MONDAY Oct. 23rd

16:00-18:00h

Opening Conference 

What are the drivers of plant translocation outcome? A global perspective

Key speaker: Thomas Abeli (University of Rome III) 

CV: Associate Professor at the Department of Science, Roma Tre University.
PhD in Experimental Ecology and Geobotany. University of Pavia.

My main research activity is on plant conservation and ecology. Research on conservation span from the application of the IUCN Categories and Criteria for the species conservation assessment to plant translocation and management, in particular of wetland species like Isoetes malinverniana, Leucojum aestivum and Marsilea quadrifolia. Further research in conservation include ex situ conservation practices (including the role of herbaria in plant de-extinction), habitat restoration, conservation of landraces and crop wild relatives. Moreover, I study the effect of climate change and connected processes on plant species and community in alpine areas (Alps, Apennines) and partially on arctic and sub-arctic areas.

TUESDAY Oct. 24th

08:30-09:30h

1st Plenary talk

Ex situ conservation of Mediterranean threatened and rare species

Key speaker: Costas A. Thanos. Professor Emeritus of Plant Physiology. Head of the NKUA Seed Bank.

CV: President of the Hellenic Botanical Society (2010-2016)
Associate Editor (2010) of Seed Science Research journal (Cambridge University Press)

Research interests: Plant Sciences, Plant Physiology and Ecophysiology; Seed Biology and Technology; Ecophysiology of Seed Germination and Seedling Establishment; Plant Photobiology – Phytochrome; Postfire Regeneration of Mediterranean Vegetation; Ex situ Plant Conservation and Seed Banks; In situ Conservation of Plants and Habitats; Climate Change Impacts on the Reproductive Physiology and Ecology of Plants; Theophrastus and the History of Plant Science

Publications / research presentations: 57 Articles in refereed journals; 63 Other publications (book chapters, articles in books of proceedings, etc); Editor/coeditor of 10 Books and Conference Proceedings; Editor/coeditor/author in 8 Student Textbooks; 261 Presentations (oral and poster) in scientific conferences; Participation in 104 international (73) and national (31) scientific conferences; Organizer/co-organizer of 12 scientific conferences; Invited (keynote) lecturer in 32 international (27) and national (5) scientific events; ca 4370 citations, h-index 35, i10-index 54 (Google Scholar);

Research projects:
Participation in more than 50 Research Projects; some examples:
• CRETAPLANT – A Pilot Network of Plant Micro-Reserves in Western Crete (2004-2007).
• ENSCONET – European Native Seed Conservation Network. (2004-2009).
• SEMCLIMED – Impact du Changement Climatique sur la Flore Méditerranéenne et Actions de Conservation (2006-2008).
• Climate change impacts on local endemic plants of the National Forest Park of Troodos, Cyprus (2009-2011).
• JUNICOAST – Actions for the conservation of coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. in Crete and the South Aegean (2009-2012).
• PLANT-NET CY – Establishment of a Plant Micro-Reserve Network in Cyprus for the Conservation of Priority Species and Habitats. (2010-2013).
• JuniDrone – Innovative usage of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in forest ecosystem management in Greece – A pilot study on Syrian Juniper (Juniperus drupacea Labill.) (2020-2022).
• Conserving the Flora of the Balkans: Native Plants of Greece. Millennium Seed Bank, RBG Kew, UK (2022-2025) http://users.uoa.gr/~cthanos/NKUASB_SeedConservationoftheFloraofGreece/

WEDNESDAY Oct. 25th

08:30-09:30h

2nd Plenary talk

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems

Key speaker: Marcos Valderrábano (UICN)

CV: Mr. Marcos Valderrabano, works at the Biodiversity Assessment and Knowledge team of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), coordinating the Red List of Ecosystems Programme. As a young graduate, Marcos started his career implementing concrete projects on the ground in different parts of the word including Peru, Egypt and Lebanon, before joining IUCN in 2010. During the next 10 years Marcos was leading conservation initiatives around the Mediterranean region, until he moved to IUCN central offices in 2020.

FRIDAY Oct. 27th

08:30-09:30h

3rd Plenary talk

Environmental education and citizen science projects for plant conservation: are we effective in communicating?

