection

1. Plant Cell Culture, essential methods (2010). Edited by M.R. Davey and P. Anthony. Wiley-Blackwell.
2. Tree biotechnology (2014). Edited by K. G. Ramawat, J. M. Mérillon, M. R. Ahuja. CRC Press.
3. Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture: Prospects for the 21st Century (2012). Edited by Altman A and Hasegawa PM. Accademic Press.
4. Plants, genes, and Crop Biotechnology (2003). Edited by M.J. Chrispeels & D.E. Sadava. Jones and Bartlett publishers.
Non-attending students are encouraged to contact the teacher for information about the program, teaching materials, and how to evaluate the benefit.

PROGRAM

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE COURSE
• About the course
- Program outlines and operative infos

• Organisation of nature on the Earth
- Ecosystems and biomes
- Biodiversity

• Anthropic contexts
- Land uses
- Pressures in urban areas

SECTION 2 - GENERAL INFO ON POLLUTION
• Pollution
- Pollution vs natural environments
- Contaminants/pollutants
- Sources of contaminants/pollutants in urban and other environments
- Nature, features and classification of contaminants/pollutants in urban and other environments

SECTION 3 - SOIL ECOSYSTEM COMPOSITION AND FEATURES
• Soil components
- Inorganic vs organic
- Abiotic vs biotic

• Soil properties
- Physical
- Chemical
- Biological/biochemical

• The soil ecosystem

• Soil interaction with plants (typical ecosystem)
- Rhizosphere
- Soil-Plant interactions in problem solving (pollution)

SECTION 3 - SOIL PERTURBATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH POLLUTANTS
• Soil perturbations in urban environments
- Temperature
- Water regimes
- Waste disposal
- Contaminants/pollutants

• Soil contamination/pollution and remediation
- Interactions of contaminants/pollutants with soil
- Nature and features of contaminants/pollutants in urban environments
- Fate of contaminants/pollutants in soil (adsorption/fixation, absorption, volatilisation, degradation, leaching)
- Remediation and bioremediation technologies

• Monitoring soils pollution and remediation
- Monitoring soil quality (indicators, indices, etc.)
- Monitoring soil pollutants (metals, organics, nanomaterials, biomolecules, etc.)
- Traditional approaches in soil monitoring (lab analyses)
- Smart approaches in soil monitoring (sensors, biosensors, nano(bio)sensors, probes and (hybrid) sensing systems).

SUGGESTED TEXTBOOKS:

N.C. Brady, R.R. Weil (2016). The nature and properties of soils (Global Edition), Pearson, ISBN: 978-1-292-16223-2 (eBook ISBN: 978-1-2921-6224-9), 1105 Pages.
E.A. Paul (2015). Soil microbiology, ecology, and biochemistry (4th Edition), Academic Press, ISBN: 9780124159556 (eBook ISBN: 9780123914118), 598 Pages.
I.L. Pepper, C.P. Gerba, M.L. Brusseau (2019). Environmental and Pollution Science (3rd Edition), Academic Press, ISBN: 9780128147191 (eBook ISBN: 9780128147207), 662 Pages.
P. Ryan (2014). Environmental and Low Temperature Geochemistry, Wiley-Blackwell, ISBN: 978-1-405-18612-4 (eBook ISBN: 978-1-118-86749-5), 416 Pages.

Textbooks are mostly complementary or integrative (as indicated during the classes) so that the various issues might be present in distinct or multiple textbooks.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:
Possible additional materials consist of scientific articles, documents from magazines, websites, and videos selected on purpose and made available upon uploading in shared platforms (e.g. Moodle, Classroom or clouds), as indicated during the classes, which will be chosen based on the most suitable features, effectiveness and efficiency for this aim.

Lecture 1 - Introduction
Lecture 2 – Ecosystem services of green infrastructure and definition of urban forestry
Lecture 3 – Water services : transpiration, water cycle, regulating water floods
Lecture 4 – Carbon cycle
Lecture 5 – Carbon sequestration of urban green inftarstuctre
Lecture 6 – Methods for evaluation of carbon in biomass
Lecture 7 – Energy balance and urban heat island
Lecture 8 – Climate comfort of urban trees
Lecture 9 – Sound scaping : the role fo urban forestry
Lecture 10 – Heath and Forest Bathing
Lecture 11 – Urban forestry practices : species
Lecture 12 – Urban forestry practices: sylviculture
Lecture 13 – Ecological spacing
Lecture 14 – Biodiversity assessment
Lecture 15 - Economic evaluation of ecosystem services

Lecture 16 – Case study: the vertical forest
Lecture 17 – Case study: The fate of forest waste
Lecture 18 – Case study : Calculation of carbon credits
Lecture 19 – Case study : Riparian forests and wetlands in urban context
Lecture 20 – Case study : Monitoring ecosystem services
 

The course material is organized in:

- Videolectures
- Lectures in pptx format
- Material in the format of reports and articles

Everything is contained in the repository


https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j4btwrx9gchgvda/AADs58G7eQkhD6QA0cv9yUwua?dl=0

PROGRAMME TOPICS - Module 1
• Morphologic and functional features of the main organs of plants and trees
• Plants and microclimate: basic elements
• Environmental drivers of transpiration and plant water relations
• Environmental drivers of photosynthesis and carbon allocation
• Impact of urban areas on soil and water contamination
• Application of phytotechnologies for soil remediation
• Application of phytotechnologies for storm water management
• Site assessments, project design and monitoring
• Other multipurpose green infrastructures
• Analysis of case studies

PROGRAMME TOPICS - Module 2
- Role of BVOC emission in urban air quality
- Carbon sequestration of urban trees
- Air pollution uptake of urban trees (O3, PM, SO2)
- Effects of the main air pollutants on plants
- Pollen emission by urban trees
- Models to estimate air quality improvement and ecosystem services
- Choice of the best species to improve air quality and ecosystem services
- Biomonitoring air pollution
- Urban environment as simulation of climate change
- Urban Plant Physiology: adaptation and mitigation of plants

Textbooks

Thomas P. Trees: their natural history. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Hirons A. D., Thomas P. Applied tree biology Wiley, 2018.

