Curriculum

I am currently Full Professor of Ecology (BIOS-O5/A) at the Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences (DiSSPA), the University of Bari Aldo Moro (UNIBA). Over the years, I held positions and developed research and teaching activities as a faculty member at the Open University of Cyprus, the University of Reading (UK) and as a Visiting Researcher/Professor at the Universities of Bologna, Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and Ioannina (Greece). I have been a research associate of the CIHEAM- MAICh and consultant for international organizations UNEP PAP / RAC and UNIDO and a member of the network "Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC)". I hold a PhD in Landscape Ecology, an MSc in Vegetation Ecology, a Postgraduate Diploma in Academic Practice and a BSc in Forestry. I am Membership secretary of the International Association of Landscape Ecology (IALE) - Europe and member of the British Ecological Society, the Italian Society of Ecology (S.It.E) and the Italian Society of Landscape Ecology (S.I.E.P). My work is based on traditional approaches to ecosystem management coupled with landscape ecology principles, namely the importance of spatial configuration of ecological processes and the emphasis on larger spatial extents. Research interests include environmental change and landscape processes in Mediterranean islands and mountains, the use of geospatial tools on species, habitats and ecosystem services analysis, landscape evaluation, and systematic conservation planning. I was the co-editor of “Mediterranean Island Landscapes: natural and cultural approaches” by Springer and the editor of Mediterranean Mountain Environments by Wiley-Blackwell. I am currently chairing the COST Action CA21158 SMILES: Enhance Small-Medium IsLands resilience by securing the sustainability of Ecosystem Services. My research has been funded by the 6th and 7th Framework, H2020, Horizon Europe, COST, LIFE+, INTERREG, ENPI-CBCMED, ERASMUS programmes and Government agencies.