Pier Luigi Nimis
KeynoteTopic : Interactive identification keys: progress and problems
Position: Professor of Systematic Botany at the Department of Life Sciences of the University of
Trieste
Email : nimis@units.it
Academic career:

1977 graduated with honors in Natural Sciences at the University of Trieste

1978 a researcher at the Botanical Institute of the University of Trieste.

1986 Full Professor of Systematic Botany at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Trieste.

1988 to 1990 Chairman of the School of Biological Sciences, University of Trieste.

1996 to 2003 Director of the Department of Biology, University of Trieste.

2009-2011 Dean of the PhD-School of Biomonitoring, University of Trieste
Experience
The scientific interests of Prof. Nimis are centered on four main fields:
1) Ecology - Bioindication and radioecology using lichens and bryophytes as bioindicators
and bioaccumulators.
2) Quantitative biogeography – multivariate analysis of plant distribution ranges in different
parts of the world (Alaska-Yukon, Ontario, Siberia, Europe, Argentina).
3) Lichenology - from floristics and taxonomy to vegetational and applied studies. Prof. Nimis
is presently writing a lichen flora of Italy.
4) Biodiversity Informatics, with emphasis on automatic generation of identification tools.
Activities
Prof. Nimis is member of the Editorial Boards of several international Journals . He is the
coordinator of National and European Research Projects since 1991 and responsible for
Lichenology within the Italian Antarctic Survey. He was Co-ordinator of the European Project
KeyToNature from 2007 to 2010.
Prof. Nimis was President of the Italian Lichen Society (1987-1993), Secretary of the Lichen
Commission of O.P.T.I.M.A. (1993-2003), Member of the Executive Council of the
International Association for Lichenology (IAL) and of the International Mycological
Association, Editor-in-chief of the International Lichenological Newsletter (1997-2000),
President of the International Association of Lichenology (2000-2004), and Member of the
International Committee for Botanical Nomenclature
Prof. Nimis was awarded with the small golden Panda of W.W.F. for his biomonitoring
studies with lichens, with the O.P.T.I.M.A. medal (1995) for the best study on the
Mediterranean flora published in 1993 (his monograph on the Lichens of Italy), and with the
International Ferrari-Soave Prize for Biology from the Academy of Sciences of Turin (2009).
Publications
Prof. Nimis has published about 250 papers covering quantitative phytogeography, pure and applied
Lichenology, radioecology and Biodiversity Informatics.
Selected papers :
Nimis P.L. (1997). Die Frühlingsblüte im Buchenwald in Beziehung zur Hummelbestäubung. - In: R.
Tüxen (ed.): Vegetation und Fauna. Cramer, Vaduz. pp. 209-217.
Nimis P.L.(1981). Epigaeous lichen synusiae in the Yukon Territory. - Cryptogamie, Bryologie
Lichenolologie, 2, 2: 127-151.
Nimis P.L.(1981). The thorny cushions vegetation in Mediterranean Italy. Phytogeographical
Problems. - Anales Jardin Botanico de Madrid, 37, 2: 339-351.
Nimis P.L., Feoli E., Pignatti S. (1984). The Network of Databanks for the Italian Flora and
Vegetation. - In: Allkin R., F.A. Bisby (eds.) Databases in Systematics. Academic Press. London
and Orlando pp. 113-124.
Lausi D., Nimis P.L. (1985). Roadside vegetation in boreal South Yukon and adjacent Alaska. Phytocoenologia, 13,1: 103-138.
Nimis P.L.(1985). Phytogeography and Ecology of epiphytic lichens at the southern Rim of the Clay
Belt (N Ontario, Canada). - The Bryologist, 88, 4: 315-324.
Nimis P.L.(1985). Structure and floristic composition of a high-arctic tundra: Ny Alesund (Svalbard
Archipelago). - Inter Nord, 17: 47-58.
Lausi D., Nimis P.L.(1985). Quantitative phytogeography of the Yukon Territory (NW Canada) on a
chorological phytosociological basis. - Vegetatio, 59: 9-20.
Nimis P.L., Poelt J (1987). The lichens and Lichenicolous Fungi of Sardinia (Italy). - Studia
Geobotanica, 7, suppl. 1. 269 pp.
Nimis P.L.(1989). Phytogeographical analysis of a treeline community in northern Yukon (NW
Canada). - Vegetatio, 81: 209-215.
Nimis P.L. (1991). Developments in lichen community studies. - Lichenologist, 23, 3: 215-225.
Lausi D., Nimis P.L. (1991). Ecological Phytogeography of the southern Yukon Territory (Canada) - In:
Nimis P.L., T.J. Crovello (eds.): Quantitative Approaches to Phytogeography. Kluwer. Dordrecht,
Boston, London. pp. 35-121.
Nimis P.L., Crovello T. (eds.) (1991). Quantitative Approaches to Phytogeography. - Tasks for
Vegetation Science, 24, Kluwer, Dordrecht, Boston, London, 280 pp.
Nimis P.L. (1993). The Lichens of Italy. An annotated catalogue. - Mus. Reg. Sci. Nat. Torino. Monogr.
12. 897 pp.
