My name is Francesco Niccoli, and I am a post-doc at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” (Italy). Thanks to the Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) grant provided by WATSON, I had the opportunity to spend a 10-day period at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, as part a research project focused on studying the effects of wild fire on a forest of Pinus sylvestris L. located in The Roaches Nature Reserve. During my visiting, under the supervision of Dr. Helen Catherine Glanville, Lecturer in Geography and Environmental Science, and with the assistance of her collaborators, we planned and conducted an intensive campaign of dendrochronological and soil sample collection. These samples will allow us to study the effects of a forest fire that occurred in 2018 on the growth, physiology, and water use of the trees, as well as to investigate the impacts of the fire on the chemical and physical properties of the forest soil. This experience has been a valuable opportunity for my professional growth, as it allowed me to work in an international context, facilitating the exchange of knowledge and the learning of new methodologies.
Francesco Niccoli is the recipient of a Short term scientific missions grant