A.A. Ansari, S.S. Gill, R. Gill, G.R. Lanza, L. Newman (Eds.) Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants, Volume 1. Springer 2015

A.A. Ansari, S.S. Gill, R. Gill, G.R. Lanza, L. Newman (Eds.) Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants, Volume 2. Springer 2015

1. GHGs cycles, atmosphere and climate change
2. Monitoring carbon stocks changes in biomass and soil with inventory approaches
3. Monitoring canopy productivity and dynamics through periodic measurements of stock changes
4. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using chambers and practical applications
5. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using the Eddy Covariance technique: from setup to results (theory, sensors, fluxes calculation and correction, gapfilling, partitioning, evaluation)
6. Micrometeorological measurements and link to carbon and other GHGs monitoring
7. Remote sensing, phenology and Sun Induced Fluorescence
8. Global monitoring networks, data access and analysis
9. Data management, organization and interpretation

Burba, George. (2013). Eddy Covariance Method for Scientific, Industrial, Agricultural and Regulatory Applications: A Field Book on Measuring Ecosystem Gas Exchange and Areal Emission Rates. 10.13140/RG.2.1.4247.8561.

Aubinet M., Vesala T., Papale D (2012). Eddy Covariance - A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis. Springer, ISBN: 978-94-007-2351-1

The ICOS Instructions for Ecosystem measurements: http://www.icos-etc.eu/documents/instructions

What is remote sensing and what is it used for?
-Optical Image Formation Process: at-Sensor - Radiance and Reflectance
-Spectral response of main land cover classes
-Vegetation indices

Type of remotely sensed data
-Satellite, airborne and drone platforms
-Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors
Resolution
-Image data preprocessing by data providers

Geodata handling and image data pre-processing in GIS
-Field work: acquisition of reference data
-Data preprocessing: image data enhancement
-Creating a geographic database: digitizing and managing coordinate systems

Remote sensing data applications to forest resource mapping
-Introduction to digital image processing techniques
-Photointerpretation for land cover and forest type mapping
-Automated classification of satellite images
-Forest change detection

- Franklin SE (2001). Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis
- Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (2015)- T.M. Lillesand, R.W. Kiefer, J.W. Chipman, Wiley International Edition

The urban environment and the Green Infrastructure for sustainable and resilient cities
Principal interactions of trees with the air pollutants and their uptake (O3, PM)
Effects of the main air pollutants on plants
Role of BVOC emission in urban air quality
Carbon sequestration of urban trees
Models to estimate air quality improvement and ecosystem services
Choice of the best species to improve air quality and ecosystem services
Biomonitoring air pollution
Urban environment as simulation of climate change
Urban Plant Physiology: adaptation and mitigation of plants

Raymond, C.M., Berry, P., Breil, M., Nita, M.R., Kabisch, N., de Bel, M., Enzi, V., Frantzeskaki, N., Geneletti, D., Cardinaletti, M., Lovinger, L., Basnou, C., Monteiro, A., Robrecht, H., Sgrigna, G., Muhari, L., Calfapietra, C., 2017. An Impact Evaluation Framework to Support Planning and Evaluation of Nature-based Solutions Projects. Report prepared by the EKLIPSE Expert Working Group on Nature-based Solutions to Promote Climate Resilience in Urban Areas. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallington, United Kingdom.
- Calfapietra, C., Niinemets, Ü., Peñuelas, J., 2015. Urban Plant Physiology: adaptation-mitigation strategies under permanent stress. Trends Plant Sci. 20, 72–75.
- Nowak, D.J., D.E. Crane, and J.C. Stevens. 2006. Air pollution removal by urban trees and shrubs in the United States. Urban For. Urban Gree. 4:115 – 123.
- Pearlmutter, D., Calfapietra, C., Samson, R., O'Brien, L., Krajter Ostoić, S., Sanesi, G., Alonso del Amo, R. (Eds.) 2017. The Urban Forest Cultivating Green Infrastructure for People and the Environment. Springer.

-Design peak discharge and design hydrograph
-Return period: meaning, equation, and practical implication
-Rational Formula, theory and practice
-Intesity-Duration-Frequency curves, theory and practice (Excel Lab)
-Rainfall- Runoff Event-Based Approach
-Design Hyetograph
-Net Rainfall estimation, the NRCS-CN curve number method
-Rainfall-runoff transformation, the IUH approach and the WFIUH approach.
-GIS tool for watershed management
-The EBA4SUB software: introduction and project discussion (project Lab).
-Hydrological application case studies.

Applied Hydrology, Chow, Maidment, Mays,
McGraw-Hill

In addition to the textbook, papers and materials will be available on GOMP useful for the Lab exercise and the project development.

Chapter topics Practical works
Symptoms of plant diseases Main symptoms on different plant groups. Possible losses from diseases/ Direct and non direct losses
Infectious and noninfectious plant diseases Noninfectious diseases. Environment conditions/ causing plant diseases
Mean groups of pathogens Viruses, viroids, bacteria, fungi. Pathogenesis in different plants
Viral diseases Symptoms, contamination, possible losses, identification

Bacterial diseases Symptoms, contamination, possible losses, identification

Fungal diseases Symptoms, contamination, possible losses, identification

Seeds and planting stock contamination Identification. Possible losses
Main groups of pests Symptoms of contamination. Possible losses
Methods of plant protection. Host plant resistance. Cultural, physical, chemical, biological means of plant diseases, pests and weed control. Quarantine for pathogens management
Cultural control Preparation of plant material, plant residues, fertilization, plant density
Physical method of plant protection Cooling and freezing. Drying and desicants. Modified atmospheres
Chemical control Main groups of chemicals. Application forms. Pests, diseases and weed chemical control

Biological control Biological agents for diseases, pests and weed control
Plant quarantine Main groups of quarantine pests, diseases and weeds. What is quarantine
Integrated pest management Combination of strategies and tactics. Different means of plant protection, combined with each other. Environment pollution

а) main literature:

G.Olsen “IPM in Agriculture”, 2009, USA, 358p.
Natural Enemies in Crops and Landscapes. 2006, USA, California, 358p.

b) supplementary literature:

IPM for Weed Identification in Field Crops, 2007, USA, Michigan University, 107p.

