Skip to main content

Biodiversity and environmental sustainability of the agro-ecosystem

Research area: Botany - Mycology - Agriculture

Coordinators: Maura Brusoni,  Carlo Maria Cusaro, Emiliano Franci 

ERC sectors: LS2_6 Metagenomics; LS8_2 Biodiversity; LS9_8 Applied plant sciences, plant breeding, agroecology and soil biology

Plant Biodiversity and Biosystematics laboratory
Research topics

1. Assessment of environmental sustainability and agroecosystem multifunctionality

Analysis of biodiversity parameters to assess the multifunctionality of agroecosystems and the impact of agricultural activity on sensitive and vulnerable areas.

2. Sustainable management of agroecosystems to mitigate impacts and promote biodiversity.

Development and application of land-use and management models that ensure the production of ecosystem services, the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity, and the mitigation of the impacts of production processes.

3. Study of plant biodiversity at the specific and intra-specific levels.

Study of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of plant biodiversity and analysis of intra-specific polymorphisms using molecular markers.

4. Study of the biodiversity of soil microbial communities.

Soil metagenomic analysis to assess the composition and biodiversity of microbial communities in agricultural soils in order to identify sustainable management strategies.

5. Risk Assessment of Invasive Alien Species (IAS)

Application of Risk Assessment (Pest Risk Analysis – PRA) protocols to invasive alien plant species (IAS) and assessment of the invasive potential of non-native plant species.

 

Publications

-        Cusaro C.M., Rogledi M., Brusoni M., Bracco F., 2019. Evaluation of the invasiveness of non-native plant species in the "Bosco Siro Negri" Natural Reserve (Pavia, Lombardy, Italy). Atti 114° Congresso della Società Botanica Italiana - V International Plant Science Conference (IPSC), pp. 174 - Padova - Italy - 4/7 Settembre 2019.


-        Cusaro CM., Gialdini OG., Patrizio E., Brusoni M., 2021. Proposal Of Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) Application Within Limited Territories,. Book of Abstract 1° Conference of Young Botanist (CYBO) –  6/7 February 2020 Genova, Notiziario della Società Botanica Italiana, 5, pp. 89.


-        Cusaro CM., Grazioli C., Novella A., Gigliotti S., Tedeschi T., Rampini L., Rattini D., Pozzi T., Brusoni M., 2021. Sustainable Use Of Plant Protection Products In Natura 2000 Areas: Mitigation Of Impacts And Biodiversity Conservation. Book Of Abstracts XII International Scientific Agriculture Symposium “AGROSYM 2021”. Jahorina, 7/10 October 2021, Online conference. Pp. 501.


-        Cusaro CM., Grazioli C., Zambuto F., Capelli E., Brusoni M., 2022. An Improved Method for Assessing Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Variation in Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv (Barnyardgrass). Diversity 14, 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14010003.


-        Cusaro C.M., Coatti M., Franci E., Politi A., Serrati L., Brusoni M., 2023. Vegetated strips: a tool aimed at producing agri-environmental services. Book Of Abstracts XIV International Scientific Agriculture Symposium “AGROSYM 2023”. Jahorina, 5/8 October 2023, Pp. 466.