scholarly journals Ontogenetic Habitat Use and Density of the Green Lizard (Lacerta bilineata) in Contrasted Landscapes in France and Italy

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rugiero ◽  
Massimo Capula ◽  
Massimiliano Di Vittorio ◽  
Daniele Dendi ◽  
Roger Meek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Ecology ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Contingency Table Analysis ◽  
Fragmented Habitat

Habitat modification is a major factor in the decline of reptile populations. The degree of the decline has been shown to be directly related to the intensity of habitat modification. Farming practices and urbanization are just two of the factors involved indicating that the development of practices that minimize or cancel anthropogenic impacts is urgently needed to prevent further declines. This requires knowledge of population ecology of reptiles in both disturbed and pristine habitats. In this paper, we describe aspects of green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) population ecology in a forest–pasture relatively pristine mosaic habitat in central Italy and a fragmented habitat in western France. In Italy, habitat niche overlap was very high between males and females but very low between males and juveniles. For male and female abundances, general linear models showed that the adult abundances increased with the increase of Rubus bushes, whereas juvenile abundance increased with the increase of Spartium bushes. Contingency table analysis showed that juveniles were also much more frequently observed in grasslands than adults of either sexes. The observed ontogenetic structural niche pattern was likely due to intraspecific competition avoidance, competition interference, and cannibalism. The persistence of the same patterns across years demonstrates a temporal stability of the ontogenetic structural niche pattern. Over the length of the study period, population densities were stable in the Italian population, but densities were much higher by around five times in the hedgerow in the fragmented habitat in France. In the hedgerow, monthly lizard presence was uneven, with the greatest number of sightings in June and July. Overall, our study provided no support for the notion that lizard abundance/density should be lower in modified compared to unmodified habitats, and clearly revealed that a careful management of the hedgerows is crucial for the conservation of this lizard species in agro-forest ecosystems.

Sydney Harbour: a review of anthropogenic impacts on the biodiversity and ecosystem function of one of the world

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mayer-Pinto ◽  
E. L. Johnston ◽  
P. A. Hutchings ◽  
E. M. Marzinelli ◽  
S. T. Ahyong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Habitat Modification ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Benthic Community Structure ◽  
Organic Contamination ◽  
The World ◽  
Sydney Harbour ◽  
Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function ◽  
Non Indigenous Species

Sydney Harbour is a hotspot for diversity. However, as with estuaries worldwide, its diversity and functioning faces increasing threats from urbanisation. This is the first synthesis of threats and impacts in Sydney Harbour. In total 200 studies were reviewed: 109 focussed on contamination, 58 on habitat modification, 11 addressed non-indigenous species (NIS) and eight investigated fisheries. Metal concentrations in sediments and seaweeds are among the highest recorded worldwide and organic contamination can also be high. Contamination is associated with increased abundances of opportunistic species, and changes in benthic community structure. The Harbour is also heavily invaded, but invaders’ ecological and economic impacts are poorly quantified. Communities within Sydney Harbour are significantly affected by extensive physical modification, with artificial structures supporting more NIS and lower diversity than their natural equivalents. We know little about the effects of fishing on the Harbour’s ecology, and although ocean warming along Sydney is among the fastest in the world, we know little about how the ecosystem will respond to warming. The interactive and cumulative effects of stressors on ecosystem functioning and services in the Harbour are largely unknown. Sustainable management of this iconic natural system requires that knowledge gaps are addressed and translated into coherent environmental plans.

scholarly journals Heavy Metals Contamination in Shellfish: Benefit-Risk Evaluation in Central Italy

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1720
Author(s):  
Francesca Barchiesi ◽  
Raffaella Branciari ◽  
Mario Latini ◽  
Rossana Roila ◽  
Giuseppe Lediani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Evaluation ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Bivalve Mollusks ◽  
Human Diet ◽  
Consumption Benefit ◽  
Italian Coasts ◽  
Cadmium Lead

Seafood is a source of nutrients in human diet but also of environmental contaminants and its consumption could pose a risk to consumers’ health. A survey regarding the exposure to cadmium, lead and mercury through the consumption of bivalve mollusks, gastropods and sea urchins collected on Italian coasts was carried out among central Italian population over a period of three years. A limited number of samples exceeds the threshold set by legislation (6 samples) and the average level of contamination was low in all the species considered. The contribution Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) was higher for cadmium (9.17%) than lead (1.44%) and mercury (0.20%). The benefit-risk evaluation suggests that the bivalve mollusks and sea urchins consumption (Benefit Risk Quotient < 1) could be increased without health detrimental effects.

