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Forests contribute to the sequestration of organic carbon (C). A key role in forest C cycling is played by deadwood. While a broad range of literature on deadwood decay (above-ground) exists, the mechanisms occurring in the transition zone from deadwood to the humus are poorly understood. In particular, scarce information is available on the temporal patterns of wood compounds (such as lignin and cellulose) during decay processes. Our objective was to provide a deeper understanding on deadwood decay in a Mediterranean montane environment by focussing on semi-natural forests of Fagus sylvatica L. (beech). The decay process was studied in a field experiment (in the Majella mountains, Apennine Mountains, Italy) among an altitudinal transect at different climatic conditions. Beech wood blocks (mass, cellulose, lignin) having all an equal in size (5 cm × 5 cm × 2 cm) were placed in soil mesocosms to investigate over one year changes in the overall mass, cellulose and lignin content. The sites were along an altitudinal gradient, reflecting different climatic conditions. The effect of exposure (north- vs. south-facing slopes) was also considered. Deadwood, cellulose and lignin dynamics were related to soil parameters (pH, grain size, moisture, temperature) and climate data. Deadwood decayed very fast and followed an exponential trend. The decay rate constants of the deadwood mass significantly (positively) correlated with air temperature and soil moisture: the lower the temperature, the lower the evapotranspiration, the higher the moisture availability, and the higher the decay rates. Lignin decayed more slowly than cellulose, resulting in average decay rate constants ( k ) between 0.368 and 0.382 y −1 . Soil properties and topographic traits (slope and exposure) strongly influenced the decay processes. At south-facing sites (having an altitude < 1300 m a.s.l., above sea level), decay processes were lower owing, most likely, to drier conditions. The climosequence revealed slower beech deadwood decay processes in south- than north-facing sites of these Mediterranean mountains, owing to the drier conditions. In-field mesocosms were useful to define meaningful indicators of warming-induced changes on the linkages between C storage in beech deadwood and decomposition processes as a function of altitude and exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2016–2017 Central Italy earthquakes have shown that the local seismic risk is dominated by the extreme vulnerability of the building stock. We attempt to rank the vulnerability of Apennines' settlements based on a combined geological-historical approach. We first discuss the reasons of the apparent paradox caused by the very different seismic response of Amatrice and Norcia, both strongly hit by the 24 August 2016 earthquake (M w 6.0). Based on the awareness that strong earthquakes force building reconstructions and changes in the individual and societal perception of seismic risk, we assume that the global vulnerability of Italian settlements increases with time since the last significant earthquake. We focus on the very active seismogenic areas straddling Italy's Apennines. We then use data on the local seismogenic sources and earthquake history to (1) select the municipalities that are more likely to suffer from destructive ground shaking, and (2) rank them as a function of the time elapsed since the latest earthquake, i.e. in terms of increasing vulnerability. We hence identified 716 municipalities, totaling about 5% of the Italian population, over 50% of which have not experienced destructive shaking since 1861, when the Kingdom of Italy reunited a number of smaller states. As such they are primary candidates to a poor performance in future significant earthquakes (M w > 5.5) and should be given priority in any statewide vulnerability reduction plan. All results and elaborations, including the seismic histories of each of the selected localities, are also supplied in a specifically designed web-GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical maps can provide us with much information on geology, earth surface processes and anthropogenic pressure and are valuable tools for ore prospecting and land management. Stream sediments represent an integral of the various possible sources of sediments upstream from the sampling point therefore there can be multiple signal sources but generally the prevailing signal source is the one related to bedrock geology. Stream sediments collected from active second-order channels including singular geological units, were selected in order to determine the geochemical characteristics of each unit. The aim of this study was to analyse their potential for using them to integrate geological interpretation and produce a geologically-oriented geochemical map. From the 770 samples collected for a regional geochemical mapping program, we selected 149 samples whose catchment basin included only one of the members recognized within the Marnoso–Arenacea formation. This Middle-Upper