Renato GERDOL
Born in Trieste (Italy) on 15 April 1955
ACADEMIC CAREER
1983-1987: Research Assistant at the University of Pavia.
1988-1994: Associate Professor at the University of Padova.
1994-present: Full Professor of Plant Ecology at the University of Ferrara.
ACADEMIC COORDINATION AND ADMINISTRATION
1995-1999: Director of PhD courses in Environmental Botany (Universities of Ferrara and Parma).
1996-2001: Dean of Graduate Courses in Natural Sciences, University of Ferrara.
1999-2001: National Coordinator of Graduate Courses in Natural Sciences in Italy.
2001-2006: Head of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, University of Ferrara.
2005-2009: Member of the Academic Senate, University of Ferrara.
2009-2016: Member of the Board of Directors, University of Ferrara.
2006-present: Director of the Botanical Garden, University of Ferrara.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
45-year scientific experience in the field of plant ecology in arctic-alpine regions, especially mires: community ecology, functional aspects of production ecology and nutrient budget in mires, periglacial areas and dwarf-shrub tundra.
140 scientific papers in major international journals (Journal of Ecology, Oikos, Plant Ecology, Journal of Vegetation Science, Canadian Journal of Botany, Botanica Acta, Arctic Antarctic and Alpine
Research, Wetlands, Global Change Biology, New Phytologist, Ecology Letters and PNAS)
An international book including an overview of mire vegetation in the Dolomite region.
A monograph (in Italian) on the vegetation of mountains in Italy.
Hirsch-Index (Source Scopus 17 March 2022): 32; Total citations (Source Scopus 17 March 2022): 3313.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION
Leader of a Research unit within the Italian National Antarctic Project ("Permafrost and Global Change in Antarctica")
Leader of a Research unit within the Italian Arctic Project ("Relationships between periglacial morphology and vegetation in the Svalbard Islands")
Leader of a Research unit within the EC project LIFE/NATURE ("Integrated conservation and environmental restoration of Alserio Lake").
Editor of the Journal: Archivio Botanico Italiano.
Member of the Consulting Committee on Environmental Management, Region Emilia-Romagna
Member of the Scientific Committee, Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy, Bolzano-Bozen.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GRANTS (AS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR)
- 1998: Vegetation dynamics at the treeline - National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi; L. 12,500,000
- 1998: Monitoring of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals using mosses - Municipality of Ferrara; L. 16,667,000
- 1998: Ecology of subalpine heaths - Ferrara University; L. 16,300,000
- 1998: Patterns of heavy metal accumulation in bryophytes - MIUR; PRIN project; L. 71,000,000
- 1999: Air quality in the Province of Ferrara using plant as biomontors - ARPA Ferrara; L. 100,000,000
- 1999: Conservation and environmental restoration in Alserio Lake - LIFE Project; L. 134,583,000
- 1999: Ecology of subalpine heaths in mid-latitude mountains - Ferrara University; L. 21,400,000
- 2000: Permafrost and Global Change in Antarctica - National Antarctic Project L. 40,000,000
- 2000: Effects of climate change on the alpine vegetation - National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi; L. 16,667,000
- 2000-2001: Effects of global change on tundra - Ferrara University; L. 38,800,000
- 2002: Ecological restoration and conservation of saltworks - Regional Park Parco del Delta del Po; € 10,750
- 2003: Monitoring of atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Bolzano - Autonome Provinz Bozen; € 14,000
- 2003: Mapping of wetlands of high naturalistic and conservation interest - Italian Ministry of Environment; € 176,200
- 2003: Effects of atmospheric nutrient deposition on ombrotrophic bogs - Ferrara University; € 6,400
- 2006: Monitoring of air quality in Ferrara using mosses - SNAM Progetti; € 100,000
- 2007: Sustainable use of water resources in alpine bogs - Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di VR, VI, BL e AN; € 216,000
- 2008: Monitoring of air quality in Ferrara using lichens - SNAM Progetti; € 64,000
- 2011: Biomonitoring of environmental quality at an incinerator site in Ferrara - Hera Spa; € 46,000
- 2012: Recording plant species distribution in Natura 2000 sites in the province of Ferrara - Region Emilia-Romagna; € 14,000
- 2017: Vegetation changes in response to global change - Ferrara University; € 2,600
- 2018-2021: Vegetation of cold-climate regions – Ferrara University: € 5,000
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- 1988-2000: Editor of the journal ‘Archivio Botanico Italiano’.