Variations in the Survival of Adult Cancer Patients in Italy

1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 497-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma Gatta ◽  
Eva Buiatti ◽  
Ettore Conti ◽  
Vincenzo De Lisi ◽  
Fabio Falcini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Relative Survival ◽  
Cancer Registries ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Age Class ◽  
General Survival ◽  
General Improvement

Aims As part of the ITACARE project, the present study analyzed and compared population-based data on the survival of adult cancer patients in Italy, according to sex, age, period of diagnosis and geographical area. Methods Nine Italian population-based cancer registries provided data on all their cancer patients (total 90,431 cases) followed for at least 5 years and diagnosed during the period 1978–1989. About 10% of the Italian population is covered by these registries. The data was analyzed by means of a multivariate model. Results The major findings were that there was a general improvement in 5-year relative survival over the study period (from 33% to 39%) and that there were significant differences in survival between different areas of the country, particularly for cancer sites which respond well to treatment. In general, the area covered by the Ragusa (Sicily) registry was characterized by significantly worse survival than other registry populations. Other important findings were that for all malignant cancer sites 5-year relative survival decreased with age from 50% for the youngest age class (15–44 years) to 27% for the oldest age class (75+ years) and that women have a better prognosis for most cancer sites (overall 5-year relative survival in women 48% vs 32% in men). Conclusions The significant regional differences in survival may reflect unequal provision of care, particularly between northern-central Italy and the south. The reasons for the general survival improvement with time are not completely understood, whereas the marked overall sex difference is related to the fact that the commonest cancer in women (breast cancer) is eminently more treatable than the commonest malignancy in men (lung cancer). The unfavorable trend with increasing age may be due to increasing difficulty in applying complete therapy protocols as general health declines, sometimes in relation to an advanced cancer stage at diagnosis.

A 28-years-long monitoring study suggests heavy decline and habitat shifts in three populations of a Mediterranean tortoise species

2020 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Lorenzo Rugiero ◽  
Massimo Capula ◽  
Daniele Dendi ◽  
Fabio Petrozzi ◽  
Massimiliano Di Vittorio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Thermal Ecology ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Monitoring Study ◽  
Testudo Hermanni ◽  
Selection Of

Abstract Long-term ecological studies are important for understanding wild populations’ dynamics and processes and the actual factors that can determine their decline. Here, we report the results of a 28-years-long (1992–2019) monitoring of three distinct populations of a tortoise, Testudo hermanni, in Central Italy, with an emphasis on their population abundance trends and on the eventual variation in their habitat use across years and among the study areas. Samplings were conducted by Visual Encounter Survey (VES) methodology, and using a suite of statistical analyses including correlations and Generalized Linear Models analyses. Our data showed a statistically significant decline in tortoise sightings through time, and concurrently also a variation in habitat use by tortoises. In all the three study areas, we observed a significant increase of tortoise sighting frequency in the habitat type characterized by high (>taller than 200 cm) shrubby and wooded vegetation. Since our analyses revealed no significant change in the habitat type availability by year in each study area, we suggest that T. hermanni was increasingly selecting closed vegetation spots throughout the years. We hypothesize that this observed trend of shift in habitat selection could be due to lowering their body temperatures to prevent overheating. So, the selection of more covered spots would be a thermal ecology adaptive consequence of the ongoing global warming.

scholarly journals Strength in Numbers: Combining Multi-Source Remotely Sensed Data to Model Plant Invasions in Coastal Dune Ecosystems

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Malavasi ◽  
Vojtěch Barták ◽  
Tommaso Jucker ◽  
Alicia Teresa Rosario Acosta ◽  
Maria Laura Carranza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Linear Models ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Coastal Dunes ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Optical Imagery

A common feature of most theories of invasion ecology is that the extent and intensity of invasions is driven by a combination of drivers, which can be grouped into three main factors: propagule pressure (P), abiotic drivers (A) and biotic interactions (B). However, teasing apart the relative contribution of P, A and B on Invasive Alien Species (IAS) distributions is typically hampered by a lack of data. We focused on Mediterranean coastal dunes as a model system to test the ability of a combination of multi-source Remote Sensing (RS) data to characterize the distribution of five IAS. Using generalized linear models, we explored and ranked correlates of P, A and B derived from high-resolution optical imagery and three-dimensional (3D) topographic models obtained from LiDAR, along two coastal systems in Central Italy (Lazio and Molise Regions). Predictors from all three factors contributed significantly to explaining the presence of IAS, but their relative importance varied among the two Regions, supporting previous studies suggesting that invasion is a context-dependent process. The use of RS data allowed us to characterize the distribution of IAS across broad, regional scales and to identify coastal sectors that are most likely to be invaded in the future.

