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Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different land cover and management, distributed over three Mediterranean regions under strong desertification risk, with the final aim to define critical SOC ranges for fast loss of important soil functionalities. The study sites belonged to private and public landowners seeking to adopt sustainable land management practices to support ecosystem sustainability and productivity of their land. Data showed a very clear relationship between SOC concentrations and the other analyzed soil properties: total nitrogen, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, available water capacity, microbial biomass, C fractions associated to particulate organic matter and to the mineral soil component and indirectly with net N mineralization. Below 20 g SOC kg−1, additional changes of SOC concentrations resulted in a steep variation of all the analyzed soil indicators, an order of magnitude higher than the changes occurring between 50 and 100 g SOC kg−1 and 3–4 times the changes observed at 20–50 g SOC kg−1. About half of the study sites showed average SOC concentration of the topsoil centimetres

Background The Aegadian Islands are located west of Trapani, Sicily. Once the site of bountiful tuna fisheries and fruit orchards (plums, peaches, apricots), grapevines, prickly pears, and grains, the local economy is now based on tourism, and many traditional agricultural and maritime practices have been abandoned. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the state of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) concerning the use of wild and cultivated plants and fungi for human health, food, maritime, and agricultural purposes on the islands of Levanzo, Favignana, and Marettimo and compare present-day practices with those documented in the past. Methods In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted in Italian with 48 participants with prior informed consent from May 2016 to July 2017 and October 2018. Herbarium voucher specimens of wild species were collected for herbarium deposit. A rigorous literature review of scientific and other local reports on TEK of wild flora and their application in food, health, and household applications was undertaken for the purpose of comparing findings from this field study with prior reports. Results A total of 122 plant and five fungal taxa representing 54 families were cited for 355 uses. Among the most pervasive species in the landscape, Agave americana and A. sisalana had diverse applications in the past, which ranged from cordage for agricultural and maritime applications to tools for sewing, eating land snails, and constructing furniture. Fields of Ferula communis also dominate the landscape, and the dry stems were used extensively in furniture making; this species also serves as an environmental indicator for the location of the most preferred edible mushrooms, Pleurotus eryngii var. ferulae. Other important flora included topical medicinal applications of Glaucium flavum for hematomas and Artemisia arborescens for ritual bathing of newborns. Conclusion While many plant-based traditions have disappeared from daily practice, especially those related to traditional fishing and health practices, they remain in the memories of the eldest subset of the population. Documenting this knowledge before it disappears from oral history is a key factor in reducing loss of TEK and biocultural diversity, safeguarding the role of the Aegadian Islands as biocultural refugia.

Precision forestry is becoming a key sector for forest planning because it allows complex analyses of forest data to be carried out simply and economically. It contributes to the integration between technicians and operators in the sector by guaranteeing the transparency of the forest management operations (Corona et al., 2017). In the context of the progressive development of technology, we investigated the feasibility of using the hand-held mobile laser scanner (HMLS) system in different types of forest sites and comparison of the characteristics of individual trees (tree height, diameters at breast height) with traditional surveys, applied with the aim to validate the performance of the system for a future alternative methodology for forest planning thanks to the collaboration with the forestry company “Dimensione Ricerca Ecologia Ambiente Italia” (D.R.E.Am. Italia). GEOSLAM ZEB HORIZON ™ laser scanner is a hand-held mobile laser scanner containing SLAM technology that can be solved the problem of no GNSS signal or poor signal under the forest canopy making it more practical for forest investigations (Gollob et al., 2020). 15 forest sample plots are selected to reflect different stand conditions in Mediterranean forests taking into count the development stage and density of the sub-canopy vegetation, as well as the species composition in the forest stands. The aim of this study is to show the possible extrinsic circumstances that make the method fail by varying the ecological status of forest plots.

Many forest tree species have been moved outside their native range to provide goods and services elsewhere, but some of them have become invasive, causing negative impacts on biodiversity and human activities. The assessment and knowledge on the degree and scale to which forest ecosystems are invaded by non-native trees is of paramount importance for tailored policies and strategies aiming at forest conservation. By analyzing main databases and literature and applying a four-level scale of invasion (not currently invaded and with low invasibility; potentially invasible; moderately invaded; massively invaded), we assessed the current and potential occurrence of twenty-five invasive non-native trees across forest ecosystems in Italy. Vulnerability to invasion substantially differed across forest categories, with riparian forests being particularly vulnerable to invasion. Acacia dealbata, Juglans nigra, Populus × canadensis and Prunus laurocerasus invaded a relatively small number of forest categories but showed their potential to widen their impact on others. Furthermore, some non-native species showed a recent increase of their invasive status in Italy. This study identified the Italian forest categories and non-native tree species that deserve primary attention, and can support proper management and allocation of funding to protect forests from the spread of invasive tree species.

Leucaena leucocephala is worldwide used for wood production, reforestation and for feeding livestock. To assess the potential use of leucaena for animal nutrition, we analysed the composition of methanolic extracts of leaf samples of two varieties occurring in Sicily (Mediterranean area), also determining the presence of mimosine.

Si riporta un caso singolare di crescita di Kalanchoë daigremontiana Raym.-Hamet & H. Perrier (Crassulaceae) su Plumeria rubra L. (Apocynaceae).

The present study provides a critical review of the available historical data on the distribution of Abies nebrodensis, a fir tree endemic to Sicily. The only (somewhat ambiguous) references to its occurrence on Mount Etna date back to the 1st century bc and refer back to the 3rd century bc. Although the botanical and forestry literature and the very few surviving herbarium specimens do not prove that A. nebrodensis grew outside the Madonie mountain range, several indications suggest its past occurrence on other Sicilian mountain ranges such as the Erei, Nebrodi, and probably also Sicani mountains. The results of the most recent pollen investigations (still ongoing) point to the disappearance of Abies from most of Sicily by the 1st century bc, and at least since the Middle Ages A. nebrodensis had become extremely rare even on the Madonie mountains. Publications focused on the wooden artefacts from archaeological excavations and the restoration of architectural heritage have provided some information on the past use of fir wood in Sicily, but the species identity of the firs being used remain unresolved. The present review of the past occurrence and distribution of A. nebrodensis suggests that it may have previously occupied a wider ecological niche.

Although Prunus dulcis has been frequently listed in non-native floras all around the world, its naturalization has been rarely studied in the field. Probably, because this species has generally invaded synanthropic habitats. We assessed the density of natural regeneration of almond, biometric parameters (height and basal stem diameter), and the distribution in life stage classes in three different ecological contexts in Sicily (Mediterranean Italy): one natural habitat (maquis), one pine afforestation and two prickly pear orchards. We recorded 236 naturally regenerating almond individuals, with density ranging from 140 individuals per hectare (prickly pear orchard 1) up to 2,400 individuals per hectare (pine afforestation). Despite the higher density, almond individuals presented the lowest height and basal stem diameter under pine afforestation, suggesting a more recent establishment. Reproductive individuals were dominant (67.8%), followed by pre-reproductive (22.1%), and juveniles (10.1%). Although the naturalization of the almond in Mediterranean contexts is not new, in the last two decades there is evidence of an increasing trend. Most importantly, for the first time, we found the almond thriving within a natural habitat in large areas covered by Mediterranean maquis. Since the almond appears to be perfectly integrated within local plant communities, the origin and meaning of this peculiar vegetation aspect deserve to be further deepened.