Key speaker: Francesca Meloni, Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity, University of Cagliari (Italy)

CV: She has an extensive experience in planning and management of projects aimed at the conservation of biodiversity in the Mediterranean area, with a special focus on communication, education and public awareness activities. This knowledge, matured both in the private and public sector (University of Cagliari), has contributed to her professional development, equally in the international projects management and communication areas of competence.

She acquired a broad vision on these issues, by combining scientific background (Degree in Natural Sciences and PhD in Environmental and Applied Botany) with strong interest in cooperation projects (Master in European Project Planning and Management) and great expertise (25 years) in design and management of environmental education and communication services and tools.

TUESDAY Oct. 24th

12:00h-14:00h

2nd Thematic session: Germplasm conservation for future and current uses

Chair: Marco Porceddu (University of Cagliari)

CV: Marco Porceddu (Serramanna, 1983), bachelor’s and master’s degree in Natural Science (2007, 2010) and PhD (2014) in Environmental and Applied Botany, University of Cagliari (Italy). From 2014 till 2018 he worked as a research fellow at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences and currently he is the Curator of the Sardinian Germplasm Bank (BG-SAR) of the University of Cagliari. His research are mainly focused on seed dormancy and germination, ex situ conservation and seed banking, in particular on Mediterranean species and threatened endemic plants of Sardinia. As a result of his research, he has published over 50 works in international/national scientific journals and book chapters. Marco collaborates with the Network of Mediterranean Plant Conservation Centres – GENMEDA-, and the Italian network of seed banks – RIBES. He serves as a peer reviewer for several international journals on the field of ecophysiology of seed germination and ex situ conservation. He is a member of the Editorial boards of Plants, Seeds and Odissea Seminum, Review Editor for Frontiers in Conservation Science, Advisory Board member of Sci and member of the EC Agriculture Editorial Panel. He participates in different national and international projects linked to the plant conservation as the “LIFE SEEDFORCE: Using SEED banks to restore and reinFORCE the endangered native plants of Italy”. He also collaborated in several projects as ECOPLANTMED “ECOlogical use of native PLANTs for environmental restoration and sustainable development in the MEDiterranean region”, HEI PLADI by ERASMUS PLUS KA2 “Higher Education Innovation in Plant Diversity: flexible learning paths for emerging labour market”, and CARE-MEDIFLORA “Conservation Actions for Threatened Mediterranean Island Flora: ex situ and in situ joint actions”.

Main topics: How to conserve ex situ and use germplasm and living plants for conservation purposes

Keywords: Ex situ conservation, germplasm and forest seed banks, seeds and spores germination, living collections in botanical gardens

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

TUESDAY Oct. 24th

16:00h-18:00h

3 Thematic session:  In situ and integrated conservation

Chair: Joan Pérez Botella (Wildlife and Natura 2000 Service, Generalitat Valenciana)

CV: Since 1999, I have been providing technical assistance in flora management to the Conselleria de Agricultura, Desarrollo Rural, Emergencia Climática y Transición Ecológica.

The work that I carry out focuses on the evaluation of the state of conservation of the plant micro-reserves network; census and monitoring of natural populations of protected species and those from reintroduction work, design and supervision of conservation actions for threatened flora species, management of populations of invasive alien species, maintenance of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) with georeferenced information obtained in the field, as well as technical support for various issues raised by the competent public administration in environmental matters.

I have also participated in various projects such as those financed by LIFE funds “Program for the creation of the Botanical Microreserves network of the Valencian Community”, “Conservation of priority habitats in the Valencian Community” and “Management and enhancement of three habitats of high mountains”, by different ministries “Classification, cartography and evaluation of Spanish pastures”, “Biscutella L. (Brassicaceae) in the western Mediterranean: taxonomy, systematics and phylogeography”, “Spatial genetic diversity and gene flow in Tamarix: approximation ecological and molecular to the system of reproduction, dispersion and colonization in the N.P. Tablas de Daimiel” or by the Universitat d’Alacant “Botany and plant conservation”.

Since the 2009-10 academic year I have been hired as an Associate Professor at the Universitat d’Alacant, where I teached laboratory and field practices in various subjects (Economic Botany, Malherbology, etc.). Currently I teach practices of the subjects of the second year of the Degree in Biology, “Botany” and “Plant Biodiversity”, occasionally collaborating in research projects of the “Botany and Plant Conservation” Research Group.