Nimis P.L., Bolognini G. (1993). Quantitative phytogeography of the Italian beech forests. - Vegetatio
109: 125-143.
Nimis P.L., Bolognini G., Giovani C. (1993). Radiocontamination patterns of vascular plants in a forest
ecosystem. - Science of the Total Environment, 157: 181-188.
Friesen N. Bolognini G., Nimis P.L. (1993). Quantitative phytogeography of the genus Allium in
Siberia and Mongolia. - Nordic Journal of Botany, 13: 295-307.
Nimis P.L., Bolognini G., Giovani C. (1993). Radiocontamination patterns of vascular plants in a
forest ecosystem. - Science of the Total Environment, 157: 181-188.
Malyshev L., Nimis P.L., Bolognini G. (1994). Essays on the modelling of spatial floristic diversity in
Europe: British Isles, West Germany and eastern Europe – Flora, 189: 79-88.
Nimis P.L., Malyshev L., Bolognini G. (1994). Phytogeographical analysis of birch forests on the south
of West Siberia - Vegetatio, 113: 25-39.
Cislaghi C., Nimis P.L. (1997). Lichens, air pollution and lung cancer. - Nature, 387, 6632: 463-464.
Malyshev L., Nimis P.L.(1997). Climatic dependance of the ecotone between alpine and forest
orobiomes in southern Siberia - Flora, 192: 109-120.
Nimis P.L., Fonda G. (1997). Phytogeography of parasteppic vegetation in the high Friulian Plain (NE
Italy). - Plant Ecology, 132: 15-28.
Nimis P.L., Tretiach M. (1997). A revision of Tornabea, a genus of fruticose lichens new to North
America. - The Bryologist 100, 2: 217-225.
Nimis P.L., Malyshev L.I., Bolognini G., Friesen N. (1998). A multivariate phytogeographic analysis bof
plant diversity in the Putorana Plateau (N Siberia) - Nordic Journal of Botany (Opera Botanica),
136: 1-72.
Nimis P.L.(1998). A critical appraisal of the genus concept in Lichenology. - Lichenologist, 30, 4-5:
427-438.
Berendsohn W. G., Agnastopoulos A, Hagedorn G., Jakupovich J., Nimis P.L., Valdes B., Guentsch
A, Pankhurst R.J., White R. (1999). A comprehensive reference model for biological collections
and surveys. - Taxon, 48: 511-562.
Berendsohn W., Nimis P.L. (2000). The complexity of collection information - In: Berendsohn W. (ed.)
BIOCISE, Resourse identification for a Collection Information Service in Europe. Bot. Gard. Mus
Berlin-Dahlem, pp. 13-18.
Nimis P.L. (2001). A Tale from Bioutopia. - Nature, 413: 21.
Nimis P.L.(2001). Artistic and Historical Monuments: Threatened Ecosystems. - In: Frontiers of Life,
Part 2: Discovery and Spoliation of the Biosphere, sect. 2: Man and the Environment, Academic
Press, S. Diego Ca, pp. 557-569.
Nimis P.L., Andreussi S., Pittao E. (2001). The performance of two lichen species as bioaccumulators
of trace metals. - The Science of the Total Environment, 275: 43-51.
Nimis P.L., Martellos S. (2001). Testing the predictivity of ecological indicator values. A comparison
of real and virtual releves of lichen vegetation. - Plant Ecology, 157: 165-172.
Nimis P.L., Scheidegger Ch., Wolseley P. (eds.) (2002). Monitoring with Lichens - Monitoring Lichens.
- Kluwer, NATO Science Series, Earth and Envir. Ser. 7, 408 pp
Nimis P.L., Martellos S. (2002). ITALIC, a database on Italian Lichens - Bibliotheca Lichenologica 82:
271-282.
Nimis P. L., Martellos S. (2003). A second checklist of the lichens of Italy with a thesaurus of
synonyms. - Saint-Pierre, Aosta: Mus. Reg. Sci. Nat., Monogr. 4, 192 pp.
Nimis P.L., Martellos S. (2004). Keys to the lichens of Italy I. Terricolous species. – Ed. Goliardiche,
341 pp.
Ryan B.D., Nimis P.L. (2004). Melaspilea. - In: Nash T.H. III et al. (eds.): Lichen Flora of the Greater
Sonoran Desert Region, Vol. 2. Lichens Unlimited, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona,
pp. 358-389.
Castello M., Martellos S., Nimis P.L. (2006). VICTORIA: an on-line information system on the
lichens of Victoria Land (Continental Antarctica). - Polar Biology, 29 (7): 604-608.
Cesa M., Bizzotto A., Ferraro C., Fumagalli F., Nimis P.L. (2006). Assessment of intermittent trace
element pollution by moss bags. - Environmental Pollution, 144, 3: 886-892.
Nimis P.L., Poldini L., Martellos S. (2006). Guide alla flora III. Guida alla flora della Val Rosandra
(Trieste). - Le guide di Dryades 4. Serie Flore III (F-III). Edizioni Goliardiche, Trieste, 467 pp
Nascimbene J., Nimis P.L., Marini L. (2007). Testing indicators of epiphytic lichen diversity: a case
study in N Italy. - Biodiversity and Conservation, 15: 3377-3383.
Nimis, P.L., Martellos, S. (2009). Computer-aided Tools for Identifying Organisms and their
Importance for Protected Areas - Journal of Eco.Mont 1(2): 55-60.
Nimis P.L., Vignes Lebbe R. (eds.) (2010). Tools for Identifying Biodiversity: Progress and
Problems. - EUT, 455 pp
Nimis P.L. (2010), A key To Nature. - International Innovation, Oct. 2010: 20-22.