The occurrence of Embioptera in the Strait of Sicily islands was up to date known only from Lam pione (the smallest of the Pelagie islands), where the only species reported was provisionally assigned to Embia ramburi Rimski-Korsakow, 1905. Based on material recently collected by the authors, the presence of Embioptera is here reported for the first time in the Islands of Pantelleria (Sicily, Trapani) and Lampedusa (Sicily, Agrigento). In the Island of Pantelleria the occurrence of the typical small silky tunnels produced by Embioptera has been verified in many sites, from sea level to Montagna Grande (836 m). In many of these sites, several juveniles and some adult or subadult specimens were collected and reared, obtaining an adult male belonging to Cleomia guareschii Stefani, 1953. More over, a single adult male of E. ramburi was collected in Lampedusa, the largest of the Pelagian Islands. Finally, the fauna of Embioptera from Lampione remains still poorly known, as it was possible to examine only two females recently collected in the island, and identified as Embia sp.

Pruning is an important horticultural practice for the management of olive orchards (Olea europaea L.) that generates a considerable amount of residues every year. Olive orchards are increasingly expanding beyond the Mediterranean Basin to new growing Countries (Australia, California, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) and this will certainly lead to larger availability of pruning material. Currently, the interest in use of olive tree pruning residues for energy purposes is increasing but unfortunately, the information on the differences among organs of the tree, in terms of calorific value and ash content, is scarce. Another unknown aspect is the effect of cultivar vigour on dry matter partition among different tree organs, these are important traits to establish the energetic quality of pruning residues. The aim of this research was to study energetic aspects of six olive cultivars, largely grown in the Sicilian olive industry and characterized by different vigour. The trees taken into consideration in the study were selected in an experimental orchard to avoid any effect due to differences in environmental conditions and management. The energetic characteristics, calorific value and ash content, were evaluated for the various tree organs particularly shoots, leaves and branches; also root system was evaluated, although the roots can only be used once the trees are uprooted. Significant differences were observed in the calorific values among the different tree organs and the cultivars. Regarding the ash, shoots and leaves showed the highest content with respect to the other organs, thus causing a possible tendency in slagging with fouling and corrosion of boiler components.

Large old trees are extraordinary organisms. They not only represent a historical, landscape and environmental heritage of inestimable value, but they also witness a long history of environmental changes and human interventions, and constitute an as yet poorly known reserve of genetic variability which can be considered a great resource for management programs of forest species. This is the first genetic study on Italian, large, old chestnut trees (Castanea sativa Mill.). Ninety-nine trees were surveyed and analysed. For each tree, more than one sample from canopy and root suckers was collected to test for the genetic integrity of the individuals. All samples were genotyped using nine nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs) and 106 unique genetic profiles were identified. A Bayesian analysis performed with the software STRUCTURE revealed the occurrence of two main gene pools and unveiled the genetic relationships existing among the genotyped individuals, and with the natural chestnut populations living in proximity. A phylogeographic structure of the plastid diversity was also obtained by the use of DNA sequence variation at two marker regions, revealing different origins and probable connections of the old trees with different glacial refugia. Our results contribute to an improved evaluation of the European chestnut genetic resources and provide useful insights into the species&rsquo, history and domestication in Italy. The importance of carefully targeted conservation strategies for these invaluable organisms is reaffirmed.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:34:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-03-01 Università degli Studi di Palermo Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca Vegetation natural regeneration after agricultural abandonment is changing the landscape patterns in many areas worldwide. However, the expansion rate, spatio-temporal dynamics, and the role of past vegetation cover in shaping such patterns are still barely quantified in fine and meso scales. Here, we aim to quantify the expansion rate and assess the spatio-temporal patterns and the effects of past cover on natural woody vegetation cover increase. We sampled woodland and shrubland cover from 1992 to 2016 in 30 ha in a formerly managed pastureland in Sicily, Italy. We combined field sampling, GIS tools, and spatial analysis to assess the spatial structure dynamics and test the effects of past cover amount and type and distance from forest or nearest woody patch on the proportional expansion of natural regeneration. After 24 years, woody cover increased 68%, despite the aggregated spatial structure in 1992 remaining almost unchanged in 2016. The past vegetation cover was the best predictor of woody vegetation expansion in two out of three plots. Distance to continuous forest and to the nearest woody patch, as well as cover type, was not relevant. Our study highlights the importance of fine- and meso-scale studies to reveal both the deterministic and stochastic facet of woody vegetation dynamics. Natural regeneration may strongly change landscape patterns even under constant herbivory pressure and long-term deforestation. The detection of cold and hotspots of regeneration provide an important prompt for the design of restoration programs and landscape management. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie Alimentari e Forestali Università degli Studi di Palermo (UNIPA) Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas – UMIB University of Oviedo Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca: 201049EXTW

Gli acari fitoseiidi sono divenuti interesse di studio in Sicilia a partire dai primi anni '70. Ricerche costanti nel tempo hanno arricchito le conoscenze sulla fauna siciliana con la segnalazione di 48 specie valide, cinque delle quali nuove per la Scienza. Nel presente lavoro riassumiamo i dati raccolti in circa cinquant'anni, con l’aggiunta di 12 nuove segnalazioni per la fauna isolana. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cryptus Athias-Henriot stata confermata la specie pi frequente (39,4%), seguita da Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa (32,6%), Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) (22,9%), Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) rhenanoides Athias-Henriot (19,4%) (18,9%). Alcune specie hanno mostrato una forte presenza in localit dal clima pi mite (zone costiere o di pianura) o zone pi fresche (localit di alta collina o montagna), mentre altre hanno mostrato una distribuzione pi ampia. Gli indici Sorensen-Dice hanno mostrato valori pi alti tra localit contigue per altitudine (0,65 e 0,60 rispettivamente per i siti di collina-montagna e di pianura-collina), mentre la somiglianza tra la fauna di fitoseidi presente sulle piante in aree distanti tra loro (pianura-montagna) era inferiore (0,53). L’analisi cladistica della composizione specifica dei fitoseidi su piante coltivate e spontanee nei tre piani altitudinali ha mostrato un netto distacco tra i due gruppi di piante con un gradiente progressivo che segue l’aumento altitudinale. Phytoseiid mites became an interesting issue in Sicily in the early 70’s. Constant surveys enriched the knowledge on Sicilian fauna with 48 valid species, five of them new to Science. In the present paper we summarise data collected in about 50 years of surveys, adding 12 records new for the Sicily fauna. Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) cryptus Athias-Henriot has been confirmed as the most frequent species (39.4%), followed by Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) exhilaratus Ragusa (32.6%), Kampimodromus aberrans (Oudemans) (22.9%), Typhlodromus (Anthoseius) rhenanoides Athias-Henriot (19.4%) (19.6%) and Euseius stipulatus (Athias-Henriot) (18.9%). Some species showed a strict association with warmer or cooler sites, while others showed a wider distribution. Sorensen-Dice indices showed higher values between contiguous localities for altitude (0.65 and 0.60 for hill-mountain and plainhill sites respectively), while the similarity among Phytoseiidae fauna present on plants in areas far from each other (plain-mountain) was lower (0.53).

Over the last 40 years, we have been regularly conducting observations in a typical hinterland area of Sicily around the inhabited centre of Roccapalumba. The heterogeneity of the territory made up of strips of natural woods, reforestation, cultivated areas (especially arable lands and small orchards), pastures, bushy areas, isolated rocks, a river and many small artificial lakes has created suitable habitats for almost all species of hilly environments in Sicily. During the study period, no substantial changes have occurred in the landscape at the level of land‐use macro‐categories, with the exception of new pine afforestation. Major changes have been observed, however, within agro‐ecosystems (with the disappearance of almond groves) and in the management of agro‐ecosystems and marginal areas. Changes in birdlife are due either to changes in the status of a given species at local or global level, or to the above‐mentioned reasons.

The wildcat (Felis silvestris), the pine marten (Martes martes) and the weasel (Mustela nivalis) are key members of the mammalian community in Sicily, actually performing the role of top predators and consequently influencing the trophic chain both in natural and agricultural areas. However, despite their protected status, very little information is available regarding their occurrence and ecology. Here, by verifying published studies, collecting personal observations and analyzing novel field data obtained by camera traps, we update their spatial distribution in Sicily, contributing to a better understanding of their habitat use and suggesting future research to improve our knowledge of these carnivores and to ensure their conservation.

