Taxa endemic to Campania (southern Italy): Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes

The authors briefly discuss about the list of the taxa endemic to Campania (southern Italy) and the typification of their names. The names Santolina neapolitana and Seseli polyphyllum (and other linked names) are lectotypified on herbarium specimens kept at LY and BOLO. A new combination at subspecific rank is proposed for Globularia neapolitana, validating both a previous invalid proposal and an unpublished lectotypification

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations outweighs effects of stand density in determining growth and water use efficiency in Pinus ponderosa of the semi-arid grasslands of Nebraska (U.S.A.)

This study investigated the impacts of environmental (e.g., climate and CO2 level) and ecological (e.g., stand density) factors on the long-term growth and physiology of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in a semi-arid north American grassland. We hypothesized that ponderosa pine long-term growth patterns were positively influenced by an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and a decrease in stand density. To test this hypothesis, comparison of long-term trends in tree-ring width and carbon and oxygen stable isotopic composition of trees growing in dense and sparse forest stands were carried out at two sites located in the Nebraska National Forest. Results indicated that tree-ring growth increased over time, more at the sparse than at the dense stands. In addition, the carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios showed long-term increases in intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), with little difference between dense and sparse stands. We found a clear trend over time in ponderosa pine tree growth and WUEi, mechanistically linked to long-term changes in global CO2 concentration. The study also highlighted that global factors tend to outweigh local effects of stand density in determining long-term trends in ponderosa pine growth. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for woody encroachment into grasslands of Nebraska and we underlined how the use of long-term time series is crucial for understanding those ecosystems and to guarantee their conservation

The composite dataset of the present-day Infralittoral Prograding Wedges (IPWs) in the inner continental shelf of the Campania region (Central-Eastern Tyrrhenian Sea)

This article reports on the dataset gathered following the census of 83 present-day Infralittoral Prograding Wedges (IPWs), surveyed on the inner continental shelf of the Central-Eastern Tyrrhenian Sea. The purpose of the census was to explore their bathymetric range and assess the observational laws governing this variability. The ensued dataset (Campania Region IPW Dataset, CRID) includes geographic, topographic and morpho-bathymetric indices, descriptive of each IPW and more, the exposure of each IPW to wave forcing (Geographical fetch, Effective fetch and extreme significant wave height, HS). In this work, histograms contribute to describe all the variables and highlight the dominant features of each IPW. Location maps univocally links the geographic position of each IPW to the appropriate attribute record in the dataset. Further, thematic maps illustrate eight wave fields obtained by offshore-to-nearshore transformation by as many sea states scenarios with 200-year return period. Such wave fields are used as sources for significant wave height representing wave conditions over each IPW. This dataset could be implemented with new measures at a broader scale, by following analogue procedures for measurements, to enlarge the observational scale on IPWs and improve the numerical models which might eventually derive by the analysis of this dataset

Simultaneous biochemical and physiological responses of the roots and leaves of pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) to mild salt stress

Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) is a bulbous geophyte growing on coastal sands. In this study, we investigated changes in concentrations of metabolites in the root and leaf tissue of P. maritimum in response to mild salt stress. Changes in concentrations of osmolytes, glutathione, sodium, mineral nutrients, enzymes, and other compounds in the leaves and roots were measured at 0, 3, and 10 days during a 10‐day exposure to two levels of mild salt stress, 50 mM NaCl or 100 mM NaCl in sandy soil from where the plants were collected in dunes near Cuma, Italy. Sodium accumulated in the roots, and relatively little was translocated to the leaves. At both concentrations of NaCl, higher values of the concentrations of oxidized glutathione disulfide (GSSG), compared to reduced glutathione (GSH), in roots and leaves were associated with salt tolerance. The concentration of proline increased more in the leaves than in the roots, and glycine betaine increased in both roots and leaves. Differences in the accumulation of organic osmolytes and electron donors synthesized in both leaves and roots demonstrate that osmoregulatory and electrical responses occur in these organs of P. maritimum under mild salt stress

Integrated stratigraphic reconstruction for the last 80 kyr in a deep sector of the Sardinia Channel (Western Mediterranean)

A quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera, coupled with petrophysical and paleomagnetic measurements and 14C AMS calibrations, was carried out on a deep core recovered in the Sardinia Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea), during the CIESM Sub2 survey, providing an integrated stratigraphic time-framework over the last 80 kyr. Significant changes in the quantitative distribution of planktonic foraminifera allowed the identification of several eco-bioevents useful to accurately mark the boundaries of the eco-biozones widely recognised in the Western Mediterranean records and used for large scale correlations. Namely, 10 eco-biozones were identified based on the relative abundance of selected climate sensitive planktonic foraminiferal species. Sixteen codified eco-bioevents were correlated with the Alboran Sea planktonic foraminiferal data and four climatic global events (Sapropel S1, Younger Dryas, Greenland Isotope Interstadial 1, Greenland Isotope Stadial 2, Heinrich event H1-H6) were recognized. The eco-bioevents together with the 14C AMS calibrations allowed us to define an accurate age model, spanning between 2 and 83 kyr. The reliability of the age model was confirmed by comparing the colour reflectance (550 nm%) data of the studied record with the astronomically tuned record from the Ionian sea (ODP-Site 964). A mean sedimentation rate of about 7 cm/kyr included three turbidite event beds that were chronologically constrained within the relative low stand and lowering sea level phases of the MIS 4 and 3. The deep-sea sedimentary record includes a distinct tephra occurring at the base of the core which dates 78 ka cal. BP. The paleomagnetic data provide a well-defined record of the characteristic remanent magnetization that may be used to reconstruct the geomagnetic paleosecular variation for the Mediterranean back to 83 kyr

