Fish farming in Grado Lagoon: impacts and dynamics of two fishfarms

La vallicoltura è una pratica ampiamente diffusa nelle lagune dell’Alto Adriatico, legata alla loro particolare natura fisica e all’elevata disponibilità trofica. Nella laguna di Grado essa viene praticata in modo estensivo o parzialmente integrato, cioè subordinando, totalmente o quasi, l’accrescimento del prodotto ittico alla naturale produttività dell’habitat acquatico. Lo studio proposto è stato condotto con frequenza mensile nei mesi di luglio, novembre, dicembre 2004 e gennaio 2005 e, a cadenza quindicinnale, nei mesi di agosto, settembre ed ottobre 2004, febbraio e marzo 2005, in due valli, l’Ara Storta e la Noghera, tra loro molto diverse e in grado di fornire una buona rappresentatività dell’impatto di tale attività sull’ecosistema lagunare. Sono stati monitorati i principali nutrienti (NO2 –, NO3 –, NH4 +, PO4 – e SiO2), la temperatura e la salinità. Dal punto di vista biologico si è voluto focalizzare l’attenzione sulla componente fitoplanctonica, la cui importanza quale indicatore dello stato di qualità delle acque è stata recentemente ribadita dalla Direttiva 2000/60 della Comunità Europea. La parte di elaborazione statistica, avvalendosi anche dei dati ARPA-FVG relativi ai parametri chimico-fisici monitorati nelle stazioni lagunari esterne alle valli, è consistita nella classificazione gerarchica delle stazioni di campionamento e nell’analisi delle componenti principali (PCA) per l’ordinamento delle stesse.Fish farming is a widely diffused activity in Norther Adriatic lagoons, and it is related to their peculiar geomorfological characteristics and to the high trophic availability. In the Grado Lagoon, fish farming is carried out extensively or with partially integrated methods. This means that fish growing is totally or nearly totally subordinated to the natural productivity of the lagoonal environment. During this study, data collection was carried out once per month in July 2004 and in the period November-January 2005, and twice per month in the period August- October 2004 and February-March 2005. The study area was located in two fish farms, Ara Storta and Noghera. Such farms are characterised by very diverse conditions, and thus are particularly indicated to give a good range of potential impacts of fish farming activities on the lagoonal ecosystem. The main nutrients have been monitored (NO2 –, NO3 –, NH4 +, PO4 – e SiO2), together with temperature and salinity. The biological investigations were focused on the phytoplancton, whose relevance as an indicator of water quality has been recently recognised also by the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60. The data obtained from the study sites and from ARPA-FVG chemical-physical data collected in several lagoonal sites out of the farms were hierarchically classified, and a PCA statistical analysis was performed in order to rank the different classes obtained

Habitat characterization of the Carso Triestino on ornithological and floristic-vegetational bases

The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between nesting bird species richness in different natural habitats of the Triestine Carso and the corresponding floristic and vegetational types

Areale potenziale dei boschi a Carpinus betulus nell\u2019alta valle del B\ufbt (Italia NE) e descrizione della nuova associazione Phyteumato zahlbruckneri-Carpinetum betuli

In questo lavoro viene presentata un\u2019analisi della distribuzione dei boschi a Carpinus betulus nell\u2019alta Valle del B\ufbt (UD), al fine di sviluppare un modello della distribuzione potenziale di una tipologia vegetazionale in un\u2019area complessa dal punto di vista geomorfologico tramite un\u2019applicazione GIS. Lo studio effettuato ha preso in considerazione i carpineti, consorzi forestali di elevato valore naturalistico-paesaggistico minacciati dalla storica azione dell\u2019uomo sul territorio. Il modello della distribuzione potenziale \ue8 stato creato mediante l\u2019incrocio di dati geomorfologici e climatici in ambiente GIS. Il confronto tra la distribuzione reale, la distribuzione potenziale e i diversi tematismi ha evidenziato come l\u2019area di diffusione dei carpineti sia molto ridotta rispetto all\u2019area potenzialmente adatta a questi boschi e ha permesso di individuare i principali fattori naturali ed antropici che possono influenzare la distribuzione attuale dei carpineti nell\u2019area di studio. Lo studio ha inoltre portato alla descrizione di una nuova associazione a Carpinus betulus che rientra nel gruppo dei carpineti a carattere meridionale gi\ue0 descritti per le Alpi nella zona del Friuli Venezia Giulia e Slovenia e completa il quadro cenologico della specie a livello regionale. Phyteumato zahlbruckneri-Carpinetum betuli \ue8 una cenosi a carattere subacidofilo subcontinentale diffusa nella regione forestale mesalpica della Carnia centrale nella fascia submontana e montana inferiore su suoli moderatamente acidi impostati su substrati silicatici alterabili paleozoici, in un\u2019area con buone precipitazioni atmosferiche (1600-1800 mm annui), temperature medie annue di 8-11\ub0C ed estati miti e piuttosto piovose, interessate dall\u2019influenza mitigatrice delle correnti provenienti dal mare; la cenosi rientra nell\u2019Habitat Natura 2000 91L0 - Querco-carpineti illirici (Erythronio-Carpinion). Viene presentata tutta la serie dinamica di cui il nuovo carpineto rappresenta la fase finale

