Learning outcomes
The course seeks to deepen the knowledge of the services that ecosystems offer to humans, and to demonstrate the role of biotechnology in ensuring these services. The key points of the course are the role of biodiversity in defining the physiognomy of ecosystem services with an emphasis on food security; the biological mechanisms that shape biodiversity and their plasticity in the face of climate change; and the use of biotechnology to develop sustainable solutions. The ultimate aim is to realize the dependence of man and the economy on the natural environment as well as the globalized dimension of environmental issues.
Outline of course content
- Ecosystems: structure and function
- Ecosystem services and the ecological footprint
- Biodiversity and its role in ecosystems
- The biological mechanisms shaping biodiversity
- Molecular techniques for biodiversity analysis
- Human impacts on ecosystems
- The effect of climate change on the different levels of biological organization
- Biotechnological approaches to tackling climate change
- Environmental governance – Institutional framework for environmental management