Research Team: Botany and Plant Ecology
Research Activities
The Research Group in Botany and Plant Ecology is dedicated to studying plant diversity at various levels of biological and ecological organization: from intraspecific diversity in and among populations, to interactions between plants, between plants and animals, and between plants and humans, extending to the assembly of plant communities and macroecological patterns at the biogeographical and landscape scales. Plant Systematics Population Ecology and Genetics Vegetation Ecology, Biogeography, Macroecology Conservation of Plant Biodiversity Plant-plant and plant-animal interaction Phytochemistry, Environmental Phytochemistry and Chemical Ecology Plant-people interactions (Urban Botany, Ethnobotany) and ecosystem services Remote Sensing, Landscape Ecology, Spatial Ecology Habitat Monitoring and Management The Research Group in Botany and Plant Ecology employs techniques such as field surveys, genetic, phytochemical and demographic analyses, remote sensing, GIS, ecological modeling, ecosystem services assessment, and long-term monitoring.
Members (Permanent Staff)
Simonetta Bagella, bage@uniss.it , Professore Associato, BIOS-01/B, 0000-0002-8519-2675
Emmanuele Farris, emfa@uniss.it, Professore Associato, BIOS-01/C, 0000-0002-9843-5998
Marco Malavasi, mmalavasi@uniss.it , RTDb, BIOS-01/C, 0000-0002-9639-1784
Alfredo Maccioni, amaccioni@uniss.it , RTDa, BIOS-01/C, 0000-0002-9266-9523
Maria Carmela Caria, mccaria@uniss.it, RTDa, BIOS-01/B
Collaborators
Raimondo Melis, Assegnista
Agnese Denaro, Studente di Dottorato
Giovanni Rivieccio, Studente di Dottorato
Nour Hajj, Studente di Dottorato
Francesco Mascia, Borsista
Relevant Publications
Malavasi M., Bazzichetto M., Bagella S., Barták V., Depalmas A., Gregorini A., Sperandii M. G., Acosta A. T. R., Bagella S. (2023). Ecology meets archaeology: Past, present and future vegetation-derived ecosystems services from the Nuragic Sardinia (1700–580 BCE). People and Nature, 5, 938–949.
Perrone M., Di Febbraro M., Conti L., Divíšek J., Chytrý M., Keil P., Carranza M.L., Rocchini D., Torresani M., Moudrý V., Šímová P., Prajzlerová D., Müllerová J., Wild J., Malavasi M. (2023). The relationship between spectral and plant diversity: Disentangling the influence of metrics and habitat types at the landscape scale. Remote Sensing of Environment, 293,11359.
Di Musciano M., Calvia G., Ruggero A., Farris E., Ricci L., Frattaroli A. R., Bagella S. (2024). Elevational patterns of plant species richness and phylogenetic diversity in a Mediterranean island. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 65, 125815.
Al Hajj N., Bricca A., Caria M. C., Gascòn S., Piga G., Pulina A., Rivieccio G., Hassoun G., Bonari G., Bagella, S. (2024). Temporal trajectories of plant functional traits in mediterranean grasslands under different grazing regimes. Applied Vegetation Science, 27(3), e12807.
Maccioni A., Macis S., Gibernau M., Farris E. (2023) Phytochemical diversity within and among Sardinian populations of the endemic Teucrium marum L. (Lamiaceae) is determined by ecological factors, Heliyon, e17728.
Gibernau M., Amadori A., Godschalx A., Albre J., Tomi F., Marcia P., Farris E. 2023. Mediterranean island endemic Arum pictum emits isomyocorene as a major component of floral scent. Comptes Rendus Chimie, 26(S2).
Research Projects
Monitoraggio dell’habitat 6220* “Percorsi substeppici di graminacee e piante annue dei Thero-Brachypodietea” nei Siti della Rete Natura 2000 della Sardegna (RAS), Simonetta Bagella, 130000 euro;
Attività di monitoraggio e rendicontazione degli Habitat elencati nell’allegato I della direttiva 92/43/CEE “Habitat” per l’Italia (ISPRA), Simonetta Bagella, 125000 euro;
Verso una ricerca floristica di nuova generazione: dalla gap analysis alla valutazione della biodiversità con il supporto della citizen science, Progetti di ricerca di base dipartimentali (Fondazione di Sardegna), Simonetta Bagella, 73400 euro;
2022-2026: Progetto e.INS – Ecosystem of Innovation for Next Generation Sardinia CUP J83C21000320007, Spoke 9 – Patrimonio Ambientale, coordinatore unità di ricerca Uniss: Emmanuele Farris, componenti gruppo di ricerca: Simonetta Bagella, Alfredo Maccioni;
2022-2026: Centro Nazionale “National Biodiversity Future Center - NBFC”, relativa all’Area Tematica: “Bio-diversità” – Progetto CN00000033, Spoke 01, componenti unità di ricerca Uniss: Simonetta Bagella, Maria Carmela Caria, Emmanuele Farris;
2023-2025: Progetto PRIN bando 2022 “FORENDEMICS – THE ITALIAN ENDEMIC FOREST PLANTS: DIVERSITY AND FUNCTIONAL TRAITS OF A BIOLOGICAL HERITAGE UNDER PRESSURE” Decreto Direttoriale del Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca del 29 maggio 2023 nr. 739, cod. 2022T3S9BC, coordinatore nazionale: Federico Selvi (Università degli Studi di Firenze), coordinatore dell’unità di ricerca UNISS: Emmanuele Farris.
Thesis/internship topics
Monitoring and revisitation of plant biodiversity in various ecosystems (dune, forest, grassland ecosystems, etc.)
Species and habitat distribution models in relation to climate change
Remote sensing of habitats, species, and plant biodiversity
People-plant interaction for conservation
Hybridation processes in Mediterranean flora
Phytochemistry
Environmental Phytochemistry and Chemical Ecology
Ethnobotany
Urban Botany