• Login
  • Membership
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
  • About us
  • Geography
  • Schools
  • Research
  • Professionals
  • In the field
  • What's on

Search the society

Enter keyword or phrase...
Find
Royal Geographical Society with IBG
Back to The future of Venice

The future of Venice

Can Venice be sustained as a living city for its residents?

  • Case study,
  • Module,
  • Changing places,
  • Environmental interactions and management,
  • Key Stage Four,
  • Key Stage Five
  • Overview
  • Population and tourism
  • Physical environment and flooding
  • Lagoon ecosystem and sustainable use

Lagoon ecosystem and sustainable use

Lesson aim

To learn about the ecosystem of the Lagoon of Venice and how the lagoon and its islands can be managed more sustainably and utilised for the benefit of local people.

Lesson objectives

  • To know about the ecosystem characteristics of the Lagoon of Venice (LoVe)

  • To know about the various threats to the ecosystem

  • To know about what steps are being taken (or could be taken) to better manage the lagoon ecosystem and restore salt marsh

  • To learn examples of how local people are using the lagoon and its islands

Starter

Students start by visiting the following websites on salt marshes. Students should take brief notes on the characteristics of the salt marsh ecosystem and what ecosystem goods and services salt marshes provide.

  • National Ocean Service

  • Ecosystem Goods and Services 

Once completed students study the Flora and fauna factsheet about the Lagoon of Venice. Individuals or pairs could do a web search on a selection of plants listed in the factsheet to feedback to the class on the physical adaptations of their chosen species and whether they have a human use.

Main activities

Activity 1 (20 to 30 minutes)

Students look through both the PowerPoint slides and the Ecosystem factsheet to learn about aspects of the lagoon ecosystem, threats facing it, and how it can be managed and used sustainably. They make four summary lists (or a table with four columns): one for ecosystem characteristics, one for threats facing the ecosystem, one for ways of mitigating the threats, and one for ways of using the lagoon sustainably (to include the ‘valle da pesce’ system).

Activity 2 (20 to 30 minutes)

Students watch the videos on the Venissa Project (LoVe interview Matteo Bisol, 6 minutes) and on farming in the Cavallino-Treporti area (LoVe interview Liliana Ballarin, 9 minutes) and make notes on the following themes:

  • The nature and aims of the Venissa Project and how it is beneficial for people and the local environment

  • How agriculture in the Cavallino area changed after the 1966 flood and how and why agricultural methods have changed more recently

  • The challenges facing agriculture in the region and some possible ways of sustaining it

Plenary 

In writing (or as part of a class discussion) students should attempt to answer the following questions:

  • For what reasons should efforts be made to protect salt marsh in the Lagoon of Venice?

  • How is climate change expected to affect the ecosystem?

  • How does a ‘valle da pesce’ work, and why is it a good example of an environmentally friendly and sustainable way of using the lagoon ecosystem?

  • To what extent is tourism in its current form compatible with maintaining the health of the lagoon ecosystem?

  • In what ways could tourism be made more environmentally friendly?

To finish students could also read the short article on ‘Sustainable Venice’ tourism found here and think about sustainability in terms of social, cultural, and environmental aspects.

Downloads

  • Lesson-3-Ecosystem-Factsheet (.docx)
  • Lesson-3-Flora-and-Fauna-Factsheet (.docx)
  • Lesson-3-Lesson-Plan (.docx)
  • Lesson-3-The-Lagoon-Ecosystem-and-Sustainable-Use (.pptx)
  • Download all

Login

Sign in
Forgotten password

Or continue as a guest...

By placing a booking, you are permitting us to store and use your (and any other attendees) details in order to fulfil the booking.
We will not use your details for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

Continue

This content is restricted

You must be a member holding a valid Society membership to view the content you are trying to access. Please login to continue.

 

Not a member? Find out how to join

Join us today, Society membership is open to anyone with a passion for geography

Find out more

Address

Royal Geographical Society
(with the Insitute of British Geographers),
1 Kensington Gore,
London, SW7 2AR

T +44 (0)20 7591 3000
F +44 (0)20 7591 3001
E enquiries@rgs.org

Follow us

We are the learned society for geography and geographers. Be part of our community by following us on our social media accounts.

  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • facebook
  • instagram

Links

  • JOIN THE SOCIETY
  • COURSES & EVENTS
  • TEACHING RESOURCES
  • SOCIETY NEWS
  • MYSOCIETY LOGIN
  • SITEMAP

Cookies on the RGS website This site uses cookies to enhance your user experience.