The southernmost beech (Fagus sylvatica) forests of Europe (Mount Etna, Italy): ecology, structural stand-type diversity and management implications

The southernmost European beech forests are located in the upper forest vegetation belt on Mount Etna volcano. Their standstructural patterns were analysed to assess the effects of the site-ecological factors and previous management practices on the forest structure. Five main structural-silvicultural types were identified among the main beech forest types: coppice, highmountain coppice (HMCo), high forest, coppice in conversion to high-forest and non-formal stand. A detailed standstructural analysis was carried out through measured dendrometric parameters and derived structural characters linked to both the horizontal and the vertical profiles. Plant regeneration processes were also assessed, and several biodiversity indicators were calculated. The collected data indicate a high variability of beech stand structures in relation to the heterogeneity of the site-ecological characteristics as well as to the effects of both natural and anthropic disturbance factors. The occurrence of particular stand structures along the altitude gradient on Mount Etna is evident. It is especially visible in the multi-stemmed HMCos in relation to the changing, and increasingly limiting, ecological factors, although at higher altitudes historical anthropic actions (felling) also have had an influence. Inside the Mediterranean area, these stands highlight their ecological marginality, in terms of both latitude and altitude, especially regarding current climate change processes

PROGETTO LIFE11 ENV IT 215 RESILFORMED - RESILIENZA AL CAMBIAMENTO CLIMATICO NELLE FORESTE MEDITERRANEE

Le condizioni climatiche delle regioni mediterranee, caratterizzate da frequenti annate siccitose, contribuiscono all’indebolimento degli ecosistemi forestali. Come risultato le foreste riducono le loro capacità produttive e sono più soggette a fenomeni di degrado secondario. Inoltre i contesti economico-sociali possono acuire il degrado con la diffusione di uno scorretto uso della risorsa (tagli boschivi, pascolamento) e con la diffusione degli incendi boschivi. L’obiettivo generale del progetto è preservare i sistemi forestali in ambiente mediterraneo dai rischi derivanti dai cambiamenti climatici, tramite processi di naturalizzazione, aumento di biodiversità e migliorata reattività, nei processi di recupero, in seguito ad eventi destabilizzanti. Obiettivo specifico è implementare una politica forestale regionale in grado di aumentare la capacità di resilienza delle foreste siciliane, migliorandone l’efficienza ecosistemica e favorendo la salvaguardia della biodiversità. Tra le azioni principali previste dal progetto, che si concluderà alla fine del 2015, si possono citare la classificazione delle categorie forestali siciliane in funzione della sensibilità alla desertificazione, l’indagine diacronica sull’uso e copertura del suolo dei principali paesaggi forestali siciliani, la definizione di prassi selvicolturali specifiche; la realizzazione di 120 ettari di interventi dimostrativi in 6 aree della Sicilia; la realizzazione di 6 piani di indirizzo forestali attraverso processi partecipativi con le popolazioni locali. Nella fase finale del progetto è prevista l’implementazione delle linee strategiche sperimentate con ResilForMed nel Piano Forestale Regionale della Sicilia

A new approach in the monitoring of the phytosanitary conditions of forests: the case of oak and beech stands in the Sicilian Regional Parks