Soil moisture temporal stability over experimental areas in Central Italy

Geoderma ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 148 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 364-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Brocca ◽  
F. Melone ◽  
T. Moramarco ◽  
R. Morbidelli
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Temporal Stability

scholarly journals Vitamin D Status in a Rural Italian Population

Reports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ornella Morsilli ◽  
Raffaella Guerriero ◽  
Luigi Palmieri ◽  
Cinzia Lo Noce ◽  
Tanja Zeller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Hypovitaminosis D ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Younger Women ◽  
Hydroxyvitamin D

Vitamin D is known as an antirachitic factor, although it also plays a critical role in several nonskeletal diseases. In our study, we evaluated vitamin D status and sex, age and seasonal association in a general population cohort living in central Italy. Data from 1174 men and 2274 women aged 20–81 were analyzed, and stored serum samples were assayed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Vitamin D was low in both sexes with values significantly lower in women than in men; furthermore, its deficiency was highly correlated with age. The younger men had just sufficient 25(OH)D levels (32.3 ng/mL ± 13.2), which decreased with increasing age. The younger women showed insufficient 25(OH)D levels (24.8 ng/mL ± 11.9) that, as with men, further decreased with increasing age. This study demonstrated that hypovitaminosis D may be a very frequent condition also in a rural central Italian area with remarkable solar irradiation throughout the year. Our data clearly indicated an evident seasonal trend: at the end of the winter, serum 25(OH)D levels of the examined cohort were below the official sufficient value for both adult sexes. Sufficient levels were just reached in summer for men and only at the end of summer for young women.

scholarly journals Land Quality, Development and Space: Does Scale Matter?

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
Luca Salvati
Keyword(s):  
Capita Income ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Composite Index ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Per Capita Income ◽  
Land Quality ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Market Areas

This study analyzes empirically the relationship between land quality decline and the spatial distribution of per capita income observed in Italy at different spatial scales and geographical divisions. The aim of this contribution is to verify if a decline in land quality has higher probability to occur in economically disadvantaged areas and if scale may influence this relationship. Per capita income was considered a proxy indicator for the level of socio-economic development and life quality in the investigated area. Changes over time (1990–2000) of a composite index of land quality and per capita income in Italy were regressed at four spatial scales: (i) 20 NUTS-2 regions, (ii) 103 NUTS-3 prefectures, (iii) 784 local districts designed as Local Labour Market Areas (LLMAs), and (iv) 8,101 LAU-1 municipalities. Different specifications were tested, including first, second and third order polynomial equations. Linear models allowed the best fit for data examined at all spatial scales. However, elasticity of the dependent variable to per capita income varied considerably according to scale suggesting that developmental policies may have a limited impact on land quality in vulnerable southern Italian areas compared to northern and central Italy. This study suggests that geographically disaggregated data simulating different spatial levels of governance may offer further insights compared to cross-country datasets indicating targets for multi-scale policies possibly preventing a poverty-desertification spiral.

scholarly journals Risk Characterization and Benefit–Risk Assessment of Brominated Flame Retardant in Commercially Exploited Freshwater Fishes and Crayfish of Lake Trasimeno, Italy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (16) ◽  
pp. 8763
Author(s):  
Rossana Roila ◽  
Raffaella Branciari ◽  
David Ranucci ◽  
Arianna Stramenga ◽  
Tamara Tavoloni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Flame Retardants ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Dietary Exposure ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Italian Population ◽  
Risk Characterization ◽  
Fish Products ◽  
Benefit Risk Assessment ◽  
Umbria Region

Among brominated flame retardants (BFRs), polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDs) were the most widely used in past decades. BFRs not being chemically bonded to polymers means they can easily leach from the products into the environment and bioaccumulate. Humans are exposed to flame retardants mainly through food consumption, especially fish and fish products. In the present study, the occurrence of PBDEs and HBCDs in freshwater fishes and crayfish from Lake Trasimeno (Umbria region, central Italy) was assessed according to monitoring plans recommended by European competent authorities. The dietary exposure of the central Italian population to such molecules was calculated, and the risk characterization and the benefit–risk evaluation were also assessed. A total of 90 samples were analyzed by means of gas and liquid chromatography associated with triple quadrupole mass spectroscopy. A total of 51% of samples were found positive for at least one of the congeners; the most frequently found molecule was BDE-47. The data on dietary exposure ranged from 0.138 to 1.113 pg/kg body weight/day for ∑PBDE and from 0.805 to 0.868 pg/kg body weight/day for ∑HBCD. The data show no health risks for the central Italian population consuming freshwater fish products from Lake Trasimeno in relation to exposure to PBDE and HBCD.

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