October 26, 2026
Urban soil sealing and land consumption pose growing challenges to the sustainability of urban environments, compromising important soil functions and ecosystem services, including microclimate regulation, water
October 26, 2026
The growing popularity of outdoor recreational activities, such as hiking, cycling, and horse riding, offers significant opportunities to promote health, well-being, and the sustainable enjoyment of both natural and other environments. At the same time, increased trail use presents new challenges related to environmental impacts, interactions between different user groups, trail accessibility, and inconsistencies in the information available. The ROUTES project – Responsible Overall Use of Trails through a framework for a European Standard – aims to promote a shared
September 16, 2026
MAP4FIRE (Integrated multimodal approach for assessing tree delayed mortality to promote smart and sustainable management of forest post-fire sites) is an interdisciplinary research project aimed at developing innovative tools to assess the vitality of trees that survive forest fires and to predict their delayed mortality, one of the key factors influencing the success of forest restoration interventions in fire-affected areas. The project addresses the growing need to support the management of European forests in a context of climate change, which
April 10, 2026
The activities of the project PANDION are carried out within the framework of a scientific collaboration agreement between PNAT and CNR-IRET, focused on the “Analysis, integration, and systematization of spatial data on the osprey in the Tyrrhenian area” and are part of the INTERREG Italy–France Maritime project “Talassa – protection and pilot actions for the transboundary governance of marine protected sites” (CUP E27F23000060007). In particular, the project aims at the processing, analysis, and systematic integration of data concerning spatial use
March 16, 2026
The project “MYNA-OUT: Italy’s initiative for a myna-free future” aims to eradicate the common myna (Acridotheres tristis) from Italian territory during the early stages of its invasion. The initiative is coordinated by the National Research Council – Institute for Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CNR-IRET) and funded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the European Rapid Response Fund for invasive alien species. The project will run for twelve months, from April 2026 to March 2027, and will
March 11, 2026
VinAE – Vineyards network for co-creation and expansion of AgroEcological strategies to face viticulture challenges: a basis for cross-borders living labs. VinAE proposes the creation of a pilot network of wineries applying agroecological practices located in five of the main European grape and wine producing countries: Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and Turkey. The pilot farms are situated in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Anatolian biogeographical regions, encompassing a wide range of edaphoclimatic, topographic and landscape conditions. This collaborative strategy is particularly valuable
March 10, 2026
RODOLFO – ROle of wilDfires on micrOpLastics in Forest sOils The accumulation of microplastics poses a growing environmental threat to terrestrial ecosystems, with soil identified as the main global reservoir for these particles. Despite growing concerns about the effects of microplastics on soil properties and biotic communities, information on their abundance and distribution under real field conditions remains limited, especially in less studied environments such as grasslands and forests. Microplastics can be transported by wind and accumulate in forest soils, making
February 6, 2026
The BiOfficine Suolo project idea – Development of an organic cultivation system for medicinal plants for farms with low-fertility soils – involves the development of an organic cultivation system for medicinal species in marginal soils with reduced fertility. The system, which involves the use of wild varieties of medicinal plants and a biochar/compost mix in low-fertility soils, will enable the farms involved to diversify their production by introducing high added-value crops and, at the same time, will ensure sustainable management
January 19, 2026
The wolf (Canis lupus) represents a fundamental component of terrestrial ecosystems. As an apex predator, it plays a key role in regulating prey populations (primarily ungulates, but not exclusively), limiting not only their numbers but also reducing the risk of zoonotic disease spread, which can potentially have deleterious impacts on human economic activities (e.g. African swine fever). The presence of the wolf in Apulia, including in proximity to highly anthropized areas, together with recent changes in its protection status, makes it
January 17, 2026
The KORAL project – Biomarker genes from coastal ecosystem monitoring: a stronghold for the assessment of heavy metals impact – aims to assess the impact of heavy metal contamination on Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystems through an innovative, multidisciplinary approach integrating classical ecological surveys with cutting-edge molecular analyses. Coastal dunes, critical yet threatened habitats, face pressures from urbanization, pollution, and climate change. Heavy metals, originating from anthropogenic sources, accumulate in soils, sediments, and organisms across terrestrial and marine food webs, posing severe