vegetation mapping from high resolution satellite images in the heterogeneous arid environments of socotra island yemen

Socotra Island (Yemen), a global biodiversity hotspot, is characterized by high geo- morphological and biological diversity. In this study, we present a high-resolution vegetation map of the island based on combining vegetation analysis and classification with remote sensing. Two different image classification approaches were tested to assess the most accurate one in mapping the vegetation mosaic of Socotra. Spectral signatures of the vegetation classes were obtained through a Gaussian mixture distribution model, and a sequential maximum a posteriori (SMAP) classification was applied to account for the heterogeneity and the complex spatial pattern of the arid vegetation. This approach was compared to the traditional maximum like- lihood (ML) classification. Satellite data were represented by a RapidEye image with 5 m pixel resolution and five spectral bands. Classified vegetation releves were used to obtain the training and evaluation sets for the main plant communities. Postclassification sorting was performed to adjust the classification through various rule-based operations. Twenty- eight classes were mapped, and SMAP, with an accuracy of 87%, proved to be more effective than ML (accuracy: 66%). The resulting map will represent an important instrument for the elaboration of conservation strategies and the sustainable use of natural resources in the island. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original pub- lication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.7.073527

Albiglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (Harmony Outcomes): a double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial

Background: Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists differ in chemical structure, duration of action, and in their effects on clinical outcomes. The cardiovascular effects of once-weekly albiglutide in type 2 diabetes are unknown. We aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of albiglutide in preventing cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke. Methods: We did a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial in 610 sites across 28 countries. We randomly assigned patients aged 40 years and older with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (at a 1:1 ratio) to groups that either received a subcutaneous injection of albiglutide (30–50 mg, based on glycaemic response and tolerability) or of a matched volume of placebo once a week, in addition to their standard care. Investigators used an interactive voice or web response system to obtain treatment assignment, and patients and all study investigators were masked to their treatment allocation. We hypothesised that albiglutide would be non-inferior to placebo for the primary outcome of the first occurrence of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or stroke, which was assessed in the intention-to-treat population. If non-inferiority was confirmed by an upper limit of the 95% CI for a hazard ratio of less than 1·30, closed testing for superiority was prespecified. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02465515. Findings: Patients were screened between July 1, 2015, and Nov 24, 2016. 10 793 patients were screened and 9463 participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to groups: 4731 patients were assigned to receive albiglutide and 4732 patients to receive placebo. On Nov 8, 2017, it was determined that 611 primary endpoints and a median follow-up of at least 1·5 years had accrued, and participants returned for a final visit and discontinuation from study treatment; the last patient visit was on March 12, 2018. These 9463 patients, the intention-to-treat population, were evaluated for a median duration of 1·6 years and were assessed for the primary outcome. The primary composite outcome occurred in 338 (7%) of 4731 patients at an incidence rate of 4·6 events per 100 person-years in the albiglutide group and in 428 (9%) of 4732 patients at an incidence rate of 5·9 events per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·78, 95% CI 0·68–0·90), which indicated that albiglutide was superior to placebo (p<0·0001 for non-inferiority; p=0·0006 for superiority). The incidence of acute pancreatitis (ten patients in the albiglutide group and seven patients in the placebo group), pancreatic cancer (six patients in the albiglutide group and five patients in the placebo group), medullary thyroid carcinoma (zero patients in both groups), and other serious adverse events did not differ between the two groups. There were three (<1%) deaths in the placebo group that were assessed by investigators, who were masked to study drug assignment, to be treatment-related and two (<1%) deaths in the albiglutide group. Interpretation: In patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, albiglutide was superior to placebo with respect to major adverse cardiovascular events. Evidence-based glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists should therefore be considered as part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding: GlaxoSmithKline