Miocene (Langhian–Tortonian) turbiditic unit forms the backbone of the Romagna Apennines and has been subdivided into 14 members according to age and lithostratigraphic criteria. The results indicate that there are marked differences in the composition of the members of the Marnoso Arenecea formation which indicate the provenance of the sediment and the palaeogeographic evolution of the units. By means of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (Factor analyses) two main types of sediment compositions are identified: Tortonian members are characterized by sialic coarse grain- sediments while the Langhian–Serravallian members are richer in carbonate fraction, slightly enriched in a mafic contribution. This study elaborated the geochemical data from a geological point of view by integrating the information available in literature to spatially extend the interpretation based on limited site observation as for petrographic studies. In general, the geochemical map based on a geological unit could be a useful tool for carrying out the geological reconstruction of a complex area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical maps can provide us with much information on geology, earth surface processes and anthropogenic pressure and are valuable tools for ore prospecting and land management. Stream sediments represent an integral of the various possible sources of sediments upstream from the sampling point therefore there can be multiple signal sources but generally the prevailing signal source is the one related to bedrock geology. Stream sediments collected from active second-order channels including singular geological units, were selected in order to determine the geochemical characteristics of each unit. The aim of this study was to analyze their potential for using them to integrate geological interpretation and produce a geologically-oriented geochemical map. From the 770 samples collected for a regional geochemical mapping program, we selected 149 samples whose catchment basin included only one of the members recognized within the Marnoso-arenacea formation. This middle–upper Miocene (Langhian–Tortonian) turbiditic unit forms the backbone of the Romagna Apennines and has been subdivided into 14 members according to age and lithostratigraphic criteria. The results indicate that there are marked differences in the composition of the members of the Marnoso arenecea formation which indicate the provenance of the sediment and the palaeogeographic evolution of the units. By means of univariate and multivariate statistical analyses (Factor analyzes) two main types of sediment compositions are identified: Tortonian members are characterized by sialic coarse grain-sediments while the Langhian–Serravallian members are richer in carbonate fraction, slightly enriched in a mafic contribution. This study elaborated the geochemical data from a geological point of view by integrating the information available in literature to spatially extend the interpretation based on limited site observation as for petrographic studies. In general, the geochemical map based on a geological unit could be a useful tool for carrying out the geological reconstruction of a complex area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localization is one of the main critical factors that influence the value creation process and performance of a business. Choosing a location to start a business often influences the consequent access to a series of resources and services essential to its development, becoming a key element for its survival. This is even more evident in mountain areas, which are conditioned by key factors such as low population density, the large extension of the territories, the constraints of the infrastructure and transport systems, the presence of protected areas, as well as the attractiveness exercised by larger neighboring centers. This research aims to demonstrate how geographic context and altitude influence the distribution of businesses, revealing entrepreneurial clusters that have the characteristics of mountainousness. Following the Kernel density method for geolocation, the study proposes an original geospatial analysis to characterize the distribution of the enterprises and context of the central Apennines, considering the relationship between the altimetric location and the macro classification by product category, expressed by Nace Section. The study shows articulated areas of concentration and aggregation of mountain enterprises, five primary clusters and six secondary clusters. The former are characterized by a greater density of aggregation influenced by morphological characteristics of the area; the latter better explain the entrepreneurial dynamics and the distribution of the enterprises within the Nace sections, linked to the concept of altitude. • Aiming to deepen the mountainousness degree and the entrepreneurial dynamics associated with altitude. • Geocoding analysis of businesses is conducted to understand the context of the Central Apennine. • Mountain clusters are identified and the