The scientific articles (including abstracts and books) published by Bruno Massa are listed according to years. The numerous reviews Bruno has written in recent years, greatly contributing to the dissemination of scientific knowledge, are excluded.

Scelionidi (Hymenoptera: Platygastroidea) segnalati per l’Italia e loro ospiti noti. Il seguente lavoro propone una revisione della checklist italiana della famiglia Scelionidae dopo quella proposta da Bin et al. (1995). Viene inoltre fornito l’elenco delle specie di ospiti di Insecta e Arachnida individuate nel lavoro di raccolta bibliografica. In totale sono riportati 38 generi di scelionidi per l’Italia con 181 specie di cui 58 riportano anche gli ospiti appartenenti agli ordini: Insecta: Mantodea, Orthoptera, Embioptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera; Arachnida: Araneae Dysderiidae, Lycosidae. Grazie all'intenso lavoro di ricerca del professor Giovanni Mineo, recentemente scomparso, le specie registrate per la Sicilia sono aumentate da 56 a 99. La revisione e l’aggiornamento della checklist nasce dalla recente importanza assunta degli scelionidi nello studio di una possibile loro applicazione nei programmi di controllo biologico contro eterotteri pentatomidi alloctoni e dall’arrivo in Europa di scelionidi alloctoni come Trissolcus japonicus e T. mitsukurii, candidati per il controllo biologico di Halyomorpha halys. A revised checklist of the Italian Scelionidae is provided. Data regarding host association of recorded species of this family of egg parasitoids of insects and spiders are provided. A total of 181 species in 38 genera have been recorded in Italy. The parasitized hosts are recorded for 58 of recorded species. These species parasitise eggs of different insect orders (Mantodea, Orthoptera, Embioptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Neuroptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera) and spiders (Araneae Dysderiidae, Lycosidae). Scelionidae are considered as effective biological control agents of insect pests, and many times were used in biological control programs. Very recently, two allochthonous scelionids Trissolcus japonicus and T. mitsukurii, candidates of introduction for biological control purposes, accidentally arrived into Europe and Italy and became established, thanks to the presence of their preferred allochthnous host Halyomorpha halys.

The use of natural fibers in cement composites is a widening research field as their application can enhance the mechanical and thermal behavior of cement mortars and limit their carbon footprint. In this paper, two different wild grasses, i.e., Ampelodesmos mauritanicus, also called diss, and Pennisetum setaceum, also known as crimson fountaingrass, are used as a source of natural aggregates for cement mortars. The main purpose is to assess the possibility of using the more invasive crimson fountaingrass in place of diss in cement-based vegetable concrete. The two plant fibers have been characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), helium picnometry and thermogravimetric analysis. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of fiber panels has been measured. Mortars samples have been prepared using untreated, boiled and Polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG) treated fibers. The mechanical characterization has been performed by means of three point bending and compression tests. Thermal conductivity and porosity have been measured to characterize physical modification induced by fibers’ treatments. The results showed better thermal and mechanical properties of diss fiber composites than fountaingrass one and that fiber treatments lead to a reduction of the thermal insulation properties.

Studying the genetic diversity and structure of the current forest populations is essential for evaluating the ability to survive to future biotic and abiotic changes and planning conservation strategies. Quercus trojana is an eastern Mediterranean tree species with a fragmented distribution range, and its westernmost outposts are located in southern Italy. The demand for timber and cropland over the centuries has severely reduced it s occurrence in this part of the range. We assessed the genetic diversity and structure of the extant Italian populations of Q. trojana and derived conservation guidelines. A total of 322 samples were genotyped with six polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers. Our results reveale d a high genetic diversity in all populations, structured into two main gene pools, and a highly divergent single population. Based on the allelic richness and heterozygosity estimation, we identified populations which can be considered as valuable source material for conservation programs, and those requiring adequate measure to reestablish gene flow and reduce fragmentation. Finally, a comparison with a set of eastern Mediterranean samples indicated a relationship between the Italian and the Greek gene pool; different hypotheses on the Italian gene pool origin were discussed. The need to protect these marginal, disjunct populations was further reinforced. ` survivre aux changements biotiques et abiotiques futurs et planifier les stratégies de conservation. Quercus trojana Webb est une espèce arborescente de l’est de la région méditerranéenne caractérisée par une aire de distribution naturelle fragmentée. Ses avant-postes les plus a` l’ouest sont situés dans le sud de l’Italie. Au cours des siècles, la demande pour le bois et les terres destinées a` l’agriculture a sévèrement réduit son occurrence dans cette partie de son aire de distribution. Nous avons évalué la diversité génétique et la structure des populations actuelles de Q. trojana en Italie, afin d’en déduire des lignes directrices pour la conservation. Un total de 322 échantillons ont été génotypés pour six marqueurs nucléaires polymorphes de type microsatellite. Les résultats indiquent qu’il y a une grande diversité génétique dans toutes les populations, structurée en deux pools génétiques principaux, ainsi qu’une population unique très divergente. Sur la base des estimations de richesse allélique et d’hétérozygotie, les populations pouvant être considérées comme une source utile de propagules pour les programmes de conservation ont été identifiées, ainsi que les populations nécessitant des mesures adéquates pour restaurer le flux génique et réduire la fragmentation. Enfin, la comparaison avec un jeu d’échantillons provenant de l’est de la région méditerranéenne montre qu’il existe un lien entre le pool génétique de l’Italie et celui de la Grèce. Différentes hypothèses concernant l’origine du pool génétique italien sont abordées dans la discussion. La protection de ces populations marginales disjointes a encore besoin d’être renforcée.

Scarce information is available on the biological reasons why a small subset of introduced species can effectively establish within novel ecosystems. A comparison of early growth traits can help to explain the better performance of alien invasive species versus native co-occurring species. In one year-long experiment, we compared the early life stages of Ampelodesmos mauritanicus (Poir.) Dur. & Schinz (Amp), a native perennial Mediterranean grass, and Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov (Penn), an emerging invader grass in sub-arid and Mediterranean-climate areas. The Penn seedlings grew significantly faster and were approximately 2.5 times taller than the Amp seedlings, reaching a final average height of 90 cm. The shoot and root dry masses of the Penn seedlings were, respectively, more than 14 times and 4 times higher than those of the Amp seedlings. As a consequence, the shoot:root ratio was significantly higher in Penn, which resulted in a greater allocation of resources to the photosynthetic organs. Penn showed a more rapid life cycle compared with Amp. Penn produced seeds 9 months after sowing while no spikelet was produced by Amp until the end of the experiment. As a consequence, Penn may gain a reproductive advantage due to rapid seed dissemination. Ultimately, a suite of peculiar early growth traits makes Penn an aggressive competitor against Amp, which is an important floristic element of native Mediterranean grasslands. Penn seems better suited than Amp in colonizing frequently disturbed sites with fluctuating resource availability or irregular rainfall distribution and Penn is gradually replacing Amp.

