Sciences and Teaching of Natural Systems

SABINA BURRASCANO
SABINA BURRASCANO

The course aims at obtaining knowledge on: forest ecosystems structure, composition, functions and
dynamics at different spatial scales, from local to global; indicators of sustainable forest management;
commonly applied forest management strategies and treatments with special reference to the European
context with examples at the national scale; forest planning tools from the European to the local scale;
goals and measures for European forest habitats.
The course will inform on how to apply the mentioned knowledge to forest planning and to the specific
projects aimed at forest sustainable management, biodiversity conservation, landscape enhancement and
land protection.
The course will allow students to critically analyse reports and plans created by institutions and
professionals of the forest sector in a multifunctionality perspective with special reference to sustainable
management of natural resources.
The course will prepare students to communicate and collaborate with forest sector practitioners and with
a wide range of stakeholders also thanks to the focus on specific terms and concepts as well as on updated
data relevant to the sector.
Finally, the students will be guided towards approaches and data sources relative to forest ecosystems that
will contribute to their degree of independence in their study and career path.

The course aims at obtaining knowledge on: forest ecosystems structure, composition, functions and dynamics at different spatial scales, from local to global; indicators of sustainable forest management; commonly applied forest management strategies and treatments with special reference to the European context with examples at the national scale; forest planning tools from the European to the local scale; goals and measures for European forest habitats.
The course will inform on how to apply the mentioned knowledge to forest planning and to the specific projects aimed at forest sustainable management, biodiversity conservation, landscape enhancement and land protection.
The course will allow students to critically analyse reports and plans created by institutions and professionals of the forest sector in a multifunctionality perspective with special reference to sustainable management of natural resources.
The course will prepare students to communicate and collaborate with forest sector practitioners and with a wide range of stakeholders also thanks to the focus on specific terms and concepts as well as on updated data relevant to the sector.
Finally, the students will be guided towards approaches and data sources relative to forest ecosystems that will contribute to their degree of independence in their study and career path.

No prerequisites

Plant Strategies:
- Biological Forms and Spectra;
- Plant Functional Characteristics;
- Concepts of Vegetation Stress and Disturbance;
- C-S-R Strategies;
- Other Plant Strategy Models.

Vegetation Analysis Methods
- Vegetation Survey;
- Sampling Methods;
- Numerical Methods for Vegetation Data;
- Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Gradients;
- Vegetation Cartography.

Vegetation and Environment:
- Phytoclimatology;
- Soil;
- Vegetation and Lithomorphology;
- Disturbance;
- Major Earth Biomes;
- Zonal, Azonal, and Extrazonal Vegetation.

Vegetation Dynamics:
- Succession;
- Primary and Secondary Succession;
- Vegetation Series and Potential Vegetation.
- Chain Contacts between Plant Communities;
- The Map of Vegetation Series of Italy;
- Analysis of vegetation dynamics and land management.

Vegetation science and land management:
- Ecological classification of land;
- Environmental units and mapping of vegetation series;
- Assessment of land conservation status;
- Ecological network.

Main features of Italian vegetation:
- The most common vegetation types in Italy

Shugart et al., 2022. The World Atlas of Trees and Forests: Exploring Earth's Forest Ecosystems. Princeton University Press.
Corona et al. (2011) Pianificazione ecologica dei sistemi forestali. Compagnia delle Foreste, Arezzo.
FAO, 2020. Global Forest Resources Assessment. FAO. Rome
FOREST EUROPE, 2020: State of Europe’s Forests 2015
EEA, 2006. EEA Technical report No 9/2006. European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Additional study material is available on e-learning

Lessons in class, exercises and excursions

Non mandatory

Six questions on the different chapters of the programme. One question is chosen by the student.

What are the global deforestation trends?
What are the main threats to European forests?