In addition to his own scientific research, he carried out numerous botanical expeditions, notably to Cyrenaica and other regions of North Africa, to the Rhodes and the Dodecanese islands. He was also one of the first Italian botanists to address issues of environmental protection.
The Pampanini herbarium is named for him. It includes more than 5,000 specimens. It is located in the central Italian herbarium of the Museo di Storia Naturale di Firenze.