PLANT BIOINDICATORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

The objectives of the course concern the analysis of biodiversity in relation to the environmental characteristics, the characterization of the environment through the responses of plant bioindicators, the acquisition of environmental biomonitoring techniques aimed at the implementation of interdisciplinary scientific data for a network of large-scale monitoring, both in terrestrial and marine environments.

Lectures and exercises in the laboratory and in the field.

Knowledge of systematic botany, plant ecology and synecology, phytogeography.

Obligatory.

The plant-environment relationships. Abiotic factors and biotic factors. Indication values of Ellenberg and Landolt. Hemerobous  Index. Life forms  and life strategies and their applications in ecological assessment. Monitoring and Biomonitoring. Vegetal organisms used as biomonitors (algae, lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants). Use of bryophytes and lichens in environmental monitoring. Lichens and bryophytes as bioindicators and bioaccumulators. The Index of Atmospheric Purity (IAP), Index of Lichen Biodiversity (LBI) and Index of Bryophyte Biodiversity” (BBI). Bioaccumulation. Vascular plants in bioindication. Introduction to marine pollution. Pollution deriving from organic matter (BOD, COD, organic load), from heavy metals, from synthetic organic compounds (oil spills, persistent pollutants, emerging pollutants), from plastics and solid waste. Main biological indices: phytoplankton (chlorophyll A), PREI index, CARLIT index, Trophic index (TRIX). Biological quality elements (EQB), Environmental Quality Standards (EQS). Phytoremediation and restoration

1) Pignatti S., Bianco P. M. , Fanelli G. 2001 - Le piante come indicatori ambientali. Manuale tecnico-scientifico. Manuale ANPA.

2) Sartori F. (a cura di) 1998 - Bioindicatori ambientali - http://www.fratticci.com/varie/bioindicatori.pdf

3) AA.VV. 2001 - I.B.L. Indice di Biodiversità Lichenica. Manuale ANPA.

4) Cenci R.M. 2007. Linee guida per l'utilizzo di muschi indigeni, muschi trapiantati e suoli per valutare le ricadute di contaminanti organici e inorganici. JRC European Commission. EUR 23025 IT.

ppt organized and provided by the teacher

scientific articles provided by the teacher

Oral exam with power point on program topics from which knowledge and understanding of the topics covered can be deduced. The ongoing test(s) possibly foreseen for the discipline contributes to the final evaluation.