Assistant Professor
Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences
Via Valleggio 11,22100 Como, Italy
Tel:++ 39 031 326213
Fax: ++ 39 031 326230
E-mail: antonino.diiorio@uninsubria.it

Born in Isernia, Italy, on April 1969.

April 1995: Graduate degree in Natural Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza". Thesis project on the Floristic and Plant Community diversities in mixed forests with Ostrya carpinifolia in the Central Appennine - Italy.

November 1999 - October 2002: Grant for a three-year Research.

Doctorate in Agro-food Crops Protection, University of Molise, Campobasso.

March 2003: Final defense of PhD thesis.

January 2000 - February 2005: Permanent Position (Graduated Technician) in the School of Sciences in Isernia at the University of Molise, Department of Environment and Territory Technologies and Sciences.

March 2005 - : Permanent Position (Assistant Professor) in the School of Sciences in Como at the University of Insubria, Department of Chemical and Environmental Sciences.

Member of the Italian Botanical Society.

Research activity mainly focused on the following points:

1. Root system development in tree-, herb-, and shrub-species in dependence from the environmental factors. In environmental and applied Botany, a deeper understanding of plant anchorage address the use of vegetation to the slope stability improvement and the reduction of soil erosion. The long term aim is the understanding of how vegetation on steep slopes should be controlled to keep the root-soil interface to its maximum level of efficiency.
2. Dendroecology, stand dynamics, disturbances, wood anatomy, palaeoclimate, dendrochemistry and the use of stable isotopes in ecology.
3. The role played by the root systems morphology, architecture and ecophysiology in the vegetation dynamics.

1997/98
University of Molise, School of Crops
Lecturer in Systematic Botany

2000 - 2005
University of Molise, School of Sciences
Lab lecturer in:

• Systematic Botany
• Plant Morphologies and Physiology

2005 -
University of Insubria, School of Sciences
Lecturer in:

• Systematic Botany: 2005 - present
• Phytogeography: 2005 - present

1. Chiatante D., Di Iorio A., Maiuro L., Scippa G.S. (1999) - Effect of water stress on root meristems in woody and herbaceous plants during the first stage of development. Plant and soil, 217: 159-172.
2. Chiatante D., Maiuro L., Scippa G.S., Di Iorio A. (2001) - Effect of water stress upon root meristems of pea seedlings: the role of quantitative and qualitative changes in protein patterns. In: Recent Adavnces of Plant Root Structure and Function (eds. O.Gasparikova, M.Ciamparova, I.Mistrik and F. Baluska) pp: 151-158. Kluwer Academic Publisher, Netherlands
3. Chiatante D., Scippa G.S., Di Iorio A. & Sarnataro M. (2001) - The stability of trees growing on slope depends upon a particular conformational structure imposed by mechanical stress in their root system. In: Proceedings of the International Conference: Forest research: A challenge for an integrated European Approach (eds. K. Radoglou) - Thessaloniki Greece- pp: 477-482
4. Chiatante D., Di Iorio A., Sarnataro M., Scippa G.S. (2002) - Improving vigour assessment of pine (Pinus nigra Arn.) seedlings before their use in reforestation. Plant Biosystems, 136(2): 209-216
5. Chiatante D., Sarnataro M., Fusco S., Di Iorio A. & Scippa G.S. (2003) - Modification of root morphological parameters and root architecture in seedlings of Fraxinus ornus L. and Spartium junceum L. growing on slopes. Plant Biosystems, 137(1): 47-56
6. Chiatante D., Baraldi A., Di Iorio A., Sarnataro M & Scippa G.S. (2003) - Root response to mechanical stress in plants growing on slopes: an experimental system for morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis. In: Roots: the dynamic interface between plants and the earth (eds. J.J. Abe). Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences series Vol. 101. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands, pp. 427-438
7. Chiatante D., Scippa G.S., Di Iorio A. & Sarnataro M. (2003) - The influence of steep slopes on root system development. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 21: 247-260
8. Chiatante D., Di Iorio A., Scippa G.S., Schirone B. (2004) - Root architectural and morphological response of Pinus nigra Arn. and Quercus robur L. to nutrient supply and root density in the soil. Annali di Botanica (nuova serie), vol. IV pp. 159-171
9. Di Iorio A., Lasserre B., Scippa G.S. And Chiatante D. (2005). Root system architecture of Quercus pubescens Willd. trees growing on different-sloping conditions. Annals of Botany, 95: 351-361
10. Chiatante D., Di Iorio A. & Scippa G.S. (2005). Root responses of Quercus ilex L. seedlings to drought and fire. Plant Biosystems, 139(2): 198-208
11. Chiatante D., Di Iorio A., Sciandra S., Scippa G.S., Mazzoleni S. (2006) - Effect of drought and fire on the root development in Quercus pubescens Willd. and Fraxinus ornus L. seedlings. Experimental and Environmental Botany, 56: 190-197
12. Scippa G.S., Di Michele M., Di Iorio A., Costa A., Lasserre B. and Chiatante D. (2006). Root response to slope: anchorage and gene factors involved. Annals of Botany, 97: 857-866
13. Di Iorio A., Lasserre B., Scippa G.S. Chiatante D. (2006). Pattern of secondary thickening in turkey oak (Quercus cerris) root system. Tree Physiology. In press