- 1995-1997: Coordinator of PhD courses in Environmental Botany (Universities of Ferrara and Parma).
1996-2000; 2006-2012: Member of the Scientific Committee of Protected Areas and Parks, Region Emilia-Romagna.
- 2008: Member of the Selection Commission for a professorship in Plant Taxonomy and Geobotany, University of Innsbruck.
- 2009-2016: Member of the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Alpine Ecology, European Academy.
- 2010: Evaluation Italian VQR 2004-2010 – 1 (Excellent).
- 2012: Editor of the Journal Tuskish Journal of Ecology.
- 2012-2016: Member of the Scientific Board of PhD courses in Mountain Environment and Agriculture, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen.
- 1994-present: Reviewer for the following international journals: PlosONE, Aquatic Botany, Ecology, Functional Ecology, Journal of Ecology, Fresenius J, Plant Ecology & Diversity, Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, Catena, Chemistry & Ecology, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Processes, Ecological Complexity, European Journal of Soil Biology, Chemosphere, Biologia Montana, Oikos, Oecologia, Plant Biology, Journal of Vegetation Science, Applied Vegetation Science, Plant Ecology, Science of the Total Environment, American Midland Naturalist. Journal of Chemical Environment, Global Change Biology.
- 2003-present: Evaluator of scientific projects for international funding agencies: National Science Foundation (U.S.A.), Austrian Science Foundation (Austria), National Science Center (Poland), National Organization for
Scientific Research (The Neterlands), Estonian Research Council (Estonia), Czech Science Foundation (Czech Republic).
- 2014: Evaluation Italian VQR 2011-2014 – 1 (Excellent)
- 2018: Evaluation Italian VQR 2015-2018 – 1 (Excellent)
Born in Trieste (Italy) on 15 April 1955
ACADEMIC CAREER
1983-1987: Research Assistant at the University of Pavia.
1988-1994: Associate Professor at the University of Padova.
1994-present: Full Professor of Plant Ecology at the University of Ferrara.
ACADEMIC COORDINATION AND ADMINISTRATION
1995-1999: Director of PhD courses in Environmental Botany (Universities of Ferrara and Parma).
1996-2001: Dean of Graduate Courses in Natural Sciences, University of Ferrara.
1999-2001: National Coordinator of Graduate Courses in Natural Sciences in Italy.
2001-2006: Head of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, University of Ferrara.
2005-2009: Member of the Academic Senate, University of Ferrara.
2009-2016: Member of the Board of Directors, University of Ferrara.
2006-present: Director of the Botanical Garden, University of Ferrara.
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
45-year scientific experience in the field of plant ecology in arctic-alpine regions, especially mires: community ecology, functional aspects of production ecology and nutrient budget in mires, periglacial areas and dwarf-shrub tundra.
140 scientific papers in major international journals (Journal of Ecology, Oikos, Plant Ecology, Journal of Vegetation Science, Canadian Journal of Botany, Botanica Acta, Arctic Antarctic and Alpine
Research, Wetlands, Global Change Biology, New Phytologist, Ecology Letters and PNAS)
An international book including an overview of mire vegetation in the Dolomite region.
A monograph (in Italian) on the vegetation of mountains in Italy.
Hirsch-Index (Source Scopus 17 March 2022): 32; Total citations (Source Scopus 17 March 2022): 3313.
SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION
Leader of a Research unit within the Italian National Antarctic Project ("Permafrost and Global Change in Antarctica")
Leader of a Research unit within the Italian Arctic Project ("Relationships between periglacial morphology and vegetation in the Svalbard Islands")
Leader of a Research unit within the EC project LIFE/NATURE ("Integrated conservation and environmental restoration of Alserio Lake").
Editor of the Journal: Archivio Botanico Italiano.
