The course consists of two parts: 1. Applied Botany and Landscape Design (Ilda Vagge) 2. Landscape Planning (Gioia Gibelli).
Part 1 - Goals
Learn and understand the basic principles of Plant Ecology and Geobotany, and their application to landscape analysis. Learn to choose the correct plant species for landscape project.
Part 2 - Goals
Learn and understand the basic principles and criterias of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning. Apply criterias and some analysis tools of  Landscape Ecology to some specific case study. Turn in project the results of the Landscape Ecology analysis.

Part 1 - Expected Learning Outcomes

The student will acquire knowledge of Plant Ecology, Botany and Geobotany applied, Landscape Ecology and environmental design, in order to address correct territorial analyzes, assessments of the quality of the environment and formulating guidelines for the design, restoration and environmental recovery. They will also learn the criteria for choosing plant species suitable for landscape projects.

Part 2 - Expected Learning Outcomes

1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Landscape structures and dynamics;
2. apply the knowledge and understanding in a multiscale and holistic approach, and have the capacities to apply some spatial indicators to the landscape mosaic.
3. have the ability to gather and interpret spatial indicators data in order to understand the main critical issues of a land unit, as well as the main values from landscape mosaic point of view; highlight the goals of a landscape plan and the main criteria for its developing
4. explain and argue the reasons of their choices in the interpretation of the analysis results, the synthesis about criticalities and values, the planning goals and criteria;
5. Understand those learning skills that are necessary to deepen Landspace Ecology and Landscape palnning.

Part 1 - Topics

The course will cover topics of plant ecology, bioclimatology, geobotany, biodiversity, landscape, environmental design. In particular: 

1. Preliminary concepts: definition of Landscape, Geobotany, Landscape Ecology, flora and vegetation.

2. Plants as bioindicators: ecological factors, ecological valence, environmental factors (soil, climate, altitude, exposure, animal...) that determine the distribution of plants. Bioclimatology. 

3. Chorology: flora, life forms plants, species' geographic distribution, chorotypes, Ellenberg’s Indicator Values. The flora of Italy.

4. Vegetation science: Phytosociology (vegetation relevés, phytosociological table, association, syntaxonomy), Sinphytosociology (dynamism of vegetation, vegetation succession, vegetation series). The vegetation of Italy.

5. Applied Botany and Geobotany: biodiversity; vegetation cartography; plant species and communities as bioindicators; environmental analysis; landscape and environmental planning; criteria for choosing plant species suitable for landscape projects.

Case studies will be presented, giving an indication of how to use the analysis of vegetation and landscape to assess the quality of the environment, to estimate biodiversity and to design works of environmental requalification.

Part 2 - Topics

It will be presented an introduction of Landscape Ecology including the concept of Landscape in the interpretation of Landscape Ecology and its utilities for a Landscape planner. Moreover it will be deepened the topic of the European Landscape Convention and the coherence with the ecological approach.

The approach to the plan will be preceded by an introduction to the Landscape ecological analysis. This part will deal with:

• The landscape mosaic and its patterns. Particularly it wil be presented and used the descriptive model “Matrix, patches and corridors”, presented by Forman & Godron in 1986, and improved in the following years; this model is very useful for planners because it works on spatial items and aggregations at different scales

• Structural aspects of Landscape. This part will regard the main characters of landscape mosaic: types of elements, their features, land units heterogeneity, fragmentation. Relationships between spatial patterns and function aspects;

• Dynamics in Landscapes. Landscape is a dynamic item. Moreover, Planners act on transformations. To understand the way in which landscapes are transformed is a foundation for understanding the actual landscape and for anticipating the Landscape reactions to some events or actions.

• Multiscalarity is a main topic for Landscape and for planning. It will be presented both in theoretical and practical situations.

• Spatial indicators are very useful tools in order to describe landscape mosaics and monitoring their transformations during time. They can also be used as proxy of the Vulnerability levels of the landscape units, and then they can be used to define the planning sustainable objectives.

• Natural and cultural Capitals, Ecosystem services, Adaptation, Resilience, Vulnerabilty, Ecological Network, Green and blue Infrastructures e Nature Based, will be either concepts that will be deal with during the lessons and the discussions, and the keywords for the Landscape planning approach. The applied part of the course will deepen the integration of this concepts inside the Plan tools, as well as a projection towards new Plans based on ecological criteria. Landscape quality will be seen as a framework of sustainability as well as the “meta goal” of each Plan.

The basic knowledge of the principles of General Ecology, General and Systematic Botany and of Geographic Information Systems will be appreciated

The course will be developped with lectures and exercises; furthermore, thematic seminars and technical visits are organized. Students will have to do short individual work and have to do a more complex group work. This work will cover the analysis, evaluation and landscape design of a study area assigned by both teachers. The assessment will be focused on the achievement of the expected outcomes through an oral examination during which will be checked and discussed the production of the students.