Research Unit Leaders
Maria Vincenza Chiriacò and Valentina Mereu 

The “Carbon Neutrality in the Land Sector and Sustainable Agricultural Production” Research Unit assess the impact of land use on the carbon cycle to enhance climate resilience and carbon neutrality while sustaining ecosystem services. It includes GHG accounting in the AFOLU sector, land suitability assessments, and remote sensing to understand climate change impacts on agriculture. Assessment of sustainable practices (e.g., regenerative agriculture, precision farming) and emerging technologies (AI, monitoring) to support policies, incentives, and certification for soil health, biodiversity, and carbon farming. Improving the assessment of land use and climate change impacts and risks on crop productivity and food security at local and regional level.

Research Unit Leaders
Manuela Balzarolo, Costantino Sirca and Dario Papale

The “Monitoring and Modelling Land-Ecosystem Processes and Responses to Human and Climate-Induced Stresses” Research Unit examines responses to droughts, fires, and climate extremes, and impacts on carbon and biogeochemical cycles. Earth Observation application to model ecosystem dynamics, improve wildfire prediction, and assess fire management trade-offs for climate adaptation. Wildfire impact analysis on biodiversity, testing automated approaches in simulators, and GHG monitoring. In this unit is included the coordination of the ICOS Ecosystem Thematic Centre, developing methodologies for ecosystem monitoring and calibration-validation using European observation networks.

Research Unit Leaders
Antonio Trabucco, Marta Debolini and Simone Mereu

The “Nexus Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems and Associated Landscape Processes and Dynamics” Research Unit assess the SDG achievements, considering multi-sector dynamics like food security, land use, and degradation. Digital tools support water resource management and policy. Evaluation of agrosystems’ ecosystem services, climate adaptation, and alternative cropping methods. Spatial analysis and remote sensing map agricultural landscapes, assess crop suitability, and model forest community dynamics under changing conditions, enhancing understanding of ecosystem responses to environmental and human pressures.  

Research Unit Leaders
Serena Marras and Matteo Funaro

The Science-Policy Interface and Applied Sociology Research Unit is transversal to the other research units and develops the sectoral integration among adaptation, mitigation, and sustainable development. Developing qualitative and quantitative sociological and participatory approach methods, transferable and flexible across diverse contexts and scales, to identify and prioritize adaptation objectives and options, in particular related to agro and forest ecosystems, and to evaluate the coherence between adaptation and sustainable development policies. Stakeholder engagement and support for strategical planning in terms of climate adaptation.