с) software and databases –
http://bvi.rusf.ru/sista/alf_1047.htm
www.cnshb.ru

1. Learning outcomes (goals and aims of the discipline):
The goal of the discipline is mastering theoretical backgrounds and obtaining practical skills in analysis of features, factors and functional specifics of urban ecosystems and their components.
The aims of the discipline include:
- to understand and implement the basic terms, definitions and principles of city and settlements’ ecology;
- to know basics of projecting and landscape architecture constructing;
- to analyze and quantify ecological factors in urban environment;
- to manage ecological and aesthetic functions of urban green plantations;
- to know and implement urban environmental monitoring systems;
- to manage the main processes of urban landscape construction
Syllabus
Chapter topics Practical works
Introduction to the course «Urban ecology». Basic terms: city, urbanizations, urban ecosystems Urban ecology – city ecology. Modern and ancient cities. Urbanization as a processes of city expansion and urban development. Nature urbanization as transformation of natural landscapes into urban infrastructure. Functional and formal approaches to define the term «city».
Geological environment of urban ecosystems Lithosphere as a component of geosystems. General information on the Earth planet composition. Material construction of the lithosphere. Physical and chemical feature of the lithosphere. Elements and their clarke the earth’s crust. Minerals and mineral groups. Magmatic, metamorphic and sedimental rocks. Lithospheric processes. Endogenous and exogenous processes. Volcanism and post-volcanic processes. Tectonics of the Lithospheric plates. Orogenesis. Relief. Spatial and orographic relief forms. Slope, glacial, colluvial and karst processes. Interrelationships between the lithosphere with the other geosystems components. Anthropogenic sediments. Classification of anthropogenic sediments. Genesis of anthropogenic sediments. Chemical and physical features of anthropogenic sediments. Cultural layer.
Water component of urban ecosystems. Water-use types. Hydrosphere as a geosystems component. History of hydrosphere on Earth. Material composition of hydrosphere. Physical and chemical feature of hydrosphere. Water bodies, ponds and streams. Interrelation between hydrosphere and other geosystems components. Hydrosphere and migration of substances. Hydropshere and climate. Water consumption. Water use and its categories.
Atmosphere of urban ecosystems. Composition. Influence on the atmosphere Pollution of the atmosphere. Classification of the principal atmosphere pollutants. Maximal allowance concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere. Sources of atmospheric pollution. Classification of the industries considering risks of the atmospheric pollution. Consequences of the atmospheric pollution. Dispersion of the toxic substances in the atmosphere. Limitation of the atmospheric emissions. Monitoring of the air quality. Goals and aims of air quality monitoring. System of the air quality monitoring in Russia. Weather forecasting and meteorological monitoring. Prediction and modeling of air pollution and air quality dynamic.
Urban climate. Management of the air quality. Standardization of the influences on the atmosphere. Maximal permitted emissions. Sanitary-hygienic zones. Integral indicator of the air pollutions. Separate standardization of the contaminants in the atmospheric air. Heat pollution of the atmosphere. Anthropogenic change of the radiation balance. Green house gases and global warming. Heat island effect. Framework convention of the climate change. Intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC). Kioto protocol and post-kioto agreements. Russian Federation and Kioto protocol
Urban vegetation. Functions of urban greenery. Ecological and technogenic factors of plant growth in urban environment. Climatic factor: heat island effect, extension of the vegetation period, shifting of the plant borders, decrease in frost-resistance, prolongation of the daylight period. Atmospheric pollution: chlorosis, drying. Edaphic factor: over-compaction, cluttering up, salinization, soil sealing. Forest degradation within urban areas. Edge erosion. Composition of urban vegetation: local, introduced and added species. Specifics of urban vegetation: domination of deciduous plants, decrease in biodiversity. Cultural and ruderal grasses. Urban lawns.
Urban green space’s functions. Sanitary-hygienic functions. Dust-capturing function. Gas-fixating function. Intensification of air circulation. Noise-isolating function. Ionization of the environment. Ornamental and aesthetic functions. Urban greenery rules, regulations and standards.
Urban soils Anthropogenic influence on soil. Over-compaction. Soil profile disturbance. Soil degradation. Soil pollution. Soil erosion. The key contaminants of soils. Maximal allowed concentrations and preliminary allowed concentrations of substances in soil. Anthropogenic soils. Specifics of soil formation, peculiarities of soil physical, chemical and biological features of anthropogenic soils. Classification of anthropogenic soils. Standardizing of soil quality. Methods for quantification of ecological damage. Reclaiming and remediation of contaminated soils. Remediation activities for various contamination types. Bioremediation. Ecological certification of soils and lands. Economic, ecological and functional-ecological assessment of soil quality

2. Teaching

a) main literature:
1) Kurbatova A.S., Bashkin V.N., Kasimov N.S. «Ecology of a city». – М.: 2004 – 624 p (in Russian).
2) Denisov V.V.., Kurbatova A.S., Denisova I.A.., Bondarenko V.L., Gracheva V.A., Gutenev V.V., Nagnibeda B.A. «Ecology of a city». М.: Rostov on Don: 2008-832 p.( in Russia).
3) Alberti M. Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems Springer; 2008 366 p.
4) R.T.T. Forman. Urban Ecology: Science of Cities Cambridge University Press 2014. 474 p.
5) J. Niemela,J. H. Breuste, G.Guntenspergen. Urban Ecology: Patterns, Processes, and Applications. Oxford University Press; Reprint edition. 2012. 392 p.

b) additional literature:
1). Bandaranayake W., Qian Y. L., Parton W. J., Ojima D. S. and Follett R. F., 2003. Estimation of Soil Organic Carbon Changes in Turfgrass Systems Using the CENTURY Model. Agron. J. 95, 558–563.
2). Dolgikh, A.V., Aleksandrovskii, A.L., 2010. Soils and cultural layers in velikii Novgorod. Eurasian Soil Science, 43, 477–48.
3). Gerasimova, M.I., Stroganova, M.N., Mozharova, N.V., Prokofieva, T.V., 2003. Urban Soils. Oykumena, Smolensk.(in Russian)
4). Golubiewski, N.E., 2006. Urbanization Increases Grassland Carbon Pools: Effects of Landscaping in Colorado's Front Range. Ecological Applications 16, 555-571.
5). Ilina, I.N. (Eds.), 2000. Environmental atlas of the Moscow city. ABF. Moscow (in Russian)
6). Jo, H.K., McPherson E.G., 1995. Carbon Storage and Flux in Urban Residential Greenspace. Journal of Environmental Management 45, 109–133.
7). Kaye, J.P., McCulley, R.L., Burkez, I.C., 2005. Carbon fluxes, nitrogen cycling, and soil microbial communities in adjacent urban, native and agricultural ecosystems. Global Change Biology 11, 575-587.
8). Lorenz, K., Lal, R., 2009. Biogeochemical C and N cycles in urban soils. Environment International 35, 1–8.
10). Pickett, S.T.A., Cadenasso, M.L., Grove, J.M., Boone, C.G., Groffman, P.M., Irwin, E., Kaushal, S.S., Marshall, V., McGrath, B.P., Nilon, C.H., Pouyat, R.V., Szlavecz, K., Troy, A., Warren, P., 2011. Urban ecological systems: scientific foundations and a decade of progress. Journal of Environmental Management 92, 331–362
11). Prokofieva, T.V., Stroganova, M.N., 2004. Soils of Moscow city (soils in urban environment, their specifics and environmental significance). Moscow Biological. GEOS, Moscow.
12). Scalenghe, R., Marsan, F.A. The anthropogenic sealing of soil in urban areas, 2009. Landscape and urban planning 90, 1-10. .
13). Vasenev, V.I., Ananyeva, N.D., Makarov, O.A., 2012. Specific features of the ecological functioning of urban soils in Moscow and Moscow oblast. Eurasian Soil Science 45, 194-205.
14). Vasenev, V.I., Stoorvogel, J.J., Vasenev I.I., 2013b. Urban soil organic carbon and its spatial heterogeneity in comparison with natural and agricultural areas in the Moscow region. Catena. 107.96-102.
15). Vrscaj, B., Poggio, L., Marsan, F., 2008. A method for soil environmental quality evaluation for management and planning in urban areas. Landscape and Urban Planning 88, 81-94

. Learning outcomes (goals and aims of the discipline):
The goal of the discipline is to obtain basic theoretical knowledge and practical skills in data collecting, processing and analysis, carrying out experimental and analytical research in the sphere of landscape architecture The aims of the discipline include the following:
- to learn the main stages of world notion development, obtain the basic knowledge on the key current scientific paradigms;
- to master the structure of scientific research work, planning and carrying out scientific experiments;
- to learn the main terminology implemented in contemporary soil, environmental and landscape applied science;
- to master the methodology of data collection and analysis and results’ interpretation;
- to learn the basics of mathematical statistics (descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, analysis of variance);
- to master the techniques to visualize the results of scientific research, to learn how to make graphs, tables, figures, maps and schemes and how to make presentations;
- to learn up-to-date approaches to search and analyze scientific information, including conference thesis, scientific publications, books, to be able to use the major bases of knowledge
Syllabus
Chapter topics Practical works
Methodology of scientific research  Observations
 Experiments
 Modelling
Collecting and organization of research data  Data types
 Data sampling
 Datasets
Introduction into descriptive statistics
 Mean, median, mode
 Sample and population
 Scatter plots
 Variance
 Histograms
 Box & Whiskers
Statistical hypothesis  Probability
 Distribution
 Normal and non-normal distribution
 Significance level
T-test  One-sample T test
 Paired T-test
 T-test for independent sample
Correlation  Pearson correlation
 Spearmen correlation
 Graphical interpretation of correlation
Simple linear regression  Regression equations
 Determination coefficient
Multiple regression  Regression models
 Fitting regression models
 Logistic regression

2. Teaching methodologies and evaluation
Points
Colloquium Test Hometask Project Final Test interim certification TOTAL
Data analysis and statistics Methodology of scientific research 5 4 9
Collecting and organization of research data 10 5 5 20
Introduction into descriptive statistics
10 5 5 10 30
Statistical hypothesis 12 9 21
Exam 20
Total 100
T-test 5 4 9
Correlation 10 5 5 20
Simple linear regression 10 5 5 20
Multiple regression 12 9 21
Exam 20
Total 100






Points Mark in Russia ECTS Mark
95 - 100 5 A
86 - 94 B
69 - 85 4 C
61 - 68 3 D
51 - 60 E
31 - 50 2 FX
0 - 30 F
51-100 Passed Passed

а) main literature:

1. D. M. Diez, C.D. Barr, M. Cetinkaya-Rundel . OpenIntro Statistics. 2014. openintro.org
2. J. Leek. The elements of data analytiс style. http://leanpub.com/datastyle
3. Dmitriev E.A. Mathematical statistics in soil science. MSU edition. 1995.
4. R. Lyman Ott & Michael Longnecker. An introduction to statistical methods and data analysis. 6th edition
5. Hans-Peter Pifo. Statistics for bachelors in Agriculture and Renewable Energy sources. Hochenheim. 288 P.

b) supplementary literature:

6. Aller L., T. Bennett, J. H. Lehr, R. J. Petty, and G. Hackett. 1987. DRASTIC: A standardized system for evaluating ground water pollution potential using hydrogeological settings. EPA/600/2-87/035. Washington, D.C.: Environmental Agency.
7. ArcGis 9. Что такое ArcGis? Официальное руководство ESRI. США. 2004.-127 с.
8. Bailey, T. C., and A. C. Gatrell. 1995. Interactive spatial data analysis. Harlow, UK: Longman.
9. Batty, M. J. 1997. The computable city. International Planning Studies 2: 155–73.
10. Batty, M. J., and P. A. Longley. 1994. Fractal cities: A geometry of form anfunction. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press.
11. Benenson, I. 2004. Agent-based modeling: From individual residential to urban residential dynamics. In Spatially integrated social science, ed. M. Goodchild and D. J. Janelle, 67–94. New York: Oxford University Press.
12. Berger T. Agent-based spatial models applied to agriculture: a simulation tool for technology diffusion, resource use changes and policy analysis. 2001. Agricultural Economics. # 25. P. 245–260.
13. Carey, G. F., ed. 1995. Finite element modeling of environmental problems: Surface and subsurface flow and transport. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
14. Crosier, S. J., M. F. Goodchild, L. L. Hill, and T. R. Smith. 2003. Developing an infrastructure for sharing environmental models. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 30: 487–501.
15. Dibble, C., and P. G. Feldman. 2004. The GeoGraph 3D Computational Laboratory: network and terrain landscapes for RePast. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 7(1). Available: jasss.soc.surrey.ac.uk/ 7/1/7.html.
16. Engelen G., White R., De Nij T. Environment Explorer: Spatial Support System for the Integrated Assessment of Socio-Economic and Environmental Policies in the Netherlands. 2003. Integrated Assessment. V. 4, #. 2. P. 97–105.
17. Fotheringham, A. S., and M. E. O’Kelly. 1989. Spatial interaction models: Formulations and applications. Boston: Kluwer.
18. Goodchild M.F. GIS and modeling overview. In: GIS, Spatial Analysis and Modeling. Maguire D.J. , Batty M., Goodchild M.F. (Eds). ESRI Press, Redlands. P. 2-17.
19. Goodchild, M. F., and J. Proctor. 1997. Scale in a digital geographic world. Geographical and Environmental Modeling 1: 5–23.
20. Goodchild, M. F., B. O. Parks, and L. J. Steyaert. 1993. Environmental modeling with GIS. New York: Oxford University Press.
21. Haining, R. P. 2003. Spatial data analysis: Theory and practice. New York: Cambridge University Press.
22. Langran, G. 1993. Time in geographic information systems. London: Taylor and Francis.McHarg, I. L. 1969. Design with nature. Garden City, N.Y.: Natural History Press.
23. Modeling the Spatial Dynamics of Regional Land-Use: The CLUE-S Model Environmental Management V. 30, # 3, P. 391–405.
24. O’Sullivan, D., and D. J. Unwin. 2003. Geographic information analysis. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
25. Peuquet, D. 2002. Representations of space and time. New York: Guilford.
26. Tomlin, C. D. 1990. Geographic information systems and cartographic modeling. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
27. Worboys, M. F., and M. Duckham. 2004. GIS: A computing perspective. New York: Taylor and Francis.
28. Zeiler, M. 1999. Modeling our world: The ESRI guide to geodatabase design. Redlands, Calif.: ESRI Press.

