PhD. Issam Touhami
Biological and Environmental Sciences track keynote speaker
University of Carthage and National Research Institute of Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry (INRGREF), Tunisia
Biography
Issam Touhami is a forest ecology researcher at Tunisia's National Research Institute of Rural Engineering, Water and Forestry (INRGREF). He holds two master's degrees, one from the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza and another from the University of Alicante, where he also earned a PhD in Environmental Sciences.
His research focuses on forest adaptation to climate change, forest resource conservation, and the restoration of Mediterranean ecosystems. He has contributed as a leader and team member to national and international projects including MedFireWise, ResAlliance, WildFood, ECOPLANTMED, and MENFRI.
Dynamics and ecological restoration of forest ecosystems in Tunisia in response to climate change: case studies
Climate disturbances pose an increasing threat to the stability of Mediterranean ecosystems, making it necessary to adopt a multidisciplinary approach that combines advanced spatial assessment tools with applied conservation strategies. This approach enables the evaluation of ecological vulnerability and supports effective restoration actions in degraded habitats. The methodology is based on monitoring forest vegetation dynamics through MODIS-NDVI time-series analysis and Land Surface Phenology (LSP) techniques. These tools make it possible to detect changes in vegetation activity and assess ecosystem responses to climatic anomalies. Particular attention is given to prolonged droughts, one of the main environmental stressors because of their impact on ecosystem productivity, vegetation decline, and increased forest mortality. Based on these assessments, ecological restoration strategies focus on conserving and using native species adapted to local environmental conditions. Integrating remote sensing with water-stress analysis facilitates the identification and mapping of the most vulnerable areas, allowing restoration efforts to be prioritized and resources to be managed more efficiently. Overall, the results provide a scientific basis for selecting climate-resilient native flora and promote the transfer of knowledge to sustainable forest management, contributing to the conservation of Mediterranean ecosystems and efforts to mitigate the impacts of global environmental change.
Keywords: Land Surface Phenology (LSP), MODIS-NDVI, native species, ecological restoration, Tunisia
