Education and Training
PhD in Conservation of the dynamisms of understory forest communities in the National Park Foreste Casentinesi – University of Bologna 2021 — current
PhD supervisor: Professor Alessandro Chiarucci
Master degree in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management - Biological Sciences – University of Camerino 2017 — 2019
Thesis title: "The role of intra- and interspecific trait variability on functional diversity and redundancy along environmental gradients in abandoned grasslands"
Thesis supervisor: Professor Andrea Catorci
Final grade: 110/110 cum laude
Erasmus Program at Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary Jan 2020 — Apr 2021
Erasmus supervisor: Zsolt Molnár
Bachelor degree in Geological, Natural and Ambiental Sciences – University of Camerino 2014 — 2017
Thesis title: "Measurement of the phenotypic characteristics of the flora in the grassland ecosystem of Torricchio and implementation of its Bioflora Database"
Thesis supervisor: Professor Giandiego Campetella
Language Skills Mother tongue Italian Other language(s)
English
Listening C2, Reading C2, Writing C2, Spoken production C2, Spoken interaction C2
Digital Skills
R Studio — Microsoft packages — C-maps
Didactics
- Tutoring activies
Macroecology and Biogeography — University of Bologna 2023
- Thesis and Training supervision
"Interspecific trait variability along a productivity gradient in forest understory of the foreste casentinesi national park" — Supervisor: Alessandro Chiarucci; Student: Alessandra Ronco 2022
"Cambiamento della diversità funzionale in 40 anni nei castagneti Senesi" — Supervisor: Alessandro Chiarucci; Student: Agnese Tonini 2022
"Analisi temporale della diversità filogenetica della vegetazione delle Foreste Casentinesi" — Supervisor: Alessandro Chiarucci; Student: Stefania Telaro 2021
"Cambiamento della diversità funzionale nelle foreste casentinesi negli ultimi 50 anni" — Supervisor: Alessandro Chiarucci; Student: Martina Neri 2021
Seminars
Seminar entitled "Grime’s C-S-R Model: Introduction to plant strategies" — University of Camerino 23 Mar 2021
In this theoretical seminar I talked about Grime and his C-S-R model. Starting from the general concept of classification I arrived to Grimes model explaining its origin and the three main plant strategies were explained stressing on their positive and negative characteristics. The final triangular diagram was explained and also coupled with Grimes Hump-back model showing the relationship between the two models. Finally I concluded explaining that there is not only this model when talking about plant classification citing Tilman.
Seminar entitled "Grime’s CSR plant strategy model –a practical example with R" — University of Camerino 21 Apr 2021
In this practical lesson, I refreshed Grimes CSR model explaining how he arrived to the final model with a comparison to Grimes "Hump-back" model. Then I proceeded to explain, through the use of the R software how from an initial dataset with species LA, LFW (Leaf Fresh Weight) and LDW (Leaf Dry Weight) one can arrive to the final triangle model with the respective R functions. All this was done by introducing Pierce et al., 2017 calculation Excel spreadsheet.
Seminar entitled "Grime’s CSR Model- The final puzzle piece" — University of Camerino 14 Apr 2021
In this lesson, I analyzed, together with the class, the research article by Zanzottera et al., 2020 entitled "Community-level variation in plant functional traits and ecological strategies shapes habitat structure along succession gradients in alpine environment" trying to brainstorm on the most important aspects and topics and mainly trying to explain and show a study case in which Grimes CSR model (mainly used for species-level analysis) could also be used and integrated with Grime’s "Hump-back model" for a study at the community level and regional-scale.
Conferences
EADSVE International congress Congress — Colfiorito Jan 2020
- poster entitled "How different combinations of stress and disturbance affect the facilitation process" Ferrara A., Cifani F., Lucarelli M., Panico S., Berthelsen A. L., & Bricca A.
- poster entitled "Preliminary Analysis of the relationship between the Bryophyte community and the Forest Characteristics in Sub-Mediterranean beech woods" Postiglione N., Tardella F. M., Ferrara A., & Aleffi M.
CYBO - 1° Conferenza per giovani botanici — Genova Jan 2020
CYBO - 2° Conferenza per giovani botanici — Bolzano 9 Feb 2023 – 10 Feb 2023 Talk entitled "Elevation shapes understory temperate forest community: Interspecific vs intraspecific variability"
Ferrara A., Sabatini F. M., Alberti D., Bricca A., & Chiarucci A.
Challenging conservation adattarsi al cambiamento - Prima Conferenza di Biologia della Conservazione per ECR — Roma 19 Apr 2023 – 21 Apr 2023
Talk entitled "Temperate forest functional composition along elevation gradient: disentangling intra and inter- specific trait variability" Ferrara A., Sabatini F. M., Alberti D., Bricca A., & Chiarucci A.
Pubblications
Bricca, A., Tardella, F. M., Tolu, F., Goia, I., Ferrara, A., & Catorci, A. (2019). Disentangling the effects of disturbance from those of dominant tall grass features in driving the functional variation of restored grassland in a Sub-Mediterranean context. Diversity, 12(1), 11.
Bricca, A., Tardella, F. M., Ferrara, A., Panichella, T., & Catorci, A. (2021). Exploring Assembly Trajectories of Abandoned Grasslands in Response to 10 Years of Mowing in Sub-Mediterranean Context. Land, 10(11), 1158.
Ferrara, A., Biró, M., Malatesta, L., Molnár, Z., Mugnoz, S., Tardella, F. M., & Catorci, A. (2021). Land-use modifications and ecological implications over the past 160 years in the central Apennine mountains. Landscape Research, 46(7), 932-944.
Tardella, F.M., Bricca, A., Cutini, M., Ciaschetti, G., Frattaroli, A., Paura, B., Pirone, G., Postiglione, N., Scolastri, A., Panichella, T., Ferrara, A., & Catorci, A. (2022). How large-scale geographic factors affect the different dimensions of functional d iversity. Plant Ecology and Evolution, 155(1), 3-15.
Bricca, A., Di Musciano, M., Ferrara, A., Theurillat, J. P., & Cutini, M. (2022). Community assembly along climatic gradient: contrasting pattern between-and within-species. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 56, 125675.
Ferrara, A., & Bricca, A. (2023). Contrasting patterns along tall grass dominance in mowed mountain grasslands. Flora, 303, 152273.
Ricci, L., Farda, B., Ferrara, A., Cerasoli, F., De Simone, W., Frattaroli, A.R., Pirone, G. & Di Musciano, M. (2024). Short-term functional response to post-fire vegetation dynamic: A case study in a Mediterranean Pinus halepensis forest. Flora, 310, p.152415.
Puglielli, G., Bricca, A., Chelli, S., Petruzzellis, F., Acosta, A. T., Bacaro, G., ... & Tordoni, E. (2024). Intraspecific variability of leaf form and function across habitat t ypes. Ecology Letters, 27, e14396.
Ferrara, A., Bricca, A., Alberti, D., Sabatini, F.M., Chiarucci A. (2024). Elevation differentially shapes functional diversity patterns in understory forest communities when considering intraspecific and interspecific trait variability. Journal of Vegetation Science, 35(3), e13277.
Bologna,
16/08/2024
