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ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS

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Versione italiana
Academic year
2022/2023
Teacher
ELISA SOANA
Credits
6
Didactic period
Secondo Semestre
SSD
BIO/07

Training objectives

Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the structure, functioning and evolution of the main types of inland water ecosystems (lakes, rivers), also in the context of management, conservation and restoration programmes. The main objective is to provide chemical, physical, biological and geomorphological basis of freshwater knowledge in order to understand and analyze aquatic ecosystems by taking into account their several abiotic and biotic components and their multiple interactions. Students will acquire both theoretical basis and experimental approaches of the study of lentic and lotic ecosystem to analyze their structure and functioning also in relation to human alterations and with the aim of proposing restoration actions and sustainable management solutions.

Prerequisites

No preliminary course is required but the students must have adequate knowledge of the main ecological theories and basic notions of chemistry, physics, microbiology and zoology.

Course programme

Introduction to freshwater ecology and general concepts. Water properties. Hydrosphere: compartments and turnover times. Natural and artificial water cycle. Risks related to water derivation (Minimum Vital Flow and Ecological Flow). Freshwater as a resource. Destinations of use and consumption of freshwater. Characteristics of the watershed and its importance as a unit for the management of water resources.

Lakes: origin and evolution, morphology of the lake basin. Physical parameters: light and optical properties (irradiance, transparency), thermal properties (seasonal changes in water temperature, thermal balance, meromitic state). Water movements. Chemical properties of lake waters, oxygen and carbon dynamics, nutrient cycling (nitrogen, phosphorus, silica), transfer of matter and energy, trophic state. Pelagic and benthic components of the lake biotic community and their interactions. Anthropogenic pressures on lentic ecosystems, examples of water quality alterations (eutrophication, acidification) and Italian cases of restoration. Monitoring of the lake quality in Italy. Sampling methods of lakes.

Rivers. Morphology of lotic ecosystems and notes of river hydrology (watershed, hierarchy of the hydrographic network, hydrological regime, erosion, river transport). Abiotic factors (current, flow, substrate, temperature), chemical properties (oxygen, carbon, nutrients, substance organic, Nutrient spiralling). Multi-dimensional vision of lotic ecosystems: longitudinal (River Continuum Concept), lateral (Flood Pulse Concept), vertical (interaction with groundwater). Energy flow and organic matter processing. Main biotic components, zonation of running water organisms and their adaptations. Anthropogenic pressures (exploitation of water resources, morphological, hydrological, biological and chemical alterations). Monitoring of the river quality in Italy. Sampling methods of rivers.
Example of methods for studying the aquatic ecosystems:
- the use of GIS (Geographic Information System) for the analysis and management of aquatic ecosystems;
- main techniques and experimental approaches for the estimation of benthic metabolism in aquatic environments: sediment sampling, laboratory and in situ incubations for the measurement of water-sediment exchanges of gases and nutrients and for the estimation of the potential microbial activity, measurement of primary production and air-water gas exchanges in macrophyte stands, relationships between water, sediments and macrophytes in shallow aquatic environments and implications for phyto-depuration in constructed wetlands, metabolism estimations at the scale of whole-systems (example of Lagrangian sampling approach);
- analysis of the antropogenic pressures in watersheds by the calculation of nutrient budgets.

Didactic methods

The course consists of lectures for a total of 48 hours of teaching (6 CFU). Lessons are held weekly through the use of Power-point slides.

Learning assessment procedures

The written test consists of 18 multiple choice questions and 3 open questions. The estimated time for the test is 45 minutes. The final score is calculated according to the following criteria: 1 point for each multiple-choice question and a maximum of 5 points for each open question. The total is then corrected by the maximum number of points and the mark is given from 0 to 30. The answers to open questions are evaluated both for the content and the pertinence of scientific language. The exam is passed with a mark over 18/30.

Reference texts

Fenoglio, Bo, Bona, Ridolfi, Vesipa, Viaroli. 2019. Ecologia fluviale. UTET
Bertoni. 2006. Laghi e scienza. Introduzione alla limnologia. Aracne Editrice
Bettinetti, Crosa, Galassi. 2007. Ecologia delle acque interne. Edizioni Città Studi