Performance Assessment of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Restoration Experiment on Dead matte Twelve Years after Planting—Structural and Functional Meadow Features

Following the restoration of natural conditions by reducing human pressures, reforestation is currently considered a possible option to accelerate the recovery of seagrass habitats. Long-term monitoring programs theoretically represent an ideal solution to assess whether a reforestation plan has produced the desired results. Here, we report on the performance of a 20 m2 patch of Posidonia oceanica transplanted on dead matte twelve years after transplantation in the Gulf of Palermo, northwestern Sicily. Photo mosaic performed in the area allowed us to detect 23 transplanted patches of both regular and irregular shape, ranging from 0.1 to 2.7 m2 and an overall surface close to 19 m2. Meadow density was 331.6 ± 17.7 shoot m−2 (currently five times higher than the initial value of 66 shoots m−2), and it did not show statistical differences from a close by natural meadow (331.2 ± 14.9). Total primary production, estimated by lepidochronology, varied from 333.0 to 332.7 g dw m2/year, at the transplanted and natural stand, respectively. These results suggest that complete restoration of P. oceanica on dead matte is possible in a relatively short time (a decade), thus representing a good starting point for upscaling the recovery of the degraded meadows in the area

Hepatotoxicity from green tea: A review of the literature and two unpublished cases

Purpose: To review the current literature on suspected green tea-related hepatic reactions and to describe two new cases reported within the framework of the Italian surveillance system of natural health products. Results: A literature search of publication between 1999 and October 2008 retrieved 34 cases of hepatitis. Histological examination of the liver revealed inflammatory reactions, cholestasis, occasional steatosis, and necrosis. A positive dechallenge was reported in 29 cases. There was one reported death. A positive rechallenge occurred in seven cases (20%). In the two new cases, the causality assessment was judged as "possible" according to the RUCAM score. Conclusions: Our analysis of the published case reports suggests a causal association between green tea and liver damage. The hepatotoxicity is probably due to (-)-epigallocatechin gallate or its metabolites which, under particular conditions related to the patient's metabolism, can induce oxidative stress in the liver. In a few cases, toxicity related to concomitant medications could also be involved. © 2009 Springer-Verlag

Hepatitis from Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.): Review of literature and report of a new case

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Folk medicine is a rich source of useful therapeutic tools. Nevertheless, use of medicinal plants can have unwanted, negative effects. By means of the description of an adverse reaction to a herbal remedy, we highlight the need for better efficacy-toxicity studies on these products. Aim of the Study: To report a case of possible Chelidonium majus L. (Greater celandine)-induced hepatitis and evaluate the past published cases. Materials and methods: We outlined the main features of hepatitis associated with use of Chelidonium majus by providing a review of cases reported and analysing in detail a new one. Results: Several cases of acute hepatitis related to Greater celandine consumption were found in the literature. The assessment for causality using Naranjo probability scale showed a probable relationship between the liver injury and the consumption of Chelidonium majus in the case we described. Conclusions: Our case, along with the other ones reported in the literature, increases the concern about the safety of oral use of Chelidonium majus. Plants used in traditional medicine are not necessarily harmless. Customers and prescribers should be aware of this, especially when a herbal drug is used with therapeutic purposes in absence of reliable studies of clinical efficacy and benefit-risk assessment. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Signs of local adaptation by genetic selection and isolation promoted by extreme temperature and salinity in the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica

