At the beginning of February, Alessandro Chiarucci, Professor of Ecology at the University of Siena (Italy), joined the Unit as a Visiting Professor.

His work focuses on the study of biodiversity, particularly terrestrial plant communities. His research highlight the determinants of richness and composition of plant species at different spatial scales, community dynamics, and problems related to sampling species richness at different spatial scales. He focuses primarily on monitoring diversity in protected areas (especially network of Natura 2000 sites). He uses various methods including analysis of the data distribution, field experiments and modeling. He developed the technique of rarefaction curves spatial constraints, which can standardize measures of biodiversity (which are otherwise very dependent on sample size and density of vegetation) while correcting the bias induced by autocorrelation spatial samples.

During his stay in the unit, it will train researchers to conduct this technique and original work on the effects of natural and artificial fragmentation (woods in the North of France) on plant diversity and biological invasions.
This is especially an opportunity to revisit an old concept of conservation biology: the controversy SLOSS.
It will also give a seminar; dates and topics will be clarified soon.