“Biodiversity is a resource that we must protect.” This was emphasized by President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella during World Biodiversity Day, held at the Castelporziano Estate. The event, which also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Marevivo Foundation, was divided into two parts: during the first part of the morning, the President was shown research activities, exhibition panels, and educational materials. During the guided tour, students, researchers, and scientists presented their research and awareness initiatives on biodiversity issues. Il Presidente
On 28th April 2026, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Hon. Francesco Lollobrigida, and Hon. Irene Gori of the 13th Agriculture Committee visited the CNR Research Area in Florence. The parliamentarians were escorted by Claudio Sangregorio, President of the Research Area, Beniamino Gioli, Director of CNR-IBE, Silvano Fares, Director of DISBA, and Alessio Giovannelli, Head of the Sesto Fiorentino branch of the Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET). Researchers presented to the political representatives the main activities
Bismuth, a metal regarded by industry as a potential green alternative to lead, can accumulate in certain aquatic organisms, with the risk of being transferred up the food chain. This is one of the main findings of a study published in the international journal Science of The Total Environment and carried out by ENEA, CNR-IRET (coordinated by researcher Massimo Zacchini), Sapienza University of Rome and the University of Tuscia, as part of the PNRR National Biodiversity Future
From 15 to 19 April 2026, the CNR will be taking part in the 21st edition of the Rome Science Festival at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone (Viale Pietro de Coubertin, 30 – 00196 Rome). This year’s theme is ‘Chaos and Harmony’. The events scheduled for this year’s Science Festival aim to explore how the universe and life are the result of transformations, disorder, symmetries and opportunities. A vital balance that never ceases to amaze us: from the chaotic
Andrea Lenzi, President of the CNR, and Jacopo Greco, Director General of the institution, visited the ICOS station in Castelporziano. The CNR leadership was accompanied by Carlo Calfapietra, Director of the Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), and Silvano Fares, Principal Investigator of the monitoring station, who presented the site’s distinctive features. During the morning, researchers illustrated the main ongoing activities, with particular focus on the implementation and upgrading of experimental sites through the Itineris and NBFC (National Biodiversity Future Center)
“In the future, we will need forests that are as intact as possible, but we will also need to meet a growing demand for timber and other ecosystem services. The solution lies in balancing conservation and production, through management practices that are increasingly in harmony with nature.” This is the main theme explored by Luigi Torreggiani, a journalist and forestry expert, in an interesting article published in “Il Tascabile”, an online magazine linked to the Treccani universe. In the in-depth analysis of
“Today, there is no longer discussion about the general value of dead wood. Now the discussion is only about how, when, and where to preserve it” This clear observation, which looks to the future from the past, concludes the final documentary of the Life SPAN project, produced by Compagnia delle Foreste in Italy and Germany at two pilot sites (Cansiglio Forest and Sailershausen University Forest). The statement is made by Jörg Müller, professor of conservation biology and forest ecology at the University
European forest policies aimed at increasing the amount of carbon stored in living trees have limited potential, because the most important factor for many forms of forest life is not living biomass, but the carbon contained in dead wood. This, in a nutshell, is the key finding of a study published in Nature Communications, led by Sapienza University of Rome within the COST Action “Bottoms-Up” and carried out in collaboration with numerous European universities and research centres, including the Institute
On Thursday, December 18 at 3:25 p.m. on Rai 3, the second episode of “Il Paese della biodiversità” will air. The programme is a six-stop travelling science outreach series by the National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC) – Italy’s first national biodiversity research centre, funded by the PNRR – Next Generation EU – in collaboration with Rai Cultura. This second stop will take viewers on a journey to discover the biodiversity of the Lazio region. Guiding the audience through the region’s natural
In November 2025, a scientific collaboration agreement was signed between CNR-IRET and the Castelli Romani Regional Park to launch the research project “Monitoring of chiropterofauna in the Castelli Romani Regional Park”. ‘Ultrasound recorders capable of detecting the presence and activity of bat species will be installed in various areas of the Park, including all Sites of Community Importance (SCI). These devices record the ultrasounds emitted by bats during orientation and hunting,” explain Paolo Colangelo and Giorgia Castiello, researchers at CNR-IRET and










