BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
Course Prerequisites
Teaching Methods
Furthermore, the remaining ten hours of teaching are carried out within the project work – that is, an interdisciplinary activity built around territorial application projects involving the active participation of students – which pursues a unitary teaching between theoretical training and applied research.
Assessment Methods
Student learning is assessed on a 30-point scale through (a) a written examination and (b) a subsequent oral discussion of the project work, reserved for students who pass the written test. The written examination, based on topics covered in class, evaluates the student’s theoretical knowledge as well as the critical ability to apply these concepts to concrete examples and to relate them to one another. The exam lasts a minimum of 30 minutes and consists of 10 questions, each worth up to 3 points. It is designed to assess both the correct application of theoretical knowledge and the student’s understanding of the issues presented. The portfolio produced during the project work, comprising individual and/or group outputs (maps, infographics, dossiers, territorial assessments, and video clips), is evaluated during the oral discussion to gauge the skills acquired throughout the course.
Contents
The module examines the contents of biodiversity and environmental assessment, paying special attention to impacts that pose a threat to Natural Capital and ecosystem services. This approach is addressed in the perspective of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Italian Biodiversity Strategy 2030, analyzing in particular the relationship between humans and the environment and between ecosystem quality and spatial planning, in order to define mitigation and compensation actions.
This module examines biodiversity and environmental assessment in depth, with a particular focus on the impacts that threaten natural capital and ecosystem services. The topic is addressed within the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Italy’s National Biodiversity Strategy 2030, analysing the relationships between people and the environment, as well as between ecosystem quality and spatial planning, to define effective mitigation and compensation measures. Main topics:
Ecosystem ecology
- The ecosystem: components and factors
- Habitat and ecological niche
- Environmental factors and the concept of limiting factor
- Ecosystem energetics and the solar spectrum
- Productivity
- Trophic webs, energy flow and food-chain length
- Ecological pyramids
Population ecology
- Concept of species and populations
- Spatial distribution of organisms
- Dispersal and migration
- Population dynamics: natality and mortality
- Exponential population growth
- Survival and mortality curves
- Life-history strategies
Community ecology
- Interactions among populations; community structure and dynamics
- Interspecific competition; Gause’s competitive-exclusion principle and competition models
- Biodiversity and diversity indices (species richness, dominance, overall diversity)
- Community boundaries
- Factors influencing diversity and the causes of biodiversity loss
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
- European, national and regional regulatory frameworks
- Analysis of environmental components and factors: atmosphere; aquatic environment; soil and subsoil; flora, vegetation and fauna; ecosystems; landscape; public health; noise and vibration; radiation
- Structure of an environmental impact study, impact evaluation, and related mitigation and compensation measures
Online Resources
More information
Readings
-Lecture handouts distributed during the course
-Additional articles, books and web links specified during the lectures
Recommended reading:
- Erin McKenney, Applied Ecology. Edited by McKenney, E. A., & Rund, E. (2023, July 28). North Carolina State University. https://doi.org/10.52750/147069 – https://ncstate.pressbooks.pub/appliedecology/
- Lawton, J. H. (2000). Biodiversity and ecosystem processes: Theory, achievements and future directions. In M. Kato (Ed.), The biology of biodiversity (pp. 119–131). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-65930-3_8
- World Economic Forum. (2022, January 17). BiodiverCities by 2030: Transforming cities’ relationship with nature(Insight Report, in collaboration with Arup & AlphaBeta). World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/publications/biodivercities-by-2030-transforming-cities-relationship-with-nature
- Wildwood Ecology Limited. (2023, December 4). Ecological impact assessment: Rhondda Fach Travel Route – Phase 3(Report No. WWE22181 P3 EcIA_Final). Wildwood Ecology Limited. https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/GetInvolved/Consultations/CompletedConsultations/RhonddaFachActiveTravelRoutePhase3/Relateddocs/WWE22181RhonddaFachTravelRoutePhase3EIA.pdf
- Leopold, L. B., Clarke, F. E., Hanshaw, B. B., & Balsley, J. R. (1971). A procedure for evaluating environmental impact(Geological Survey Circular No. 645). U.S. Geological Survey. https://doi.org/10.3133/cir645
- Lousada, S., Gómez, J. M. N., Vilčekova, S., & Delehan, S. (2025). Integrating resilient water infrastructure and environmental impact assessment in borderland river basins. Water, 17(8), 1205. https://doi.org/10.3390/w17081205