Biology and Protection of Agricultural and Forest Systems

The research activities are focusing on developing multidisciplinary and integrated research activities, both basic and applied, in the following areas:

  • systems biology and forest biology:  it includes plant cytology, anatomy, morphology, physiology and systematics; reproductive ecology; ecophysiology; sustainable management and planning of forest ecosystems; nature conservation policy; modelling environmental and biological systems; biomonitoring; paleobotany and paleobiology; forest biomasses; dendroecology; fire ecology; animal, plant and microorganism ecology; ethnobotany.
  • crop protection: it includes protection against abiotic and biotic stresses; multitrophyc interactions between plants, pathogens/pests and biological antagonists; integrated pest management; beneficial microorganisms, suppressive soils and biofertilizer/biopesticides/biofungicides; forest pathology and entomology; plant pathogenic agents  and natural antagonists; honeybees technology.
  • agro-environmental biotechnologies: it includes structural and functional genomics of microorganisms relevant for crop production and environment protection and their use; microorganisms for bioremediation; biomolecules of agricultural and environmental interest; molecular mechanisms of plant resistance to stresses and biotechnological applications; developing new products and know-how for promotion and exploitation of typical food products; chemistry of natural compounds.

Partecipants