Course Topics
Silviculture: definition of wood, tree, forest and silviculture; concept of forest ecosystem services; definition of afforestation, reforestation, and deforestation; forests in the world, in Italy and Sud Tyrol; forest dynamics and successional processes; principle of dendrochronology and dendroecology; site description; forest stand description (i.e., composition, density, vertical and horizontal structure, development stage); management of coppices; management of even-aged forests; thinning; management of uneven-aged forests; examples on the management of the most important forest categories in South Tyrol. Forest mensuration: fundamentals of biometrics and statistics; fundamentals of measuring tree growth and volume; methods for assessing forest biomass; principles of relascopy; sampling techniques and data analyses; measuring timber products. Forest ecology: Understanding forest functioning in the context of the changing climate and human pressure. The concept of ecosystem. Resources and conditions. The ecological role of solar radiation and temperature. The transfer and storage of energy in ecosystems. Biogeochemical cycles - the carbon, water, and nutrients cycle in forest ecosystems. Forest productivity - gross and net primary productivity, net ecosystem productivity, and net ecosystem carbon balance. Interaction among species in forest ecosystems - symbiosis, competition, predation, parasitism, commensalism, mutualism, amensalism. Forest and disturbances - fire, pests, and wind effects. Forests and climate change - mitigation and adaptation. Ecological successions. Models and their role in resource management.

Propaedeutic courses
no

Teaching format
Lectures shall provide an overview of fundamental forest ecology and management concepts, with particular emphasis on the scientific basis of ecological processes and silvicultural practices. Field excursions shall offer real-world experiences, enabling students to visualize key ecological and silvicultural principles. Group exercises shall support the application of these concepts through the analysis of collected data. Supporting materials, including PowerPoint presentations, shall be made available in the course reserve collection on Teams.

Educational objectives
Knowledge of the theoretical basis of ecology applied to the study of forest ecosystems. The capacity of learning and synthesizing scientific literature. The capacity of conceiving field experiments and analysing experimental data. Communication skills: through active participation in lessons, students will learn how to present the acquired knowledge in an appropriate way. Practical experience with measured data and scientific literature will also develop the ability to summarize and communicate the results of their analysis.

Assessment
The final grade shall be determined on the basis of course activities, including field exercises and written essays, and shall be complemented by a final oral examination.

Evaluation criteria
Evaluation shall focus on the student’s capacity to undertake research activities both independently and in collaboration with peers. The final assessment shall place particular emphasis on the ability to synthesize, critically evaluate, and establish connections among the topics addressed in the course.