Francesco Ferrini

PhD - Full Professor at the Department of Agri-Food and Environmental Sciences – University of Florence (Italy). Education Ph.D. Plant Propagation. 1992. University of Pisa M.S. Agricultural Science.1987. University of Florence, Italy Academic employment history 1992-1998: Research scientist at University of Florence (Italy) 1998-2005: Associate Professor at University of Milan (Italy) 2005-present: Full Professor at University of Florence (Italy) Chairman from 1st November 2007 to 31st October 2014 of the bachelor degree (undergraduate) in “Nursery Techniques and Green Areas Planting and Management” at the University of Florence Other commitments at University of Florence Member of the spinoff Carbonsink (www.carbonsink.it) Abroad experiences 1994 January-July - Visiting scientist at the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University – Ithaca New York with Prof. Nina Bassuk 1996 October-November Visiting scientist at the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University – Ithaca New York with Prof. Nina Bassuk (short-term fellowship from National Research Council of Italy) 1997 June-July - Visiting scientist at the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University – Ithaca New York with Prof. Nina Bassuk (short-term fellowship from National Research Council of Italy) 1998 June-July - Visiting scientist at the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University – Ithaca New York with Prof. Nina Bassuk (short-term fellowship from National Research Council of Italy) September 2013 and 2014 Instructor at the KAZNau University, Almaty – Kazakhstan of the Course Growing trees outside of Forest. 2014 Instructor and trainer at SLU University-Alnarp (Sweden) at the Training school “Contemporary Research in Urban Forestry”, from 12th to the 15th of June, 2014. Research Interests • Impact of plant selection and nursery production practices on root regeneration and tree growth • Physiological and growth aspects of different species as affected by different cultivation techniques after planting in the urban environment • Effect of water stress on growth performance of newly planted trees and selection of drought tolerant species • Sustainable urban of forestry (using compost to enhance organic matter content in the soil and to improve tree growth performance • Evaluation of morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters to study stress tolerance on urban tree species. Trials on drought, light and salt stress • Evaluation of the ability of shrub and tree species to mitigate the effect of pollution in the urban and periurban environment • Planning the green city in the global change era: urban tree functions and suitability for predicted future climates (TreeCity) • Secondary metabolism in Mediterranean evergreen species with high tolerance to osmotic stress: what’s the role for these plants as biofactories? Societies and working group Past-President of the Italian Society of Arboriculture (HYPERLINK "http://www.isaitalia.org/" SIA) - Italian Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture from February 2005 to February 2011. Member of the new ISA Board composed of 15 members from all over the world. November 2014-November 2015 Chair of IASHK (nternational Arboriculture Summit - Hong Kong) Board of Advisors Senior Director of the scientific magazine Advances in Horticultural Sciences Associate Editor of the Arboriculture & Urban Forestry journal Member of the Editorial Board of Urban Forest & Urban Greening Member of the Editorial Board of Italus Hortus Reviewer for other international and national scientific journals. Member of some COST ACTIONS Member of the Italian Horticultural Society since 1988 Member of the Accademia dei Georgofili since 2002 Member of the Scientific Committee of some Italian Journals. Member of Educational Goods and Services Committee of the International Society of Arboriculture from 2007 to 2011. Member of the Science and Research Committee of the International Society of Arboriculture from 2006 to 2011. Member of the Conference and Events Committee of the International Society of Arboriculture for the 2008. Chairman of Conference Program Committee of the International Society of Arboriculture from 2008 to 2011 From 1990 he has published more than 230 scientific and technical papers in Italian and in English in international referred and nationwide journals. He has given more than 100 talks in several international and national congresses. In 2009 he has been the recipient of the Fabio Rizzi Award for his constant commitment in the research and extension service in the field of Plant Nursery Science and of Urban Arboriculture and for his continuous activity with researchers and contractors all over the world. In 2010 he has been the recipient of L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural Research Recipient: The L.C. Chadwick award is granted to individuals to recognize research that has contributed valuable information to arboriculture.