SOCIAL ECOLOGY AND TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPE ENHANCEMENT. Some issues from a case study in the Gorizia Karst

2noGovernance approaches combined with sustainable planning and territory and landscape management tools have progressively increased the link to the environment concept from an ecological-naturalistic point of view, leading to a wider and well-structured vision of the future. This idea moves close to sustainable development principles in a potential integration scenario that takes into consideration economic growth, environmental safeguarding and sharing choices. It becomes extremely important to act for landscape management and enhancement, especially referred to traditional and marginal areas ones, using social ecology practices able to recover/preserve the fundamental ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, supported by active population involvement methods. In particular, the Gorizia Karst presents itself as a sensitive area where, during the 20th century, deep wounds have been inflicted. The WWI devastation, the post-1945 border (well-known as "Iron Curtain"), the Cold War and the consequent wide military servitude activated on it, have significantly modified the landscape under the morph-functional profile. The dry karstic grassland, known as “landa carsica” (Natura2000: Habitat Code 62A0), are phytocenoses made up of an extraordinary multitude of species, whose origins are connected with millennial farming practices linked to transhumance. These features make this landscape an extraordinary area whose ecological values are at least equal to the historical-testimonial ones. Most of the past enhancement efforts failed because they were not based on a clear identification of the relationship between different territory elements. In this sense, the case study analyzes the effects of “sustainable grazing” reintroduction, started in the last three years on about 700 hectares of dry karstic grassland, as an example of social ecology practice. Territory and landscape planning, local heritage sustainable promotion paths come out to be essential tools to achieve a participate planning of traditional landscapes, able to highlight even the eco-system services value of these special environments in an integrated and long term sustainability dimension.openopenaltobelli alfredo; marin alessandraAltobelli, Alfredo; Marin, Alessandr

Problematiche volte alla conoscenza della biodiversit\ue0: tutela e difesa delle aree naturali carsiche

Per avere il massimo della biodiversit\ue0 nelle aree naturali carsiche \ue8 di fondamentale importanza il recupero della pastoralit\ue0 nella landa carsica. Questo abbatterebbe inoltre il grave rischio di incendi che interessano l'area carsica, realizzando cos\uec un enorme risparmio sugli interventi di emergenza. Il recupero del pascolamento dovrebbe inoltre prevenire e contenere anche la diffusione delle zecche dei boschi (Ixodes ricinus) e il rischio di contrarre malattie da parte delle persone. Un altro grave problema ecologico che affligge l'attuale paesaggio vegetale del Carso \ue8 il declino biologico progressivo del manto forestale carsico a causa del venir meno delle cure selvicolturali

The aquatic and wetland vegetation of Lake Doberdò: an analysis for conservation value assessment of a disappearing lake of the Classical Karst (North East Italy)

Lake Doberdò (Classical Karst) is a well-known example of karst lakes, temporary lakes that seasonally fill and empty through springs and swallow holes connected to the underground waters. It is an area of exceptional interest for geological-geomorphological and biodiversity conservation, and is part of the Natura 2000 network. Its peculiar hydro-ecological nature allows an impressive variety of species and habitats. A phytosociological survey was carried out to provide a comprehensive analysis of the vegetation. On the basis of 177 phytosociological relevés and multivariate analysis 43 communities were found, belonging to Platyhypnidio-Fontinalietea antipyreticae, Lemnetea minoris, Potametea pectinati, Bidentetea tripartitae, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Agrostietea stoloniferae, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Filipendulo ulmariae-Convolvuletea sepium, Alnetea glutinosae, Rhamno catharticae-Prunetea spinosae, Alno glutinosae-Populetea albae. The Leucojo aestivi-Poetum pratensis association including waterside periodically flooded meadows is validated. Compared to the past, various communities show a change in their distribution while some valuable coenoses were not found. 21 communities are attributed to 8 Annex I Habitats of the 92/43/EEC Directive. The study confirms the high value of Lake Doberdò for biodiversity conservation but highlights an ongoing process of environmental change due to both natural and human-related causes including modifications of the hydrological regime and abandonment of traditional agricultural practices. An overview of the features of Lake Doberdò is provided to compare this disappearing lake with the karst groundwater-dependent wetlands found in Ireland called “turloughs”, corresponding to Annex I Habitat 3180*. Also on the basis of the current interpretation and distribution of this habitat type at the EU level, a proposal is presented to recognize and protect this outstanding area of the Natura 2000 network in Italy as the habitat 3180*, modelled on Irish turloughs