Adaptation to local conditions is known to occur in seagrasses; however, knowledge of the genetic basis underlying this phenomenon remains scarce. Here, we analysed Posidonia oceanica from six sites within and around the Stagnone di Marsala, a semi-enclosed coastal lagoon where salinity and temperature exceed the generally described tolerance thresholds of the species. Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were measured and plant samples were collected for the assessment of morphology, flowering rate and for screening genome-wide polymorphisms using double digest restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing. Results demonstrated more extreme SSTs and salinity levels inside the lagoon than the outer lagoon regions. Morphological results showed significantly fewer and shorter leaves and reduced rhizome growth of P. oceanica from the inner lagoon and past flowering events were recorded only for a meadow farthest away from the lagoon. Using an array of 51,329 single nucleotide polymorphisms, we revealed a clear genetic structure among the study sites and confirmed the genetic isolation and high clonality of the innermost site. In all, 14 outlier loci were identified and annotated with several proteins including those relate to plant stress response, protein transport and regulators of plant-specific developmental events. Especially, five outlier loci showed maximum allele frequency at the innermost site, likely reflecting adaptation to the extreme temperature and salinity regimes, possibly due to the selection of more resistant genotypes and the progressive restriction of gene flow. Overall, this study helps us to disentangle the genetic basis of seagrass adaptation to local environmental conditions and may support future works on assisted evolution in seagrasses

Diritto dell'ambiente

Il manuale traccia un quadro chiaro, aggiornato e dettagliato, del diritto dell’ambiente tenendo conto delle più recenti modifiche del diritto comunitario e del diritto costituzionale italiano. Dopo aver definito i principi, le nozioni giuridiche fondamentali e le fonti della disciplina, esamina le competenze dei soggetti coinvolti - dagli organismi internazionali all’Unione europea, dallo stato alle regioni e agli enti locali - per poi concentrarsi sulle materie ambientali, sulle condizioni di utilizzazione e sui limiti dei principali strumenti di intervento

Seasonal dynamics of Posidonia oceanica beach-cast wracks in a Sicilian beach: an overlooked system for carbon dynamics

Seagrass detritus accumulates along the coasts forming beach-cast wracks. Being subject to environmental gradients and hydrodynamism, the size and composition of beach-cast wracks may vary in space and time. Also the composition may vary depending on both proximities to and productivity of the adjacent seagrass meadows. Despite their dynamic nature, seagrass beach-casts provide important ecosystem services, by contributing to the nutrient and carbon flow between marine and terrestrial systems, supporting beach biodiversity and trophic webs and protecting the coastline from erosion. However, the knowledge about beach-cast dynamics, ecological role and functions is still fragmented and deserves a greater effort. Here, we aimed to assess the seasonal dynamics of beach-casts in terms of mass, nutrient and carbon content, and composition. The study was conducted in November 2018 and February 2019 in a Sicilian beach (Capo Feto, TP), adjacent to large nearshore Posidonia oceanica meadows. Surficial and deep (0.5-2 m) seagrass beach-cast samples were collected through a handsaw along the seaward side of the wrack, at three equidistant sites (100 m). Beach-cast mass (kg DW m coastline-1) exhibited wide temporal fluctuations, significantly decreasing from November to February, as an effect of the winter sea storms. A higher mass was also evident in the deep layer than in the surficial one only in November, suggesting a higher compactness of deep layers in the highest beach-cast wracks. Accordingly, nitrogen and organic carbon content (kg DW m coastline-1) showed the same pattern revealing a key role of the beach-cast as a nutrient source between adjacent systems. Despite the high seasonal variability, beach cast composition was rather constant over time, showing an overall dominance of seagrass detritus, and an increase in sediment in the deep layers. This indicates a relevant input from the adjacent P. oceanica meadow and confirms the role of banquette as sediment trap

Quali-quantitative assessment of Posidonia oceanica detritus accumulations in pocket-beaches with different productivity levels of nearshore seagrass meadows

