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Beach litter is an increasingly important threat, causing a drastic loss of natural biodiversity and the associated ecosystem services. Even if beach litter accumulation in oceanic coasts has been analyzed quite well, new research efforts are still necessary to better understand this phenomenon along the Mediterranean coasts. This work sets out to analyze the sources of beach litter, the type of material, and the distribution and accumulation trend along the sandy coasts of the Adriatic Sea in central Italy (Abruzzo and Molise Regions, Italy). In particular, we focus on the following questions: (i) Which are the most frequent beach litter items and materials on sandy coasts? (ii) How is beach litter distributed on the different coastal dune habitats along the sea–inland gradient? Data were collected and categorized during spring 2014–2015 following the OSPAR guidelines in belts parallel to the shoreline and in transects perpendicular to the shoreline. Before analyzing litter abundance by classes of material, source types, and floating capacity, the spatial trends of waste accumulation along the dune zonation was also explored. Most of litter elements are in plastic, followed by styrofoam with good floating capacity. Majority of the debris derive from food packaging, fishing and recreational activities. The distribution of litter along the sea–land eco-morphological gradient is heterogeneous. The unequal accumulation amounts of debris on the upper beach, embryodunes, mobile dunes and fixed dunes threaten natural EC habitats in different ways. Our results stress the need of specific conservation and cleaning actions able to preserve the ecological value of EC coastal dune habitats.

FUN-VIOLA (FUNctional traits of VegetatIOn of centraL Apennines) is a database of field measured plant functional traits for species of Mediterranean high mountain habitats in Central Italy. It includes records of 9 plant traits (Leaf Area, Specific Leaf Area, Leaf Dry Matter Content, Plant Height Vegetative, Plant Height Generative, Leaf Thickness, Seed Mass, Seed Length and Seed Width) of 80 species and subspecies widespread in alpine and subalpine grasslands of Central Apennines. The species were retrieved from the most abundant ones of 139 relevés occurring in the VIOLA Database (http://www.givd.info/ID/EU-IT-019) and sampled in 5 EUNIS habitats type (code E4.436, code E1.54, code E4.38, code H2.4 and code E4.42). Species traits were measured by dedicated field measurements in the years 2017, 2020 and 2021. FUN-VIOLA provides unique information depicting plant functional ecology of alpine and subalpine vegetation in Mediterranean limestone mountains. FUN-VIOLA is included in TRY Plant Traits Database (http://www.try-db.org/TryWeb/Home.php). Abbreviations: EUNIS = European Nature Information System

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the ecological impacts of the invasive alien species (IAS) Acacia salignaon the vegetation composition and structure of two coastal dunes woody habitats of Union concern (2250*: coastal dunes with Juniperusspp. and 2260: dunes with sclerophyllous vegetation consisting of Cisto-Lavanduletalia). We sampled 20 paired plots per habitat type under invaded (A. salignacover > 70%) and non-invaded conditions, following a stratified random protocol. We tested the differences between invaded and non-invaded plots in terms of species composition of the entire species pool and of different ecological guilds and growth forms. Our findings showed that the invaded maquis (habitat 2260) had a significant decline in median richness (5 vs 2) and median cover (24.50 vs 8.00) of focal species and a significant increase in median cover of ruderal species (2.00 vs 5.50). The invaded juniper shrubs (EU habitat 2250*) preserved the typical species composition, but with significant variations in vegetation structure. The approach adopted in this study, accompanied by the results obtained, contribute towards fulfilling EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS.Key policy insightsResults reveal worrying levels of biodiversity loss on coastal dunes due to the invasion of the invasive alien species (IAS) Acacia saligna.We detected remarkable changes in the physiognomy of the Mediterranean maquis coastal dunes – a landscape that is losing its biological uniqueness.The spread of A. salignais having negative ecological effects upon the conservation status of two habitats of Union concern (codes 2250* and 2260).Urgent preventive measures, effective control strategies and eradication of A. salignamust be implemented across the Mediterranean Nature 2000 Coastal Protected Areas Network.The approach adopted and results obtained contribute to fulfilling EU Regulation 1143/2014 on IAS.