The geographic information system of Grado-Marano Lagoon as an integrated assessment tool

I Sistemi Informativi Geografici (GIS) rappresentano un grande cambiamento nella gestione dei dati ambientali in quanto aggregano l’informazione territoriale e le banche dati ad essa collegate, permettono di “integrare” il territorio, di associarvi e produrre nuove informazioni. L’impiego del telerilevamento, da piattaforma aerea o satellitare, multi- e iperspettrale, permette inoltre di cogliere numerose informazioni territoriali, con la possibilità di apprezzare aspetti del territorio difficilmente rilevabili. Nel contesto del Workshop di Grado sono stati presentati tre casi di studio riguardanti la laguna di Grado e Marano e il suo bacino scolante in cui l’utilizzo del GIS e/o del Remote Sensing è risultato indispensabile per poter ottenere dei risultati a partire dai dati esistenti: 1. Analisi della concentrazione dei nitrati nell’ecosistema lagunare e individuazione del sottobacino drenante con il maggior rischio di inquinamento (scopo finale: sviluppo di scenari alternativi al fine di ridurre l’impatto ambientale da fonti agricole in laguna); 2. Uso dei dati disponibili sui sedimenti e il bioaccumulo (Cerastoderma sp., Mytilus galloprovincialis) per valutare gli effetti dell’inquinamento industriale sull’ecosistema lagunare; 3. Uso del Remote Sensing per individuare la distribuzione spaziale delle fanerogame attraverso l’impiego di un sensore iperspettrale (AISA Eagle) e multispettrale (Aster).Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent a considerable change in environmental data management, as they connect the territorial information to the different databases, allowing to ‘integrate’ the territory, adding and producing new information. The use of remote sensing tools, either aerial or based on satellites, multiand hyper-spectral, allows to gather all kinds of territorial information, and to investigate territorial aspects that are very difficult to monitor. In the framework of Grado Workshop, three case studies located in the Grado and Marano lagoon have been presented, where the use of GIS and/or Remote Sensing has resulted of the utmost importance in order to obtain sounding results: 1. Analysis of nitrate concentration in the lagoonal ecosystem, and definition of the areas of the drainage basin at higher pollution risk (final aim: development of alternative scenarios for the reduction of environmental impact of agriculture in the lagoon); 2. Use of the available data on sediments and bioaccumulation (Cerastoderma sp., Mytilus galloprovincialis) in order to evaluate the effects of industrial pollution on the lagoonal ecosystem; 3. Use of Remote Sensing in order to determine the spatial distribution of seagrasses, using an hyperspectral sensor (AISA Eagle) and a multispectral sensor (Aster)

Approccio scientifico a una nuova cultura del paesaggio

Allo scopo di tutelare l\u2019ecomosaico paesaggistico l\u2019Unione Europea ha messo a punto la nuova tipologia delle aree agricole ad Alto Valore Naturale (AVN). Nell\u2019affrontare il problema dell\u2019analisi del paesaggio vegetale ci siamo proposti di mettere a punto una \u201cmisurabilit\ue0 scientifica\u201d degli interventi sul territorio. A tal fine ci siamo avvalsi della fitosociologia dinamico-catenale (geosinfitosociologia), un approccio scientifico non percettivo-vedutistico, che mette in evidenza i rapporti temporali e spaziali delle unit\ue0 di vegetazione (cenosi, associazioni) e che ha il merito di individuare in maniera oggettiva le unit\ue0 ambientali e paesaggistiche. L\u2019area di studio comprende il bacino lacustre del Preval (Conca del Preval) e i colli che lo racchiudono, facenti parte del Collio goriziano, per una superficie di 17 chilometri quadrati. Nell\u2019area sono stati eseguiti 90 rilievi con il metodo fitosociologico, \ue8 stato inoltre utilizzato materiale della banca dati della vegetazione del Friuli Venezia Giulia. Il tutto \ue8 stato integrato con le metodiche GIS. Al fine di valutare l\u2019evoluzione storica dell\u2019area di studio sono state realizzate le seguenti mappe tematiche: vegetazione potenziale, uso del suolo d\u2019inizio ottocento, uso del suolo attuale, vegetazione reale attuale, maturit\ue0 dell\u2019ecosistema. Per valutare il grado di parcellizzazione del territorio \ue8 stato inoltre calcolato un indice di frammentazione. I risultati dimostrano che il territorio di studio rientrerebbe nelle aree agricole ad Alto Valore Naturale (AVN)