I have published various scientific articles, mainly related to the management of endangered flora and invasive alien species, as well as I have attended different scientific conferences related to the same subjects.

Main topics: Integrated planning (recovery plans) and in situ management of conservation key species and their habitats

Keywords: Recovery plans, conservation translocations, re-introductions, integrated conservation strategies, bottom-up conservation projects, citizen science

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 3 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

TUESDAY Oct. 24th

18:30h-20:00h

Additional thematic session: Alien and invasive species

Chair: Anna Nebot. Technician of the project: “FLORA (AUTONOMOUS AND EXOTIC INVASIVE SPECIES): IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE OF CONSERVATION STATUS” TRAGSATEC

CV: PhD in applied Botany. From the beginning of her professional career, she has worked on biodiversity conservation, mostly on endemic flora of the Mediterranean. She has also conducted international research on Cycads. After various stays in labs in Italy, England, and Thailand, in recent years she has been working at the Botanical Garden of València. Currently she is working on a Spanish national project entitled “Flora (native and invasive alien species): improving knowledge of the conservation status”.

Main topics: Alien and invasive species

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Management of invasive Carpobrotus spp. in Mediterranean island ecosystems: experiences from projects RESTO CON LIFE and LIFE LETSGO GIGLIO. Speaker: Lorenzo Lazzaro.
• A multi-taxa approach to assess the impacts of the alien Carpobrotus spp. on natural communities in a small Mediterranean island. Speaker: Michele Mugnai.
• Modeling invasion risk maps for alien plants: application in Mediterranean Sea cliffs with endemic species. Speaker: Arnau Bosch.
• Monitoring the effects of the conservation efforts on impacted habitat through the control of feral ungulates on three islands of the Tuscan Archipelago: Montecristo, Giglio and Capraia islands. Speaker: Eugenia Siccardi.
• Vademecum: A general guide to IAPs eradication and habitat restoration in N2K sites – the Malta experience. Speaker: Joseph Buhagiar.

POSTERS

• Assessment of the impacts of Opuntia stricta on vegetation and invertebrates in a small Mediterranean island.
• Changes in the distribution and dissemination of exotic plant species in the main habitats in Majorca island (Balearic Islands).
• Ecological and morphometric study of the genus Carpobrotus in the Western Mediterranean Basin.
• How a LIFE project can improve the floristic knowledge: new distribution data on the alien flora of the Costa Brava (NE Spain).
• Invasive alien plants in wetlands: the importance of collaborations for implementing common strategies.
• The role of ecophysiological studies on invasive plants’ tolerance to abiotic stress.
• Understanding Carpobrotus sp.pl. (L.) N.E. Br. Invasions: Stress Tolerance and Genetic Diversity Insights

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for the additional session on alien and invasive plants in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

WEDNESDAY Oct. 25th

09:30h-12:00h

4 Thematic session: Ecological restoration of Mediterranean habitats

Chair: Jordi Cortina (University of Alicante and SER Europe Chapter)

CV: Jordi Cortina-Segarra (Barcelona, 1963) is full professor at the University of
Alicante (Spain) and Chair of the European Chapter of the Society for
Ecological Restoration (SER Europe). Biologist (Univ. Barcelona, 1986), and
Ph.D. in Biology (Univ. Barcelona, 1992). Post-doctoral studies at Colorado
State Univ. (1992). His research focuses on dryland ecology, including
degradation processes and restoration. His current focus is on participatory
systematic restoration planning. He has authored 197 papers, including 83 in
SCI journals, and currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in
modelling and restoration ecology. He has supervised 13 Ph.D. thesis and 16
M.Sc. thesis.

Main topics: How to select and restore natural and semi-natural habitats using ecological techniques

Keywords: Restoration techniques, bioengineering, phyto-remediation tools, native seeds supply, habitat restoration programmes, landscape restoration, Red List of Ecosystems and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs)

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Habitat restoration in the Valencian Community. Speaker: Víctor Deltoro.
• Using a multidisciplinary approach for phytoremediation of abandoned mine site: the case study of Sardinia. Speaker: Maria Enrica Boi.
• Coastal ecosystems restoration in the Southeast of Spain. Speaker: Ángel Sallent.
• Drone-based assessment of hydrological microsite-scale processess conditioning post-mining restoration success. Speaker: Luna Morcillo.
• Seed banking for landscape mitigation and biodiversity recovery in landfill sites. Speaker: Cristina Maria Salmeri.
• The importance of permanent plots within conservation areas to monitor biodiversity changes: the Bioclima network initiative. Speaker: Francesco de Bello.
• Zero-emission water-distribution networks to assist the ecological recovery of Mediterranean forest ecosystems impacted by extreme weather events. Speaker: Vito Emanuele Cambria.