Member of the Consulting Committee on Environmental Management, Region Emilia-Romagna
Member of the Scientific Committee, Institute for Alpine Environment, European Academy, Bolzano-Bozen.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL GRANTS (AS PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR)
- 1998: Vegetation dynamics at the treeline - National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi; L. 12,500,000
- 1998: Monitoring of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals using mosses - Municipality of Ferrara; L. 16,667,000
- 1998: Ecology of subalpine heaths - Ferrara University; L. 16,300,000
- 1998: Patterns of heavy metal accumulation in bryophytes - MIUR; PRIN project; L. 71,000,000
- 1999: Air quality in the Province of Ferrara using plant as biomontors - ARPA Ferrara; L. 100,000,000
- 1999: Conservation and environmental restoration in Alserio Lake - LIFE Project; L. 134,583,000
- 1999: Ecology of subalpine heaths in mid-latitude mountains - Ferrara University; L. 21,400,000
- 2000: Permafrost and Global Change in Antarctica - National Antarctic Project L. 40,000,000
- 2000: Effects of climate change on the alpine vegetation - National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi; L. 16,667,000
- 2000-2001: Effects of global change on tundra - Ferrara University; L. 38,800,000
- 2002: Ecological restoration and conservation of saltworks - Regional Park Parco del Delta del Po; € 10,750
- 2003: Monitoring of atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Bolzano - Autonome Provinz Bozen; € 14,000
- 2003: Mapping of wetlands of high naturalistic and conservation interest - Italian Ministry of Environment; € 176,200
- 2003: Effects of atmospheric nutrient deposition on ombrotrophic bogs - Ferrara University; € 6,400
- 2006: Monitoring of air quality in Ferrara using mosses - SNAM Progetti; € 100,000
- 2007: Sustainable use of water resources in alpine bogs - Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di VR, VI, BL e AN; € 216,000
- 2008: Monitoring of air quality in Ferrara using lichens - SNAM Progetti; € 64,000
- 2011: Biomonitoring of environmental quality at an incinerator site in Ferrara - Hera Spa; € 46,000
- 2012: Recording plant species distribution in Natura 2000 sites in the province of Ferrara - Region Emilia-Romagna; € 14,000
- 2017: Vegetation changes in response to global change - Ferrara University; € 2,600
- 2018-2021: Vegetation of cold-climate regions – Ferrara University: € 5,000
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- 1988-2000: Editor of the journal ‘Archivio Botanico Italiano’.
- 1995-1997: Coordinator of PhD courses in Environmental Botany (Universities of Ferrara and Parma).
1996-2000; 2006-2012: Member of the Scientific Committee of Protected Areas and Parks, Region Emilia-Romagna.
- 2008: Member of the Selection Commission for a professorship in Plant Taxonomy and Geobotany, University of Innsbruck.
- 2009-2016: Member of the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Alpine Ecology, European Academy.
- 2010: Evaluation Italian VQR 2004-2010 – 1 (Excellent).
- 2012: Editor of the Journal Tuskish Journal of Ecology.
- 2012-2016: Member of the Scientific Board of PhD courses in Mountain Environment and Agriculture, Free University of Bolzano-Bozen.
- 1994-present: Reviewer for the following international journals: PlosONE, Aquatic Botany, Ecology, Functional Ecology, Journal of Ecology, Fresenius J, Plant Ecology & Diversity, Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae, Catena, Chemistry & Ecology, Environmental Pollution, Environmental Processes, Ecological Complexity, European Journal of Soil Biology, Chemosphere, Biologia Montana, Oikos, Oecologia, Plant Biology, Journal of Vegetation Science, Applied Vegetation Science, Plant Ecology, Science of the Total Environment, American Midland Naturalist. Journal of Chemical Environment, Global Change Biology.
- 2003-present: Evaluator of scientific projects for international funding agencies: National Science Foundation (U.S.A.), Austrian Science Foundation (Austria), National Science Center (Poland), National Organization for
Scientific Research (The Neterlands), Estonian Research Council (Estonia), Czech Science Foundation (Czech Republic).
- 2014: Evaluation Italian VQR 2011-2014 – 1 (Excellent)
- 2018: Evaluation Italian VQR 2015-2018 – 1 (Excellent)
