Climate change: impact and adaptation
A.A. 2024/2025
Obiettivi formativi
Introducing earth's atmosphere and the basic physical mechanism of the Climate System, highlighting the key role of the interaction of earth's surface and atmosphere with long and short wave radiation.
Presenting the complexity of the climate systems highlighting a number of natural and anthropic factors that can affect earth's energy balance. Particular emphasis is naturally given to the factors that have been most relevant for climate change in the last decades.
Presenting observational and scenario data highlighting current and expected climate change.
Presenting tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions. This part of the course will be largely based on mathematical models simulating crop growth and development as a function of environmental variables and biotic/a-biotic stressors.
Discussing the use of simulation models to identify adaptation strategies in case of negative impact of climate change. Adaptation strategies will deal with changes/improvement in agro-management practices and in the in silico design and evaluation of plant types more suited to the climate conditions expected in the coming decades.
Presenting the complexity of the climate systems highlighting a number of natural and anthropic factors that can affect earth's energy balance. Particular emphasis is naturally given to the factors that have been most relevant for climate change in the last decades.
Presenting observational and scenario data highlighting current and expected climate change.
Presenting tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions. This part of the course will be largely based on mathematical models simulating crop growth and development as a function of environmental variables and biotic/a-biotic stressors.
Discussing the use of simulation models to identify adaptation strategies in case of negative impact of climate change. Adaptation strategies will deal with changes/improvement in agro-management practices and in the in silico design and evaluation of plant types more suited to the climate conditions expected in the coming decades.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
At the end of the course, students must first understand the basic elements of Earth's radiative and energetic budgets. Then they must be aware on how much Earth's climate has changed in the last century and on how much it is projected to change in the next decades. Students must then learn using tools to quantify climate change impacts on agricultural productions and understand how adaption strategies can be managed.
Periodo: Primo semestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento può essere seguito come corso singolo.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Periodo
Primo semestre
Programma
EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
Characteristics, composition and vertical structure.
Observing the atmosphere: principal meteorological variables, meteorological networks, methods for the representation of meteorological data. From meteorology to climatology.
EARTH'S ENERGY BALANCE AND CLIMATE
Short wave and long wave radiation and their interaction with earth's surface and atmosphere. Role of oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the energy balance of the earth. Energy balance and local climate.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Natural and anthropic factors affecting earth's energy balance. The role of greenhouse gases and aerosols.
Climate change and the hydrological cycle.
Climate variability and change in the last two centuries and climate scenarios for the 21st century.
Climate data for impact assessment and climate services at international, national and local scales.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
Mathematical models for the simulation of crop growth and productivity.
Simulation of the impact of environmental (soil, climate) and management factors, as well as of biotic (e.g., pathogens, weeds) and a-biotic (e.g., extreme weather events) factors, on crop productivity.
Simulation model to quantify the impact of climate change on food production.
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
Identification of adaptation strategies based on changes/improvement of agro-management practices.
Identification of adaptation strategies based on the development of new plant types more suited to the expected climate conditions.
In silico evaluation of the benefits deriving from the adaptation strategies identified.
Characteristics, composition and vertical structure.
Observing the atmosphere: principal meteorological variables, meteorological networks, methods for the representation of meteorological data. From meteorology to climatology.
EARTH'S ENERGY BALANCE AND CLIMATE
Short wave and long wave radiation and their interaction with earth's surface and atmosphere. Role of oceanic and atmospheric circulation in the energy balance of the earth. Energy balance and local climate.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Natural and anthropic factors affecting earth's energy balance. The role of greenhouse gases and aerosols.
Climate change and the hydrological cycle.
Climate variability and change in the last two centuries and climate scenarios for the 21st century.
Climate data for impact assessment and climate services at international, national and local scales.
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURE
Mathematical models for the simulation of crop growth and productivity.
Simulation of the impact of environmental (soil, climate) and management factors, as well as of biotic (e.g., pathogens, weeds) and a-biotic (e.g., extreme weather events) factors, on crop productivity.
Simulation model to quantify the impact of climate change on food production.
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES
Identification of adaptation strategies based on changes/improvement of agro-management practices.
Identification of adaptation strategies based on the development of new plant types more suited to the expected climate conditions.
In silico evaluation of the benefits deriving from the adaptation strategies identified.
Prerequisiti
The competences that are usually acquired in the first year of Environmental Change and Global Sustainability Master are considered as sufficient to attend the course.
Metodi didattici
The course will be articulated in a series of lectures and case studies that will focus on key issues related with climate change from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Practical activities will be also carried out on some of the main topics faced during the lectures.
Materiale di riferimento
D.L. Hartmann, 1994: Global Physical Climatology, Academic Press, Elsevier.
Scientific papers and other supporting documents will be indicated and suggested during the course.
Scientific papers and other supporting documents will be indicated and suggested during the course.
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
The final test is an oral exam of about one hour that aims at evaluating the acquired knowledge and at testing the ability of applying it to case studies concerning the main issues faced in the course. A critical approach to the studied issues will be one of the main evaluated points.
Students with specific learning disabilities or other disabilities are requested to contact the teacher via email at least 15 days before the exam session to agree on any personal compensatory measure. In the email addressed to the teacher, the respective University services must be reported in CC: [email protected] (for students with LD) and [email protected] (for students with other disabilities).
Students with specific learning disabilities or other disabilities are requested to contact the teacher via email at least 15 days before the exam session to agree on any personal compensatory measure. In the email addressed to the teacher, the respective University services must be reported in CC: [email protected] (for students with LD) and [email protected] (for students with other disabilities).
AGR/02 - AGRONOMIA E COLTIVAZIONI ERBACEE - CFU: 3
FIS/06 - FISICA PER IL SISTEMA TERRA E PER IL MEZZO CIRCUMTERRESTRE - CFU: 3
FIS/06 - FISICA PER IL SISTEMA TERRA E PER IL MEZZO CIRCUMTERRESTRE - CFU: 3
Esercitazioni: 32 ore
Lezioni: 32 ore
Lezioni: 32 ore
Siti didattici
Docente/i
Ricevimento:
Su appuntamento
Studio del professore o via telematica
Ricevimento:
per appuntamento
Studio del professore o per via telematica