Integrated stratigraphic reconstruction for the last 80 kyr in a deep sector of the Sardinia Channel (Western Mediterranean)

A quantitative analysis of planktonic foraminifera, coupled with petrophysical and paleomagnetic measurements and 14C AMS calibrations, was carried out on a deep core recovered in the Sardinia Channel (Western Mediterranean Sea), during the CIESM Sub2 survey, providing an integrated stratigraphic time-framework over the last 80 kyr. Significant changes in the quantitative distribution of planktonic foraminifera allowed the identification of several eco-bioevents useful to accurately mark the boundaries of the eco-biozones widely recognised in the Western Mediterranean records and used for large scale correlations. Namely, 10 eco-biozones were identified based on the relative abundance of selected climate sensitive planktonic foraminiferal species. Sixteen codified eco-bioevents were correlated with the Alboran Sea planktonic foraminiferal data and four climatic global events (Sapropel S1, Younger Dryas, Greenland Isotope Interstadial 1, Greenland Isotope Stadial 2, Heinrich event H1-H6) were recognized. The eco-bioevents together with the 14C AMS calibrations concurred to define an accurate age model, spanning between 2 and 83 kyr cal. BP. The reliability of the age model was confirmed by comparing the colour reflectance (550 nm%) data of the studied record with the astronomically tuned one of the Ionian sea (ODP-Site 964). A mean sedimentation rate of about 7 cm/kyr was evaluated including three turbidite event beds that were chronologically constrained within the relative low stand and lowering sea level phases of the MIS 4 and MIS 3. The deep sea sedimentary record includes a distinct tephra occurring at the base of the core which dates 79 ka. The paleomagnetic data provide a well-defined record of the characteristic remanent magnetization that may be used to reconstruct the geomagnetic paleosecular variation for the Mediterranean back to 83 kyr cal. BP

Discriminating between Seasonal and Chemical Variation in Extracellular Enzyme Activities within Two Italian Beech Forests by Means of Multilevel Models

Enzymes play a key-role in organic matter dynamics and strong scientific attention has been given to them lately, especially to their response to climate and substrate chemical composition. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of chemical composition and seasons on extracellular enzyme activities (laccase, peroxidase, cellulase, chitinase, acid phosphomonoesterase, and dehydrogenase) by means of multilevel models within two Italian mountain beech forests. We used chemical variables as the fixed part in the model, season as random variation and layers (decomposition continuum for leaf litter and 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, and 30–40 cm for soil) as nested factors within the two forests. Our results showed that seasonal changes explained a higher amount of variance in enzyme activities compared to substrate chemistry in leaf litter, whereas chemical variation had a stronger impact on soil. Moreover, the effect of seasonality and chemistry was in general larger than the differences between forest sites, soils, and litter layers

Geohazard features of the Tyrrhenian Calabria

This paper accompanies the Maps of Geohazard features of the Cilento and the Calabro-Tyrrhenian continental margin in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy). The main geohazard-related features were derived from extensive seafloor mapping through the collection of high-resolution multibeam data acquired during several oceanographic cruises. They encompass many fluids seepage features, fault scarps, landslides scars, gullies, channels, and canyons. Hazards related to coastal landslides and shelf-indenting canyons are very high in these sectors (especially in southern Calabria) due to active seismicity coupled with rapid uplift, high sedimentation rates and narrow or totally absent continental shelf, thus promoting a direct connection between steep slopes and coastal areas. In this setting, mass-wasting features can directly impact coastal or submarine infrastructures or indirectly create local tsunami waves, as observed in historical times. Moreover, this physiographic setting of the margin facilitates the transfer of marine litter toward deep-sea areas

Geohazard features of the north-western Sicily and Pantelleria

We present maps of geohazard features identified across north-western Sicily and Pantelleria in the framework of the Magic project (MArine Geohazard along Italian Coasts), which involved Italian marine geological researchers in 2007-2013. These seafloor features were recognized using high-resolution bathymetry data and rely on the morphological expression of the seafloor and shallow sub-surface processes. The north-western Sicily is a complex continental margin, affected by morphodynamic, depositional, and tectonic processes. The Egadi offshore is controlled by fault escarpments and alternating retreating and progradational processes. Ustica and Pantelleria submerged edifices show the effect of volcanic activity. The Ustica seafloor is interested in volcanic, tectonic, and gravitational instability processes, while the Pantelleria offshore underwent erosive-depositional processes and the effect of bottom currents. Two levels of interpretation are represented: the physiographic domain at a scale of 1:250.000 and the morphological units and morpho-bathymetric elements at a 1:100.000 scale