Biology of Plant-Animal Interactions

In most angiosperms the production of new individuals depends on the presence and activity of pollinators since almost 90% of this group of plants are pollinated by animals. To fully understand the dynamics of plant communities it is necessary to consider the diversity of pollinators and the pollination networks linking plants and animals. Calcareous grasslands are recognized as habitat with high diversification of plant-pollinator networks, nonetheless they are understudied from this point of view. The research group's studies aim to discover how the diversity of floral rewards can influence pollinator relationships. In particular, the activities follow these main lines:

1. Pollination networks in Apennine calcareous grasslands 6210 (Habitat Directive)
2. Yeasts in nectar and their impact on pollination
3. Effect of soil diversity on floral rewards and pollinators
4. Floral traits, nectar and pollinators in the tribe Lithospermeae (Boraginaceae)
5. Effects of soil diversity on floral rewards and plant-pollinator interactions. In collaboration with the project “Bee-ing polluted: studying the microplastic effects on plant-pollinator interactions" (BeeSafe) – University of Florence – Department of Biology (Funded by The National Geographic Society).
6. Pollination and Citizen Science. In collaboration with Museum of Natural Hystory of Maremma, University of Florence, University of Pisa, Science Museum (MUSE, Trento), Human SDGs