2023

Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecossystems

Name: Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecossystems
Code: PAO02081L
5 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/130 hours
Scientific Area: Environment and Ecology Sciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial

Sustainable Development Goals

Learning Goals

Provide the knowledge on how climatic, morphological, edaphic and biological factors shape the ecosystem determining their structure and function. Provide skills on management/ conservation/ rehabilitation of aquatic ecosystems.

Contents

Aquatic vs. Terrestrial Ecosystems: differences, evolutionary-ecological strategies, types of producers, limiting factors of production.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: The humanization of space - historical analysis of the large human impacts. Species adaptation to the Mediterranean environment and peculiarities of the Iberian species. Energy flow and matter recycling in the terrestrial ecosystems. Diversity assessment in the Iberian communities regarding the soil, vegetation and animal subsystems. World distribution of the main ecosystem types.
Aquatic Ecosystems: Lentic systems: factors of primary production; eutrophication; thermal stratification. Lotic: the three linkages - longitudinal, lateral, vertical; zonation and distribution of species; floods and riparian corridors; persistent and temporary rivers. Estuaries: types; hydrology and communities; nutrient trap, nurseries; coastal lagoons, dystrophy. Ocean: zonation; productivity, upwelling; dynamics of the coastal sediment processes

Teaching Methods

Lectures and discussions, field visits whenever possible
Examination and paper