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Mozambique and Italy share a history of academic cooperation spanning almost half a century. The topical collection “Environment, biodiversity and health in university scientific cooperation in Mozambique” stems from the desire to collect the scientific progress achieved through this alliance. Research papers in the collection cover themes including biodiversity conservation for the sustainable use of natural resources, diagnostics and molecular epidemiology of genetic and infectious diseases, and the anthropogenic impact on the environment under the one health principle. The sustainable growth of a country depends, to a large extent, on the establishment of solid research capacity, ensuring the ownership and full involvement of local institutions. The availability of adequate scientific research frameworks is critical to guarantee the integrated conservation of the ecological, socio-economic and cultural value of biodiversity. The works published within this collection emphasize the importance of international cooperation in scientific research.

The aim of this study is to analyze the floristic changes occurred between 1991 and 2018 in the “Pineto Urban Regional Park” (Rome) as a result of a land-use change that in mid-90s led to the abandonment of traditional pasture practices and a shift to a more intense frequentation for recreational purposes. About 25 years after the change in management the area has a similar floristic richness, but it is characterized by a high turnover rate, a significant homogenization of the flora and a change in the community structure with a higher level of dominance. The removal of the pasture, which has favoured an increasing frequentation by people, seems to be the main driver of these changes. We suggest that a more active management, with the reintroduction of a sustainable grazing and a limitation of the fruition in marginal areas close to the urban matrix, could restore an higher diversity and reverse the homogenization processes detected in this study and at the same time ensure the citizen fruition.

Socotra Island, in the western Indian Ocean, harbors high biodiversity and endemism and makes up the largest part of the Socotra archipelago UNESCO World Heritage site. Its climatic, pedological, and geomorphological characteristics, together with the long geological isolation and inaccessibility, led to the flourishing of unique tree diversity, with great cultural and ecological value. Lately, trees on Socotra are facing new threats linked to the abandonment of traditional management practices, climate change impacts, and growing human pressure. This study assesses the relative influence of environmental factors and human activity as drivers of tree cover and density, which can be used to support land management policies for the conservation of this key local resource. Tree cover and density were assessed on a total of 3600 plots of 0.5 ha each, laid on a regular grid covering the entire area of the island through Collect Earth, a free open source software tool that allows an augmented visual interpretation of high-resolution satellite images. A total of 770,000 trees, with an average of 2.14 trees/ha, were estimated on the island. The collected data was validated by ground surveys in 26 plots. The relative influence of selected predictors (seven environmental, two anthropic) on tree cover and density was analyzed through logistic and survival regression. Tree cover and density were found to be impacted positively by steeper slopes, higher rainfall, and marked precipitation seasonality and negatively by relatively warmer temperatures and a higher sand content in the soil. Distance of each plot from the nearest road and settlement was calculated and neither of these anthropic predictors emerged as significant, indicating that the limited number of trees present are not currently as affected by anthropic pressure, but, instead, their presence is mostly limited by the harsh climatic and pedological factors. However, as human population and development increase, periods of drought rise, and extreme and random climatic events intensify, these additional stresses on the environment could negatively impact the availability of natural resources in the terrestrial environment. Lastly, potential recommendations to the existing conservation policies and Socotra Conservation Zoning Plan are discussed based on the results.

Rendiconti Lincei has dedicated a Special Issue to present a number of case studies highlighting the role played by the European Vegetation Survey Working Group established by Sandro Pignatti and his colleagues in support to the implementation of the Habitats Directive. Studies include theoretical analyses as well as researches conducted at different spatial and temporal scales focused on the assessment and monitoring of the conservation status of habitats and target plant species, identification of new habitats and subtypes, and their diagnostic species.