1. Learning outcomes (goals and aims of the discipline):
The goal of the discipline is a comprehensive study of urban and natural systems with sequential analysis of tools of Landscape Design influencing improvement and sustainability of the urban environment. The aims of the discipline is to determine the place of landscape design, as one of the fastest growing areas of human creativity to build its high-grade environment, as well as an objective need for flexibility adequate reaction to environmental degradation in urban areas
Syllabus
Chapter topics Practical works
Energy and resource saving technologies in the SPLA. Ecological houses  Representation of landscape design projects in graphics and colour
European eco-villages.
Architectural and landscape environment  Landscape design tools
 Production layout tools
Surface design  Materials production layout
 Graphic work: tablet
 Graphic work: tablet
 Graphic work: design of forms of a relief (natural)
 Graphic work: design of relief forms (artificial)
 Relief Forms Design: Geoplastics Layout
Green design  Graphic work: design of vegetation forms
 Graphic work: vegetation as a means of composition
Water design  Graphic work: water and water devices
 Water and water devices: layout
Light design of urban open spaces  Light design
Modern sculpture   Graphic work: modern sculpture
  Layout: modern sculpture
City for human  Develop your own design language: materials for the layout

а) main literature:

1). Architectural bionics (Y.S.Lebedev). – М.: Stroyizdat, 1990 (in Russian)
2). Kurbatova A.S. and others Ecology of the city. – М.: Scientific World, 2004. – Pp.624. (in Russian)
3). Lunsberg G.E. The climate of the city / Translated from English by А.Fertman.- Leningrad: Gidrometeozdat, 1983 (in Russian)
4). Nefedov V.A. Landscape and sustainability of the environment. – Saint-Petersburg.: Poligrafist, 2002. – Pp.295. (in Russian)
5). Tetior А.N. Environmental infrastructure and human environment. – М.: Publishing House RAFIA, 2002. – Pp.421.
6). Tetior А.N. Sustainable urban development. – М.: Committee on Telecommunications and Mass Media of the Government of Moscow, 1999. – Part 1,- Pp.173.
7). Titova N.P. Roof gardens. – М.: ОLMА-PRESS Grand, 2002. – Pp.112. (in Russian)

b) supplementary literature:

1). Nefedov V.A. Landscape and sustainability of the environment. – Saint-Petersburg.: Poligrafist, 2002. – Pp.295. (in Russian)
2). Nefedov V.A. Urban Landscape Design / Nefedov V.A.:. – Saint-Petersburg.: "Liubavich", 2012. – Pp.320. (in Russian)
3). Lapin, Y.N. Ecological housing - key to the future. – М.: 1998. – Pp.160;
4). Tetior, А.N. Ecocity: Problems and Solutions / Scientific-methodical literature for engineers, scientists, graduate students to architecture and construction, workers prefectures. – М., 2005. – Pp.308.;

с) software and databases – Moscow interactive system of environmental monitoring www.mosecom.ru

Chapter topics
Introduction to the course.
Basic terms: city-planning, urbanizations, urban ecosystems, environmental protection
History and actuality of the problem
Participation of international organizations in city-planning and environmental protection. International legal framework
Structure of regulation of city-planning (national, regional, municipal) in Russia
City-planning in EU: goals, problems and principles of policy
Environmental protection in Russia: goals, problems and principles of policy
Environmental protection in EU: goals, problems and principles of policy
International cooperation of Russia and EU in city-planning and environmental protection
Global risks in city-planning and environmental protection. Final test
Practical works
City-planning and environmental protection as global and national trends. Connections of environmental issues with other areas in the development of cities;
Urbanization as a processes of city expansion and urban development
International organizations in city-planning and environmental protection: possible projects to increase the value of international organizations;
Main conventions, protocols, documents, agreements in CP and EP
Problems and perspectives of housing and communal services and the construction complex, directly related to urban development in the processes of horizontal technological cooperation;
Current realities and trends in the development of socio-economic processes of urbanization;

The Urban Agenda for the EU;
Regional Policy
Urban development;
Urban dimension of cohesion policy
Environmental law;
State initiatives on increasing policy
Green policy:
Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of people living in the EU;
Global challenges

International organizations for the protection of nature;
International treaties, agreements, conventions
State initiatives on international cooperation.
Disaster risk reduction.
Possible ways to avoid the risks.
Semester results

4. Main bibliography

1) John M. Marzluff, Eric Shulenberger Urban Ecology: An International Perspective on the Interaction Between Humans and Nature // 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LL
2) Timothy Beatley Green Cities of Europe: Global Lessons on Green Urbanism // 2012 Island Press
3) I.I. Zolotarev, S.A. Vdovin Sustainable City Development concept as a socioecological system // Monograph. 2012 – Novosibirsk
4) Tai-Chee Wong, Belinda YuenEco-city Planning: Policies, Practice and Design // Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011
5) State of the World’s Cities Report 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities // United Nations Human Settlements Programme, 2012
6) Esben Alslund-Lanthén Cities 100: 100 solutions for climate action in cities
7) Andrea Lenschow Environmental Policy Integration Greening Sectoral Policies in Europe // Earthscan Publications Ltd, 2001

The class and lab. activities lectures will be focused on the following groups of topics/abilities.
- General introduction to plant biotechnology: history, global significance of modern plant biotechnology, biotech trees;
- Model plants for tree species: the need of a model plant for tree species;
- Vegetative propagation and tissue culture (tree cloning, micropropagation, cryopreservation, callus culture, haploid plants, protoplast isolation, production of secondary metabolites);
- General introduction to the genetically modified trees; Methods of genetic transformation of forest trees (Agrobacterium, biolistic, and electroporation)
- Applications of recombinant DNA technology for the improvement of forest trees
- General introduction to the Omics sciences (genomics, proteomics and metabolomics)
- Sequencing of tree species (history and main methodologies), Next generation sequencing
- Molecular markers history, molecular markers currently used in plant biotechnology
- Marker Assisted Selection

1. Plant Cell Culture, essential methods (2010). Edited by M.R. Davey and P. Anthony. Wiley-Blackwell.
2. Tree biotechnology (2014). Edited by K. G. Ramawat, J. M. Mérillon, M. R. Ahuja. CRC Press.
3. Plant Biotechnology and Agriculture: Prospects for the 21st Century (2012). Edited by Altman A and Hasegawa PM. Accademic Press.
4. Plants, genes, and Crop Biotechnology (2003). Edited by M.J. Chrispeels & D.E. Sadava. Jones and Bartlett publishers.
Non-attending students are encouraged to contact the teacher for information about the program, teaching materials, and how to evaluate the benefit.

