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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). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change threatens alpine biodiversity and its effects vary across habitat types and biogeographic regions. We explored vegetation changes over the last 20 years on two Mediterranean alpine calcareous grasslands in central Apennines (Italy): stripped grasslands (EUNIS code E4.436) with Sesleria juncifolia growing on steep slopes, and wind edge swards (EUNIS code E4.42) with Carex myosuroides. Based on a re-visitation of 25 vegetation plots of 4 × 4 m, we assessed changes in overall and endemic plant species cover and richness by nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis test. We explored changes in structure and ecology using growth forms and Landolt indicators for temperatures. We identified species' contribution to temporal changes using the similarity percentage procedure (SIMPER). The results evidenced a significant decline in all species cover and richness on both plant communities with a significant decline in alpine and endemic species and in hemicryptophytes with rosette and scapose ones on stripped grasslands, as well as a decline in subalpine and suffruticose chamaephytes species on wind edge swards. Such biodiversity loss, so far observed only in the warmest and Southern Mediterranean summits of Europe, is likely attributable to the combined effect of higher temperatures; the increase in the vegetative period; and the decrease in water availability, which is particularly severe in calcareous regions. Our study suggested the vulnerability of the analyzed alpine ecosystems to global change and the importance of monitoring activities to better understand vegetation trends and adaptation strategies in subalpine, alpine, and nival ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theex situconservation of biodiversity is an essential tool for environmental protection interventions. Germination studies of seeds that belong to endangered species are essential forex situconservation strategies. In this study, we investigate the germination responses of three high-altitude endemic and vulnerable species (Leontopodium nivale,Pinguicula fioriiandSoldanella minimasubsp.samnitica). Specifically we identified potential dormancy mechanisms by investigating the responses of germination percentage and rate to different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3), by performing a general linear model.L. nivalereached a germination percentage of 98.0 ± 2.0% (mean ± SE) under control conditions (20°C; 12/12 photoperiod; no GA3addition).P. fioriishowed the highest germination percentage (78.0 ± 2.0%) in the treatment with GA3500 ppm.S. minimasubsp. samniticadid not show sensitivity to GA3but responded positively to cold stratification (6 month at 5°C) with a germination percentage of 90 ± 6%. This study made it possible to acquire important information on the germination process of threatened and rare endemic taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to better document the diversity and distribution patterns of vascular cryophilous species across major habitat types in a high-elevation Mediterranean system in central Italy. The research addressed the following questions: (a) whether different habitats support similar levels of biodiversity in terms of total vascular plants richness and cryophilous species richness, and (b) how each habitat contributes to the total cryophilous species diversity. A random stratified sampling approach based on a habitat map was applied to construct rarefaction curves for overall cryophilous species richness and habitat type-specific cryophilous richness. Rarefaction curves were also constructed for all-species and exclusive species. To determine whether the targeted species represented a constant proportion of all species, the ratio between the rarefaction curves of the cryophilous species and all species was also calculated. The results highlight the importance of the different habitat types in overall and cryophilous species conservation because these different habitat types had progressively higher richness values. At the regional scale, steep slopes had the highest species diversity, the greatest exclusive species richness and a steep rarefaction curve. The diversity pattern of cryophilous taxa was not related to the general pattern of total species richness, with these species being more common in three habitat types with extreme environmental conditions: ridges, cliffs, and screes. For the establishment of successful biodiversity conservation programs, it is imperative to include species-poor habitats containing a high proportion of cryophilous species, which are considered to be threatened by climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study regards the analysis of leaf and root trait variability of the most invasive alien species and some common native species developing along central-southern Adriatic sand dunes in Italy. The results highlight that large leaf area, the reproductive period in late summer, a biennial/annual life cycle and thick, long roots are useful traits for the successful colonisation of the most invasive species Oenothera biennis, Erigeron canadensis and Xanthium orientale subsp. italicum along the mobile coastal dunes. These alien plants grow in spatial niches generated by eutrophication and human pressure, such as waste deposits on the beach and inter-dune gaps, flattened and altered by human trampling. We suggest that exotic species in the study area are currently occupying temporal and spatial niches that are not being exploited by native species and, therefore, they are not competing directly for the same resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present plant communities in which two endemic taxa of the Apennine mountain chain, Adonis distorta Ten. and Trifolium noricum Wulfen subsp. praetutianum (Savi) Arcang are distributed. Although these taxa occur sporadically in some other Apennine massifs, it is only in the Majella mountain range where these species are physiognomically dominant. Trifolium noricum subsp praetutianum behaves as a differential element in Helianthemo-Festucetum italicae, where it characterizes a new edapho-mesophilous subassociation named Helianthemo alpestris-Festucetum italicae trifolietosuin praetutiani. Adonis