ABSTRACTIn this paper we present a low-cost approach to mapping vegetation cover by means of high-resolution close-range terrestrial photogrammetry. A total of 249 clusters of nine 1 m2 plots each, arranged in a 3 × 3 grid, were set up on 18 summits in Mediterranean mountain regions and in the Alps to capture images for photogrammetric processing and in-situvegetation cover estimates. This was done with a hand-held pole-mounted digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. Low-growing vegetation was automatically segmented using high-resolution point clouds. For classifying vegetation we used a two-step semi-supervised Random Forest approach. First, we applied an expert-based rule set using the Excess Green index (ExG) to predefine non-vegetation and vegetation points. Second, we applied a Random Forest classifier to further enhance the classification of vegetation points using selected topographic parameters (elevation, slope, aspect, roughness, potential solar irradiation) and additional vegetation indices (Excess Green Minus Excess Red (ExGR) and the vegetation index VEG). For ground cover estimation the photogrammetric point clouds were meshed using Screened Poisson Reconstruction. The relative influence of the topographic parameters on the vegetation cover was determined with linear mixed-effects models (LMMs). Analysis of the LMMs revealed a high impact of elevation, aspect, solar irradiation, and standard deviation of slope. The presented approach goes beyond vegetation cover values based on conventional orthoimages and in-situvegetation cover estimates from field surveys in that it is able to differentiate complete 3D surface areas, including overhangs, and can distinguish between vegetation-covered and other surfaces in an automated manner. The results of the Random Forest classification confirmed it as suitable for vegetation classification, but the relative feature importance values indicate that the classifier did not leverage the potential of the included topographic parameters. In contrast, our application of LMMs utilized the topographic parameters and was able to reveal dependencies in the two biomes, such as elevation and aspect, which were able to explain between 87% and 92.5% of variance.

In the Mediterranean sandy coasts, urban expansion mainly occurs to support seaside tourism, causing a drastic loss of natural coastal dune habitats and the associated ecosystem services. We investigated on a representative tract of the Mediterranean coast to which extent land conversion into urban areas affected natural dune ecosystems and the related recreational Ecosystem Service over 50 years. Using empirical data derived from 591 questionnaires of beach users, we quantified the recreational ecosystem service (ESR) provided by the main dune habitat types of the Adriatic coast (Beach with Pioneer annual Vegetation, Herbaceous Dune Vegetation and Mediterranean macchia). On the basis of detailed multi-temporal land cover maps (years 1954, 1986 and 2006), we quantified the conversion of natural dune habitats into urban areas over time, by means of transition matrices. By combining the results of the assessment of ESRwith the transition matrices, we measured how the natural dune habitats’ loss reduced the related ESRsupply. Results show that although natural dune habitats have an important role as ESRsuppliers, urban expansion eroded them with specific rates, causing a total percent loss of 12% in the ESR. Our work underlines the fragility of natural coastal dunes, which during the last decades have become a privileged destination for touristic and recreational activities and, thus, have been progressively replaced by urban areas, with an unwanted direct impact on their ESRsupply. By combining multi-temporal mapping techniques with ecosystem services measurements, we enhanced our understanding of transformation processes on coastal dunes, offering as well new insights for dune management. According to our results, an effective dune management shall favor natural dune zonation, by welcoming sustainable sea-side recreational activities as the only acceptable form of coastal tourism.

