B024595 - PLANT BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS

ITALIAN

Theories, terms and concepts on biological invasions. Ranges and pathways, main routes of introduction of alien plant species, in Europe and in Italy and Tuscany; Invasiveness, invasibility and socio-economic impacts of alien plant species. Ecological impacts. Predictive models in invasive biology. Prevention - Risk Assessments. Main techniques of control and management of invasive plants. Technical seminars.

Manuals and papers provided by the teacher at lesson.

Knowledge acquired:
Acquisition of the main concepts on plant biological invasions and methods for detecting impacts and management methods.
Competence acquired: competence in acquiring and analyzing data and in planning an campaign of management of alien species
Skills acquired: Ability to use the main alien species management techniques .

Lectures, laboratory and field practice

Attendance of formal lectures, group discussions, field and laboratory activities is highly recommended.

The final oral examination aims to ensure the acquisition of knowledge and skills by an oral examination consisting in a) oral presentation of a free and b) questions on parts of the programme presented during the lectures. In this way it is possible to reliably assess the degree of achievement of the expected learning outcomes.

The course aims to give an overview of the problem of alien and invasive plant alien species, with a broad look at management issues. The course will focus on an introduction to theories, general terms and concepts underlying the biology of invasions. The issues related to the ecological, socio-economic and health impacts of invasive plants will then be addressed. In this part we will analyze both examples and the main processes underlying the problems related to alien and invasive plants. Finally, in the last part the management practices will be faced, following the rules of the hierarchical approach, thus starting from the preventive management, with risk assessments and ecological predictive models, to the control and eradication techniques. The course will also include seminars by professionals dealing with technical-managerial aspects, as well as field trips to activity sites related to invasive alien plant species.