distorta is linked to specific geo-morphotypes characterised by an alternation of strips of detritus and fine soil particles as well as to distinguishable communities described in this paper as a new association named Ranunculo seguierii-Adonidetum distortae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many recent developments in coastal science have gone against the demands of European Union legislation. Coastal dune systems which cover small areas of the earth can host a high level of biodiversity. However, human pressure on coastal zones around the world has increased dramatically in the last 50 years. In addition to direct habitat loss, the rapid extinction of many species that are unique to these systems can be attributed to landscape deterioration through the lack of appropriate management. In this paper, we propose to use of an ecosystem classification technique that integrates potential natural vegetation distribution as a reference framework for coastal dune EU Habitats (92/43) distribution analysis and assessment. As an example, the present study analyses the EU Habitats distribution within a hierarchical ecosystem classification of the coastal dune systems of central Italy. In total, 24 land elements belonging to 8 land units, 5 land facets, 2 land systems and 2 land regions were identified for the coastal dunes of central Italy, based on diagnostic land attributes. In central Italy, coastal dune environments including all the beach area, mobile dunes and all the fixed-dune land elements contain or could potentially hold at least one EU habitat of interest. Almost all dune slack transitions present the potentiality for the spontaneous development of EU woodlands of interest. The precise information concerning these ecosystems distribution and ecological relationships that this method produces, makes it very effective in Natura 2000 European network assessment. This hierarchical ecosystem classification method facilitates the identification of areas to be surveyed and eventually bound, under the implementation of EU Habitat directive (92/43) including areas with highly disturbed coastal dune ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract. The aim of this study is to analyse the vascular flora and the local climate along the altitude gradient in the largest alpine belt of the central Apennines (Majella National Park), and to contribute to the evaluation of the possible effects of global climate changes on the biodiversity of the alpine ecosystem. For this purpose floristic-quantitative analyses and temperature records on three different summits have been carried out by using the methodological protocol of the UE-GLORIA project (2001 2003); the project aims toward a standardised monitoring of flora and temperature in the alpine environment of the main European chains. From the analysis of the changes in species richness along the altitude gradient (2405 m versus 2730 m a.s.l.), it emerged that 70% of species do not reach the highest summit and only 11% of the overall flora is shared by all of the summits examined; a drop in mean temperature has been observed at soil level, along the same gradient from 3.11 to 0.03 °C. Floristic-quantitative and climatic analyses have been carried out even along the horizontal gradient (principal exposures), highlighting a great species richness and vegetation cover in eastward aspects. We singled out some endangered rare species and we proved that the slopes facing east will be the first to be affected by the coming of subalpine species from below, whereas northward exposures will be the most conservative, showing greater inertia toward the invasive process caused by the climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal dunes support biodiverse habitats of conservation interest and provide other essential but often overlooked benefits to society, such as carbon sequestration, thanks to their high soil carbon accumulation rates. The recently established coastal dune Natura 2000 network in the Italian Adriatic coast aims at protecting dune habitats diversity, yet its capacity to provide other ecosystem services, and the potential trade-offs with biodiversity provision have so far not been evaluated. In this paper we conduct this analysis for a key ecosystem service: carbon storage and sequestration. We i) quantify soil carbon stocks and sequestration within four coastal dune EU habitat types along the Adriatic Natura 2000 network; ii) upscale these data to create an inventory of carbon stocks for all dune Natura 2000 sites in the study area; iii) collate biodiversity data of the selected EU habitat types using plant diversity measures as surrogates of coastal dune biodiversity and iv) explore the trade-offs between carbon storage and biodiversity value for the selected habitats. Italian Adriatic coastal dune Natura 2000 sites sequester 4998 t of CO 2 e per year, with the majority in wooded dunes. Wooded dunes showed significantly higher soil carbon density than the other dune habitats, and had a much greater area, but they were characterized by lower species richness. By contrast, the endangered fixed dunes, which survive in few residual patches along the study area, showed the highest plant diversity for both total species richness and dune focal species, but had a much lower carbon density and extent. Although further analyses of additional services would be desirable for a more comprehensive assessment, these findings suggest that conservation actions should favor restoration of the natural dune zonation, since it guarantees both dune species diversity and carbon storage. The carbon stocks and EU habitat type extents produced in this study constitute the first systematic inventory for dune systems in the Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