The occurrence of old-growth forests is quite limited in Mediterranean islands, which have been subject to particularly pronounced human impacts. Little is known about the carbon stocks of such peculiar ecosystems compared with different stages of secondary succession. We investigated the carbon variation in aboveground woody biomass, in litter and soil, and the nitrogen variation in litter and soil, in a 100 years long secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems. A vineyard, three stages of plant succession (high maquis, maquis-forest, and forest-maquis), and an old growth forest were compared. Soil samples at two soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and two litter types, relatively undecomposed and partly decomposed, were collected. Carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass increased from 6 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to 105 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Along the secondary succession, soil carbon considerably increased from about 33 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to about 69 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Soil nitrogen has more than doubled, ranging from 4.1 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to 8.8 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Both soil parameters were found to be affected by successional stage and soil depth but not by their interaction. While the C/N ratio in the soil remained relatively constant during the succession, the C/N ratio of the litter strongly decreased, probably following the progressive increase in the holm oak contribution. While carbon content in litter decreased along the succession, nitrogen content slightly increased. Overall, carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass, litter and soil increased from about 48 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to about 198 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. The results of this study indicate that, even in Mediterranean environments, considerable amounts of carbon may be stored through secondary succession processes up to old growth forest. The occurrence of old-growth forests is quite limited in Mediterranean islands, which have been subject to particularly pronounced human impacts. Little is known about the carbon stocks of such peculiar ecosystems compared with different stages of secondary succession. We investigated the carbon variation in aboveground woody biomass, in litter and soil, and the nitrogen variation in litter and soil, in a 100 years long secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems. A vineyard, three stages of plant succession (high maquis, maquis-forest, and forest-maquis), and an old growth forest were compared. Soil samples at two soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and two litter types, relatively undecomposed and partly decomposed, were collected. Carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass increased from 6 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to 105 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Along the secondary succession, soil carbon considerably increased from about 33 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to about 69 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Soil nitrogen has more than doubled, ranging from 4.1 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to 8.8 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Both soil parameters were found to be affected by successional stage and soil depth but not by their interaction. While the C/N ratio in the soil remained relatively constant during the succession, the C/N ratio of the litter strongly decreased, probably following the progressive increase in the holm oak contribution. While carbon content in litter decreased along the succession, nitrogen content slightly increased. Overall, carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass, litter and soil increased from about 48 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to about 198 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. The results of this study indicate that, even in Mediterranean environments, considerable amounts of carbon may be stored through secondary succession processes up to old growth forest.

Urban ecosystems will become increasingly important in the coming years. Urban trees are likely to increase in importance to society as their value in enhancing people's sense of well-being as well as the direct economic impacts are increasingly recognized. Urban forest monitoring data are essential to assess the impacts of tree planting campaigns and management programs. Tree-Talker (TT) is a device based ton the Internet of Things (IoT) technology for the monitoring of trees physical and physiological conditions. The TT allows the monitoring of (i) multispectral measurements of the sunlight transmitted through the canopy in 12 bands across the visible and near infra-red spectra; (ii) sap flow, as indicator of tree transpiration and functionality of xylem transport; (iii) tree radial growth thanks to its infrared based distance sensor as indicator of carbon allocation in biomass; (iv) xylem moisture content as indicator of hydraulic functionality; and (v) tree stability parameters to allow real time forecast of potential tree fallings. The TT can also measure physical variables of the environment such as the temperature and air humidity. This device is connected to a LoRa radio network and a gateway is connected with the cloud. In this work, we evaluated the performance of different trees in Moscow city and assessed the differences in phenology, growth and transpiration across different species, different tree ages and different exposure to air pollution. This work contributes to accurate quantification of urban tree performance, helping urban managers make data-driven decisions.

A decision support System for the Optimization of the biomass supply chain and Forest Integrated Management in protected areas (SOFIA) is presented. All functionalities have been developed in Python language embedded in the open-source QGIS 3.6 software. Two models were implemented with an approach and methodology based on free and open source software (QGIS, GRASS, SAGA, GDAL). The main aim of SOFIA is to support the Madonie Regional Natural Park authority and forest managers in decision-making processes to assess the costs and benefits in the energy production from residual agro-forestry biomass, as well as for determining the optimum plant size (and power) for energy and heat production and the relative biomass supply area. The implementation encompassed the input dataset definition, algorithms selection and outputs generation: the model itself includes two algorithms. Main outputs are: 1) a raster cumulative Cost map, quantifying the forest accessibility starting from a generic position of the roads network within 60 minutes walking; 2) a vector map, zoning the protected area based on the forest type, access time classes, biomass districts, municipalities and park zoning. The DSS was developed in the framework of INTERREG MED “ForBioEnergy - Forest Bioenergy in the protected Mediterranean areas” Project.

The ForBioEnergy Project (Interreg MED Programme), implemented as part of a partnership between four countries of the MED Area (Italy, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia), assessed the possibility of producing bioenergy using biomass from the sustainable forest management in the protected areas of the Mediterranean. In Italy, the pilot protected area was the Madonie Natural Regional Park (Sicily). After the establishment of the protected area (in 1989), both for socio-economic reasons and for the regime of the constraints introduced, the silvicultural activities were almost completely abandoned. On the one hand, this has made it possible to reduce the excessive exploitation of forest resources and ensured their conservation, but, on the other hand it is causing degradation and instability in most of the forest areas, especially in reforestations and aged coppices. As a result of this, it is now considered essential to promote an active forest management in order to favor the evolution in more complex, stable and resilient forest systems. The implementation of the necessary silvicultural interventions could allow us to produce biomass that can also be used for energy purposes. To determine the current amount of biomass that can be obtained, the territory of the Park (approximately 40,000 hectares), was initially divided into 5 Biomass Districts, according to administrative, environmental and socio-economic criteria, and subsequently a forest management plan was drawn up within one of the identified districts. The area subject to planning, extended approximately 1,550 hectares, has been divided into forest parcels, identified according to physiographic and physiognomic criteria. The dendrometric surveys, which are essential for defining the management guidelines, and set the necessary silvicultural interventions, were carried out for each forest parcel with active management. The real growing stock, both in terms of volume (m3) and biomass (t), has been assessed. Taking into account that one operates within a protected area, the yield was calculated with the cultivation method, i.e. by analytically evaluating, for each particle, the specific silvicultural intervention to be performed. Since one of the founding principles of the project is the “cascade” use of the wood resource, the obtainable biomass has been divided into two types: biomass exclusively for energy use (mostly wood chips) and other assortments (mostly firewood). The total amount of biomass in the district is significant and it is sufficient to start a short wood-energy supply chain, for example to feed small cogeneration plants serving public utilities, such as the swimming pool and hospital in the municipality of Petralia Sottana (PA).

In accordo con le moderne esigenze di sostenibilità e multifunzitonalità, è oggi utile prendere in considerazitone la possibilità di riattivare processi legati ad antichi usi del bosco, la cui memtoria rischia di essere persa per sempre insieme alle tradizioni e ai costumi di comunità nate e sviluppatesi proprio grazie a tali attività. Partendo da tali presupposti, si è condotto uno studio sulla attività di resinazione condotta in Sicilia, a carico del pino laricio, nella pineta di Linguaglossa ricadente nel comune omonimo (prtovincia di Catania) sino agli anni ‘50 del secolo scorso in Sicilia. L’indagine ha inoltre avuto lo scopo di vagliare l’opportunità di ripristinare l’attività resinazione nel comune di Linguaglossa a fronte di un rinnovato interesse per questo prodotto ma prendendo in considerazione aspetti che tengano conto tanto della conservazione della pineta quanto della valorizzazione dei servizi ecosistemici come la prevenzione da incendi nonché la conservazione di valori storici e culturali. Sono state recuperate informazioni storiche riguardo le tecniche di resinazione utilizzate durante le diverse campagne resinifere condotte nel passato e, in particolar modo, ci si è concentrati sulla ricerca di informazioni storiografiche risalenti all’ultimo periodo di resinazione (prima metà del secolo scorso). La valutazione di un eventuale ripristino della resinazione in Sicilia non ha ptotuto prescindere dall’analisi della situazione europea e mondiale riguardo alla produzione di resina evidenziando difficoltà legate sopratutto alla limitata competizione del prodotto europeo. Tali difficoltà vengonto confermate dalla stessa ditta che operò a Linguaglossa, la ditta Lombardi, che ancora opera nel settore e che ha rappresentato un punto di riferimento fondamentale per la attività di resinazione nel territorio italiano. Le atuali tendenze e le previsitoni future del mercato evidenziano, tuttavia, una maggiore predisposizione del consumatore nei riguardi di prodotti derivati da risorse naturali rinnovabili e a chilometro zero. Come appare evidente dalle recenti esperienze condotte in diversi paesi europei, la resina europea presenta caratteri del tutto favorevoli al suo rilancio.

