B016242 - CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FAUNAL RESOURCES

Italian

Knowledge acquired: Basic theoretical and practical knowledge of conservation and management methods.
Competence acquired: Acquisition and use of an appropriate terminology; basic tools to deal with the fauna conservation adopting a multidisciplinary approach; - to know how to compare and identify critical issues in specific case studies related to conservation of nature.
Communication skills: to know the scientific language in the field of conservation of nature and natural resources.

Skills acquired (at the end of the course): Autonomous capacity to manage the fauna from different aspects (science, society). Capacity to identify critical issues for biodiversity (and their causes). Application of the economic concepts to the conservation, and of the conservation/management strategies.

Basis of Conservation Ecology. Management of threatened species. Ecosystem services. Management of fragmented populations. Conservation of terrestrial and marine environments. Ex situ and in situ conservation. Menaces to biodiversity. Climatic changes

Zoology, Ecology, Animal ecology, Population genetics.

Lectures (Power Point slides). Working groups for the use of the Vortex program to draft a potential species deserving protection according to the IUCN criteria.
In-depth study of specific case studies. Interactive teaching and moments of discussion and critical analysis.

Oral exam. Discussion of a Power point presentation prepared by the candidate on a topic of the course.

History of conservation biology and menaces to Biodiversity. Species concepts and Evolutionary Significant Unit and Management Unit. The conservation of intra-specific units. Gene flow and metapopulation dynamics. The role of genetics in identifying and solve problems of conservation of natural populations. The extinction vortex of small populations: inbreeding, genetic drift. Population growth and carrying capacity. Population Viability Analysis and use of the program “Vortex”. Ecosystem services. Climatic changes and consequences in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. IUCN classification and management of threatened species. Ex situ and in situ management and the role of zoos. Reintroductions. Conservation of marine ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): functions and definitions. The connectivity among marine protected areas. Examples of conservation projects and actions.

Primack & Boitani Biologia della conservazione. Zanichelli
Frankman, Ballou, Briscoe & Malaspina. Fondamenti di genetica della conservazione. Zanichelli