Patterns of spatio-temporal change in Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex, L.) distribution in Gran Paradiso National Park

Ibex is the symbolic species of mountain ungulates and currently it is classified at Least Concern by IUCN. In the last few decades there was a drastic decrease in population abundance linked with a reduction of stable occupied territories. Causes are still not completely clear but drastic decline is in partly due to recent climate changes. The objectives of this study are to analyse the ibex distribution changes in Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP) in 1985-2014 period, the type of relation between pattern of distribution and population trend and finally the evidence of most used ibex \u2018s territories in GPNP. To understand distribution patterns ibex census data are been analysed using metrics belonging to landscape ecology, an approach based on the notion that environmental patterns influence ecological processes. In particular 5 metrics are been used to assess the composition and spatial configuration of occupied areas, while distribution statistics provided a statistical summaries of obtained results. Results showed a reduction of ibex occupied territories from 4587.50 ha in 1985 to 2437.50 ha in 2014 and fragmentation of ibex occupied territories with a strong increase in number of occupied patches from 130 units to 229 units. We suggest that likely ibex distribution was influenced by different combined factors (landscape change, climate change, anthropic activities), which have to be still examined in depth. Landscape ecology approach may become an useful tool to understand the degree of fragmentation and connectivity of landscape defined on species distribution. The understanding of processes behind Alpine ungulates distribution have to consider the influence of landscape patterns on environmental processes to improve the conservation efforts at management level

Preliminary study on Alpine ibex (Capra ibex ibex, L.) and livestock distribution in Gran Paradiso National Park

In the last decades there was a drastic decrease in Gran Paradiso National Park ibex population linked with a reduction of stable occupied territories. Causes are still not completely clear but drastic decline is in partly related to recent climate changes. The objectives of this work are: (1) understand ibex distribution in GPNP in 1985-2009 period and describe livestock distribution in the same area in 2000-2009; (2) assess relation between distribution pattern and ibex population trend in 2000-2009. To understand distribution patterns 5 landscape ecology metrics are been selected to assess the composition and spatial configuration of occupied areas. Spearman\u2019s rank correlation coefficient was used to test composition and configuration metric trends and their relation with ibex population size. Results showed a reduction of ibex occupied territories from 4,587.50 hectares in 1985 to 2,331.25 ha in 2009 (r =-0,818; P<0,001). Number of patches increased from 130 to 224 units (r s s =0,784; P<0,001). Livestock distribution didn\u2019t show a particular trend (r s 2 S), ammonia (NH 3 ), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO 4 types of floating covers were tested: light expanded clay aggregate (leca), peat, sunflower oil, sawdust, straw, and plastic film. The manure was stored at 5, 15, and 25 \ub0C for 37 d. Gaseous emissions were measured from headspaces of dynamic chambers. The results of our study showed that both the covering and temperature have a noticeable impact on gas emission from pig liquid manure. The plastic film cover was the most efficient at all temperatures tested, because it reduced the emissions of all measured gases. In this instance, average emission reductions were: CH 4 91.5% (P<0.01), NO 92.0% (P<0.05), H 2 480 or P>0,05). The relation between changes in ibex population trend and distribution patterns was not proven (all P>0,005). These results suggest that probably ibex distribution was influenced by different combined factors (landscape changes, climate change, anthropic activities) and they show how landscape ecology approach may become an useful tool to understand the degree of fragmentation and connectivity of landscape defined on species distribution. In conclusion, the understanding of processes behind Alpine ungulates distribution have to consider the influence of landscape patterns on environmental processes to improve the conservation efforts at management level

Subduction-related hybridization of the lithospheric mantle revealed by trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data in composite xenoliths from Tallante (Betic Cordillera, Spain)

Ultramafic xenoliths are rarely found at convergent plate margins. A notable exception is in the Betic Cordillera of southern Spain, where the eruption of xenolith-bearing alkaline basalts during the Pliocene post-dated the Cenozoic phase of plate convergence and subduction-related magmatism. Mantle xenoliths of the monogenetic volcano of Tallante display extreme compositional heterogeneities, plausibly related to multiple tectono-magmatic episodes that affected the area. This study focuses on two peculiar composite mantle xenolith samples from Tallante, where mantle peridotite is crosscut by felsic veins of different size and mineralogy, including quartz, orthopyroxene, and plagioclase. The veins are separated from the peridotite matrix by an orthopyroxene-rich reaction zone, indicating that the causative agents were alkali-rich hydrous silica-oversaturated melts, which were likely related to recycling of subducted continental crust components. The present study reports new and detailed major and trace elements and Sr-Nd-Pb analyses of the minerals in the composite Tallante xenoliths that confirm the continental crust derivation of the metasomatic melts, and clarifies the mode in which subduction-related components are transferred to the mantle wedge in orogenic areas. The particular REE patterns of the studied minerals, as well as the variation of the isotopic ratios between the different zones of the composite xenoliths, reveal a complex metasomatic process. The distribution of the different elements, and their isotope ratios, in the studied xenoliths are controlled by the mineral phases stabilised by the interaction between the percolating melts and the peridotitic country rock. The persistence of marked isotopic heterogeneities and the lack of re-equilibration suggest that metasomatism of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle occurred shortly before the xenolith exhumation. In this scenario, the studied xenoliths and the metasomatic processes that affected them may be representative of the mantle sources of mafic potassic to ultrapotassic magmas occurring in post-collisional tectonic settings

High-precision in situ 87Sr/86Sr analyses through micro-sampling on solid samples: applications to Earth and Life Sciences

An analytical protocol for high-precision, in situ microscale isotopic investigations is presented here, which combines the use of a high-performing mechanical microsampling device and high-precision TIMS measurements on micro-Sr samples, allowing for excellent results both in accuracy and precision. The present paper is a detailed methodological description of the whole analytical procedure from sampling to elemental purification and Sr-isotope measurements. The method offers the potential to attain isotope data at the microscale on a wide range of solid materials with the use of minimally invasive sampling. In addition, we present three significant case studies for geological and life sciences, as examples of the various applications of microscale 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios, concerning (i) the pre-eruptive mechanisms triggering recent eruptions at Nisyros volcano (Greece), (ii) the dynamics involved with the initial magma ascent during Eyjafjallajökull volcano’s (Iceland) 2010 eruption, which are usually related to the precursory signals of the eruption, and (iii) the environmental context of a MIS 3 cave bear, Ursus spelaeus. The studied cases show the robustness of the methods, which can be also be applied in other areas, such as cultural heritage, archaeology, petrology, and forensic sciences

A multidisciplinary approach to estimating wolf population size for long-term conservation

The wolf (Canis lupus) is among the most controversial of wildlife species. Abundance estimates are required to inform public debate and policy decisions, but obtaining them at biologically relevant scales is challenging. We developed a system for comprehensive population estimation across the Italian alpine region (100,000&nbsp;km2), involving 1513 trained operators representing 160 institutions. This extensive network allowed for coordinated genetic sample collection and landscape-level spatial capture–recapture analyses that transcended administrative boundaries to produce the first estimates of key parameters for wolf population status assessment. Wolf abundance was estimated at 952 individuals (95% credible interval 816–1120) and 135 reproductive units (i.e., packs) (95% credible interval 112–165). We also estimated that mature individuals accounted for 33–45% of the entire population. The monitoring effort was spatially estimated thereby overcoming an important limitation of citizen science data. This is an important approach for promoting wolf–human coexistence based on wolf abundance monitoring and an endorsement of large-scale harmonized conservation practices