Obiettivo Due to human activity, the fragmentation of terrestrial landscapes is becoming more and more serious, raising the question of the organisation of boundaries between ecosystems. At present, available information is not sufficient to predict the consequences of this process. For instance, the distribution and activity of many forest pests may change due to this fact and non-outbreak species may be affected too. Ecotonal research becomes more and more important in the light of the global environmental changes and of the tendency towards the artificial re-colonisation of former agricultural territories. The aims of this project are the: definition of the amplitude of ecotonal zones; evaluation of the impact of phytophagous insects on border trees in alpine and Siberian ecosystems; and application of new monitoring techniques for the main pests and improvement of them, based on the knowledge of border effect. The ecotone amplitude will be identified by the distribution pattern of epigeic insect communities, and the trophic activity of phytophagous insects will be evaluated by the registration of damaged ecological food units along the same transects. The project will especially deal with insect impact on the potential of natural tree regeneration in border zones. The novelty of the project is evident, bearing in mind the significance of ecotonal problematic all over the world. The following results are expected: the definition of the amplitude of ecotonal zones in northern forest ecosystems in order to enable the comparison of alpine and Siberian ecosystems; evaluation of the distribution and the impact of phytophagous insects on the trees situated at the forest border; the application in Siberia of several monitoring techniques used in the Alps for the main pests of conifers; and improvement of monitoring techniques based on the knowledge of the border effect. The importance of forest / grassland ecotones for the stability of forest ecosystems will be assessed based on the distribution and activity of phytophagous insects. The role of border trees for the regeneration of forest ecosystems will be assessed according to the hypothesis that these trees are characterised by higher seed productivity and lower damage by cone and seed pests. Programma(i) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Argomento(i) 58 - Environmental Monitoring and Modelling Invito a presentare proposte Data not available Meccanismo di finanziamento Data not available Coordinatore Università degli Studi di Padova Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo Via Gradenigo 6 35131 Padova Italia Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Partecipanti (3) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto Institut National de Recherche Agronomique Francia Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo 45160 Olivet Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Russian Academy of Sciences Russia Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo 683024 Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Russian Academy of Sciences - Siberian Branch Russia Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo 660036 Krasnoyarsk Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato
