Biodiversity and conservation of terricolous lichens and bryophytes in continental lowlands of northern Italy: the role of different dry habitat types

Gabriele Gheza; Silvia Assini; Chiara Lelli; Lorenzo Marini; Helmut Mayrhofer; Juri Nascimbene

doi:10.1007/s10531-020-02034-1

Biodiversity and conservation of terricolous lichens and bryophytes in continental lowlands of northern Italy: the role of different dry habitat types

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-020-02034-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (13) ◽

pp. 3533-3550

Author(s):

Gabriele Gheza ◽

Silvia Assini ◽

Chiara Lelli ◽

Lorenzo Marini ◽

Helmut Mayrhofer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Vegetation Dynamics ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Dry Grasslands ◽

Species Of Conservation Concern ◽

Terricolous Lichens ◽

Landscape Scales

Abstract In dry habitats of European lowlands terricolous lichens and bryophytes are almost neglected in conservation practises, even if they may strongly contribute to biodiversity. This study aims at (a) testing the role of heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands for lichen and bryophyte diversity and conservation in lowland areas of northern Italy characterized by high human impact and habitat fragmentation; (b) detecting the effect of environmental drivers and vegetation dynamics on species richness and composition. Lichens, bryophytes, vascular plants, and environmental variables were recorded in 287 circular plots for 75 sites. Our results indicate that heathlands, acidic and calcareous dry grasslands host peculiar terricolous lichen and bryophyte communities that include several species of conservation concern. Thus, each habitat provides a complementary contribution to lichen and bryophyte diversity in continental lowland landscapes. Furthermore, in each habitat different factors drive species richness and composition with contrasting patterns between lichens and bryophytes. In terms of conservation, our results indicate that management of lowland dry habitats should act at both local and landscape scales. At local scale, vegetation dynamics should be controlled in order to avoid biodiversity loss due to vegetation dynamics and wood encroachment. At the landscape scale, patches of all the three habitats should be maintained to maximize regional diversity.

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Archaeobotanical evidence for a massive loss of epiphyte species richness during industrialization in southern England

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2011.0063 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 278 (1724) ◽

pp. 3482-3489 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Christopher J. Ellis ◽

Rebecca Yahr ◽

Brian J. Coppins

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Reference Points ◽

Environmental Drivers ◽

Southern England ◽

Vernacular Buildings ◽

Industrial Landscapes ◽

Post Industrial ◽

First Time ◽

Epiphyte Species

This paper describes a novel archaeological resource—preserved epiphytes on the timber structure of vernacular buildings—used, to our knowledge, for the first time to quantify a loss of biodiversity between pre-industrial and post-industrial landscapes. By matching the confirmed occurrence of epiphyte species for the pre-industrial period, with a statistical likelihood for their absence in the present-day landscape (post-1960), we robustly identified species that have been extirpated across three contrasting regions in southern England. First, the scale of biodiversity loss observed—up to 80 per cent of epiphytes—severely challenges biodiversity targets and environmental baselines that have been developed using reference points in the post-industrial period. Second, we examined sensitivity in the present-day distribution of extirpated species, explained by three environmental drivers: (i) pollution regime, (ii) extent of ancient woodland, and (iii) climatic setting. Results point to an interacting effect between the pollution regime (sulphur dioxide) and changed woodland structure, leading to distinctive regional signatures in biodiversity loss.

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Considerations of the technological quality assessment of sugarbeet

Sugar Industry ◽

10.36961/si11041 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 85-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giorgio Pezzi

Keyword(s):

Quality Parameters ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Glucose Content ◽

Long Term Storage ◽

Interesting Correlation ◽

Technological Quality ◽

Thick Juice

No real improvement in the technological quality of beet has been recorded over the last 15 years in Northern Italy. Among the possible explanations for the quality stagnation is that the traditional formulae cannot correctly differentiate between sugarbeet varieties which produce thick juice of very high purity. This seems to be connected with the role of potassium. The use of a standard purification procedure gives reliable and accurate data which is immediately comparable with the factory data. Research projects on medium/long term storage are currently being performed by Co.Pro.B., Italy, in cooperation with Syngenta and Beta. Up to now the results have shown that storage of sugarbeet in autumn time in northern Italy is possible provided that suitable varieties and proper handling of the roots are employed. Results obtained in the storage trials are reported. Correlations have been found between quality parameters (purity, color and lime salts) of the purified juice with the glucose content of the raw juice. An interesting correlation is reported between purified juice purity and raw juice purity.

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Understanding the Role of Typhoons, Fire, and Climate on the Vegetation Dynamics of Tropical Dry Forests: Looking to the Past to Develop Future Management Solutions

10.21236/ada571687 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Jeffrey P. Donnelly

Keyword(s):

Vegetation Dynamics ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Dry Forests ◽

The Past ◽

Future Management

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Temperature and Prey Species Richness Drive the Broad-Scale Distribution of a Generalist Predator

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13040169 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 169

Author(s):

Danai-Eleni Michailidou ◽

Maria Lazarina ◽

Stefanos P. Sgardelis

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Distribution ◽

Prey Species ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Generalist Predator ◽

Distributional Patterns ◽

The Future ◽

Grass Snake ◽

Broad Scale

The ongoing climate change and the unprecedented rate of biodiversity loss render the need to accurately project future species distributional patterns more critical than ever. Mounting evidence suggests that not only abiotic factors, but also biotic interactions drive broad-scale distributional patterns. Here, we explored the effect of predator-prey interaction on the predator distribution, using as target species the widespread and generalist grass snake (Natrix natrix). We used ensemble Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) to build a model only with abiotic variables (abiotic model) and a biotic one including prey species richness. Then we projected the future grass snake distribution using a modest emission scenario assuming an unhindered and no dispersal scenario. The two models performed equally well, with temperature and prey species richness emerging as the top drivers of species distribution in the abiotic and biotic models, respectively. In the future, a severe range contraction is anticipated in the case of no dispersal, a likely possibility as reptiles are poor dispersers. If the species can disperse freely, an improbable scenario due to habitat loss and fragmentation, it will lose part of its contemporary distribution, but it will expand northwards.

