LABORATORY OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND REHABILITATION

Module RESTORATION OF DEGRADED AREAS TO GREEN

Training objectives: Provide the necessary knowledge to restoration of degraded areas in view to establish new “landscape design” in Mediterranean” region. Will analysed the causes of landscape degradation, the biological characteristics of the Mediterranean crops and wild species and the sustainable growing methods and techniques in view to restore degraded areas finalizing their environmental roles. Several degraded areas typologies will be analysed in view to individuate technical solution to rehabilitate them by the choice of the wild species in relation to their functional traits and of the sustainable techniques to use for establishing and for maintaining along the time the new green areas and the landscape design in Mediterranean region. 

Expected Learning Outcomes according to the Dublin Descriptors:

a. Knowledge and understanding: Provide skills and basic knowledge about the criteria for choosing the most suitable plant species in environmental restoration projects in the Mediterranean environment.

b. Applied knowledge and understanding: acquire skills by using all the above knowledge in order to be able to identify the most suitable agronomic interventions for the care of green areas in degraded sites.

c. Autonomy of judgment: to be able to give an interpretation and a relative weight to all the single aspects of botany, plant physiology and agronomy; to be able to draw information on the management problems of green areas in degraded sites starting from the known aspects, to be able to elaborate judgments in full autonomy on design problems and choices of botanical species.

d. Communication skills: communicate and describe in detail the aspects related to the response of plants to abiotic stress, adopting a correct technical terminology.

e. Ability to learn: understand the topics both in groups and independently, be able to connect not only the topics covered during the course with each other both in the general and in the special part, but also to grasp connections between the topics covered in this discipline and in others disciplines.

Lectures (28 hours) and exercises in laboratory and outdoor (28 hours).

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

As a guarantee of equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students can ask for a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures, based on their specific needs and on teaching objectives of the discipline. It is also possible to ask the departmental contacts of CInAP (Center for Active and Participatory Integration - Services for Disabilities and/or DSAs), in the persons of professors Giovanna Tropea Garzia and Anna De Angelis.

Reception hours: https://www.di3a.unict.it/docenti/rosario.mauro 

1. Characteristics of the Mediterranean environment: analysis of potentialities and limits

2. Degraded sites: main typologies and regulations

3. Autochthonous ornamental species

4. Plant biodiversity

5. Main plant stresses: drought stress

6. Main plant stresses: salt stress

7. Main plant stresses: acid rains, electrosmog, ozone

8. Agronomic techniques for restoring degraded sites

9. Xeriscaping: principles and techniques 

10. Mediterranean plants for urban green areas

11. Mediterranean plants for restoring degraded sites

12. Aromatic plants

13. Halophyte species for landscaping

14. Mediterranean, psammophilous ornamental plants

15. Mediterranean sea cliff plants

16. Succulent plants

17. Hedge plants

18. Mediterranean palms: characteristics and uses

19. Cover crops for urban and extra-urban Mediterranean green areas

20. Wildflowers

21. Plants for bioaccumulation

Burel F., Baudry J., 1999. Ècologie du paysage. Concepts, methods et applications. Edition TEC & DOC, Paris.

Calantonio Venturelli R., Tobias K., 2005. La cultura del paesaggio. Le sue origini, la situazione attuale e le prospettive future. Leo S. Olschki, Firenze.

Ezechieli C., 2005. Verde urbano. Guida tecnica agli Interventi. Maggioli Editore, Milano

Mattheck C., 1998. Design in nature. Learning from trees. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.

Nicolin P., Repishti F., 2003. Dizionario dei nuovi paesaggisti. Skira Editore, Milano.

Oneto G., 2004. Dizionario di architettura del paesaggio. Alinea Editrice, Firenze.

Pantini F., 2005. Progettare la natura. Architettura del paesaggio e dei giardini dalle origini all’epoca contemporanea. Zanichelli, Bologna.

Pellissetti L.S., Scazzosi L. (eds.) 2005. Giardini, contesto, paesaggio. Sistemi di giardini e architetture vegetali nel paesaggio. Metodi di studio, valutazione, tutela. Leo S. Olschki, Firenze.

Piccarolo P., Sala G., 1995. Spazi verdi pubblici e privati. Progetto, manutenzione, gestione. Editore Ulrico Hoepli, Milano.

Pietrogrande A., 2006. Per un giardino della Terra. Leo S. Olschki, Firenze.

Riviére L.M., 1996. La plante dans la ville. INRA Editions, Paris.

Tatano V., 2008. Verde: naturalizzare in verticale. Maggioli Editore, Milano.

Toccolini A.2007. Piano e progetto di area verde. Maggioli Editore, Milano

Notes and schemes of the lessons provided by the teacher.

Discussion about the main environmental problems in Mediterranean anvironment and on the general part of the course. Presentation of the individual study of a critical issue.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

Verification of learning takes place through an oral interview. The evaluation of the student's preparation will take place on the basis of the following criteria: learning ability and level of depth of the topics covered, properties of synthesis and presentation, and the student's ability to reason. The vote follows the following scheme:

Unsuitable

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Important shortcomings. Significant inaccuracies

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Irrelevant. Frequent generalizations. Inability to synthesize

Use of references: Completely inappropriate

18-20

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: At the threshold level. Obvious imperfections

Ability to analyze and synthesize: Just sufficient

Use of references: sufficient

21-23

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Routine knowledge Analysis and synthesis skills: the student is capable of correct analysis and synthesis. Argue logically and consistently

Use of references: the student use standard references

24-26

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Good knowledge

Analysis and synthesis skills: the student has good analysis and synthesis skills. The arguments are consistently expressed 

Use of references: the student use standard references

27-29

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Knowledge more than good

Ability to analyze and synthesize: the student has considerable abilities of analysis and synthesis

Use of references: the student has an in-depth knowldge of the topics

30-30L

Knowledge and understanding of the topic: Excellent knowledge

Ability to analyze and synthesize: the student has considerable abilities of analysis and synthesis.

Use of references: Important insights.