L'obiettivo del presente studio è stato quello di esaminare lo stato fitosanitario delle quercete e faggete dei tre Parchi Regionali Siciliani (Parco dell'Etna, Parco delle Madonie, Parco dei Nebrodi). Lo studio è stato condotto individuando delle aree di saggio, popolamenti forestali omogenei sotto l'aspetto floristico, ecologico e fitosanitario. Complessivamente sono state delimitate 81 aree di saggio, di cui 54 quercete e 27 faggete. La condizione fitosanitaria di ogni essenza arborea all'interno della rispettiva area di saggio è stata espressa con un indice numerico denominato “classe fitosanitaria” (PC). I popolamenti di quercia hanno mostrato un elevato grado di sofferenza, con alberi sintomatici nell’85% delle aree di saggio. I popolamenti di faggio hanno mostrato una situazione di maggiore stabilità, ad eccezione delle faggete del parco dei Nebrodi che apparivano molto degradate. Sul genere Quercus, sono stati osservati sintomi di infezioni di patogeni fungini comuni nelle foreste delle aree temperate e Mediterranee, quali Biscogniauxia mediterranea, Polyporus sp., Fistulina hepatica, Mycrosphaera alphitoides ed Armillaria sp., mentre su faggio sono state osservate infezioni di Biscogniauxia nummularia, Fomes fomentarius e Neonectria radicicola. Sono state altresì individuate 22 aree che vengono proposte come aree di saggio permanenti dello stato fitosanitario delle foreste nei tre parchi.The objective of this study was to investigate the health conditions of oak and beech stands in the three Regional Parks of Sicily (Etna, Madonie and Nebrodi). A total of 81 sampling areas were investigated, 54 in oak stands and 27 in beech stands. The phytosanitary conditions of each tree within the respective sampling area was expressed with a synthetic index namely phytosanitary class (PC). Oak stands showed severe symptoms of decline, with 85% of the sampling areas including symptomatic trees. In general, beech stands were in better condition, with the exception of Nebrodi Park, where trees showed severe symptoms of decline. On oak trees, infections of fungal pathogens were also observed, including Biscogniauxia mediterranea, Polyporus sp., Fistulina hepatica, Mycrosphaera alphitoides and Armillaria sp. By contrast, on beech trees Biscogniauxia nummularia, Fomes fomentarius and Neonectria radicicola were recognized. Furthermore, twenty-two permanent sampling areas were delimited with the aim of monitoring regularly the health conditions of forests in these three parks

Epidemiology of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus colonization in healthy Venezuelan children

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated both the colonization and co-colonization characteristics for these pathogens among 250 healthy children from 2 to 5 years of age in Merida, Venezuela, in 2007. The prevalence of S. pneumoniae colonization, S. aureus colonization, and S. pneumoniae–S. aureus co-colonization was 28%, 56%, and 16%, respectively. Pneumococcal serotypes 6B (14%), 19F (12%), 23F (12%), 15 (9%), 6A (8%), 11 (8%), 23A (6%), and 34 (6%) were the most prevalent. Non-respiratory atopy was a risk factor for S. aureus colonization (p = 0.017). Vaccine serotypes were negatively associated with preceding respiratory infection (p = 0.02) and with S. aureus colonization (p = 0.03). We observed a high prevalence of pneumococcal resistance against trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (40%), erythromycin (38%), and penicillin (14%). Semi-quantitative measurement of pneumococcal colonization density showed that children with young siblings and low socioeconomic status were more densely colonized (p = 0.02 and p = 0.02, respectively). In contrast, trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole- and multidrug-resistant-pneumococci colonized children sparsely (p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively). Our data form an important basis to monitor the future impact of pneumococcal vaccination on bacterial colonization, as well as to recommend a rationalized and restrictive antimicrobial use in our community

new technologies for the sustainable management and planning of rural land and environment

New technologies could be adequately introduced for an improved analysis aimed to the sustainable management and planning of the rural land, as well as its environment and landscape. Nowadays, this analysis is easier and more complete through the use of powerful and reliable tools. Several changes can be considered to be as models of territorial development, useful for an appropriate planning of the human interventions in a rural area. Remote sensing techniques could be employed for the monitoring of agricultural land variation, while Geographical Information Systems are excellent tools for landscape modeling and three-dimensional analysis. In this chapter, land-use changes in a rural area located in southern Italy were analyzed by comparing some historical cartographic supports with modern maps, in order to evaluate the morphological and vegetation variations of the agroforestry land during time. Moreover, a landscape analysis was conducted through the implementation of digital terrain models, which were enriched by draping land cover pictures over them. These elaborations finally enabled an evaluation in a scenic way of the aesthetic quality of the agroforestry landscape, allowing a virtual jump back to time periods when digital aerial photography was not yet even possible. This multi-temporal analysis with the support of GIS techniques revealed to have a great potential for assessing and managing landscape diversity and changes of vegetation, as well as for planning sound interventions over the landscape structures