FOREST GENETICS

The course is organized into four major sections:
1) summary of basic genetic principles (mendelian and molecular genetics);
2) population genetics;
3) quantitative genetics;
4) basic principles of genetic improvement of forest trees.

1) SUMMARY OF BASIC GENETIC PRINCIPLES

a) Mendelian genetics
- Mendel's principles
Monohybrid crosses: the principles of dominance and segregation; dihybrid crosses: the principle of independent assortment.
- Extension of Mendel's principles: partial dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, epistasis, genetic linkage, pleiotropy.

b) Molecular genetics and cytogenetics
- Structures of DNA and RNA.
- The central dogma of molecular biology: replication, transcription and translation, the genetic code.
- Gene structure and regulation.
- The organization of DNA in chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, chromosome theory of inheritance,
- Genomics.
- Mutations.
- Polyploidy.

- Causes and types of variability in forest stands.

2) POPULATION GENETICS
- Genetic structure of populations: genotype and allele frequencies.
- The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law: assumption and predictions of the law; implications of the law in natural populations.
- Mating systems and inbreeding: influence of inbreeding on genotypic frequencies, inbreeding coefficient, inbreeding depression in forest trees.
- Forces that change allele frequency (evolutionary forces): mutation, migration, selection and genetic drift.

3) QUANTITATIVE GENETICS
- Characteristics of quantitative traits.
- Study of the amount of phenotypic variation for a quantitative trait.; statistical tools: samples and populations, frequency distributions, mean, variance and standard deviation, correlation and regression analyses.
- Estimating the relative contribution of environmental and genetic effects on the observed phenotypic variability: heritability and its estimation in forest species.
- Estimating the genotypic value of parental phenotypes by the analysis of offspring: clonal and breeding values; general combining ability and specific combining ability.
- Genetic gain or genetic progress in a tree improvement program: realized gain and predicted gain on the basis of quantitative genetics theory; clonal and breeding genetic gain.
- Genetic correlations: genetic correlations between two distinct traits (traits/traits correlations); genetics correlations of the same trait expressed at different ages (juvenile/mature correlations); genetic correlations of the same trait expressed in different environments (genotype x environment interaction).

4) BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GENETIC IMPROVEMENTS OF FOREST TREES
- Genetic improvements under natural regeneration systems.
- Scope and structure of forest tree improvement programs.
- Population types and activities in the breeding cycle of tree improvement programs.
- Characteristics of different types of populations: base population, selected population, breeding population, external population.
- Propagation population: clonal seed orchards, seedling seed orchards.
- Objectives and functions of genetic tests in the breeding cycle of tree improvement programs.

Notes and slides of the lectures provided by the teacher.
Textbook: Forest Genetics (2009), Editors: White T.L., Adams W.T., Neale D.B. ISBN 9781845932855

PROGRAMME TOPICS

Morphologic and functional features of the main organs of forest trees: adaptation and acclimation

Growth and development of forest trees and responses to environmental factors and stresses

Tree architecture and forest microclimate

Transpiration, water relations and stress

Photosynthesis, respiration and carbon cycle of forest ecosystems

Quantitative methods for forest ecophysiological analyses (lab)

Introduction to ecophysiological process based mathematical models

Textbooks

Thomas P. Trees: their natural history. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Hirons A. D., Thomas P. Applied tree biology Wiley, 2018.

Hans Lambers, F. Stuart Chapin III, Thijs L. Pons. Plant Physiological Ecology. Second Edition. Springer 2008.

I. Introduction
Soil and its different definitions
Role and position of soils in terrestrial ecosystems
Ecosystem services and soil functions
Concepts of chemical and biological fertility

II. Indicators of soil quality and health
Review of concepts of soil quality, soil health and soil security. Rationale for the use of soil indicators and specific requisites. Physical, chemical and biological indicators. Static and dynamic descriptors.
Pools and processes.
Main bioindicators: definitions and functions.
Soil health and resilience
Soil quality indexes

III. Soil organic matter (SOM)
Main features, composition, physical, chemical and biological properties.
SOM as a complex indicator of soil quality. Quantity and quality of SOM
Role of SOM to maintain soil fertility, to promote carbon storage and as the site of tight interactions with soil biota. Pools of ecological relevance.

IV. Soil microbial biomass
Definition, composition and main characteristics
Factors influencing microbial biomass development. Trophic conditions and adaptation strategies. Functions of soil microrganisms and their specific role within nutrient cycles.
How to study microbial biomass. Quantitative and qualitative approaches. FE method, SIR, multi-SIR, CLPP techniques. Concepts of genetic and functional diversity.
Microbial indexes: the microbial quotient, significance and measurement.

V. Mineralization processes (C & N mineralization)
Significance of mineralization processes to guarantee soil fertility
C mineralization. Soil respiration and its components: definition and measurement
Microbial indexes: the metabolic and the mineralization quotients: significance and measurement
N mineralization. Mineralization potential and in situ measurements

VI. Soil enzymes
Definitions and main features. Notes on enzyme kinetics: general infos. Localization and origin of soil enzymes. Classes of soil enzymes. Functions and stability of enzymes in soil. Immobilized enzymes.
Intra- and extracellular enzymes.
Determination of enzyme activities by means of different methods : colorimetric and fluorimetric techniques. Specific activities. Real and potential activity.

