River Restoration and Sustainable Land Protection
Content
The goals of the course are related to the comprehension of the characteristics, processes, functioning, and factors characterizing a watercourse as to be able to better manage it and to define river restoration projects. Moreover, an emphasis on managing forest resources and the effects of forest management activities on runoff generation, erosion processes and sediment production/transfer will be presented. The basis of this course will be fundamental to permit an integrated valorization of the fluvial system, to facilitate its sustainable management and to plan the measures to control slopes stability, torrential processes and sediment dynamics along the drainage network.
Learning Outcome
Students will learn how to characterize a riverine system, detecting the main aspects related to each component of this complex ecosystem and defining its state of naturality, detecting also human stressors as to be able to define restoration approaches. Moreover, students will learn to plan the measures to control slopes stability, torrential processes and sediment dynamics along the drainage network.
Lessons in the classroom, field activities with small groups work and related presentation of the results obtained, laboratory activities with exercises.
The theory will be corroborated by the exemplification of study cases, video, and imagines; active participation of the students will be required, particularly during the field and laboratory activities, in which their interdisciplinary capacity will be an asset.
Oral exam (1/2): general knowledge of the topics, capacity to critically present and discuss more specific aspects, relating them also to interdisciplinary topics, and or related to personal or previous experience (i.e. field visits).
Written report on laboratory activities (1/4)
Written examination (1/4)
12 ECTS
Marking scale: 30-point grading scale
Re-exam: Re-examination identical to ordinary examination.