The ForBioEnergy project, funded within the INTERREG MED Programme 2014-2020, involved a Lead Partner (Regional Department for the Rural and Territorial Development, Sicily Region), 8 project partners from 4 Mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, Slovenia and Croatia) and 4 Associate Partners from Italy (Ente Parco delle Madonie, AIEL, Enviland, Petralia Sottana) and Croatia. It is an innovative project which bets on the chance to favor the sustainable development of the rural areas through the exploitation of the forest biomass for the production of bioenergy. However, most of the Mediterranean forests are within protected areas, where the current regulatory restrictions and the lack of management plans impede and slow down the possibility to exploit woody biomass. The main objective of the project was to fostering the bioenergy production in the protected areas, providing trans-national solutions for reducing barriers that currently hinder the development of the biomass sector, planning models in order to exploit the potential of biomass, whereas preserving the forest biodiversity. To achieve these goals the project includes an Action Plan for shaping new regulatory framework and permit route aimed at removing the administrative, technical and socio-economic barriers that hinder the use of biomass, a multi-level planning process, a set of sustainability requirements and quality standards of forest biomass. The key actors and stakeholders involved with bioenergy and biodiversity issues were identified, including institutions, and social and productive organization at regional and local level. A permanent technical panel has been established in each involved country to promote the exchange of knowledge and information between private and public key actors. The project provides a three-level approach to the planning process for the use of forest biomass: sub-regional (useful for the connections with the large scale energy planning), local (useful for the development of best practices for sustainable forest management), operating (useful for planning and management of the supply chain). The main results achieved by the project are: GIS applications for implementing the planning activities and for identifying the Biomass Districts; Decision Support Systems (DSS) to guide the competent public authorities in the choice of the best solutions to increase the sustainable production of biomass according with sustainability objectives established for protected areas; a methodology for evaluating threats and benefits deriving from biomass harvesting and extraction; the drawing up of a forest management plan at biomass district scale; the definition of a traceability system and quality standards for woody biomass in order to ensure the respect of the sustainability criteria necessary for the development of the biomass chain in protected areas. A set of specific indicators has been defined to evaluate the positive and negative impacts that the forestry interventions could have on the biotic, abiotic, and socio-economic components, in the short, medium and long period. The transferring activities, as well as the communicative ones, contributed to spread the know-how and the results gained during the project implementation not only at a local level but also at a regional and national level, in order to favor high levels of replicability all over the MED Programme cooperation area.

Recentemente, presso il Dip. SAAF e in collaborazione con l‘Instituto di Ciencia Animal (ICA) di Cuba, sono state avviati studi rivolti alla valutazione dell’attività celluloso-ligninolitica da parte microrganismi isolati da diverse matrici naturali. Alcuni primi risultati hanno consentito di rilevare la produzione di enzimi litici (cellulasi, laccasi, ecc.) in diversi funghi in collezione. Nell’ambito di questa ricerca, 5 colonie fungine appartenenti a quattro differenti specie di basidiomiceti cariogeni (Armillaria mellea (Val) P. Kumm, Fistulina hepatica (Shaeffer) Withering, due Ganoderma resinaceum Boud e Laetiporus sulphureus (Bull.) Murrill) sono state saggiate su campioni di legno di castagno (rondelle e segatura) provenienti da due siti siciliani (Ficuzza, Palermo e Nebrodi, Messina) e uno toscano (Sammommè, Pistoia). In particolare sono state valutate: 1) la velocità di colonizzazione di ciascun isolato fungino su rondelle delle matrici legnose dei tre siti; 2) la produzione di CO2 conseguente all’attività litica sulle matrici; 3) la risposta quali-quantitativa di ciascuna colonia fungina alla siringaldazina, un azo-composto organico reattivo alle laccasi e perossidasi, enzimi chiave nella degradazione della lignina. I risultati preliminari indicano sia una differente attività litica, a parità di matrice, dei microrganismi studiati, sia una diversa risposta delle matrici, in relazione alla provenienza, a parità di specie fungina. Ulteriori indagini saranno rivolte allo studio del corredo enzimatico dei funghi saggiati e alla caratterizzazione chimico-fisica delle differenti accessioni di castagno, allo scopo di individuare i maggiori determinanti nel processo degradativo del legno.

I microrganismi del suolo sono una componente dominante in diversi ecosistemi sia in termini di diversità che di funzioni. Le simbiosi microbiche radicali in particolare sono state studiate più in dettaglio negli ambienti forestali, dove si è accertato il loro ruolo nell’aumentare la capacità degli alberi di accedere ai nutrienti, sequestrare C dall’atmosfera e resistere agli effetti del cambiamento climatico. Ancora poche informazioni esistono riguardo a queste interazioni in ambienti più aridi e degradati e per le specie pioniere che innescano i processi di successione secondaria. Nell’ambito di un Progetto LIFE finalizzato a mettere a punto tecniche di adattamento al cambiamento climatico (Desert Adapt, http://www.desert-adapt.it/index.php/it/) abbiamo analizzato lo status simbiotico relativo alle micorrize arbuscolari di sette specie, tra arbustive ed erbacee, provenienti da due aree a diverso livello di copertura del suolo a Lampedusa, considerata l’avamposto degli effetti del cambiamento climatico in Europa. Le piante analizzate (due delle quali endemiche) sono specie pioniere e della gariga che preparano le condizioni per l’insediamento di specie più esigenti della macchia e garantiscono la copertura e quindi la protezione del suolo. Mediante osservazione al microscopio, previa colorazione, si è accertato che tutte le specie, sia le quattro arbustive, Periploca angustifolia, Coridothymus capitatus, Thymelea hirsuta e Chiliadenus lopadusanus che le tre erbacee Anthemis secundiramea, Diplotaxis scaposa e Convolvolus lineatus sono risultate simbiotiche e per la maggior parte di esse si tratta della prima segnalazione di simbiosi micorrizico-arbuscolare. Si è osservata una elevata frequenza di colonizzazione delle radici (da 81 a 100%) ma in generale una ridotta presenza di arbuscoli (da 0,9 a 22%), suggerendo diverse ipotesi tra cui un stato di latenza o una bassa attività di scambio. La densità delle spore nel suolo rizosferico delle stesse piante, misurata mediante tecnica del wet sieving e decanting, è risultata variabile tra 7 e 43 spore 100g suolo -1. La diversità delle micorrize arbuscolari appare bassa, con la ricorrenza di 4-5 morfotipi, probabilmente ciò è un risultato dell’elevato grado di degradazione del suolo e delle condizioni di aridità. I risultati incoraggiano lo studio più approfondito dei simbionti di specie pioniere, sia nella prospettiva di conservazione dell’habitat sia per interventi mirati alla rinaturalizzazione e preparazione per l’insediamento delle specie arbustive e arboree caratteristiche degli stadi più maturi.