VII. Drivers of global soils change:
Natural and anthropogenic pressures (climate changes, land use changes, pollution)
Threats to soil functions
Soil degradation, soil loss

VIII. How to plan a monitoring activity
WWWHWWW scheme.
Experimental design, sampling schemes.
How to choose the right indicators. New sets of indicators.
Presentation of specific case studies in forest soils


Laboratory classes (if allowed)
1 - Determination of soil respiration
2 - Determination of acid phosphatase activity

Working group
Reading and discussion of recent literature

Texts
1) Brady NC, Weil RR, 2016
The nature and properties of soils, XV Ed. (Chapt. 1, 11, 12, 20), XIV Ed.(Chapt. 2, 12, 13, 21) or XIII Ed. (Chapt. 1-11-12-20)(University Library)

2) FAO and ITPS., 2015.
Status of the World’s Soil Resources (SWSR) – Main Report. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils, Rome, Italy (selected chapters)

3) NERI Technical Report No. 388, 2002
Microorganisms as indicators of soil health,

4) European Commission - DG ENV, Report 2010
Soil biodiversity: functions, threats and tools for policy makers,

5) Gardi C., Jeffrey J. , 2009
Soil biodiversity, JRC Scientific and Technical Reports

6) Shukla G., Varma A., 2011,
Soil enzymology –Springer Verlag
(selected chapters)

7) Course slides

1. GHGs cycles, atmosphere and climate change
2. Monitoring carbon stocks changes in biomass and soil with inventory approaches
3. Monitoring canopy productivity and dynamics through periodic measurements of stock changes
4. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using chambers and practical applications
5. Monitoring GHGs exchanges using the Eddy Covariance technique: from setup to results (theory, sensors, fluxes calculation and correction, gapfilling, partitioning, evaluation)
6. Micrometeorological measurements and link to carbon and other GHGs monitoring
7. Remote sensing, phenology and Sun Induced Fluorescence
8. Global monitoring networks, data access and analysis
9. Data management, organization and interpretation

Burba, George. (2013). Eddy Covariance Method for Scientific, Industrial, Agricultural and Regulatory Applications: A Field Book on Measuring Ecosystem Gas Exchange and Areal Emission Rates. 10.13140/RG.2.1.4247.8561.

Aubinet M., Vesala T., Papale D (2012). Eddy Covariance - A Practical Guide to Measurement and Data Analysis. Springer, ISBN: 978-94-007-2351-1

The ICOS Instructions for Ecosystem measurements: http://www.icos-etc.eu/documents/instructions

What is remote sensing and what is it used for?
-Optical Image Formation Process: at-Sensor - Radiance and Reflectance
-Spectral response of main land cover classes
-Vegetation indices

Type of remotely sensed data
-Satellite, airborne and drone platforms
-Multispectral and hyperspectral sensors
Resolution
-Image data preprocessing by data providers

Geodata handling and image data pre-processing in GIS
-Field work: acquisition of reference data
-Data preprocessing: image data enhancement
-Creating a geographic database: digitizing and managing coordinate systems

Remote sensing data applications to forest resource mapping
-Introduction to digital image processing techniques
-Photointerpretation for land cover and forest type mapping
-Automated classification of satellite images
-Forest change detection

- Franklin SE (2001). Remote Sensing for Sustainable Forest Management. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis
- Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation (2015)- T.M. Lillesand, R.W. Kiefer, J.W. Chipman, Wiley International Edition

1. Introduction and objectives of the course. Near-to-nature silviculture and sustainable silviculture: theoretical basis and applicative principles. Effects of silviculture on the genetic characteristics of forests. Forest resources in Europe: an integrated perspective on ecosystem services, disturbances and threats. Brief outline of forest bio-based economy in Europe.
2. European forests: an ecological overview. Forest vegetation belts in Italy. European forest classifications. European Forest Types: tree species matrix. Past forests of Europe.
Silviculture of Mediterranean and temperate forests, in particular:
3. Silvics and silviculture of Mediterranean forests: Mediterranean macchia; Mediterranean pine stands, (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster, P. pinea); evergreen oak stands (Quercus ilex, Q. suber, Q. coccifera). Wood production in Mediterranean forests. Silviculture of minor tree species of the Mediterranean environment.
4. Silvics and silviculture of plain / sub mountain forests: deciduous oak stands (Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens, Q. frainetto, Q. cerris, Q. trojana); chestnut stands (Castanea sativa). Brief outline on silvics and silviculture of the main broadleaf species related to the deciduous oak stands (Carpinus spp., Acer spp., Fraxinus spp.). Outline on the riparian tree vegetation in Europe. Wood production in plain / sub-mountain forests.
5. Silvics and silviculture of mountain forests: European beech stands (Fagus sylvatica); European silver fir stands (Abies alba); Mountain pine stands (P. sylvestris, P. nigra, P. laricio, P. leucodermis). Brief outline on silvics and silviculture of valuable broadleved stands (Acer spp., Tilia spp., Fraxinus excelsior, Prunus avium). Wood production in mountain forests
6. Silvics and silviculture of subalpine forests: Norway spruce stands (Picea abies); European larch, stone pine, Swiss mountain pine, dwarf pine stands (Larix decidua, Pinus cembra, Pinus uncinata, Pinus mugo). Wood production in subalpine forests. Silviculture in protection forests.
7. Outline of forest reproductive material and forest nursery techniques. Technical principles for the establishment and management of forest plantations. Outline on clonal forestry, short rotation forestry, forest restoration.

San-Miguel-Ayanz, J., de Rigo, D., Caudullo, G., Houston Durrant, T., Mauri, A. (Eds.), 2016. European Atlas of Forest Tree Species. Publication Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.
Silviculture Handbook. Wisconsin DNR, Publication Number 2431.5, Madison: Wisconsin DNR, 2010. www.dnr.state.wi.us/forestry/Publications/H andbooks/24315/
The books are available in the university library or on the web. Teaching material will be distributed during the course and/or made available on the web.

Background of wood science and technology: Wood chemistry: cellulose, hemicellulose, extractives (terpens, tannins, quinones, lignans).
Wood durability. Biotic agents of degradation, hazard classes, permeability, weathering.
National bodies and European Committee for standardization (CEN): types of technical standards
Solid wood. Standards for log and load bearing structures grading. Strength classes in structural timber EN technical standards. Structures in historical buildings, classification. Classification of quality in logs: EN technical standards. Marking CE.
Use of wood extractives, cork, gums, other non wood products.
Wood Preservants and consolidants.
Wood modification: Heat treatments (thermowood, Plato-wood, Moldrup), Chemical modification (acetylation, furfural alchol, isocyanates), properties of chemically modified wood.
Wood adhesion and wood adhesives. Liquified wood, welding wood, natural glues (proteins, starch, tannins…)
Laminated timber and solid wood panels: plywoods, X-LAMS, gluelams, KVH, LVL, PVL etc. EN technical standards
Particle wood biocomposites: particleboards (waferboard, flakeboards, OSB, LVL, etc.)
Fiber-wood composites (MDF, HDF, LDF), wood-plastic composites (WPC),
Cellulose nanopapers, cellulose nanocomposites, cellulose biofoams and aerogels. Plasma treatment of wood
Biorafinery, recycled wood.
Lignin nanoparticles and cellulose nanofibrils.
Applications to bio-coatings, bio-vernishes, biomedical products
Wood polymers composite

Rowell. 2013. Handbook of wood chemistry and wood composites. CRC Press
Ansell 2015, Wood Composites. Elsevier publishing.
Slides of the teacher.
Tsoumis 1991. Wood Science and Technology
Suggested Review Articles by the teacher

