Download Agricultural Ecology

.- Agricultural Ecology
PROF. VINCENZO TABAGLIO
COURSE AIMS
The course is designed to provide students with a better understanding of the
ecological foundations for an agricultural sustainability.
COURSE CONTENT
Ecology. Definition, purposes and historical overview. Introduction to the issues of
ecology and agroecology.
The ecosystem: structure and components. Stability of ecosystems. Energy in
ecological systems. Primary productivity: definition and components. Relation
between solar energy and primary productivity. Food chains and trophic levels.
Ecological efficiencies. Trophic structure and ecological pyramids. Carrying
capacity.
Population dynamics. Properties of populations. Growth models and the logistic
equation. Types of interactions between two species. Ecological niche and habitat.
Study of communities. Diversity of species and its components. Diversity indices.
From the ecosystem to the agricultural system. The problem of deforestation.
Agricultural systems: definition, characterisation and classification.
Energy efficiency of agricultural systems: different proposed measures. Renewable
energy sources and energy crops.
Sustainable agriculture and organic agriculture: similarities and differences.
Integrated agricultural systems.
Soil health and sustainability. Indicators of soil quality.
Multi-crop systems. Yields and utilisation of resources. Relative indexes for
evaluating yields and efficiency.
READING LIST
Course textbooks
E.P. ODUM - G.W. BARRETT, Fondamenti di ecologia, Piccin, Padova, 2007.
F. CAPORALI - E. CAMPIGLIA - R. MANCINELLI, Agroecologia - Teoria e pratica degli agroecosistemi, CittàStudi
Edizioni, Torino, 2010.
M.A. ALTIERI, Agroecology, Westview Press, London, 1995.
C.A. FRANCIS - C. BUTLER FLORA - L.D. KING, Sustainable Agriculture in Temperate Zones, Wiley, New York,
1990.
Additional materials, specific references and further readings will be provided during
the course.
TEACHING METHOD
Lectures with demonstrations/exercises, seminars, educational field trips.
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Final oral examination.
NOTES
Further information can be found on the lecturer's webpage at
http://www2.unicatt.it/unicattolica/docenti/index.html or on the Faculty notice board. Email: [email protected].