Course Catalog
JP001 Environmental Chemistry
Study of the chemistry of the atmosphere, natural water, and soils with a special focus on acid precipitation, greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, urban and indoor air pollution, water and soil pollution, solid and hazardous waste disposal and risk assessment. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP002 Environmental Geophysics
Electric and magnetic fields. Electromagnetic constitutive parameters. Wave equation and electromagnetic waves. Electrical methods. Electromagnetics methods in time and frequency domain. Ground Penetrating Radar. Time Domain Reflectometry. Electrical properties of common soil pollutants. Example of geophysical techniques application to some environmental problems. Laboratory and field measurements. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP003 Statistical  and Mathematical Methods for Environmental Sciences
Fundamentals of exploratory data analysis and hypothesis testing for environmental scientists, with emphasis on characterizing and evaluating uncertainty. Random variables, distributions in probability and statistics, central limit theorem, estimation, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing. Selected topics relevant to environmental analysis, including Extreme Value Theory and Monte Carlo methods. Topics in analysis and modeling of spatial heterogeneity, estimation in the earth sciences. Fundamentals of the stochastic approach to spatial variability analysis, known as geostatistics.  Short introduction to analysis (Linear analisis, operators and functions). Short introduction to numerical analysys (numerical approximation and interpolation, integration and differentiation).  Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP004 Energetic Systems and Environmental Quality
The energy’s cycle: primary sources; secondary sources. The sources of environmental pollution. Fuels and polluting issues: classification and ownership of the fuels; sources of issue of the pollutants; technological interventions to reduce pollution caused by the combustible fossils. The pollution of the chemical industries. Biomass: what he intends for biomass; classification of the biomasses; processes of conversion of the biomass. The wood: principals characteristic chemical-physics; combustion, gasification, pyrolysis. Rational use of the energy. Renewable energies. Energetic exploitation of the urban solid refusals. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP005 Urban and Periurban Zoology
Natural and artificial ecosystems: main features and differences. The urban ecosystem: a classification of the habitats. Zoological studies in urban areas: historical background and aims. Basic principles of zoological taxonomy and animal ecology. The scientific concept of fauna. The animal component in urban areas: biodiversity and adaptations. Synanthropic and non-synanthropic species. Main taxonomical groups: biology, ecology and study methods of Arachnida (especially Acari and Aranea), Insecta (especially Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera), Vertebrata (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals). Pest species and control strategies. Nature conservation in urban habitats. Animal species and habitat fragmentation. Alien species and related problems (invasive species). Feral species and wildlife. Zoological data and urban planning. Case studies: the fauna of Varsavia, atlas projects of the breeding birds in European cities, the insects fauna of Rome. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP006 Plant Ecology in Urban and Peri-urban Environments
A) Vegetation ecology: Plant biodiversity concepts and survey methods. Plant communities (concepts; survey methods; classification). Main factors influencing vegetation types. Climate and vegetation. Bioclimatic belts. Vegetation dynamics and potential vegetation. Vegetation mapping methods and applications in landscape planning. Main zonal vegetation types in Italy.
B)Conservation biology in urban and densely populated environments:. Causes of biodiversity loss. Urban flora. Alien and invasive species. Rarity types. Mininum viable population. Applied biogeography. Metapopulation theory.
C) Applied landscape ecology: Basic concepts in landscape ecology. Landscape classification methods and landscape mapping. Landscape multi-temporal studies. Compared geography of human settlements in Italy in different landscape types. Fragmentation and its consequences. Connectivity (concepts, role, pattern and processes) . Linkages planning and restoration. Ecological networks. Protected areas planning in peri-urban and densely populated landscapes. Environmental quality evaluation. Case studies. Italian Credits= 8 ; US Units= 4.
JP007 Hydrology
General hydrological processes, Routing, Open channel flow, Urban hydrology, Application of hydrologic/hydraulic principles for development of water resource project, Design of urban stormwater systems. Theory and application of hydraulic and hydrologic principles to design of stormwater management systems; Evaluation of land-use changes on runoff quantity. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3.
