People & Structure

The Ecosystem Thematic Centre is hosted by different institutions: University of Tuscia (UNITUS) and euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) in Viterbo – Italy, the University of Antwerp (Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, PLECO) in Belgium and the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) in Bordeaux, France. The ETC is also organized in different Units (see scheme here below) where ETC staff members from the different institutions are working together and strict and continuous coordination.

Although the ETC has been organized in order to maximize the interchangeability of the members in order to increase the robustness and share as much as possible the competences, the groups involved have different field of expertise and main responsibilities. In particular the Italian partners UNITUS and CMCC coordinate the ETC and the fluxes and meteorological data processing, the University of Antwerp is responsible for the ancillary data collection and treatment while the INRA Bordeaux will receive, analyze and store the soil and vegetation samples.

The ETC is organized in four main units with specific tasks:


ETC Executive Committee Unit

  • Communication and interaction with the ICOS ecosystem stations and other Central Facilities
  • Organization of the anual assessments of ETC operations
  • Planning of the medium and long term activities

Data Unit

  • Near real time data/metadata collection
  • Automatic data QAQC and processing
  • Data sharing, distribution and archiving
  • Development of tools for data exploration and validation
  • Alert service in case of data problems or incosistencies

Test Unit

  • Evaluation of new sensors and prototypes
  • New methods developments
  • Interactions with instrument manufacturers and research centers
  • Roving system management for sites validation and parallel measurements

Network Unit

  • Assistence to the ICOS ecosystem stations
  • Evaluation of the ICOS station performances
  • Training sessions for site managers and technicians
  • Soil and vegetation sample analysis and storage
  • Organisation of the Workgroups for protocol development

 

ETC Staff and Roles

ETC Coordination


Dario Papale
Dario Papale
ETC Executive Committee Unit
Director ETC
UNITUS and CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357044
[email protected]
Bert Gielen Bert Gielen
ETC Executive Committee Unit
PLECO (Belgium)
+32 3 265 23 63
[email protected] 
Photo Benja vignete Benjamin Loubet
ETC Executive Committee Unit
INRA (France)
+33 (0)1 30 81 55 33
[email protected]
 

Scientific Staff


Eleonora Canfora
Data Unit, Network Unit
CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357044
[email protected]
Maryam Maryam Ghebleh Goydaragh
Data Unit, Network Unit
INRA (France)
+33 (0)6 58 48 80 20
[email protected]
Sebastien Lafont
Data Unit, Network Unit
INRA (France)
[email protected]
 
Denis Loustau
Network Unit
INRA (France)
+33 (0)6 78 19 73 99
[email protected]
Fana
Fana Michilsens
Data Unit, Network Unit
PLECO (Belgium)
+32 3 265 90 73
[email protected]
giacomo Giacomo Nicolini
Network Unit, Test Unit
​CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357251
[email protected]
 
Maarten Op de Beeck
Maarten Op de Beeck
Data Unit, Network Unit
PLECO (Belgium)
+32 3 265 23 63
[email protected]
Simone
Simone Sabbatini
Test Unit
​CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357261
[email protected]
Carlo Trotta
Data Unit
​CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357044
[email protected]
 

Technical and Administrative Staff


Patricia Braconnier
Administration

INRA (France)
[email protected]
IMG_20210922_095753652_PORTRAIT (1) Emmy Jacobs
Information Technology
PLECO (Belgium)
+32 3 265 23 63
[email protected]
Thi Minh Tu Nguyen Thi Minh Tu Nguyen
Administration
PLECO (Belgium)
+32 3 265 23 63
[email protected]
 
Diego Polidori
Information Technology
CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357044
[email protected]
Alessio Ribeca
Information Technology
CMCC (Italy)
+39 0761 357044
[email protected]
 

Other people collaborating with the ETC


Dominique Arrouays
INRA (France)
Emanuele Cannarella
UNITUS (Italy)
Antoine Richard
INRA (France)
Nico Sanna
UNITUS (Italy)
Alessandra Settimi
CMCC (Italy)
Patrice Soulé
INRA (France)
Domenico Vitale
CMCC (Italy)
Renato Zompanti
UNITUS (Italy)