air pollution is a complex mixture; novel multipollutant approaches could help understanding the health effects of multiple concomitant exposures to air pollutants. to assess the relationship of long-term air pollution exposure with the prevalence of respiratory/allergic symptoms and diseases in an Italian multicenter study using single and multipollutant approaches. 14420 adults living in 6 Italian cities (Ancona, Pavia, Pisa, Sassari, Turin, Verona) were investigated in 2005–2011 within 11 different study cohorts. Questionnaire information about risk factors and health outcomes was collected. Machine learning derived mean annual concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 , NO 2 and mean summer concentrations of O 3 (μg/m3) at residential level (1-km resolution) were used for the period 2013–2015. The associations between the four pollutants and respiratory/allergic symptoms/diseases were assessed using two approaches: a) logistic regression models (single-pollutant models), b) principal component logistic regression models (multipollutant models). All the models were adjusted for age, sex, education level, smoking habits, season of interview, climatic index and included a random intercept for cohorts. the three-year average (± standard deviation) pollutants concentrations at residential level were: 20.3 ± 6.8 μg/m3 for PM 2.5 , 29.2 ± 7.0 μg/m3 for PM 10 , 28.0 ± 11.2 μg/m3 for NO 2 , and 70.9 ± 4.3 μg/m3 for summer O 3. Through the multipollutant models the following associations emerged: PM 10 and PM 2.5 were related to 14–25% increased odds of rhinitis, 23–34% of asthma and 30–33% of night awakening; NO 2 was related to 6–9% increased odds of rhinitis, 7–8% of asthma and 12% of night awakening; O 3 was associated with 37% increased odds of asthma attacks. Overall, the Odds Ratios estimated through the multipollutant models were attenuated when compared to those of the single-pollutant models. this study enabled to obtain new information about the health effects of air pollution on respiratory/allergic outcomes in adults, applying innovative methods for exposure assessment and multipollutant analyses. • Air pollution is related to increased global prevalence of allergic disease. • New evidence on health effects in adults has been added. • The multipollutant approach has given a thorough information on health effects. • New evidence has been brought about NO 2 and summer O 3 health effects. • PM 2.5 and PM 10 have been confirmed as main drivers of health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plants are a major threat to biodiversity and they contribute to the unfavourable conservation status of habitats of interest to the European Community. In order to favour implementation of European Union Regulation no. 1143/2014 on invasive alien species, the Italian Society of Vegetation Science carried out a large survey led by a task force of 49 contributors with expertise in vegetation across all the Italian administrative regions. The survey summed up the knowledge on impact mechanisms of invasive alien plants in Italy and their outcomes on plant communities and the EU habitats of Community Interest, in accordance with Directive no. 92/43/EEC. The survey covered 241 alien plant species reported as having deleterious ecological impacts. The data collected illustrate the current state of the art, highlight the main gaps in knowledge, and suggest topics to be further investigated. In particular, the survey underlined competition as being the main mechanism of ecological impact on plant communities and Natura 2000 habitats. Of the 241 species, only Ailanthus altissima was found to exert an ecological impact on plant communities and Natura 2000 habitats in all Italian regions; while a further 20 species impact up to ten out of the 20 Italian administrative regions. Our data indicate that 84 out of 132 Natura 2000 Habitats (64%) are subjected to some degree of impact by invasive alien plants. Freshwater habitats and natural and semi-natural grassland formations were impacted by the highest number of alien species, followed by coastal sand dunes and inland dunes, and forests. Although not exhaustive, this research is the first example of nationwide evaluation of the ecological impacts of invasive alien plants on plant communities and Natura 2000 Habitats., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this study, we explored if, how, and when the European Union habitats (EU sensu Habitats Directive 92/43/CEE) are used by the flagship species Testudo hermanni in a well-preserved coastal dune system of the Italian peninsula. Radio telemetry data and fine-scale vegetation habitat mapping were used to address the following questions: (a) is each EU habitat used differentially by Hermann's tortoises? (b) is there any seasonal variation in this utilization pattern? (c) how does each habitat contribute to the ecological requirements of the tortoises? Nine tortoises were fitted with transmitters and monitored for the entire season of activity. The eight EU habitats present in the study area were surveyed and mapped using GIS. The seasonal preferential use or avoidance of each habitat was tested by comparing, through bootstrap tests, the proportion of habitat occupied (piTh) with the proportion of available habitat in the entire landscape (piL). The analysis of 340 spatial locations showed a marked preference for the Cisto-Lavanduletalia dune sclerophyllous scrubs (EU code 2260) and a seasonal selection of Juniperus macrocarpa bushes (EU code 2250(*)), wooded dunes with Pinus (EU code 2270) and mosaic of dune grasslands and sclerophyllous scrubs (EU codes 2230, 2240, 2260). Seasonal variation of habitat preference was interpreted in light of the different feeding, thermoregulation and reproductive needs of the tortoises. Our results stress the ecological value of EU coastal dune habitats and suggest prioritization of conservation efforts in these ecosystems., (Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Alien species can represent a threat to several ecosystems because they can alter species relationships and ecosystem function. In Italy, Acacia saligna is a major invader and it forms dense stands in coastal environments. We analyze the impact of A. saligna in Italian Mediterranean dune systems. We randomly sampled coastal dune vegetation and investigated its floristic composition with ordination techniques. We compared species richness in invaded and non-invaded plots with rarefaction curves and analyzed the frequency of focal and ruderal species. A. saligna invaded Mediterranean scrub (habitats 2250* and 2260) and coastal Pinus dune wood (habitat 2270*) and it is particularly prevalent in sunny areas of habitat 2270*. We observed an increase in ruderal species and a decrease in focal species in the invaded plots of habitat 2270*. We suggest that more open and disturbed areas are more prone to A. saligna invasion., (Copyright © 2013 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)