The ICP forests Level I biodiversity data. A harmonized data source and baseline for plant species and structural diversity on european forest ecosystems

Structural and compositional biodiversity surveys on the ICP Forests extensive monitoring plots (Level I) have been incorporated into the ICP Forests database as LI-BioDiv dataset. Data were collected in the period 2005-2008 and delivered by 27 partners according to harmonized methods. During the integration process data was validated based on a complex system of checkroutines that had been defined before. Conflicts were solved in collaboration with the experts from National Focal Centres and the Expert Panels on Biodiversity and Ground Vegetation, and on Forest Growth. The LI-BioDiv dataset is structured in six forms: GPL (general plot location and information, 3340 plots), DBH (tree diameter, status, and composition, 3201 plots), THT (tree top and crown base height, 3083 plots), CAN (canopy closure, layers, number of trees, 3210 plots), DWD (deadwood, 2950 plots), and GVG (ground vegetation composition, 3124 plots). A transnational internal evaluation process was established and a set of items approved by the related Expert Panels and the ICP Forests Programme Co-ordinating Centre (PCC). Four working groups are producing the first results in terms of scientific papers; the other evaluation projects and the related groups of experts and scientists are described. Recommendations and lessons learned from this experience are shortly provided

Spatial and temporal patterns of plant diversity in the Italian forest monitoring network (CONECOFOR)

Since 1996, the Italian network CONECOFOR included Ground Vegetation (GV) within the forest monitoring actions, in the frame of ICP Forests. Plant diversity variables have been assessed yearly on 11 of the 31 sites of the intensive network (LII), while a unique survey was realized for the extensive network (LI) in 2007, within the Biosoil-Biodiversity project. CONECOFOR is presently undergoing a revision process aimed to assure the financial sustainability of reliable information on forest status and trends (SMART4Action, LIFE+ ENV project). We contribute to the project by analysing spatial and temporal patterns options for GV assessment. (i) Aims: suggest an affordable number of sites and the best sampling strategy to provide an overview of forest plant diversity within both LII and LI network. (ii) Objectives: estimate the effect of reduced sampling frequency and size, as well as different sampling designs on GV assessment. (iii) Methods: previous datasets are examined to test the conformity of LII vs. LI sites, to compare time-trend descriptors, and to estimate the critical number of sites and sampling units (SU). Field cross-surveys in next summer will compare different methods on selected sites. (iv) Considering LII sites (1999-2102), the reduction from annual to multiple-year surveys provides incomparable regression functions. The effect of reducing SUs numbers within LII sites is variable, due to different understory heterogeneity, and arousing misleading plant diversity description. LII hardly represents the spatial distribution achieved by LI reference (in 2007), due to the “preferential” selection used in the former network. A relevant reduction of LI sites can be achieved (almost 50%) maintaining the representativeness of plant species richness; relevant thresholds have been provided considering the stratification by Biogeographic Regions and the most relevant Forest types (Alpine conifers, Mountinous Beech, and Thermophilous deciduous forests). The experimental design of the comparative field test will be presented

Unimodal relationships of understory alpha and beta diversity along chronosequence in coppiced and unmanaged beech forests

Patterns of diversity across spatial scales in forest successions are being overlooked, despite their importance for developing sustainable management practices. Here, we tested the recently proposed U-shaped biodiversity model of forest succession. A chronosequence of 11 stands spanning from 5 to 400 years since the last disturbance was used. Understory species presence was recorded along 200 m long transects of 20 X 20 cm quadrates. Alpha diversity (species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity indices) and three types of beta diversity indices were assessed at multiple scales. Beta diversity was expressed by a) spatial compositional variability (number and diversity of species combinations), b) pairwise spatial turnover (between plots Sorensen, Jaccard, and Bray-Curtis dissimilarity), and c) spatial variability coefficients (CV% of alpha diversity measures). Our results supported the U-shaped model for both alpha and beta diversity. The strongest differences appeared between active and abandoned coppices. The maximum beta diversity emerged at characteristic scales of 2 m in young coppices and 10 m in later successional stages. We conclude that traditional coppice management maintains high structural diversity and heterogeneity in the understory. The similarly high beta diversities in active coppices and old-growth forests suggest the presence of microhabitats for specialist species of high conservation value

Part VII.1: Assessment of Ground Vegetation.

