BIODIVERSITA' DELLE BIOCENOSI ANIMALI

Depth study of issues related to biodiversity of the animal component of ecosystems; acquisition of techniques for the estimation of animal biodiversity; analysis of the main risk types that cause biodiversity loss of the fauna in natural and semi-natural environments; methodologies aimed at preserving biodiversity.

Frontal lessons, exercises in the classroom and in the field.Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

The animal biodiversity in its various levels. Fauna and landscape. Concepts of areal and endemisms; diffusion and dispersion. Adaptations and phylogeny of the major animal taxa. The Auchenorrhyncha, as an example of animal biodiversity. The diversity of the cave fauna. The diversity of grass, soil, fresh water, sea fauna in typical Mediterranean environments. Urban biodiversity. Examples of urban biodiversity: diversity of sandfly (Diptera) and Hymenoptera Apoidea in anthropic environments. Patterns of biodiversity. The concept of hotspots and coldspots. Characterization of the Italian fauna. Checklist of the Italian fauna. Human societies development and landscape transformation; effects on fauna and habitat. Extinctions. Minimum vital population assessment.The main causes of extinction. Evaluation of the extinction risks. Examples of fauna censuses.

1) Massa R. e Ingegnoli V. (ed.). 1999 - Biodiversità, estinzione e conservazione. UTET, Torino.
2) Ferrari C. (2011) - Biodiversità. Dal genoma al paesaggio. Zanichelli.

3) Zunino M. e Zullini A. (1995) - Biogeografia. La dimensione spaziale dell'evoluzione. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana.

4) Matthey W., Della Santa E., Wannenmacher C. (1987) - Guida pratica all'ecologia. Zanichelli.