The mtonumental trees are unique individuals tof venerable age and ctonsiderable size, which represent a heritage tof inestimable histtorical, cultural, landscape, and scientific value ftor the territtory. They alsto ctonstitute a stource tof genetic diversity which ctonfers them ltongevity and ability tto adapt tto climate and envirtonmental changes. In this ctontext, studies ton centennial trees can be useful ftor interpretatiton tof species histtory as migratiton events, selectiton and anthrtoptogenic actiton. The aim tof this research was tto evaluate the genetic variability tof ancient Castanea sativa trees and relate them tto actual natural/naturalized ptopulatitons and varieties in torder tto enhance tour kntowledge abtout the demtography, cultivatiton prtocesses and the impact tof these giant trees ton the genetic diversity tof the species. We selected a ttotal tof 182 ancient trees frtom Spain and Central - Stouthern Italy. Ftor each tree, mtore than tone sample was ctollected tto test ftor genetic integrity and grafing. The samples were gentotyped by means tof nuclear micrtosatellite markers and the variability tof plastid DNA regitons (trnH-psbA and trnK/matK) was alsto tested. Using the stofware GeneALex and HPrare, we evaluated tobserved (Hto) and expected (He) hetertozygtosity, allelic richness (Ar) private allelic richness (pAr). A Bayesian analysis was perftormed using the stofware STRUCTURE tto identify the diferent gene ptotols and gentotypes. The tobtained genetic data were ctompared with thtose tof natural ptopulatitons and cultivars ctollected in the same getographic areas. Higher values tof allelic richness were tobserved in the ancient chestnut trees, a genetic similarity tof these individual trees tto the natural ptopulatitons was highlighted. A phyltogetographic structure tof plastid diversity was alsto established. Eleven gentotypes were ctoincident with 11 cultivars in the EU database. Based ton the putative age tof giant trees we can hyptothesize that the grafing practice toccurred in the Iberian peninsula in the 15th century and in the 17th century in Italy. This wtork prtovides new kntowledge abtout the histtory and dtomesticatiton tof Eurtopean chestnut, the results are relevant ftor the ctonservatiton and management tof Castanea sativa genetic restources.

Nell’ambito di uno studio sulle simbiosi micorriziche delle conifere in ambienti siciliani, è stata avviata un’indagine preliminare sulla interazione tra danni da incendio e stato di micorrizazione in un rimboschimento artificiale di Pinus halepensis Mill. In particolare, nel bosco di Casaboli (Monreale, PA) estesamente interessato da incendi dolosi nell’estate 2017, sono state delimitate tre aree contigue di circa 700 m2, comprendenti una ventina di piante coetanee (30-40 anni) e con differente entità di danno: 1) vegetazione apparentemente sana (S); danni di media entità (M); danni ingenti (I). In ogni area, dopo aver condotto opportuni rilievi dendrometrici, sono stati individuati 5 punti per il prelievo di carote di suolo a due profondità (5-15; 20-30 cm); i campionamenti sono stati ripetuti tre volte nel biennio 2018-19 (giugno e novembre 2018, maggio 2019) e saranno completati a novembre 2019. I frammenti radicali di P. halepensis, recuperati sotto un leggero flusso d’acqua corrente, sono stati osservati allo stereo microscopio, valutando l’Indice di Micorrizazione (IM = n° totale di apici micorrizici/cm di radice) e rilevando, sul numero totale di apici micorrizici, la percentuale di quelli attivi e non (necrotici). Sebbene l’indagine sia ancora in corso, i primi risultati sembrerebbero evidenziare valori di IM maggiori nell’area S, decrescenti in funzione del livello di deperimento. Nel contempo, nel profilo di suolo compreso tra 20 e 30 cm sono stati rilevati i maggiori livelli di micorrizazione, che rimane sensibile anche nelle aree più danneggiate. Ulteriori dati acquisiti nel corso dell’attività di ricerca potranno fornire utili indicazioni per la definizione degli effetti di tale fattore di disturbo nell’ecosistema oggetto di studio.

Mediterranean plantations are the most suitable areas to assess vegetation dynamics and competitive interactions between native and exotic woody species. Our research was carried out in a coastal pine plantation (Sicily) where renaturalization by native species (Pistacia lentiscus L. and Olea europaea var. sylvestris) and invasion by Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L.Wendl. simultaneously occur. The regeneration pattern of woody species in the pine understory was evaluated in six experimental plots along a stand density gradient, from 200 to approximately 700 pines per hectare. Both pine stand density and regeneration by native species had a significant negative relationship with Acacia natural regeneration. Olea regeneration was positively correlated with stand density, while Pistacia showed a non-significant relationship. Saplings of both native species were mostly less than 1 m high, whereas approximately 70% of Acacia individuals were higher than 1 m. We found that 400 pines per hectare should be considered a minimum stand density to keep Acacia under control, while favouring the establishment of native species in the understory. The successful control of Acacia requires an integrated management strategy, including different forest interventions according to stand density: thinning, control measures against Acacia, and renaturalization actions.

In order to invade new ecosystems, invasive alien plants need to cope with different microbial communities. Whilst the ability to avoid antagonists is well recognized, the opportunity to establish mutualistic associations is less known, even in widespread invasive species such as Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. We sought to evaluate whether the beneficial effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on Ailanthus seedlings are maintained over time, under prolonged pot limitation. We compared three-month-, three-year- and four-year-old mycorrhizal seedlings grown in natural forest soil (NT) with seedlings grown in sterilized (ST) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) soils, in pots of 3.4 L (22 &times, 15 cm). Growth parameters and leaf traits were assessed, including carbon (&delta, 13C) and nitrogen (&delta, 15N) stable isotope compositions. NT seedlings showed relatively higher vigor in the early stage but, subsequently, the benefits provided by AMF were lost. Interestingly, mycorrhizal seedlings consistently showed about 2&permil, &delta, 13C enrichment, relatively to the other treatments. Negative linear relationships between leaf &delta, 13C and N content were found. Higher photosynthesis rates and WUE are the likely causes of the early enhanced growth in mycorrhizal seedlings. The symbiotic relationship between AMF and Ailanthus could be driven by resource availability. Greater insights into such aspects could provide an improved perspective on the ecological limits of Ailanthus.

In this note the authors report the first case of naturalization of the Malagasy smoke bush within Italian territory. Along with a description of the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the invaded site, the current demographic and dynamic trends of the detected population by means of growth-ring analysis was also assessed. Moreover, an overview on the history of its introduction in Europe is provided, underlining the key role played by the Mediterranean cities with respect to the acclimatization and spread of alien tropical and subtropical plants. Due to its low frequency under cultivation, the Malagasy smoke bush should not behave as an invader in the future; on the other hand, its ability to cover and smother neighbouring trees in very short times, make its spread within the whole Mediterranean area worth regular monitoring.

The loquat [Eriobotryo japonica (Thumb.) Lindl.] is an allochthonous species long cultivated in Sicily. In some parts of Sicily such as the Siracusa province, the loquat is cultivated in mono-specific orchards. In other sites, like Conca d'Oro and other places near the town of Palermo, loquat is intercropped with other tree species such as citrus, apricot, peach, mulberry, walnut, Mediterranean hackberry. The loquat plays an important role in order to increase biodiversity within these orchards. The old or dead loquat trees host a variety of xylophagous insects and more in particular Coleoptera: Cerambycidae beetles Dynastidae, and Cetoniidae. Longhorn beetles, rhinoceros beetles and flower beetles are usually considered excellent indicators for woodland biodiversity and, particularly, for the wood decomposer community. However, they have never been associated to fruit orchards. Instead, in old or abandoned orchards, it is common to find live trees with dead parts or dead trees which host a rich community of decomposer insects. Today, farming changes or collapses in the urban surroundings have partly contributed to erasing this diversity. Research carried out in the past years has pinpointed that the loquat plays an important role in the preservation of different species, particularly Cerambycidae, such as: Aegosoma scabricorne, Cerambyx scopolii, Penichroa fasciata and Niphona picticornis. These species have been recorded as stable populations in many loquat orchards of the agricultural surroundings of the town of Palermo, where the presence of suitable natural environments for these beetles is rare. Some of these species are included in the red list of the sapro-xylophagous insects.

