Integrating Copernicus land cover data into the i-Tree Cool Air model to evaluate and map urban heat mitigation by tree cover

Cities host more than half of the world’s population and due to global warming and land use change their vulnerability to deadly heat waves has increased. A healthy vegetated landscape can abate heat wave severity and diminish the related urban heat island through the process of evapotranspiration. This research aimed to develop a methodology for cities to use publicly available Copernicus land cover maps within the i-Tree Cool Air water and energy balance model to map air temperature and humidity. The manuscript presents proof of concept using Naples, Italy with its Mediterranean climate characterized by limited soil water for cooling via evapotranspiration. The approach achieved strong correlations between predicted and observed air temperatures across the city (r ≥ 0.89). During the warm season of 2020, forested land cover was 5°C cooler than land cover dominated by impervious cover. Simulated land cover change, limited to a 10% increase or decrease in tree cover, generated an inverse change of 0.2°C in maximum hourly air temperature, with more trees obtaining cooler air. Soil water limited the cooling, with the generally wetter spring season enabling greater cooling of air temperatures, and summer droughts without irrigation had constrained cooling. Sustainable urban design will likely require an increase in plant cover along with a reduction of impervious surfaces that absorb and reradiate heat in order to improve community resilience to heat waves

Performance of Sida hermaphrodita and silphium perfoliatum in Europe: Preliminary results

This paper reports preliminary results on growth and biomass production of two perennial herbs, Sida hermaphrodita (Virginia Mallow) and Silphium perfoliatum (Cup Plant), tested in the frame of SidaTim project (FACCE-SURPLUS) in German, Italy, Poland and UK. Sida can be used for energy or as a basic compound for various material products, such as fibre products or particle board. Silphium can be alternative to maize for biogas production

Rethinking the history of common walnut (Juglans regia L.) in Europe: Its origins and human interactions

Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its high-quality wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that after the last glaciation J. regia survived and grew in almost completely isolated stands in Asia, and that ancient humans dispersed walnuts across Asia and into new habitats via trade and cultural expansion. The history of walnut in Europe is a matter of debate, however. In this study, we estimated the genetic diversity and structure of 91 Eurasian walnut populations using 14 neutral microsatellites. By integrating fossil pollen, cultural, and historical data with population genetics, and approximate Bayesian analysis, we reconstructed the demographic history of walnut and its routes of dispersal across Europe. The genetic data confirmed the presence of walnut in glacial refugia in the Balkans and western Europe. We conclude that human-mediated admixture between Anatolian and Balkan walnut germplasm started in the Early Bronze Age, and between western Europe and the Balkans in eastern Europe during the Roman Empire. A population size expansion and subsequent decline in northeastern and western Europe was detected in the last five centuries. The actual distribution of walnut in Europe resulted from the combined effects of expansion/contraction from multiple refugia after the Last Glacial Maximum and its human exploitation over the last 5,000 years

Ancient humans influenced the current spatial genetic structure of common walnut populations in Asia

Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that J. regia survived and grew spontaneously in almost completely isolated stands in its Asian native range after the Last Glacial Maximum. Despite its natural geographic isolation, J. regia evolved over many centuries under the influence of human management and exploitation. We evaluated the hypothesis that the current distribution of natural genetic resources of common walnut in Asia is, at least in part, the product of ancient anthropogenic dispersal, human cultural interactions, and afforestation. Genetic analysis combined with ethno-linguistic and historical data indicated that ancient trade routes such as the Persian Royal Road and Silk Road enabled long-distance dispersal of J. regia from Iran and Trans-Caucasus to Central Asia, and from Western to Eastern China. Ancient commerce also disrupted the local spatial genetic structure of autochthonous walnut populations between Tashkent and Samarkand (Central- Eastern Uzbekistan), where the northern and central routes of the Northern Silk Road converged. A significant association between ancient language phyla and the genetic structure of walnut populations is reported even after adjustment for geographic distances that could have affected both walnut gene flow and human commerce over the centuries. Beyond the economic importance of common walnut, our study delineates an alternative approach for understanding how the genetic resources of long-lived perennial tree species may be affected by the interaction of geography and human history

Landscape genetics structure of European sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill): indications for conservation priorities

