Concept of stratigraphic and environmental biomarker. Elements of environmental biogeochemistry. Transitional and marine ecosystems. Modification of ecosystems: global change, eutrophication, heavy metal and hydrocarbon pollution. Marine strategy. Importance and use of microfossils. Calcareous plankton, benthic foraminifera, radiolaria, diatoms and silicoflagellates. Techniques of collection, preparation and sample analysis. Quantitative and statistical analyses. Case studies
Introduzione all'Ecologia Applicata - Galassi, Ferrari, Viaroli, Città Studi 2014
Frontalini 2011 - Benthic foraminifera as bioindicators of pollution: A review of Italian research over the last three decades. Revue de Micropaléontologie 54(2):115-127De Wever P., Dumitrica P., Caulet J.P., Nigrini C., Caridroit M.(2002). Radiolarians in the Sedimentary Record.
Jere Lipps Fossil prokaryotes and protists Blackwell Scientific publication
Photocopies and supplementary materials
Learning Objectives
Learning the use of calcareous and siliceous microfossils for the study of sedimentary successions. Preparation and laboratory techniques. Identification of major microfossil groups to reconstruct past environmental conditions and changes. Learning the use of quantitative and statistical analyses of paleontological data.
Prerequisites
Paleontology and Geology courses
Teaching Methods
Powerpoint-added lectures and laboratory preparation techniques. Identification at the microscope of the main microfossils groups. Field-works in Northenn Apennines
Type of Assessment
Oral and practical test using optical microscope on microfossils for the identification
Course program
Concept of stratigraphic and environmental biomarker. Transitional and marine ecosystems. Modification of ecosystems: global change, eutrophication, heavy metal and hydrocarbon pollution. Marine strategy. Importance and use of microfossils. Techniques of collection, preparation and analysis of samples. Identification i of the common microfossils: calcareous plankton, benthic foraminifera, diatoms, silicoflagellates and radiolaria (morphology, classification and evolution). Applications in biostratigraphy, paleobiology, paleoecology and environmental geology. Quantitative and statistical analyses: cluster and PCA. Enviromental monitoring. case studies in continental shelf, lagoons, river delta and open sea.