Proposer Role and contribution Qualification and experience Capacity to provide the contribution

Personnel involved in the project Subcontractor (URC) Subcontractor (UNIMI) Relevant publications

Proposer : Dr. Renzo MOTTA (UT)

Dipartimento di Agronomia, Selvicoltura e Gestione del Territorio (AGROSELVITER) - Università degli Studi di Torino. Torino ITALY

 The contribution of the UT can be summarised in:

1. data acquisition and sampling;
1. data processing (ring-width measurement and chronologies building).
1. ecological and forestry knowledge.

Available tree ring chronologies from the Turin laboratory (about 10), from literature and from researchers will be collected, classified and, after normalisation, incorporated in the data base. Older series will be extended to 1995 with new sampling. Monthly, seasonal and annual data of precipitation and temperature (Tmax, Tmin, Tmed) will be collected in the nearest available meteorological stations from tree-populations sampled.

UT will insure the sampling of living trees in the Western Alps and in the Southern Italy both for tree ring width measurement and for densitometric analysis (Pinus sylvestris) (that will be carried out under the coordination of the IMEP partner). The study will be focused on Larix decidua, Abies alba. Picea abies, Pinus cembra, Pinus uncinata, Pinus sylvestris in the Alps and Abies alba, Pinus laricio, Pinus leucodermis, Pinus halepensis in the Southern Italy. Because Italian chronologies are, at the moment, quite rare, the acquisition of new chronologies requires a strong effort. We foresee to build more than forty chronologies for area 2. Moreover, UT will coordinate the whole Italian sampling of living trees involving the cooperation with Partner 4 and 5 and, as sub-contractors, Università degli Studi di Reggio Calabria (URC) and Università degli Studi di Milano - Milano, (UNIMI).

Ring width measurement, standardisation of chronologies and spatio-temporal analysis of tree growth will be done using the package 3PBase in coordination with the other Partners.

UT and also the two subcontractors (URC and UNIMI) will bring their field knowledge of foresters in the ecological characterisation of the sites sampled and the interpretation of results about wood production estimated through tree-ring width and densitometric analysis.

 AGROSELVITER is adequately equipped for the acquisition and the treatment of ring-width data with its own measuring device and software for series statistical processing. The department has also its own wood technology laboratory for the preparation of wood samples.

 Dipartimento di Agrochimica e Agrobiologia (URC) has a long experience in working in forest management, silviculture and forest ecology in Southern Italy. The URC will collaborate with sample collection in the sites of the Southern Italy (area 3). The foreseen cost of the subcontract is 16 kECU.

 Dipartimento Scienze della Terra (UNIMI) is equipped for the treatment of ring-width data with its own measuring device and software. It will collaborate in the extension of the old chronologies to the present. The foreseen cost for this subcontract is 10 kECU.

Permanent personnel :

• MOTTA Renzo, Dr., Senior Researcher in the AGROSELVITER Department of the Turin University since 1990. He is a specialist of subalpine forests in the whole alpine arc. He is involved in forest dynamics and silvicultural research relating to mountain forests and dendroecological and dendrochronological projects in the Italian Alps.
• PIVIDORI Mario, Dr., Senior Researcher in the AGROSELVITER Department. He has been working in dendroecology in the Alps and in Siberian boreal forests, in collaboration with Prof. F:H: Schweingruber, for 5 years.
• ZANUTTINI Roberto, Dr., Associated Professor in the AGROSELVITER Department. He is a specialist in wood technology and he is involved in dendrochronological research.
• BOETTO Guido, Dr., Research technician. He is a specialist in wood technology and wood treatment. He is currently involved in dendrochronology and wood technology research project.

• Two PhD students or postdoctoral scientists will be involved in the project.

Dipartimento di Agrochimica e Agrobiologia. Università degli Studi di Reggio Calabria (Italy).