About us

Deepening our understanding of ecosystem responses to climate change is a fundamental step toward reducing uncertainty in projections of biodiversity change over the coming decades. Addressing biomass responses to climate change requires the development and integration of theoretical and modeling studies, laboratory experimentation, field observation and monitoring, and experimental manipulation in natural environments.

Recent technological advances, such as Virtual Research Environments (VREs), make it possible to complement laboratory, field monitoring and remote sensing by providing advanced tools for data management, curation, querying, analysis, and modeling, thereby enabling machine-to-machine communication.

The Biomass VRE is an open virtual research environment developed within the PNRR-ITINERIS project to provide advanced tools for the scientific community, environmental professionals, and governance authorities.  The Biomass VRE is an emerging e-Science tool that supports the management, analysis, and modeling of the rapidly growing volumes of biomass data generated by remote sensing, as well as their integration with laboratory and field-based data on the structural and functional characteristics of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. In this way, VREs support scientific research on issues of high relevance in environmental sciences and, at the same time, ensure within an Open Science framework the accessibility, harmonization, interoperability, and reuse of collected data in line with the FAIR principles. This approach enables faster scientific progress and greater efficiency in research funding.

The VRE will support research activities aimed at achieving international objectives and related targets of sustainable development (SDGs, Agenda 2030), including promoting actions at all levels to combat climate change (SDG 13); conserving and sustainably using oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development (SDG 14); protecting, restoring, and promoting the sustainable use of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (SDG 15); and strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development (SDG 17).