Sweet chestnut is a tree of great economic (fruit and wood production), ecological and cultural importance in Europe. A large-scale landscape genetic analysis of natural populations of sweet chestnut across Europe is applied to 1) evaluate the geographic patterns of genetic diversity 2) identify spatial coincidences between genetic discontinuities and geographic barriers 3) propose certain chestnut populations as reservoirs of genetic diversity for conservation and breeding programmes. Six polymorphic microsatellite markers were used for genotyping 1608 wild trees sampled in 73 European sites. The Geostatistical IDW technique (ArcGIS 9.3) was used to produce maps of genetic diversity parameters (He, Ar, PAr) and a synthetic map of the population membership (Q value) to the different gene pools. Genetic barriers were investigated using BARRIER 2.2 software and their locations were overlaid on a Digital Elevation Model (GTOPO30). The DIVA-GIS software was used to propose priority areas for conservation. High values of genetic diversity (He) and allelic richness (Ar) were observed in the central area of C. sativa's European distribution range. The highest values of private allelic richness (PAr) were found in the eastern area. Three main gene pools and a significant genetic barrier separating the eastern from the central and western populations were identified. Areas with high priority for genetic conservation were indicated in Georgia, eastern Turkey and Italy. Our results increase knowledge of the biogeographic history of C. sativa in Europe, indicate the geographic location of different gene pools and identify potential priority reservoirs of genetic diversity

Timescape: A Novel Spatiotemporal Modeling Tool

We developed a novel approach in the field of spatiotemporal modeling, based on the spatialisation of time, the Timescape algorithm. It is especially aimed at sparsely distributed datasets in ecological research, whose spatial and temporal variability is strongly entangled. The algorithm is based on the definition of a spatiotemporal distance that incorporates a causality constraint and that is capable of accommodating the seasonal behavior of the modeled variable as well. The actual modeling is conducted exploiting any established spatial interpolation technique, substituting the ordinary spatial distance with our Timescape distance, thus sorting, from the same input set of observations, those causally related to each estimated value at a given site and time. The notion of causality is expressed topologically and it has to be tuned for each particular case. The Timescape algorithm originates from the field of stable isotopes spatial modeling (isoscapes), but in principle it can be used to model any real scalar random field distribution

Genetic Variability of Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby Populations and Introgressive Hybridization with A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. in Southern Italy: Implication for Conservation and Management of Genetic Resources

Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby (Neapolitan alder) is an endemic tree species with a restricted distribution range, limited to Corsica and southern Italy. The economic value of its wood, its rapid growth, the tolerance to drought stress and the nitrogen fixation capacity make A. cordata an excellent candidate for breeding, as well as for conservation and management of genetic resources. In this context, we evaluated the genetic variability of southern Italy populations and verified the hybridization capacity with the simpatric species A. glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. Eight pure A. cordata populations, two pure A. glutinosa populations and six mixed A. cordata/A. glutinosa populations located in southern Italy were analyzed using seven microsatellite markers. A low genetic diversity within and among populations was observed, but no inbreeding effects were evident. A variable frequency of F2 interspecific hybrids was observed in most of the mixed populations and few backcross individuals were scored. These results suggest a limited capacity of hybrid individuals to cross back with the parent species, reducing the risk of genetic pollution of A. cordata. This work provides meaningful knowledge for the conservation and management of the endemic species A. cordata, which represents a valuable source of biodiversity to be conserved

An in vitro model of renal inflammation after ischemic oxidative stress injury: nephroprotective effects of a hyaluronan ester with butyric acid on mesangial cells

Background: Acute kidney injury, known as a major trigger for organ fibrosis and independent predictor of chronic kidney disease, is characterized by mesangial cell proliferation, inflammation and unbalance between biosynthesis and degradation of extracellular matrix. Therapeutic approaches targeting the inhibition of mesangial cell proliferation and matrix expansion may represent a promising opportunity for the treatment of kidney injury. An ester of hyaluronic acid and butyric acid (HB) has shown vasculogenic and regenerative properties in renal ischemic-damaged tissues, resulting in enhanced function recovery and minor degree of inflammation in vivo. This study evaluated the effect of HB treatment in mesangial cell cultures exposed to H2O2-induced oxidative stress. Materials and methods: Lactate dehydrogenase release and caspase-3 activation were measured using mesangial cells prepared from rat kidneys to assess necrosis and apoptosis. Akt and p38 phosphorylation was analyzed to identify the possible mechanism underlying cell response to HB treatment. The relative expressions of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MPP-9) and collagen type 1 alpha genes were also analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell proliferation rate and viability were measured using thiazolyl blue assay and flow cytometry analysis of cell cycle with propidium iodide. Results: HB treatment promoted apoptosis of mesangial cells after H2O2-induced damage, decreased cellular proliferation and activated p38 pathway, increasing expression of its target gene MPP-9. Conclusion: This in vitro model shows that HB treatment seems to redirect mesangial cells toward apoptosis after oxidative damage and to reduce cell proliferation through p38 MAPK pathway activation and upregulation of MPP-9 gene expression involved in mesangial matrix remodeling