Posidonia oceanica detritus accumulates in late summer-autumn along the coasts forming beach-cast seagrass wracks known as banquette. Although seagrass wracks are highly variable at both spatial and temporal scales, they have an important ecological role as they protect the coast from erosion, support beach biodiversity and trophic webs and supply nutrients to dune vegetation. Previous studies have focused mainly on the beach-cast morphological characterization and variability, as well as on associated biotic communities. However, few studies have focused on the quali-quantitative assessment of seagrass wracks. The aim of this study was to assess the spatial variability of the P.oceanica beach-cast wrack, in terms of biomass and composition, in relation to productivity of the nearshore meadows. We hypothesize that highly productive seagrass meadows sustain beach-cast characterised by a greater vegetal biomass to sediment ratios than low productivity meadows. This study was conducted in November 2018 in three Sicilian pocket-beaches with different levels of productivity of the nearshore meadows: high (Capo Feto, TP), medium (Maragani, AG) and low productivity (Scala dei Turchi, AG). At each site, samples of beach-cast wracks were collected and dry biomass (kg DW m-3) and the percentage composition of the main components (leaf detritus, fresh leaves, rhizomes, aegagropilae, sediment) were estimated. Preliminary results showed a high intra-site variability and no significant differences in biomass per unit volume among the beaches with different levels of seagrass productivity. However leaf detritus represented the main component of the wrack in the beach sustained by high seagrass productivity, followed by rhizomes, while sediment component increased in the other productivity levels. Next steps will relate biomass data to the total volume of beach-cast in order to estimate the global biomass accumulated on the beach. In addition, in order to evaluate the temporal dynamics of the P. oceanica beach-cast wrack, sampling will be repeated in the same sites every three months in 2019 and will allow to complete the preliminary picture here presented

The use of very high resolution images for the estimation of Posidonia oceanica beach-cast morphology

Posidonia oceanica is an endemic Mediterranean seagrass that forms wide and dense meadows from the surface to depths of about 40 m. During fall and winter, due to aging and storms, leaves and rhizomes break away from the seagrass meadows and accumulate on the shores (from a few centimeters in the water to several meters inshore) forming conspicuous beach-casts of P. oceanica detritus. These structures have received increasing attention in the last decade for the potential ecosystem services they provide in protecting the coast from erosion, linking marine and terrestrial food chains and contributing to carbon and nutrients fluxes. However, seagrass beach-cast morphology is not easy to estimate because: i) beach-casts have a complex dynamics; ii) they can reach very large extensions; iii) their shapes are not comparable with standard geometric figures. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphology and dynamics of P. oceanica beach-casts in three beaches of Sicily (Capo Feto, Maragani and Scala dei Turchi) characterized by different productivity of the nearshore meadows. A remote sensing approach was used to assess the beachcast extension, morphology, volume and derivate parameters. In particular, very high resolution drone images, combined with GPS field data, were used to obtain a 3D-reconstruction of P. oceanica beach-casts. Generated ortophotos and digital elevation model were imported into geospatial analysis software to quantify volumes and their spatial and temporal evolutions. The 3D-model allowed to accurately estimate different levels of seagrass detritus accumulation. This approach enables to achieve a more detailed and complete understanding on the role of P. oceanica detritus beach-casts in coastal marine dynamics. This might also contribute to gain a better insight into the ecosystem services they provide

Estimation of the volume of Posidonia oceanica detritus accumulations along Sicilian coasts by using very high resolution images

Posidonia oceanica meadows are among the most important marine coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea due to several roles they are able to play. They, in fact, support high levels of primary production, enhance sedimentation of suspended particles through their canopies, prevent resuspension of marine sediments by means of roots and rhizomes and counteract coast erosion. Part of the primary production of this seagrass is not transferred to herbivores either immediately to detritus pathway but it can accumulate on the shore in form of banquette, typical structures exerting a significant role in protection of beaches from erosion. To accurately measure the extension, morphology, volume and derivate parameters of these structures a remote sensing approach is often required, since very large banquettes can occur along the shore. The aim of this study was to investigate the architecture and dynamics of some banquettes observed along coasts of Sicily, by using a multitemporal analysis of remotely sensed images. In particular very high resolution drone images, combined with GPS field data, was used to obtain a 3D reconstruction of banquette morphology. The study was carried out along three pocket beaches: Capo Feto (TP), Maragani and Scala dei Turchi (AG). Generated ortophotos and digital elevation model were imported into geospatial analysis software to quantify volumes and their spatial and temporal evolutions. 3D approach allowed us to accurately estimate different levels of necromass accumulation.This approach will allow to achieve a more detailed and complete view on the role of P. oceanica detritus stocks within coastal marine dynamics. This might also contribute to gain a better insight into the ecosystem services they provide