Biological Invasions: general concepts and glossary; concept of introduction, naturalization; acclimatization and invasion; examples of biological invasions; factors associated to risk of introduction. Invasive Forest Pathogens: dimension of the problem. Introduction to pathways: living plants trade; timber trade; seed and propagation material trade; unregulated pathways: wood manufactured products; examples. Strategies of invasions: host jump; hybridization; differential evolution. Impacts: economic; on biodiversity; on carbon dioxide fixation; on cultural heritage; examples. Phytosanitary regulations: ICPP, SPS agreement, NPPO, Phytosanitary services; EPPO products, quarantine organisms lists; EPPO standards; Pest Risk Analysis. Invasive Forest Pathogens: European situation; vulnerability of EU countries to invasion. Pest Risk Analysis: concepts and examples. Constraints of the Phytosanitary regulations; possible solutions: search of centers of origin; the sentinel tree strategy. Introduction to diagnostic. Serological diagnostics: polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies; the antigen; the ELISA test; molecular methods: PCR; the concept of markers; characteristics of markers for molecular diagnostics; general and specific primer sets; practical application. Molecular diagnostic: multiplex and nested conventional PCR; quantitative PCR, TaqMan and SYBR Green technologies; examples of application; proof of the vitality of the pathogen: mRNA as a template; the dqRT-PCR approach; the HTS approach; the use of EPPO diagnostic standards. Phytosanitary forest monitoring: introduction; proximal and remote sensing activities, advantages and disadvantages. Phytosanitary monitoring in European countries (the example of France) and Italy. Phytosanitary monitoring: ICP forests monitoring in Europe: Levels 1 and 2. Plant Viruses: structure, cycle, vectors, epidemiology, symptomatology, diagnosis, and control; examples of viral diseases Introduction to Phytoplasmas and Spyroplasmas: disease cycle, vectors, symptomatology, epidemiology, detection & diagnosis; taxonomy; an example of Phytoplasmas and Spiroplasmas diseases. Introduction to Bacteria: morphology, biology, ecology, symptomatology, phytopathogenic bacteria; diagnosis and taxonomy; an example of bacterial diseases. Oomycetes: taxonomic context; morphology, biology, epidemiology; an example of Phytophthora diseases. Laboratory practical work on specimens collection; binocular observation; microscopic observation; application of identification keys; isolation from samples onto growing media. DNA extraction from fungal cultures; separation on agarose gel and observation; sample preparation for PCR reaction; PCR amplification and run of agarose gel for amplicons separation; Sequence analysis and BLAST on GeneBank.

Teacher PPT presentation; scientific papers; online software; web sites

The course includes the analysis of texts, especially scientific literature, in order to verify:
communication structure and objectives;
lexical relevance;
organization, unity, coherence and consistency.
At the same time, students are asked to produce texts and similar structures on specific assigned themes or on topics of interest.

Muchmore-Vokoun, April, et al., Great Writing 2: Great Paragraphs, 5th ed., National Geographic Learning, 2019

Folse, Keith S. et al., Great Writing 5: From Great Essays to Research, 5th ed., National Geographic Learning, 2020

E. Zemach, Dorothy et. al. Academic writing: from paragraph to essay, Macmillan, 2005

The latest scientific articles on specific topics will be also used and made available.

The concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and its tools.
The functions of forest.
Different level of forest planning in Italy.
Stages of a land plan and of a traditional forest plan
Target and actors of forest planning
Stage I: data collection; mandatory knoledge about environmental socio-economic factors
Forest compartments and other basic territorial units of a forest under management.
How to divide a forest ownership into compartments
The concept of evenaged normal forest.. Rotation. Criteria to choose the rotation. Yield tables.
Methods to calculate the allowable cut of evenaged normal forest. The area methods for the management of coppices.
The Austrian methods, the Paulsen-Hundeshagen principle, the Masson formula, the Patrone formula.
The management of the normal unevenaged forest. The reverse j shaped curve; the cutting cycle. How calculate the allowable cut.
Management methods which do noto refer to a normal forest model: the silvicultural method; the control method.
International framewotk of forest planning. : international framework convention on climate change; convention on biological diversity; convention to combat desertification; the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe; EU Habitat and Birds Directives.
The main tools of land planning in Italy.
The Environmental Impact Assesment.. The Strategical Environmental Assesment..
Forest planning in designated protected areas and Natura 2000 sites.

Peter Bettinger, Kevin Boston, Jacely Siry, Donald Grebner
Forest management Planning
Academic Press, 2017

Review of conventional market economics
Environmental economics
Environmental economics of forests. Sustainable management of forests and forest activities
Forestry institutions and forestry policies, from the global to the national scale.
Tools for the protection and enhancement of forest ecosystem services
Evaluation of forest ecosystem products and services. Analysis of forestry projects with monetary and non-monetary methods

Turner, Pearce Bateman, 1993. Environmental Economics. An elementary introduction.
Other material provided by the teacher

The Vertebrates, origin, general features and classification of the subphylum.
Fish .: general features and diversity; notes on the freshwater Italian fish fauna .
Amphibians: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; salamanders and frogs of the Italian fauna.
Reptiles: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; terrestrial and freshwater reptiles fauna of the Italian water.
Birds: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; the Italian avifauna especially with regard to forest and mountain ecosystems; notes on birds of wetlands and coastal areas.
Mammals: general features, adaptations, diversity and classification; terrestrial mammals of the Italian fauna, with particular regard to forest and mountain ecosystems; hints on marine Italian mammals.
Aspects of conservation of terrestrial vertebrates of the Italian fauna (extinct species, endangered species, non-native species, problematic species).
Biogeography of terrestrial vertebrates of the Italian fauna.

The exam can be prepared on the slides shown in class, which the teacher will make available to the student. For some topics scientific articles and in-depth essays could be made available.

-Design peak discharge and design hydrograph
-Return period: meaning, equation, and practical implication
-Rational Formula, theory and practice
-Intesity-Duration-Frequency curves, theory and practice (Excel Lab)
-Rainfall- Runoff Event-Based Approach
-Design Hyetograph
-Net Rainfall estimation, the NRCS-CN curve number method
-Rainfall-runoff transformation, the IUH approach and the WFIUH approach.
-GIS tool for watershed management
-The EBA4SUB software: introduction and project discussion (project Lab).
-Hydrological application case studies.

Applied Hydrology, Chow, Maidment, Mays,
McGraw-Hill

In addition to the textbook, papers and materials will be available on GOMP useful for the Lab exercise and the project development.