POSTERS

• A dry grassland restoration project on the Euganean Hills: an in situ and ex situ integrated approach to Natura 2000 habitat type 6210* conservation.
• Application of different strategies for the eradication of Cardiospermum grandiflorum from an N2K disturbed valley site in Malta.
• Are urban rivers areas of interest for the conservation of riparian flora? The case of the River Manzanares in the city of Madrid.
• Ecological and spatial characterisation of “Mediterranean temporary ponds” (habitat 3170*) in the Lazio Region to support ecological restoration, conservation, and management practices.
• Effects of extreme abiotic stresses on coast wetland grasses from La Albufera Natural Park (Valencia).
• Environmental restoration and enhancement using plants suitable for the remediation of polluted mine sites.
• From an irrigated crop to a riparian forest: water footprint reduction and habitats restoration.
• Land stewardship as a tool for forest management and plant conservation in Mediterranean environments. The case of Finca Buixcarró in the Valencian Community (Spain).
• LIFE TECMINE: Innovative techniques for mine restoration in Mediterranean habitats.
• Long-term assessment of ecological restoration activities in desertification prone Mediterranean areas: a study case from Sicily
• NewLife4Drylands – Remote sensing oriented Nature-Based Solutions towards a new life for drylands: Restoration Plan for Asterousia Mountains’ area.
• Plant diversity and conservation of temporary ponds in southern Italy and Malta: a priority habitat in decline?Plant diversity in Mediterranean olive groves.
• Restoration strategy and techniques for recovering degraded landscapes after mining activity under Mediterranean conditions.
• Restoring Mediterranean Wetlands. The new policymaker’s playbook for sustainable management and ecosystem restoration by 2030.
• Roman forest: a project for the ecological restoration of peri-urban and historic areas.
• The use of native succulent Chenopodiaceae (Amaranthaceae sensu APG) to treat marine aquaculture wastewater in the Mediterranean area.
• Trend in the last 20 years of the pastoral value in two high altitude herbaceous habitats in the Maiella National Park.
• Vegetation reinforcement in a new and anthropised park: the case of Inwadar National Park, Malta.

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 4 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

WEDNESDAY Oct. 25th

12:00h-14:00h

5 Thematic session: Conservation of relict and mature forests

Chair: Daniel Arizpe Ochoa. Technician of the Centre for Forestry Research and Experimentation – CIEF, Generalitat Valenciana

CV: Graduated as Agricultural Engineer at the Technical University of Munich. He has been working at the Centro para la Investigación y la Experimentación Forestal (CIEF) in Valencia since 2004 on issues related to habitat restoration and flora conservation. He has been coordinator of forest habitat restoration projects financed with funds from the LIFE program in which a forest management perspective for the naturalization of forest stands and species diversification is emphasized. Other fields of action are related to germplasm management in seed banks and nursery plant production for ecological restoration projects. He is also a member of the board of the Spanish Bioengineering Association where he participates in training projects and dissemination of bioengineering techniques for soil conservation and restoration of degraded areas.

Main topic: How to manage and restore relict vegetation and mature forest stands under Mediterranean conditions

Keywords: Forest restoration, old forests, monumental trees, projects on forest conservation and management

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Conservation of relict and mature forests: towards an integrative approach that takes genetic diversity into account. Speaker: Caroline Scotti-Saintagne.
• Lanbioeva methodology as a tool for the conservation, management and planning of vegetation landscapes. The example of Quercus petraea forests in the North of the Iberian peninsula. Speaker: Miguel Guara.
• Permanent plots network in Aragón to study natural dynamics in mediterranean forests. Speaker: Oscar Schwendtner.
• Effectiveness of protected areas on Italian forest in the Mediterranean biogeographical region. Speaker: Michele di Musciano.
• LIFE Teixeres project summarizes 30 years of Taxus baccata conservation in Valencia: the importance of the seeds. Speaker: Daniel Arizpe.
• Findings on Remote Sensing of Forest and Tree Health in Southeastern Europe II. Speaker: Kuenda Laze.
• Collaborative endeavors across the Mediterranean basin to conserve ecosystems. Speaker: Joelle Salameh.