Eucalyptus stands in semi-arid areas may contribute to enhance carbon (C) stocks in both biomass and soil. However, the limited information available is mainly focused on short-rotation plantations. In this study, the above- and below-ground C pools in five 50-year-old Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. stands planted on Miocenic evaporitic deposits in Sicily, Italy, with a xeric and thermic pedoclimate, were measured. Above-ground biomass was determined by partitioning and weighing branches, stem and leaves. Below-ground C pools included the determination of litter, root biomass, and soil organic and inorganic C. In terms of the above-ground biomass, the E. camaldulensis stand accumulated on average 116 Mg ha-1 corresponding to 55 Mg C ha-1. Below-ground biomass consisted mainly of larger roots, followed by fine and medium roots (33 Mg ha-1 corresponding to 14 Mg C ha-1). Litter accumulation on the soil surface accounted for 13 Mg ha-1 corresponding to 5 Mg C ha-1. The amount of C stored in soil was 554 Mg C ha-1, of which 75% was in organic form. Although E. camaldulensis is planted extensively throughout the Southern Hemisphere and tropics where it is managed over short rotations (c. 2–4 years), the results obtained from this study make this species important in terms of future afforestation planning for longer rotations due to its potential to sequester C, particularly in the below-ground components.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may promote plant invasion by enhancing plant performance and competitiveness. However, only a small number of studies have considered the interactions between local soil microbial communities and invasive plants, and even fewer have focused on alien trees. Ailanthus altissima is a serious problem in the Mediterranean Basin, where it has invaded many habitats. We investigated the symbiosis between A. altissima and indigenous AMF in two invaded, ecologically different Mediterranean woodlands. Mycorrhizal infection was high at both sites (> 60% of the root fragments were mycorrhizal), indicating that A. altissima roots may be infected by AMF under different ecological conditions. In a greenhouse experiment, A. altissima seedling growth was evaluated in untreated soil (natural soil containing the entire soil microbial community), in sterilized soil, and in sterilized soil containing the entire microbial community except AMF. Seedling growth was greater in the natural soil than in the other two soils. Seedlings in natural soil but not in the other two soils were extensively colonized by AMF, indicating that AMF may have been responsible for the greater growth in the natural soil. Growth was poorer in the sterile soil that had been inoculated with a soil suspension lacking AMF than in the sterile soil, suggesting that the natural soil also contained pathogens and that the AMF countered the effects of these pathogens. Overall, the results indicate that AMF are an important component of Mediterranean woodlands invaded by A. altissima and AMF may facilitate A. altissima's invasion in these woodlands.

In this paper the populations of Pachydema Castelnau, 1832 (Coleoptera Melolonthidae) living in Lampedusa Island (Sicily Channel, Central Mediterranean Sea, Italy), so far attributed to P. hirticollis (Fabricius, 1787) of North Africa, are examined. The comparison of the main morphological characters between these two populations allowed to attribute those of Lampedusa to a new species that is described in the present work. Faunistic and biological observations on these species are provided.

Pasture practices have affected Mediterranean forest ecosystems for millennia, and they are still quite widespread in mountainous areas. Nevertheless, in the last decades, the stability of forest ecosystems has been jeopardized due to the abandonment of traditional agro-pastoral practices, so that the gradual reduction of open areas due to progressive succession processes has caused a high increase of grazing pressure by livestock and wild ungulates feeding on forest areas. This paper aims at showing a methodological approach for evaluating the effect of applying measures in order to improve the grazing value of grasslands and ecotonal patches and lower the grazing impact on native woodlands. A protected area in Sicily (Italy) is considered as a representative case study. The analysis of remotely sensed imagery and several field surveys enabled to identify and map six different land use units subject to grazing, i.e., (1) forests, (2) grasslands (pastures dominated by palatable herbs and grasses), (3) overgrazed grasslands (dominated by poisonous and/or thorny herbs and forbs, not palatable), (4) encroached pastures, (5) roadside firebreaks (dominated by palatable herbs) with no shrubs, and (6) wooded/ encroached roadside firebreaks. Several data were collected through sample plots selected within each land use unit, in order to assess their pastoral value. These data have been used to define current and optimal animal stock rates aiming at addressing pasture management planning towards a sustainable use of forestland and shrubland.

Plumbago auriculata Lam. (Plumbaginaceae) in western Sicily: new data on its spread as casual alien. In questa nota si fornisce un quadro aggiornato sui casi di naturalizzazione di Plumbago auriculata Lam. (Plumbaginaceae) nella Sicilia occidentale e sul suo status invasivo a livello nazionale ed internazionale. Questa xenofita viene segnalata per la prima volta in diverse aree delle province di Agrigento, Palermo e Trapani, dopo essere stata segnalata per la prima volta presso l'isola di Linosa, nell'arcipelago delle Pelagie.

For a long time, human impact has deeply simplified most of the forest ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin. Here, forests have seldom had the chance to naturally develop a complex and multilayered structure, to host large and old trees and rich biological communities, approaching old-growth conditions. Also for this reason, limited information is currently available about Mediterranean old-growth forests, particularly with regard to deadwood. The main aim of this work is to help fill this critical knowledge gap. In Sicily (Italy), we identified a Quercus pubescens forest that seemed to show some typical old-growth features. Total living volume (360 m3 ha−1) and basal area (34 m2 ha−1) were, respectively, about 6 and 3 times higher than the averages recorded in the regional forest inventory for this forest type. Deadwood was particularly abundant, exceeding the threshold of 30 m3 ha−1, mainly represented by lying dead elements. Dead to live wood ratio reached 9%, a value close to the threshold of 10% considered for Mediterranean old-growth forests. As the investigated forest showed some typical old-growth traits, it deserves to be fully protected and could be a permanent monitoring area for studying deadwood and stand dynamics in mature Mediterranean stands.

Afforestation and reforestation activities in Sicily have been widespread in the last century, in order to increase the forest cover that was seriously reduced in the former centuries. Notwithstanding this, Sicily is still characterized by only the 12% of the regional surface covered by woods and forest. The reforestation in the last century was carried out using conifers and eucalypts, just in order to ensure a quick protection of slopes and pastureland, coping diffuse erosion events, and those intervention had a remarkable success. Nowadays, the target of enlarging the forest areas in the island is still compulsive, but the use of species, considering the actual knowledge and nature consciousness has been completely reassessed basing on the indigenous species. In this view, in order to develop an useful tool for forest plantation planning, in the last regional forest plan the entire regional area was analyzed and ecologically homogeneous areas have been identified to join and target arboriculture and/or forestation plantation activities, to choose tree and shrub species for different environments. The resulted tool was a map of ecologically homogeneous areas and a selection of species suitable for reforestation. After ten years of implementation and operative use it is useful to enhance those tools by completing the analysis with a specific study aimed to detail the correct use of indigenous species of trees and shrubs. In this work we examined the above described Regional Plan tools and considered the most recent studies on indigenous flora in order to develop a more detailed and locally suitable guide lines to use species both in reforestation and in restoration activities. This last topic is actually compulsory, because of the need of renaturalisation of conifers and eucalypts plantations, that is one of the main target of forestry in Sicily.

Over the last decades many areas have been reforested along Europe, with great proportion been made with exotic species. Very often these reforestations do not evolve in more diverse configurations, where some kind of management can be necessary to try to enhance this evolution. The hole is a silvicultural technique consisting in open small gaps to create favourable conditions for the establishment of other species changing the former structure, microclimate and competitive conditions mirroring this natural processes that occurs in structured and mature forests. The best size of the hole seems to be around 500 m², as small holes may not change significantly the conditions and larger holes seems to favour degradation processes like soil erosion and loss of organic layers. The afforestaion of the Santa Ninfa Natural Reserve (Trapani Province, W-Sicily) were made using essentially Pinus spp. and Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Particularly, this last specie occur in high density monospecific forest structure covering 19 ha (8% of the reserve), where practically no kind of management has been made until now and very few natural regenerations is observed. The aim of the study was to verify the effectiveness of the restoration actions combining the hole technique and planting native species with different management levels.