This part of the Manual aims at providing a consistent methodology to collect high quality, harmonized and comparable forest ground vegetation data at selected UN/ECE ICP Forestsmonitoring plots. Harmonization of procedures is essential to enhance comparability of forest ground vegetation data. To have their data used in the international database and evaluations, National Focal Centres and their scientific partners participating to the UN/ECE ICP Forests programme should follow the methods described here

Clinical Classification of Bone Augmentation Procedure Failures in the Atrophic Anterior Maxillae: Esthetic Consequences and Treatment Options

Although the number of complications and failures in bone augmentation procedures is still relatively high, these problems remain poorly documented. Moreover, the literature concerning reconstructive techniques and the treatment of their complications in the anterior areas rarely considers the final esthetic result. The aim of this paper is to propose a new classification of bone augmentation complications in the esthetic area, providing treatment guidelines useful for the management of these cases. Failures of bony regeneration procedures can be mainly divided into partial failures and complete failures. A partial failure can be solved with a corrective surgical intervention: this second surgery can have success or may not be able to provide the desired esthetic result. When the bone reconstructive procedure fails totally, a complete failure occurs and the whole procedure has to be repeated. This new intervention can have success but also this new reconstructive surgery can fail in the same way as the first, causing important damage and a compromise solution that will hardly be acceptable from an esthetic point of view. Bone augmentation techniques are not completely predictable and are not always able to guarantee the expected result, especially in the atrophic anterior maxilla. Complications and failures can often occur and this possibility must always be clearly explained to those patients with high esthetic demands and expectations

Lesy centrálních Apenin – biodiverzita v kontextu historického a současného managementu

The landscape of the central Apennines is markedly diverse. Dynamically formed re­lief is covered by a mosaic of different vegetation types. For centuries, local forests are managed as coppices – type of management common in former Czechoslovakia up to last century. Biodiversity of these oak and oak-hornbeam forests gradually declines due to the abandonment of coppicing. Thus, a visit to the central Apennines and study of their forests provide a valuable insight into the problem of species diversity decline in the former coppices of Central Europe

A proposed protocol for ordinary and extraordinary hygienic maintenance in different implant prosthetic scenarios

Prevention of peri-implantitis involves the early diagnosis of peri-implant mucositis. This article presents a protocol of hygienic maintenance in different implant prosthetic scenarios: single crown, fixed partial prosthesis, fixed full-arch, and overdentures. Others clinical conditions have to be taken into consideration: patient compliance; history of periodontitis; implants placed in augmented bone; short, zygomatic, pterygoid, and tilted implants; and complex prosthesis with false gingiva. Two levels of implant maintenance are described: ordinary, performed by dental hygienist, and extraordinary, carried out by both dentist and hygienist. Extraordinary maintenance also involves the removal and decontamination of the prosthetic structure. To obtain an effective prevention of peri-implantitis, one must plan ordinary and extraordinary hygiene in relation to the type of rehabilitation and clinical parameters

Pan-European forest biodiversity monitoring through the ICP-level I network. First results from the BIOSOIL-BIODIVERSITY project

