Water Resources in Agro-Forestal Systems

The course has the main objective to train students in developing an in-depth knowledge of hydrological processes that characterize water resource systems, modern principles driving their planning and management, and main tools used to support planning and management decisions at different spatial scales in agricultural or forested systems.

The student develops a thorough knowledge of hydrological processes which characterize agricultural and forested systems. The student becomes familiar with the main tools that can be used for the planning and management of water resources at small and large territorial scales, such as open-field and laboratory monitoring techniques and technologies, GIS for the management and representation of spatial data, available digital cartography, water balance modelling at different spatial scales, principles of integrated and participatory water resource planning. Thanks to two praticals, the student acquires skills related to the whole process of hydrological modelling, respectively at the agricultural field and at the irrigation district scales: from the retrieval of raw data, its processing to obtain model input data and parameters, the design and execution of simulations, to the achievement of model results. Finally, the student acquires the ability to analyse and discuss in written and oral form the results obtained from modelling simulations or presented in scientific articles in the field of hydrology.