JP008 Urban forestry: plants and trees for environmental restoration
Plants and their interactions with the urban and suburban environment; biology and ecology of main trees and plants for urban environments of the temperate and Mediterranean zones; basics of bio- and phyto-remediation for the rehabilitation and restoration of degrade and polluted environments; basics of sustainable management of urban areas with green technologies; planning environmental ameliration with the use of plants and trees; phyto-techniques for producing, planting and growing trees in the urban environment; ecology, management and conservation/protection of parks and forests in the suburban environment. Italian Credits= 7 ; US Units= 3.
JP009 Bioindicators of soil healthThe course describes the soil resource as a living, vital system.  The concepts of soil quality, soil health and of soil bioindicators are introduced. The course focuses on the different bioindicators and their potential to monitor soil health. In particular the course will study in detail the effectiveness of soil bioindicators in diverse conditions of alteration of soil quality and/or health. Specific case studies related to the use of soil bioindicators under organic farming and in soil bioremediation will be presented. The student will acquire practical skills, through a direct experience in the laboratory, in the use of the main soil bioindicators.
Credits= 6; US Units= 3
JP010 Multidisciplinary  course
It will be organized 10 days of multidisciplinary lectures and filed activities related to the following courses: Plant and Landscape Ecology in Urban and Peri-urban Environments, Urban forestry: plants and trees for environmental restoration, Hydrology, Urban zoology: wildlife in urban environments, biodiversity and problems. Italian Credits= 10; US Units= 3.
JP011 Environmental policy
This course explores the historical basis for environmental policy, methods for policy development and implementation at the local and national levels. Scientific, policy and regultory contexts for risk assessment are examined. Discussions involve identification of risk, integration of technical information into decision making, risk communication, and solution development. The course includes mock debates in which students must represent and defend different sides of a topical issue in the area of environmental risk assessment and management. Italian Credits= 6 ; US Units= 3
JP012 Environmental law
Fundamental legal and policy issues in environmental law. Focuses on a limited number of statutes: principally the Clean Air Act, the hazardous waste statutes, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Detailed study of important environmental issues, such as efficacy of technology-forcing standards, role of citizens in enforcement, value of provisions forcing agency action, role of judicial review, and optimum allocation of regulatory authority between federal and state governments. Traditional regulation and market-based alternatives, such as tradeable permits and effluent taxes. Italian Credits= 6; US Units= 3.
JP013 Waste treatment and Management
Waste generation and disposal; types and characterization of wastes; fate and transportation of contaminants in soils; soil-water-contaminant interactions; soil properties; use of earth and geosynthetic materials in waste containment applications; principles, design, and construction of liner and leachate collection systems; application to landfill design. Italian Credits= 8; US Units= 4.
JP014 Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems for Environmental Studies
Principles and definitions of GIS. Basics of geographic projections. The GIS method: components. GIS data models: vector and raster. Terrain modelling: DEM and TIN. GIS software and hardware. GIS LABs: introducing ESRI ArcGis package, using ArcGis, ArcGis view, tables and layouts, GeoProcessing GIS data, MapAlgebra, Spatial Join, ArcGis extensions: Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst. Overview of GIS applications in environmental Studies. Coverage of techniques for the use of remotely sensed (air-borne and satellite-borne) imagery and of sampling and measurement techniques as a reference for the practicing of environmental surveys. Italian Credits= 7; US Units= 4.
EC001 Environmental science communication
This course is designed to provide needed skills to effectively communicate scientific issues. It involves discussions and examples of how to effectively communicate scientific information, both orally and in written form, to expert and lay audiences. This includes case studies involving presentations considered to be effective and those that are not, and guidelines on how to avoid pitfalls that afflict many public speakers. Students organize, prepare, and deliver slide presentations that are critiqued by their peers. Italian Credits= 8; US Units= 3
EC002 Environmental Toxicology and Pathology
The course deals with the basic and applied aspects of toxicology and pathology. It includes those principles most frequently invoked in a full understanding of toxicological events, such as dose-response relationships, and is primarily mechanistically oriented. An additional major focus is on the site of action of toxins. Toxic agents are grouped by chemical and/or use characteristics. Italian Credits= 8; US Units= 4