POSTERS

• Changes in the flora and vegetation of the protected area “La Murta y la Casella” over a period of 72 years.
• Conservation of forest resources: Clonal propagation and cryopreservation of cork oaks tolerant to Phytophtora cinnamomi.
• Field conservation of traditional Valencian horticultural varieties.
• Innovative practices to improve the evolution of Pinus pinaster habitats from reforestations towards mature forests.
• Protection and conservation of monumental and singular trees of the Valencian Community (Spain).
• Reforestation monitoring in Palo Laziale Forest: functional assessment of three Mediterranean tree species in field and drought conditions.
• Sporadic tree species as a key element for the restoration of Mediterranean forests.

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 5 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

WEDNESDAY Oct. 25th

16:00h-18:00h

6 Thematic session: Experiences of cryptogams conservation in the Mediterranean

Chair: Sara Magrini (University of Tuscia and RIBES)

CV: Sara Magrini is a researcher at the Tuscia University, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences Viterbo (Italy). Currently, she is the president of RIBES, the Italian network of seed banks, and a member of the Steering Committee of GENMEDA, the Network of Mediterranean Plant Conservation Centres. Since 2006, she has been working at the Tuscia Germplasm Bank.
She is a plant ecologist working in Mediterranean plant conservation and an expert on in vitro reproduction, mainly focusing on terrestrial orchids and ferns. Research interests span the field of plant conservation (seed-banking, reintroductions, red listing), population ecology (fitness, demography, dynamics), seed/spore ecology (longevity, drought resistance, thermal preferences/thresholds for germination, orchid asymbiotic germination, evaluation of seed quality, storage behaviour, in vitro propagation), and best practices in translocations of threatened plants, with a focus on Italian terrestrial orchids and ferns. Main activities in these core areas include investigations on the germination ability, the definition of new specific methods for histochemical seed viability testing, research on long-term seed storage behaviour and seed ageing, and the assessment of the effect of climate changes on the fitness analysing plant/fruit/seed functional traits in native populations. She has been currently researching the storage behaviour of terrestrial orchid seeds through thermal analysis with differential scanning calorimetry, in collaboration with the Millennium Seed Bank (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), within the project “Comparative analysis of terrestrial orchid seeds to inform ex-situ conservation in Europe” funded by the American Orchid Society, and the allelopathic properties of Carpobrotus species in coastal areas, within the project RIVALSA funded by Regione Lazio.
She is a member of the IUCN/SSC Seed Conservation Specialist Group, the Orchid Specialist Group, and the Freshwater Plant Specialist Group. She is co-editor of “Mediterranean Plant germination reports”, an annual column published in the international journal Flora Mediterranea.
She is the deputy coordinator of the LIFE 20/NAT project SEEDFORCE “Using SEED banks to restore and reinFORCE the endangered native plants of Italy” aimed at the conservation of 29 Habitats Directive species.

Main topic: How to conserve Mediterranean cryptogams ex situ and in situ

Keywords: Spores banks, bryophytes, lichens, fungi, algae, role of mycorrhiza and rhizobia, marine plants and habitats

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Ex situ conservation of pteridophytes and bryophytes through spores. Speaker: Daniel Ballesteros.
• Ancient, endangered, overlooked, and uncharismatic: Risk assessment and conservation strategy for two Levantine quillworts. Speaker: Mohammad S. Al-Zein.
• Comparative longevity of Bryophyte spores: influence of storage conditions, spore maturity stage, and plant ecology. Speaker: Aleksandra Ruzic.
• Conservation insights from the endangered Mediterranean lichen Seirophora villosa (Ach.) Frödén. Speaker: Bianchi Elisabetta.
• Desiccation tolerance, longevity and storage at sub-zero temperatures of uni- and multicellular spores of the moss family Orthotrichaceae (Bryophyta). Speaker: Carlos Eced.
• Forest management and conservation of the threatened lichen Lobaria pulmonaria in Mediterranean forests. Speaker: Luca Paoli.
• Rare or common? Developing protection schemes for bisexual-parthenogenetic species. Speaker: Adriana Arnal.