With the present accessibility of algal raw material, microbial alginates as a source for strong gelling material are evaluated as an alternative for advanced applications. Recently, we have shown that alginate from algal sources all contain a fraction of very long G-blocks (VLG), that is, consecutive sequences of guluronic acid (G) residues of more than 100 residues. By comparing the gelling properties of these materials with in vitro epimerized polymannuronic acid (poly-M) with shorter G-blocks, but comparable with the G-content, we could demonstrate that VLG have a large influence on gelling properties. Hypothesized to function as reinforcement bars, VLG prevents the contraction of the gels during formation (syneresis) and increases the Young’s modulus (strength of the gel). Here we report that these VLG structures are also present in alginates from Azotobacter vinelandiiand that these polymers consequently form stable, low syneretic gels with calcium, comparable in mechanical strength to algal alginates with the similar monomeric composition. The bacterium expresses seven different extracellular mannuronan epimerases (AlgE1-AlgE7), of which only the bifunctional epimerase AlgE1 seems to be able to generate the long G-blocks when acting on poly-M. The data implies evidence for a processive mode of action and the necessity of two catalytic sites to obtain the observed epimerization pattern. Furthermore, poly-M epimerized with AlgE1 in vitro form gels with comparable or higher rigidity and gel strength than gels made from brown seaweed alginate with matching G-content. These findings strengthen the viability of commercial alginate production from microbial sources.

Climate impact studies have indicated ecological fingerprints of recent global warming across a wide range of habitats. Although these studies have shown responses from various local case studies, a coherent large-scale account on temperature-driven changes of biotic communities has been lacking. Here we use 867 vegetation samples above the treeline from 60 summit sites in all major European mountain systems to show that ongoing climate change gradually transforms mountain plant communities. We provide evidence that the more cold-adapted species decline and the more warm-adapted species increase, a process described here as thermophilization. At the scale of individual mountains this general trend may not be apparent, but at the larger, continental scale we observed a significantly higher abundance of thermophilic species in 2008, compared with 2001. Thermophilization of mountain plant communities mirrors the degree of recent warming and is more pronounced in areas where the temperature increase has been higher. In view of the projected climate change the observed transformation suggests a progressive decline of cold mountain habitats and their biota.

RiassuntoGli effetti dell'antropizzazione diretta delle spiagge e delle dune costiere hanno portato non solo alla diminuzione ed estinzione locale di specie, ma anche alla diffusione di elementi esotici. Il presente lavoro espone i risultati preliminari sulla presenza di specie vegetali esotiche nei sistemi dunali olocenici dell'Italia centrale (Lazio, Abruzzo e Molise). Il censimento della flora vascolare esotica è stato effettuato seguendo il protocollo della cartografia floristica europea. E' emersa la presenza di una notevole diversità di entità esotiche distribuita nei diversi habitat della zonazione costiera psammofila. La maggior parte delle esotiche è di origine americana, anche se alcune differenze emergono dal confronto fra i due litorali considerati: su quello tirrenico si rinvengono con maggior frequenza le specie di origine tropicale mentre su quello adriatico le specie aliene sono prevalentemente di origine extra-tropicale. Delle numerose specie rinvenute ed esaminate la maggior parte sono probabilmente esotiche casuali e poche si possono considerare con una certa sicurezza invasive negli ecosistemi sabbiosi costieri.

This study is part of a general project to analyse the biological and ecological mechanisms that influence the invasion of Mediterranean sand dune ecosystems by alien plants. In this paper we analyse the morphological and functional traits of coastal dune wild species (natives and aliens) based mainly on information from the literature. The most common 130 wild species occurring on the recent (Holocenic) coastal dunes were included considering the invasive status of alien plants. A comparative analysis of functional groups was performed through ordination techniques (PCoA using the Gower index). This reveals four functional groups related to the most important plant communities in coastal vegetation zonation. Alien plants were found in all functional groups and no trait or set of traits was specifically related to them. This indicates that aliens show similar traits to those natives growing in different communities of the coastal dune zonation, from the small beach annuals to the evergreen taller shrubs of the Mediterranean macchia. When the invasive status of alien species was taken into account, however, some differences emerged: a) casual aliens were found in almost all groups but their traits were not interpreted as being due to any particular adaptive strategy; b) naturalised aliens were only found in the less fluctuating habitats of the inner coastal zones; c) invasive alien species were connected with two major plant strategies: annual invasive aliens (quick-to-mature low grasses and herbs) and perennial invasive aliens (taller and often strongly clonal).

