POPFACE  A European Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment experiment  on Poplar plantations

Department of Forest Environment and Resources (DISAFRI)                                         Group 01

University of Tuscia

via S. Camillo de Lellis, 01100 Viterbo (Italy)

Tel: +39-761-357395 Fax: +39-761-357389

Main contributions

	to implement and manage the FACE facility and the experimental poplar plantation
	to quantify tree growth over the study period and to assess final biomass production of the different tree components
	to model CO2 and water vapour gas exchanges between poplar stand and the atmosphere
	to monitor seasonal soil CO2 eflux
	to quantify the diffusion of naturally developed parasites in the experimental poplar stands treated with contrasting (CO2-N)
	to determine the interactions between insects and pathogens with CO2-N treated trees by artificial inoculation

Research Group

Qualification

The Department of Forest Environment and Resources of the University of Tuscia - Viterbo (Laboratory of Silviculture and Forest Ecology) has developed a large experience in the fields of forest ecology, tree ecophysiology, forest micrometeorology and silviculture of native forest ecosystems and plantations forestry. It possesses, therefore, all the requirements to conduct the proposed research program.

In natural, evergreen and deciduous forests of the Mediterranean region the energy balance and the gas fluxes between forest and the atmosphere were studied in relation to seasonal variation and environmental stresses. Another field of research recently developed by the Department has been on the possible impacts of rising atmospheric CO₂ concentration on evergreen oak forest community. Experiments conducted in the natural environment have focused on carbon metabolism and water relations as affected by high [CO₂] and drought. Research is also being conducted on physiological and genetic characteristic of natural population of Mediterranean poplars. The Laboratory has established, over time, extensive relationships with other well known scientific institutions as the University of Seattle (USA), USDA/Forestry Science Lab-Rhinelander (USA), Institute of Ecology - University of Edinburgh, Academy of Science-Brno, Institute of Ecology-Technical University of Berlin. Scientific cooperation within European institutions has been partly financed by European Union, with the Environment and the COST Programs.

Experimental techniques developed by the Department, also with original contributions, span from ecophysiology at the leaf level to eddy covariance fluxes above forest canopies, from stable isotopes analyses to roots and soil processes.

The Department has also a wide array of scientific instrumentations, as: standard and fast-responses micrometeorological sensors, portable and climatized porometers, fluorescence apparatus, monitoring systems for soil and plant water relations, large Open Top Chambers for CO₂ treatments of portions of natural forest communities, controlled growth chambers, lab for biochemical plant analyses, PC and Sun work stations.

Experience of staff involved

Prof. Giuseppe E. Scarascia-Mugnozza received his degree in Agricultural Sciences in 1977 and in Forestry in 1983, at the University of Bari. He was research associate at the University of Bari and then at the University of Viterbo working on ecophysiology and genetical ecology of Mediterranean pines and oaks. Then, he worked on the determinants of growth of hybrid poplar clones at the College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, where he received the PhD in 1991. Presently, he teaches Silviculture and Forest Tree Ecophysiology at the University of Tuscia. He will be in charge of coordination of the project; he will also follow light interception, leaf area index and biomass growth and production measures.

Dr. Paolo De Angelis received his degree in Forestry in 1989 at the University of Tuscia with a thesis on thinning experiments in planted Pinus pinaster forest stands. He obtained his doctorate degree with researches on the effects of elevated [CO₂] on Mediterranean forest trees. Presently, he is working on the effects of elevated [CO₂] at the ecosystem level. He will be involved in FACE implementation and management, leaf gas exchanges and soil respiration measurements.

Dr. Maurizio Sabatti graduated in 1989 in Forestry at the University of Tuscia with a thesis on water transport in oak trees. He obtained his doctorate degree with researches on the genetic variation of physiological traits of Populus alba. Presently, he is working on genetic and physiological evaluation of Mediterranean poplars. He will be responsible for plantation and biomass production measures.

Dr. Giorgio Matteucci graduated in 1991 in Forestry, at the University of Tuscia, with a thesis on ecophysiology and carbon balance of Mediterranean vegetation. He earned a Eureka fellowship to specialise on fluorescence responses of forest tree species. He got his doctorate degree from the University of Padova in 1998, with a thesis on the carbon budget and ecophysiological factors in a beech forest (eddy covariance technique). Presently he is a post-doc at the University of Tuscia. He will be involved in fluorescence measurements.

Dr. Elena Kuzminsky graduated in 1987 in Forestry at the University of Tuscia with a thesis on cold hardening in Eucalyptus. She obtained her doctorate degree with researches on physiological and biochemical changes in cultured clones of cold resistant Eucalyptus. Presently, she teaches Tree Physiology at the University of Tuscia and she is working on biochemical and anatomical analyses of plant material treated at different atmospheric CO2 concentrations and on salt resistance on Poplars. She will be involved in Rubisco, RuBP and carbohydrates analysis.

Dr. Hocine Larbi graduated in Forestry in 1992 at the University of Tuscia with a thesis on the micropropagation of forest trees. He obtained his doctorate degree from the University of Padova in 1997 with a thesis of water relations in a natural Mediterranean plant community subjected to elevated [CO₂]. He will be involved in water relation analysis.

