Guidelines for the monitoring of Rosalia alpina

Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) is a large longhorn beetle (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) which is protected by the Habitats Directive and which typically inhabits beech forests characterised by the presence of mature, dead (or moribund) and sun-exposed trees. A revision of the current knowledge on systematics, ecology and conservation of R. alpina is reported. The research was carried out as part of the LIFE MIPP project which aims to find a standard monitoring method for saproxylic beetles protected in Europe. For monitoring this species, different methods were tested and compared in two areas of the Apennines, utilising wild trees, logs and tripods (artificially built with beech woods), all potentially suitable for the reproduction of the species. Even if all methods succeeded in the survey of the target species, these results showed that the use of wild trees outperformed other methods. Indeed, the use of wild trees allowed more adults to be observed and required less intensive labour. However, monitoring the rosalia longicorn on wild trees has the main disadvantage that they can hardly be considered “standard sampling units”, as each tree may be differently attractive to adults. Our results demonstrated that the most important factors influencing the attraction of single trunks were wood volume, sun-exposure and decay stage. Based on the results obtained during the project LIFE MIPP, as well as on a literature review, a standard monitoring method for R. alpina was developed

Distribution and abundance of hole-nesting birds in Mediterranean forests: impact of past management patterns on habitat preference

This study explores the relative abundance of hole-nesting birds in fourMediterranean forest types, each of which has undergone different patterns of forest management. Nine species were sampled in 24 study plots, to compare cork oak forest, turkey oak forest, holm oak forest and pine plantation. The abundance of hole-nesters was greater in cork oak forest and turkey oak forest. Three species were most frequently detected: Great Tit (Parusmajor), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Nuthatch (Sitta europaea). Bird abundancewas significantly lower in holmoak forest, particularly in the cases of Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major), Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis), Nuthatch and Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla). TheGreat SpottedWoodpecker showed a positive correlation with the abundance of three secondary cavity nesters: Nuthatch, Short-toed Treecreeper and Starling; in contrast, Green Woodpecker showed a negative correlation with Starling. Habitat structure varied significantly among forest types, especially themean andmaximumtree height, these being lower in holmoak forest. The Great SpottedWoodpecker proved to be a good indicator of less disturbed woodlands. In fact, maximum tree height turned out to be a significant and positive explanatory variable for woodpecker abundance.We consider that intensive coppicing and timbermanagement in holm oak forest during the 20th century widely affected trees’ age-profile, with consequences for their suitability forwoodpeckers and other hole-nesting birds. Tomonitor the response of hole-nesting birds to forest management in terms of abundance, we propose the use of the great spotted woodpecker as an indicator species

The Big Five: Species Distribution Models from Citizen Science Data as Tool for Preserving the Largest Protected Saproxylic Beetles in Italy

Background. Volunteers’ participation in scientific research has increased in recent decades. Citizen science (CS) data have been used in quantitative ecology to analyse species ranges by means of species distribution models. We investigated the Italian distribution of five large saproxylic beetles (big five), to describe their niche space, paramount areas for their conservation, and conservation gaps. Methods. CS data from two projects, climate and environmental variables were used to produce Habitat suitability (HS) maps for each species and averaged HS maps. The big five’s conservation status was assessed interpolating HS maps with the distribution of protected areas, concomitantly identifying conservation gaps. Results. The pre-alpine and Apennines arcs, north-eastern Sicily and eastern Sardinia, were identified as conservation’s hotspots. Ranking HS levels from minimum to optimal, the extent of conservation gaps decreases as environmental suitability for the big five increases. Conclusions. For the first time in Italy, CS data have been used to investigate niche space of the largest protected saproxylic beetles and analyse the distribution of their suitable habitat. The resulting HS raster maps and vector layers, reporting HS value in all Italian protected areas (n° 3771), were provided and discussed, reporting an application example for conservation purposes

Assessing reliable and minimal-invasive methods for the monitoring of the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina and implications for forest management

Different monitoring methods and data analysis procedures have been compared for the assessment of populations size and conservation status of the longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina. We surveyed the species in forests using visual encounters in natural condition, through the inspection of suitable trees for the species, and examining artificial habitat trees. Population sizes were analyzed using models which consider mark-recapture data and models that rely on simple count data. In order to provide minimal-invasive methods, we investigated the possible substitution of the canonical mark-recapture procedure (marking individual with pigments) with a procedure which exploits the "natural markings" of adult R. alpina (photographing the spots on the elytra). The reliability of computer-aided photographic identification was tested and an efficient workflow procedure for image capture and processing was elaborated using the software I3SC. Moreover, we investigated the habitat preference and population dynamics of the species in order to deduce best management practices for conservation. Within the study areas we identified a number of “key trees” for population surveys that should be maintained as well as open areas and decaying trees, likely to favor further colonization by R. alpina. Data were collected from populations of two National Parks in central Italy in 2014 and 2015. The study is part of the project MIPP (LIFE11 NAT/IT/000252), which aims to develop standard methods for the monitoring of saproxylic beetles listed in the Habitats Directive

Genetic variability and conservation of longhorn beetle Rosalia alpina in Italy in the frame of EU-LIFE MIPP Project.

Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most attractive saproxylic longhorn beetle in Europe, ranked as a priority species and listed the Annexes II and IV of the European Habitats Directive 92/43EEC. The distribution range of R. alpina extends from central-southern Europe to northern Turkey and Caucasic Region (Sama G. 2002). In Italy, this species is widespread and mainly associated to ancient deciduous beech forests. In the frame of EU-LIFE Project MIPP (Monitoring Insects with Public Participation, LIFE11 NAT/IT/000252) - aimed to standardize methods for monitoring R. alpina in Europe - ecological data on population size and habitat preferences of this species were collected in two National Parks in Italy (PNFC: Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi; PNALM: Parco Nazionale Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise). These ecological surveys were integrated by the analysis of genetic polymorphism at 6 microsatellite loci (Drag et al. 2013) in a sub-sample of 89 individuals of R. alpina from both PNFC and PNALM (years: 2014-2015) to assess levels of heterozygosity, population structuring and gene flow. Our analysis suggests similar levels of genetic diversity among examined sub-populations (with only slight differences in allelic richness), also comparable to those already observed in South-East Europe (Drag et al. 2015). Inferences about inbreeding, kin relationships and extent of gene flow among Italian R. alpina populations are presented. Finally, the significance of integrating ecological and genetic data to set efficient conservation planning for endangered saproxylic beetles are remarked