Ecology And Ecotoxicology 2021/2022

Introduction. Concepts and definitions of the organization levels of living matter.   Abiotic factors in natural ecosystems: light, temperature, oxygen, pH, CO2, etc.   Biotic factors in natural ecosystems: intra and interspecific relationships (competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism).   Levels of organization of living matter. Populations: definition, statistical characteristics (birth rate, mortality, survival curves, growth curves, distribution in space, age class distribution); population regulation mechanisms. Community: definition, structure and composition, variations on environmental gradients. Biomes; ecotones, ecoclins, ecotypes. Ecosystem: definitions, trophic structure, energy circuits and energy flows, diversity in space and time, ecological succession, energy flows, bio-geochemical cycles. Alteration of ecosystem functions and services.   The Anthropocene: overpopulation and alterations of natural systems/environmental contamination in the environmental compartments (water, soil, air, including agroecosystems), Global warming and depletion of the ozone layer.   Biotechnologies for the knowledge and resolution of environmental problems: 'omics' techniques in ecology. GMOs.   Ecology and economic theories, sustainability, biodiversity; ecological footprint, resilience.   Concepts and definitions of Ecotoxicology. Dose-response relationships, hormesis. Toxicity test. Data processing. Tests on Daphnia, Artemia and Vibrio, rationale and laboratory tests.