Dr. Riccardo Valentini received his degree in Biophysics in 1985 at the University of Rome with a thesis on the mechanisms of cold damage in eucalypts. Recently he spent a sabbatical year at the University of Utah and at Stanford University experimenting on the applications of stable isotopes and eddy covariance in forest ecology and primary production. Presently, he teaches Forest Ecology at the University of Tuscia. He has been involved as scientific partner in various European Union research projects and as co-ordinator in the EC-project “EUROFLUX” (measuring long-term carbon and water exchange of forest ecosystems). He is a member of BAHC and IGBP committees. He will be involved in modelling improvement and testing.

Mr. Carlo Calfapietra graduated in Forestry in 1997 at the University of Tuscia with a thesis on elevated [CO₂] effects on VOC emission by forest trees. He is currently a doctorate student in forest ecology.

Prof. Naldo ANSELMI received his degree in Agricultural Sciences in 1972 at the University of Perugia. He is full Professor of Forest Pathology at the University of Tuscia (Viterbo). He worked as plant pathologist at the National Poplar Research Institute of Casale Monferrato (Italy) from 1972 to 1987. He carried out studies on Ecopathology, Pathogenesis, Epidemiology with particular emphasis on poplar pathology and on the interactions between abiotic stress and fungi involved in forest decline. He has already experience in EU project as: MA2B-CT-0012001 and MA2B-CT91-0026. He will organize the research in the pathological field.

Prof. Massimo OLMI received his degree in Agricultural Sciences in 1968 at the University of Torino. He is full Professor of Agricultural Entomology at the University of Tuscia (Viterbo), with particular interests in systematics, population dynamics and the effects of carbon dioxide on insects. He will organize the research in the entomological sector.

Prof. Andrea VANNINI received is degree in 1984 in Forest Science with a thesis on forest phatology. He is associate Professor at the Department of Plant Protection of the University of Tuscia (Viterbo), working on molecular and physiological aspects of diseases. In 1991 he spent a sabbatical year at the College of Environmental Science and Forestry of the New York State University, working on the interactions between Populus tremuloides and Hypoxylon mammatus. He will be involved in the activity on interactions with abiotic stress.

Dr. Adalgisa GUGLIELMINO, graduated in Agricultural Science in 1983, is staff scientist at the Department of Plant Protection of the University of Tuscia. She obtained her PhD in Environmental Science in 1989. She is involved in systematics, biological control of insects population and relation between carbon dioxide and insects.

Mr. Angelo MAZZAGLIA has been working for two years in plant-pathogen interactions with particular regard with degradative enzymes involved in pathogenic mechanisms. He is currently a doctorate student in Plant Pathology

Recent publications

FRIEND A.L., SCARASCIA-MUGNOZZA G.E., ISEBRANDS J.G. & HEILMAN P.E. (1991). Quantification of two-year-old hybrid poplar root systems: morphology, biomass and ¹⁴C distribution. Tree Physiol. 8:109-119.

VALENTINI R., SCARASCIA MUGNOZZA G.E., DE ANGELIS P. & BIMBI R. (1991). An experimental test of the eddy correlation technique over a Mediterranean macchia canopy. Plant, Cell and Environment 14:987-994.

CEULEMANS R., SCARASCIA-MUGNOZZA G.E., WIARD B.M., BRAATNE J.H., HINCKLEY T.M., STETTLER R.F., ISEBRANDS J.G. AND HEILMAN P.E. (1992). Production physiology and morphology of Populus species and their hybrids grown under short rotation. I. Clonal comparisons of 4-year growth and phenology. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 22: 1937-1948.

Scarascia Mugnozza G. E., De Angelis P., Matteucci G. & Kuzminsky E. (1996) Carbon metabolism and plant growth under elevated CO₂ in a natural Quercus ilex L. "macchia" stand. In: Carbon dioxide, Populations, and Communities (eds. Ch. Körner & F.A. Bazzaz), Physiological Ecology Series, Academic Press, San Diego. pp. 209-230.

Scarascia Mugnozza G. E., De Angelis P., Matteucci G. & VALENTINI R. (1996). Long-term exposure to elevated [CO₂] in a natural Quercus ilex L. community: net photosynthesis and photochemical efficiency of PSII at different levels of water stress. Plant, Cell and Environment 19:643-654.

SCARASCIA-MUGNOZZA G.E., CEULEMANS R., HEILMAN P.E., ISEBRANDS J.G., STETTLER R.F. AND HINCKLEY T.M.  (1997). Production physiology and morphology of Populus species and their hybrids grown under short rotation. II. Biomass components and harvest index of hybrid and parental species clones. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 27: 285-294.

SCARASCIA-MUGNOZZA G.E., HINCKLEY T.M., STETTLER R.F., HEILMAN P.E. AND ISEBRANDS J.G. (1999). Production physiology and morphology of Populus species and their hybrids grown under short rotation. III. Seasonal carbon allocation patterns from branches. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 29: 1-14.

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