During the last century, massive reforestation projects along the dunes of the southern Sicily have been carried out. Such interventions, far from being in line with the current trends of close-to-nature silviculture, are, however, particularly interesting to assess the vegetation dynamics in afforestation areas. Furthermore, these kind of interventions may determine two opposite effects, that is renaturalization by native woody species or invasion by alien species. Acacia spp. are among the most widespread and prominent invaders within Mediterranean-climate areas, where they have already shown the capability to deeply change the characters and the functioning of native ecosystems. For instance, Acacia longifolia (Andrews) Willd. may successfully invade the understory of pine forests, causing the alteration of the water balance and carbon storage of the whole forest ecosystem. In Sicily, especially in the last decades, Acacia saligna started to abundantly regenerate in many natural and semi-natural areas, with a stark preference for dune and coastal afforested sites. The nature reserve “Foce del Fiume Platani” represents an excellent case study in this respect.

Mediterranean ecosystems are characterized by nearly complete replacement of natural vegetation by intensive croplands and orchards leading to strong soil degradation. Organic carbon is usually accumulated in soils under maquis leading to partial regeneration of fertility for future agricultural use. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of land use change from maquis to agriculture on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and its spatial distribution in a Mediterranean system. Three Mediterranean land use systems (seminatural vegetation, cactus pear crop and olive grove) were selected in Sicily and analysed for soil C stocks and their δ13C. Total SOC and δ13C were measured up to 75 cm soil depth within and between the rows of cactus pear and olive grove and along a similar transect in maquis, in order to evaluate the distribution of new and old C derived from roots. The land use change from Mediterranean maquis (C3 plant) to cactus pear (CAM plant) lead to a SOC decrease of 65% after 28 years of cultivation, and a further decrease for 14% after 7 years after the change from cactus pear to olive grove (C3 plant). Considering these SOC losses as well as the periods after the land use changes we calculated the mean residence time (MRT) of soil organic matter. The MRT of C under Mediterranean maquis was about 142 years, but was just 10 years under cactus pear. Root biomass of cactus pear was used for a new approach to estimate root turnover. The root turnover rate of cactus decreased along the soil profile from 7.1% per year in 0–15 cm to 3.7% in 60–75 cm soil depth. Along the transect, the average of root turnover values was highest in the middle of the intra-row. Root turnover and C input were correlated with SOC stocks to evaluate C sequestration potential of soils depending on land use and managements. We conclude that the SOC under maquis is higher and has longer residence time compared to permanent agricultural crops like cactus pear and olives.

Sambucus nigra L. (Caprifoliaceae) is wide spread in temperate and sub-tropical zones. The consumption of its berries has been associated with health benefits especially for its high content of natural antioxidants such as polyphenols, in particular anthocyanins. In this work we investigated the polyphenolic composition and the in vitro antioxidant activities (ABTS, DPPH, BCB and FRAP-ferrozine (FRAP-FZ) assays) of S. nigra berries, collected in four different Sicilian areas (Italy). Elderberries are considered one of the fruits with highest anthocyanins content, the amount of phenolic compounds, other than anthocyanins, is approximately 1.5 times greater than the latter. The LC–MS analyses have revealed an opposite trend in the polyphenols pattern in Sicilian populations. Moreover, a statistical correlation was found between cyanidin-3- sambubioside-5-glucoside and antioxidant activity evaluated by FRAP-FZ and ABTS assays. In conclusion, Sicilian S. nigra berries are appealing for its antioxidant potential and for its particularly high content of anthocyanins.

A fast and accurate measurement of soil carbon is needed in current scientific issues. Today there are many sensors suitable for these purposes, but choosing the appropriate sensor depends on the spatial scale at which the studies are conducted. There are few detailed studies that validate these types of measures allowing their immediate use. Here it is validated the quick use of a sensor in execution at Pantelleria, chosen for size, use and variability of the parameter measured, to give an operational tool for carbon stocks studies. The DRIFT sensor used here has been validated in the first 60 cm of the soil of the whole island, and it has shown predictivity higher than 90%.

Key message: This work demonstrates that the Olive tree, which is managed and pruned as a fruit tree, can be treated as a forest tree using allometric equations, to estimate both biomass production and volumes. Abstract: The Olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree that can grow and accumulate a relatively high amount of dry matter, even in dry environmental conditions common in the Mediterranean basin and typical of traditional rain-fed agriculture. The objective of this research was to develop a tool to predict woody biomass and tree component volume for the olive tree, to be used for different agricultural and environmental purposes. The study was carried out in six olive groves across three locations in Italy, collecting data on the “Leccino” cultivar, which is spread worldwide. Models for volume and biomass were developed for the whole tree and its different components. Basal diameter and a diameter of 80 cm of the trunk height were explored as independent variables for modeling. The results of this study demonstrate a high correlation between the two selected variables and total biomass, above and below-ground biomass and tree component volumes. The same variables show high correlation with total leaf area, but no correlation with the root/shoot ratio, and Leaf Area Index.

Since the last decades grapevine germplasm is undergoing a process of rapid genetic erosion. This process is of particular concern in minor circum-Sicilian islands, because of the sharp reduction of the cultivated surfaces and the shift of their economy from agriculture to tourism. Aiming at valorising and preserving the surviving varieties we collected 185 accessions during several surveys since 2007. Six nuclear microsatellite markers were used for germplasm characterization, yielding 75 different genetic profiles. We found out that most genetic profiles (39) were not listed in national and international grapevine databases, confirming that the Sicilian minor islands represent underexplored hotspots of genetic diversity for grapevine. We also identified several synonymies, often due to geographic isolation, having 20 varieties at least two names. Conversely, 18 homonyms collectively indicated 34 genetically different accessions. Interviews with farmers provided information on current and past usage, and the origin and type of cultivation practices as well. The study also shows the urgent need for preservation of local grapevine germplasm, due to the disappearance of the elder caretakers of these traditional varieties. For rare germplasm preservation most part of the collected grapevine cultivars were introduced in an ex situ collection field.

Abandonment of agricultural land leads to several consequences for ecosystem functions. Agricultural abandonment may be a significant and low cost strategy for carbon sequestration and mitigation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to the vegetation recovery and increase in soil organic matter. The aim of this study was to: (i) estimate the influence of different Soil Regions (areas characterized by a typical climate and parent material association) and Bioclimates (zones with homogeneous climatic regions and thermotype indices) on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics after agricultural land abandonment; and (ii) to analyse the efficiency of the agri-environment policy (agri-environment measures) suggested by the European Commission in relation to potential SOC stock ability in the Sicilian Region (Italy). In order to quantify the effects of agricultural abandonment on SOC, a dataset with original data that was sampled in Sicily and existing data from the literature were analysed according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) methodology. Results showed that abandonment of cropland soils increased SOC stock by 9.03MgCha−1 on average, ranging from 5.4MgCha−1 to 26.7MgCha−1 in relation to the Soil Region and Bioclimate. The estimation of SOC change after agricultural use permitted calculation of the payments for ecosystem service (PES) of C sequestration after agricultural land abandonment in relation to environmental benefits, increasing in this way the efficiency of PES. Considering the 14,337ha of abandoned lands in Sicily, the CO2 emission as a whole was reduced by 887,745Mg CO2. Therefore, it could be concluded that abandoned agricultural fields represents a valid opportunity to mitigate agriculture sector emissions in Sicily.