POSTERS

• Lichen conservation in the Plant Microreserve Network of the Valencian Community (E of Spain).
• Program for the conservation of threatened ferns of caves of the Valencian Community.

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 6 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

FRIDAY Oct. 27th

09:30h-12:00h

7 Thematic session: International networks for the conservation

Chair: Mauro Fois. PhD in Applied Botany at the University of Cagliari (Italy)

CV: Mauro Fois is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari. He holds a master’s degree and a PhD from the same University, although he spent part of his academic training in Ireland and Spain. His early research focused on mapping habitats and plant species, then developed studies on species distribution patterns, ecological characterisation and threats. His research now focuses on monitoring and species distribution and interaction, with particular emphasis on alien, endemic and endangered flora. Main studies are localised in Sardinia, but also collaborated with other researchers from Egypt, Croatia, France, Tunisia, among others. He is coordinator for Sardinia of MedIsWet, a Mediterranean project on the inventory and monitoring of island wetlands, and referent for other regional and international projects on plant monitoring and conservation. He is a member of the editorial board of Ecological Processes, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution and Global Journal of Environmental Science and Management.

Main topic: How to join efforts around the Mediterranean region for plant and habitat conservation

Keywords: Mediterranean networks, international projects and programmes, multi-national NGOs, international funds for plant conservation

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Integrating data repositories with multi-disciplinary analyses to address practical conservation questions using updated science: examples from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean. Speaker: Juli Caujapé.
• GENMEDA network: results and future challenges for the conservation of the Mediterranean flora. Speaker: Panagiota Gostsiou.
• Establishment of the Database on Conservation actions on threatened plant species and institutions dealing with plant conservation in Europe: challenges and opportunities. Speaker: Maja Lazarević.
• Towards a Mediterranean Wetland Plant Red List Index – Call for collaboration by Mediterranean botanists. Speaker: Antoine Gazaix.
• The Mediterranean Alliance for Wetlands: the voice of wetlands in the Mediterranean. Speaker: Teresa Gil.
• Driving forward the Mediterranean network on the interpretation, conservation and management of temporary ponds (habitat 3170). Speaker: Vito Emanuele Cambria.
• An international network for the protection of sexual and parthenogenetic populations of streptophytic green macroalgae (Chara canescens). Speaker: Maria A. Rodrigo.

POSTERS

• Conservation strategy for flora in the French Mediterranean region.
• Green Light: A system to promote wetland restoration activities in the Mediterranean.
• Strengths, limitations and opportunities of iNaturalist in plant research.
• The Conservation of Mediterranean flora in times of global changes. Twin missions of the National Botanical Conservatory of Porquerolles and the Hamma Garden of Algiers. An ongoing cooperation.
• Theoretical and practical problems in defining habitat, ecosystem and related terms: the case of temporary saltmarshes.
• Valencian Plant Micro-reserves network, a valuable tool for the conservation of Valencian flora.
• Wide-ranged, highly disjunct, locally rare and severely endangered: the challenging risk assessment and the global conservation strategy of Erica sicula Guss. sensu lato (Ericaceae).

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 7 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.

FRIDAY Oct. 27th

12:00h-14:00h

8 Thematic session: Education and communication for plant conservation and ethnobotany

Chair: Olga Mayoral (Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia)