The Sustainable Development Goal 15 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims at "protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss". The EU Biodiversity Strategy contributes to the Goal 15 of the SDGs as its objective is to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Europe. Forest ecosystems are some of the most biodiverse habitats. For this reason, it is very important to specifically monitor temporal and spatial trends of biodiversity in order to find those areas more affected by biodiversity loss and to guide land management and conservation actions. A vast monitoring program covering the comprehensive concept of biodiversity would be impossible or at least financially prohibitive. Thus a successful and statistically rigorous monitoring program able to track changes over time and space must be based on indicators. Even if scientists have investigated a large number of compositional and structural biodiversity indicators, a clear consensus on the definition of the best set of indicators was not yet reached. In the framework of the two-years long BioSoil Forest Biodiversity Demonstration Project a large set of field data and information was acquired. The database includes data and information on living trees, deadwood and a complete vegetation survey. On the basis of raw data we calculated several forest biodiversity indicators and analysed their inter-relationships, and their variation in different forest types and environmental conditions. The analysis contributes to advance our knowledge towards the selection of an adequate set of forest biodiversity indicators to support the characterization of European Forest Types. The results provide a fundamental and consistent support for the future implementation of multi-scale assessments of forest biodiversity

Context-dependent plant traits drive fine-scale species persistence in old-growth forests

Questions: we studied old growth beech forest vegetation in Permanent Monitoring Plots (PMPs) located in Italy, with the following questions: is species turnover the main component of the observed changes or the present species assemblages is an impoverished sub-sets of the former ones?; 2) how compositional changes are reflected by specific plant functional traits? Location: we selected 4 PMPs (50 x 50 m) of the CONECOFOR network, placed along a latitudinal and climatic gradient in Italy, from south to north: CALABRIA03, CAMPANIA04, ABRUZZO01 and VENETO20. Methods: presence/absence of herb layer species were recorded in 100 permanent micro-plots of 50 x 50 cm over 12 years (1999-2011). For all sampled species we chose a set of 8 easy-to-measure functional traits. We compared the persistence, nestedness and turnover components of compositional changes. The role of plant traits explaining species persistence were analyzed by classification and regression tree. Results: Analysis in species diversity reveal antithetical ecological phenomena due to the diversity and complexity of the 4 different forest stands. ABRUZZO01 and CALABRIA03 show a clear nestedness trends over time with persistent species in ABR01 having higher seed mass and persistent species in CALABRIA03 having scleromorphic leaves and mesoporphic leaves, with large below-ground budbank. On the other hand, VENETO20 and CAMPANIA04 exibit a significant turnover trends over the 12 years characterized by persistent species in VENETO20 having helomorphic leaves, while in CAMPANIA04 large below-ground budbank and smaller SLA were the most important traits for species survival. Conclusion: Fine-scale approach highlight different mechanisms for the maintenance of species diversity in different complex forest systems driven significantly by specific traits, influenced by context-dependent factors

Exploring patterns of beta-diversity to test the consistency of biogeographical boundaries: A case study across forest plant communities of Italy

Aim: To date, despite their great potential biogeographical regionalization models have been mostly developed on descriptive and empirical bases. This paper aims at applying the beta-diversity framework on a statistically representative data set to analytically test the consistency of the biogeographical regionalization of Italian forests. Location: Italy. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: Forest plant communities were surveyed in 804 plots made in a statistically representative sample of forest communities made by 201 sites of Italian forests across the three biogeographical regions of the country: Alpine, Continental, and Mediterranean. We conducted an ordination analysis and an analysis of beta-diversity, decomposing it into its turnover and nestedness components. Results: Our results provide only partial support to the consistency of the biogeographical regionalization of Italy. While the differences in forest plant communities support the distinction between the Alpine and the other two regions, differences between Continental and Mediterranean regions had lower statistical support. Pairwise beta-diversity and its turnover component are higher between- than within-biogeographical regions. This suggests that different regional species pools contribute to assembly of local communities and that spatial distance between-regions has a stronger effect than that within-regions. Main conclusions: Our findings confirm a biogeographical structure of the species pools that is captured by the biogeographical regionalization. However, nonsignificant differences between the Mediterranean and Continental biogeographical regions suggest that this biogeographical regionalization is not consistent for forest plant communities. Our results demonstrate that an analytical evaluation of species composition differences among regions using beta-diversity analysis is a promising approach for testing the consistency of biogeographical regionalization models. This approach is recommended to provide support to the biogeographical regionalization used in some environmental conservation polices adopted by EU