relationship between altitude and Nace sections is investigated. • Relevant actions for the economic development of the mountain territory are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immature ticks ( Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor marginatus ) were collected from small rodents ( Apodemus spp. and Myodes glareolus ), in the Northern Apennines, Italy, at an altitude up to 1650 m above sea level (a.s.l.), from 2009 through 2012. While D. marginatus had been found at the same location in studies carried out in 1994, I . ricinus was very rare or absent. Prevalence (95% confidence interval) of infestation by I . ricinus larvae on Apodemus spp. was 54.4% (47.5, 61.2), and it was greater than prevalence of D. marginatus larvae on the same hosts (23.3%, 17.8, 29.5). The mean (standard deviation) numbers of I . ricinus and D . marginatus larvae per individual Apodemus spp. were similar: 2.3 (4.1) and 2.1 (9.8), respectively. The monthly infestation pattern of the two tick species on Apodemus spp. were different. I . ricinus larvae were more frequent in June and September, than in July–August. I . ricinus nymphs were generally rare, and were most frequently found in July. The prevalence of D . marginatus larvae peaked in July–August, whereas nymphs were mostly active in August–September. Increasing population densities of roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ), and increasing temperatures, in the last decades, in the Apennine area might have contributed to the observed range expansion of I. ricinus . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European black pine ( Pinus nigra ssp. nigra Arnold) encroachment at increasing elevation has been analyzed at four treeline ecotones of the central Apennines (Italy). The study sites are located along a North-South gradient of 170 km across Marche and Abruzzo regions in Central Italy. The aims of this study were: (i) to detect possible common patterns of structural attributes of black pine regeneration at the treeline ecotone; (ii) to date the seedlings germination and (iii) to assess the climate influence on the pine upward encroachment process also using intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs) in tree-rings. We sampled 658 encroached black pine trees above the current treeline to the mountain top. All individuals were mapped and their basal stem diameter, total height, annual height increments and other structural attributes measured. One increment core was extracted from stem base of most samples for cambial age determination and detection of intra-annual density fluctuations (IADF). At two sites we also extracted cores at DBH from forest trees to assess climate–growth relationships of black pine. We used multivariate analysis (PCA) to explore the correlation structure of the main tree attributes, regression analysis to relate radial and height increment and dendroclimatic analysis to assess the influence of climate on tree growth and IADF formation. Most black pine trees were located at high altitude and their structural attributes were similar at the four sites where the pine encroachment process started between 30 and 40 years ago featuring similar germination peaks and growth patterns. Black pine is particularly sensitive to maximum temperatures and IADF occurred in mid-late summer with highest frequency peaks between 2003 and 2004. The pine encroachment process, besides the differences of environmental features and land use histories of the four study sites, appears synchronic and spatially diffused. Consistent tree-growth dynamics and the species adaptation to a warming climate are signals envisaging a possible treeline upward shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Apennines show high floristic diversity promoted by their particular role as an ice-age refugium. However, studies on the evolution of Apennine plants are rare. Potentilla rigoana from the mainly European P. heptaphylla group is an example of a largely ignored taxon originally described from this mountain range. Its evolutionary origin and taxonomic status was studied in an interdisciplinary approach combining morphometric, karyological (flow cytometry and chromosome counting), DNA-molecular (AFLP), ecogeographic (WorldClim climatic variables), and phytosociological data. Morphometric analyses revealed 16 metric and 2 nominal characters separating P. rigoana from its close relatives P. crantzii, P. heptaphylla s.l., and P. neumanniana. Additionally, P. rigoana was intermediate with respect to temperature requirements as well as altitudinal distribution compared to P. crantzii and P. heptaphylla s.l. The species was documented from 54 populations or sampling sites located in the central and southern Apennines where it occurs in montane to subalpine dry habitats. Morphometric analysis suggested its occurrence in the Balkans. Molecular and morphometric analyses further suggested reticulate relationships of the Balkan samples of P. heptaphylla s.l. with P. rigoana. Potentilla rigoana comprises five ploidy levels with the dominant