Connectivity determines a large number of ecological functions of the landscape and is a key to understand fluxes of matter and energy within landscape mosaics. Several approaches to quantify landscape connectivity are possible. Nevertheless, a major shortcoming of most connectivity indices is that they do not allow the inclusion of any qualitative difference between adjacent landscape patches in the computation of the index. Within this context, using potential natural vegetation distribution as reference model, we propose a new graph theoretical index ?te), which takes into account the serial or catenal nature of the spatial contacts between adjacent vegetation types. Results derived from the analysis of Circeo National Park coastal communities (Central Italy) showed that from an ecological viewpoint, ? top represents an effective measure to quantify landscape connectivity in an ecologically meaningful way.

The scope of this work is to present a hierarchical landscape classification of the Lazio coastal dune systems in order to propose a predictive model for the potential distribution of the coastal coenoses (Potential Natural Vegetation). This classification has been derived from a primary environmental differentiation induced by a combination of climatic, lithological, morphological and hydrogeological factors, integrated with phytosociological information. Based on diagnostic land attributes, 9 Land Elements, 3 Land Units and 3 Land Facets belonging to 1 Land System and 1 Land Region have been recognised. Each Land Unit is a complex of different plant communities within the same catenal sequence (geosigmetum), ranging from the most pioneer annual communities on the beach to different woods in the sheltered zone. The frontal tract of the potential catenal sequence is the same for the whole area while it tends to diverge towards the inner zone, where the most outstanding differences are reflected in the transition towards the dune slack with different woods. This study has enabled us to summarise environmental and phytosociological knowledge of the Lazio coastal dunes and to indicate models for the potential coastal zonation, useful for landscape monitoring, land quality evaluation and nature conservation planning.

Structure and diversity trends (β-diversity and species richness) across the Fagus sylvatica timberline in the central Apennines were investigated. Twenty-three belt transects were laid out across the upper forest line in the Simbruini Mountains. Number of species, plant cover, and height of different layers were recorded in each quadrat. The moving split-window method was used to detect ecological discontinuities across beech timberlines. We show how β-diversity changes along timberlines and we put forward some hypotheses about the possible dynamics of these transitions. Fourmodels resulted from the analysis of β-diversity trends: two β-diversity peaks indicated a transition where shrubs, mainly Juniperus communis ssp. alpina, (two high peaks) or beech scrub (two small peaks) formed a mantle that could allow forest expansion. One high β-diversity peak referred to an anthropo-zoogenic boundary maintained by disturbance, without the presence of a mantle. A little peak indicated a gradual transition at the upper potential timberline limit where beech forest had lost its typical floristical composition and structural characteristics.

Structure and diversity trends (ß-diversity and species richness) across the Fagus sylvaticatimberline in the central Apennines were investigated. Twenty-three belt transects were laid out across the upper forest line in the Simbruini Mountains. Number of species, plant cover, and height of different layers were recorded in each quadrat. The moving split-window method was used to detect ecological discontinuities across beech timberlines. We show how ß-diversity changes along timberlines and we put forward some hypotheses about the possible dynamics of these transitions. Four models resulted from the analysis of ß-diversity trends: two ß-diversity peaks indicated a transition where shrubs, mainly Juniperus communisssp. alpina, (two high peaks) or beech scrub (two small peaks) formed a mantle that could allow forest expansion. One high ß-diversity peak referred to an anthropo-zoogenic boundary maintained by disturbance, without the presence of a mantle. A little peak indicated a gradual transition at the upper potential timberline limit where beech forest had lost its typical floristical composition and structural characteristics.

Connectivity determines a large number of ecological functions of the landscape, including seed and animal dispersal, gene flow and disturbance propagation, and is therefore a key to understanding fluxes of matter and energy within land mosaics. Several approaches to quantifying landscape connectivity are possible. Among these, graph theory may be used to represent a landscape as a series of interconnected patches, where flows occur as a result of structural and/or functional patch connectivity. Within this context, we propose the use of a graph-theoretic index (i.e., the Harary index) as a measure of landscape connectivity. Results derived from the analysis of the vegetation map of Palmarola (central Italy) show that, from a statistical and ecological viewpoint, the Harary index may be a better measure of landscape connectivity than more traditional indices derived from transportation geography.