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Above- and belowground biodiversity jointly tighten the P cycle in agricultural grasslands

Nature Communications ◽

10.1038/s41467-021-24714-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yvonne Oelmann ◽

Markus Lange ◽

Sophia Leimer ◽

Christiane Roscher ◽

Felipe Aburto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Management Intensity ◽

Use Efficiency ◽

Grassland Productivity ◽

Global Biodiversity ◽

Diverse Plant ◽

Management Effects ◽

P Cycle

AbstractExperiments showed that biodiversity increases grassland productivity and nutrient exploitation, potentially reducing fertiliser needs. Enhancing biodiversity could improve P-use efficiency of grasslands, which is beneficial given that rock-derived P fertilisers are expected to become scarce in the future. Here, we show in a biodiversity experiment that more diverse plant communities were able to exploit P resources more completely than less diverse ones. In the agricultural grasslands that we studied, management effects either overruled or modified the driving role of plant diversity observed in the biodiversity experiment. Nevertheless, we show that greater above- (plants) and belowground (mycorrhizal fungi) biodiversity contributed to tightening the P cycle in agricultural grasslands, as reduced management intensity and the associated increased biodiversity fostered the exploitation of P resources. Our results demonstrate that promoting a high above- and belowground biodiversity has ecological (biodiversity protection) and economical (fertiliser savings) benefits. Such win-win situations for farmers and biodiversity are crucial to convince farmers of the benefits of biodiversity and thus counteract global biodiversity loss.

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Otolaryngology activity in two hospitals in northern and central Italy differently affected by COVID-19 pandemic

Science Progress ◽

10.1177/0036850421998487 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 104 (2) ◽

pp. 003685042199848

Author(s):

Antonio Minni ◽

Francesco Pilolli ◽

Massimo Ralli ◽

Niccolò Mevio ◽

Luca Roncoroni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Intensive Care Units ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Central Italy ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Geographical Differences ◽

Italian Regions

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic had a significant impact on the Italian healthcare system, although geographical differences were present; regions in northern Italy have been the most severely affected while regions in the south of the country were relatively spared. Otolaryngologists were actively involved in the management of the pandemic. In this work, we analyzed and compared the otolaryngology surgical activity performed during the pandemic in two large public hospitals located in different Italian regions. In northern Italy, otolaryngologists were mainly involved in performing surgical tracheotomies in COVID-19 positive patients and contributed to the management of these patients in intensive care units. In central Italy, where the burden of the infection was significantly lower, otolaryngologists focused on diagnosis and treatment of emergency and oncology patients. This analysis confirms the important role of the otolaryngology specialists during the pandemic, but also highlights specific differences between two large hospitals in different Italian regions.

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Prevalence of chronic liver disease among young/middle-aged adults in Northern Italy: role of hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infection by age, sex, ethnicity

Heliyon ◽

10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02114 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (7) ◽

pp. e02114

Author(s):

Ugo Fedeli ◽

Francesco Avossa ◽

Eliana Ferroni ◽

Angela De Paoli ◽

Francesco Donato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis C Virus ◽

Liver Disease ◽

Hepatitis C ◽

Virus Infection ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Chronic Liver Disease ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Hepatitis C Virus Infection ◽

Middle Aged Adults

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Arthropod community structure in pastures of an island archipelago (Azores): looking for local–regional species richness patterns at fine-scales

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1079/ber2004289 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 111-121 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

P.A.V. Borges ◽

V.K. Brown

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Local Scale ◽

Local Species Richness ◽

Β Diversity ◽

Arthropod Species ◽

Α Diversity ◽

Local Species ◽

Richness Patterns

AbstractThe arthropod species richness of pastures in three Azorean islands was used to examine the relationship between local and regional species richness over two years. Two groups of arthropods, spiders and sucking insects, representing two functionally different but common groups of pasture invertebrates were investigated. The local–regional species richness relationship was assessed over relatively fine scales: quadrats (= local scale) and within pastures (= regional scale). Mean plot species richness was used as a measure of local species richness (= α diversity) and regional species richness was estimated at the pasture level (= γ diversity) with the ‘first-order-Jackknife’ estimator. Three related issues were addressed: (i) the role of estimated regional species richness and variables operating at the local scale (vegetation structure and diversity) in determining local species richness; (ii) quantification of the relative contributions of α and β diversity to regional diversity using additive partitioning; and (iii) the occurrence of consistent patterns in different years by analysing independently between-year data. Species assemblages of spiders were saturated at the local scale (similar local species richness and increasing β-diversity in richer regions) and were more dependent on vegetational structure than regional species richness. Sucking insect herbivores, by contrast, exhibited a linear relationship between local and regional species richness, consistent with the proportional sampling model. The patterns were consistent between years. These results imply that for spiders local processes are important, with assemblages in a particular patch being constrained by habitat structure. In contrast, for sucking insects, local processes may be insignificant in structuring communities.

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