diploids and tetraploids geographically centered in the southern and central Apennines, respectively. The existence of diploids and a uniformly heptaploid population indicate the occurrence of both sexuality and apomixis. The combined datasets sug-gested species status for P. rigoana. The ecogeographic distribution indicated an allopatric differentiation of the species within the P. heptaphylla group. The latitudinal separation of diploid and polyploid cytotypes coincided with a glacial refugium in the southern Apennines and more dynamic past climatic conditions in the central Apennines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we carry out a detailed analysis concerning Suspended Sediment Concentration (SSC) and particle size distribution in water samples collected mainly during storm events in the Reno river basin, in northern Apennines (Italy). At the outlet of mountain basins of the three major tributaries, Lavino, Savena and Sillaro, a hydrological monitoring has been started up. A total of 766 samples with maximum SSC were selected for this study to determine the nutrient level on the solid fraction. The samples were taken during flood events occurred from the year 2000 to 2009. By considering the physicochemical properties and nutrient constituents as the most important characteristics of the river conditions, total Nitrogen (Ntot), total Phosphorus (Ptot), particle size and SSC were selected for testing. The monitored watersheds are different for lithology, land cover and anthropogenic contamination levels. These differences were recognizable in the particle size distribution and in the nutrient level of the SSC in the water samples. Suspended sediment of the Savena stream showed a higher component of coarser material, Sillaro and the Lavino samples have higher clay content, 46% and 43% respectively. Concentration of Ntot and Ptot in the stream suspended sediments increases from Sillaro to Lavino to Savena. There is a statistically significant relationship between Ptot and Ntot (P<0.05) and both nutrients showed significant linear relationships versus silt particle sizes. Silt appears to be the preferential vector of nutrients, confirming that finer particles and their aggregates have been proved to be the preferential vehicle for nutrients. Despite their close geographical proximity, analyses of grain size and nutrient in the streams have revealed dissimilar properties, which have been related mainly to the anthropogenic contamination levels, different cover land, agricultural and lithology properties of catchments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Diplopora johnsoni and Selliporella neocomiensis are often considered synonymous. The two taxa share the same pattern consisting in a cylindrical, articulated biomineralised skeleton bearing whorls of short primary laterals followed by numerous long, trichophorous, secondary laterals. An exhaustive study, entailing a review of Praturlon's type-material of Diplopora johnsoni , displays the different framework and biometry between them. Therefore, the two species are considered separate taxa. Moreover, a controversial generic attribution of the two taxa is highlighted in literature: Selliporella neocomiensis has been attributed to both the genus Pseudoclypeina and to the genus Selliporella , while Diplopora johnsoni has been assigned to the genus Pseudoclypeina. Regarding the comparison between the genera Selliporella and Pseudoclypeina, and their respective type species, there is no doubt that Diplopora johnsoni and Selliporella neocomiensis display the closest affinity with Selliporella (short primary laterals and trichophorous secondary laterals) and not with Pseudoclypeina (long phloiophorous primary laterals and phloiophorous secondary laterals). Thus, the two taxa are ascribed to the genus Selliporella. The former species is named Selliporella johnsonii n.comb. Further relevant results show that Selliporella johnsonii and Selliporella neocomiensis display a different chronostratigraphic distribution. In the Apennine Carbonate Platform (southern Apennines, Italy), Selli-porella johnsonii has been well calibrated through high-resolution C-isotope stratigraphy and biostratigraphy as revealed in previous studies. This taxon constitutes a peculiar bioevent set between the end of the Weissert event and the Valanginian−Hauterivian boundary, thus may serve as a possible instrument in locating the Weissert event in the field. On the other hand, Selliporella neocomiensis found in the Getic Carbonate Platform (South Carpathians, Romania), appears to characterise the Berriasian stage. • Diplopora johnsoni (Praturlon, 1964) is revisited on the type-material. • D. johnsoni is attributed to the genus Selliporella as Selliporella johnsonii nov.comb. • Comparison between Selliporella johnsonii and Selliporella neocomiensis. • Chronostratigraphic value of Selliporella johnsonii and Selliporella neocomiensis. • S. johnsonii is an Apenninic bioevent to locate the end of Weissert OAE and V/H boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]