ABSTRACTA phytosociological study of the urban woods of Rome is described. Six syntaxonomical types were identified: 1) Orno-Quercetum ilicis, an edaphic-xerophytic variant of the natural potential vegetation of the city (deciduous Quercussp. pl. woods); 2) Aquifolio-Fagetum carpinetosum betuli, in the northern slopes of alluvial valleys; 3) Q. suberand Q. pubescenswood, ranked in Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae order 4) Quercetum ilicis galloprovinciale suberetosum; 5) coppice of Q. cerrisand Q. frainetto, which belongs to the Teucrio siculi-Quercion cerridis alliance; 6) mixed mesophile wood of Q. cerrisand Ostrya carpinifoliawhich can be considered a transition between the Doronico-Fagion and the Teucrio siculi-Quercion cerridis alliances. All of these six woody vegetation types are characterised by the large penetration of Mediterranean species belonging to the Quercetea and Quercetalia ilicis and the middle-European ones of the Querco-Fagetea. This mosaic of species exemplifies the bioclimatic characteristics of Rome, which is situated in a Mediterranean transitional region.

The present paper details the results of a phytosociological study on Vaccinium myrtillus communities in the Monti Reatini (Central Apennines). A comparison is reported with Vaccinium communities from the rest of the Italian peninsula (already described), showing the coenological and syntaxonomical autonomy of the Monti Reatini types. The Authors include the Monti Reatini shrublands with V. myrtillus and Juniperus nana in the Pino-Juniperetea class and secondary vegetation forms dynamically linked to them in two new Poo violaceae-Nardetum subassociations: Poo violaceae-Nardetum brachypodietosum rupestris and Poo violaceae-Nardetum caricetosum kitaibelianae.

Variations in Raunkiaer's life-forms spectra for mature Quercus ilex forest stands in N-Mediterranean basin were examined in order to assess their predictability in local vegetation analysis.

The database of high mountain vegetation of central Apennines, hereafter called VIOLA (GIVD ID EU-IT-019), includes published and unpublished phytosociological relevés of high elevation habitats occurring in central Italy (Gran Sasso, Majella, Matese, Meta, Velino Mountains). VIOLA, digitised into TURBOVEG, is the first standardised and exchangeable database on Mediterranean high-elevation vegetation of Italy. It includes 1687 relevés collected during the period 1955–2014, containing 670 taxa, and such numbers will increase as new vegetation data becomes available. The relevés are distributed above the treeline (between 1600 to 2900 m a. s. l.) and refer to the dwarf shrublands, the oro-mediterranean grasslands and high elevation scree and cliff vegetation. Most of the relevés are georeferenced to different levels of accuracy using information from toponyms, altitude, slope, aspect and, if available, GPS coordinates. We followed Conti et al. (2005, 2007) for the taxonomic attribution and nomenclatural updates of vascular plant taxa and, for solving synonymy problems, we also consulted other national and international vascular plants checklists. For each taxon, the cover/ abundance value recorded in the relevés is reported. In addition, the Ellenberg indicator values, life form and chorotype are described. Where appropriate, the corresponding EC habitat (92/43/EEC Habitats Directive) is assigned to each vegetation relevé. Currently, VIOLA includes vegetation relevés belonging to 7 EC habitats (4060, 4070*, 6170, 6210, 6230*, 8120, 8210). VIOLA offers a sound baseline for carrying out a multitude of ecological studies, and is an efficient tool for analyzing EC habitat distribution over time. Moreover, it provides useful information on shifts in altitudinal distribution of plant taxa resulting from global warming (thermophilization process) and land use changes. The VIOLA database is included in the European Vegetation Archive (EVA, www.euroveg.org) and in the Italian national vegetation database (VegItaly, www.vegitaly.it, EU-IT-001).