CV: Degree (1998) and PhD. (2011) in Biology by the University of Valencia (Spain). She is the deputy director of the Botanical Garden-University of Valencia, as well as Professor in the Department of Didactics of Experimental and Social Sciences in the Faculty of Teacher Training. With more than 15 years of experience as university teacher, she has carried out research and teaching visits at prestigious universities such as Harvard University and Göttingen University. She is the coordinator of the Biology and Geology specialization of the Master’s Degree in Secondary Education Teacher Training (UVEG) and co-chair of the RCC-Harvard University study group “Teaching and Learning Science in Outdoor Environments (TeLeSOE)”. She is a member of the Research group in “Scientific Education and Science Teacher Learning” of the same Department (UVEG). Olga has participated in numerous international conferences and published books, chapters and articles in journals indexed in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) or the Latindex Catalogue, both on botany and in didactics of science. She is involved in research projects of the Ministry of Science and Innovation, related to the inclusion of sustainability in teacher training and is the coordinator of the Young Innovators project (EIT-Climate KIC) at the University of Valencia. Her research focuses on one side on plant and biology conservation and on the other on outdoor education, Environmental Health Education, pseudoscientific issues, science literacy and critical thinking. She also participates in the project Fostering Outreach within European Regions, Transnational Higher Education and Mobility (FORTHEM). Since 2019 she is associate editor of the journal “Didáctica de las Ciencias Experimentales y Sociales” and Guest Editor of Special Issue “Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Education in Teacher Training in Time of Pandemic” of the journal “Sustainability”. Since 2022 she is the Director of the Chair in Scientific Culture for Climate Emergency (CCC Chair), devoted to promoting the development of citizenship competences in relation to the current climate crisis in the context of the 2030 Agenda.

Main topic: Involving people in plant knowledge and conservation

Keywords: Environmental education, knowledge spreading, citizen science, conservation training, ethnobotany and education, habitat and land stewardship, synergies with other conservation matters and journalism.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• Plant Conservation: who cares? Speaker: Eva Pastor.
• A network of volunteers and observers for LIFE medCLIFFS: an efficient tool for the detection of invasive plants in the Costa Brava. Speaker: Neus Nualart.
• A new look at the book ‘The secret life of plants’ (C. Bird & P. Tompkins). Speaker: Doina Bird.
• Batloun Native Botanical Garden – Chouf, Lebanon. Speakers: Paul Saad & Hicham El Zein.
• Can citizen science help plant conservation? Strategies and tips from LIFE 4 Pollinators and Conserve Plants projects. Speaker: Marta Galloni.
• Contribution of Mediterranean Ecosystem Conservation Center education activities on Mediterranean Flora Conservation in Portugal. Speaker: Rosa Coelho.
• How can Mediterranean plants help understanding Climate Change? A teaching proposal for the Botanical Garden of the University of Valencia. Speaker: Raquel Rivas
• ICT and elderly in the TURNTABLE project: educational and recreational activities of social agriculture and gardening for plant conservation. Speaker: Marco Sarigu.
• Masters of survival: Why are climate relict plants so important? Speaker: Salvatore Pasta.
• On Farm Plants Genetic Conservation and Sustainable Pastoralism in Georgia. Speaker: Kakha Nadiradze.
• ‘Projecte Posidònia’ a scientific, educational and social approach to the preservation of Posidonia oceanica meadows in Marina Alta region (Alicante, Spain). Speaker: Jaime Penadés.
• The relevance of citizen participation in decision-making processes related to environmental preservation. Speaker: María Seguí.
• Towards a new participative approach to the conservation of Mediterranean Wild Edible Plants. Speaker: Benedetta Gori.

POSTERS

• A botanical garden and a wide variety of publics, a commitment to the public and the promotion of scientific vocations. The case of school audiences.
• About the flora and conservation interest of Les Moles (Paterna, Valencia).
• Ancient roses in the province of Albacete (Spain): A biocultural heritage to be gathered through citizen science.
• Biodiversity 2030-2050: An art project to empower society in plant conservation.
• Ecological restoration in Eastern Spain: A baseline on the needs of knowledge for future and current practitioners.
• Environmental education for the conservation of Valencian flora and ecosystems at CEACV.
• Importance of primary education and environmental awareness-raising for plant conservation in the Valencian Community (Spain).
• Making cities of the future more sustainable through the awareness of policymakers and citizens about the importance of the use of native flora in the urban environment.
• Medicinal plants to treat sleep disorders in Valencian Community.
• Plant germplasm banks as teaching resources to address plant-blindness of secondary school pupils.
• Pollinator-friendly students, schools and gardens: a new hope for urban pollinatorsPosidonia oceanica as a teaching resource to raise awareness among students of two different educational levels.
• The commitment of the Italian Alpine Club for the protection of the native flora: the example of the Handbook n. 33 “Endemic flora of the Italian Mountains”, a national summary.

Find all oral presentation and poster abstracts for session 8 in the 4MPCW book of abstracts.