SPARTINA VERSICOLOR FABRE IN COASTAL AREAS OF TUSCANY (ITALY)

This paper aims to present an overview of Spartina versicolor Fabre populations in the coastal areas of Tuscany (Italy), in relation to its ecology and phytosociology. Geobotanical surveys were carried out on the sedimentary coasts along the whole region. Data show that the species grows in embryo dunes, retrodunal sandy lowlands and surrounding wet areas that are moderately saline. In all cases observed, the species exhibited also a high sterility and clonal spread. Phytosociological data show different associative behaviours of S. versicolor in different environment types. In particular it is possible to identify three different phytocoenoses strictly related to the environmental typologies (dunal, interdunal/retrodunal or wet) and also to soil salinity. In addition, the observations led us to describe a new subassociation

Ecological and phytosociological aspects of foredune vegetation in a neogenic beach of Tuscany coast (Italy)

An investigation of foredune vegetation of a 2 km long stretch of coast of North West Tuscany (Italy) is conducted. This area has geomorphological features that are very peculiar and different from the rest of the sandy shores of the Tuscan coast. The current beach of about 22 ha, is the result of recent deposits (from the early decades of the last century), derivatives of the production of soda and mainly made from waste carbonate (CaCO3 mainly) that are still discharged into the sea from a chemical factory nearby to the coast. This results in a marked progradation of this stretch of coastline, with a major development of dune vegetation in contrast with neighboring coastal areas. The vegetation analysis and zonation of plant communities show strong anomalies when compared with dune habitats of the nearby beaches. It has been noted that associations typical of ephemeral and embryonic dune such as Salsolo-Cakiletum and Echinophoro - Elymetum, are almost absent. These characteristic associations have now been replaced with extended surfaces of Sporobolus virginicus and an anomalous distribution of Echinophoro-Ammophiletum. This seems partly due to the significant human interference but also to the particular type of substrate.When human interference is absent and the soil type changes, we see the recovery of normal zonation

Floristic and vegetational characterization of degraded areas in the province of Pisa: the case of a dismissed quarry and the neighboring territory (Municipality of Vecchiano)

The natural restoration of abandoned mining areas is one of the most complex environmental challenges due to the multiplicity of issues involved. In general, the spontaneous dynamics of renaturation in the quarry areas are very slow and altered because of limiting environmental conditions. So, recovery actions should promote ecological processes interrupted by mining and then the acceleration of the natural dynamics. Presently, in the province of Pisa several abandoned quarries have not undergone the necessary environmental recovery and, for this reason, they are classified as "areas of geophysical degradation". These include the former quarry C.E.I. dismissed in 1992 and located on the Monti d’Oltre Serchio in the municipality of Vecchiano (PI). The present work was focused on the flora and vegetation of this area. The study area, including the quarry (2.9 ha), the remaining sides of the Poggio dei Cavoli and the adjacent ridge of "Sassi Grossi", is characterized by limestone formations of the non metamorphic Tuscan Falda. It is characterized by a rather hard carsism, with almost no soil and high pH in the quarry area, while it is rich in oxides and lacking humus in the outer portions. Inside the cave, however, the scarcity of vegetation cover and the strong albedo, due to the light-colored rock, cause a different microclimate, characterized by dryness and higher temperature. The flora consists of more than 200 vascular species, of which about 50 are restricted to the quarry and 85 to adjacent areas. Particularly important is the number of floristic emergences, including rare orchids and ferns, which induced some scientists to propose the inclusion of the study area within the Regional Park of Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli. This makes the site interesting from an environmental perspective and therefore, worthy of further valorisation and protection. The analysis of aerial photographs and surveys conducted in the field has allowed the identification of the main types of vegetation (Fig. 1). In the territory outside the extraction site, the Mediterranean Macchia (high, medium and low) with evergreen sclerophyllous (Quercion ilicis) in catenal contact with the Garrigue (Rosmarinetalia officinalis and Thero-Brachypodietalia), and the mixed forest with dominant oak and transitional pruneto (referable to the alliance Quercion pubescentis- petraeae Br. Bl. 1931), can be found. The quarry area is, instead, dominated by a pioneer vegetation that is hygrophile on the plain of the quarry, and lithophile on the front. This latter, at least in part, has species in common with the surrounding garrigues. This is interpreted as the initial stage of the series of vegetation that should lead to the reconstitution of the original forest cover, represented by the actual vegetation of the adjacent areas. The widespread presence of species such as Rubus ulmifolius, Clematis vitalba and Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, and of invasive exotic species, such as Cortaderia selloana, Robinia pseudoacacia, Buddleja davidii and Ailanthus altissima, reveal that, without proper action, it is difficult to imagine a fast around the quarry

The forested agricoltural landscape of Pisdan plain: the Coltano estate

The frequency and coverage of individuals of L. nobilis has reached values over time such as to induce the scientific community and local governments to establish in the northern sector, a nature reserve of about 9 ha called " Forest of laurels ", considered by some authors, one of the few wild and spontaneous stations of Laurus nobilis of peninsular and insular Ital

I BOSCHI DI COLTANO: ASPETTI STORICI, FISIONOMICI E VEGETAZIONALI DI UN PAESAGGIO FORESTALE RELITTO NEL PIANO DI PISA (TOSCANA).

E’ stata indagata dal punto di vista fitosociologico, in base a rilievi originali ed osservazioni dirette, la vegetazione dei “boschi di Coltano” (Pisa). Rappresentati da fasce forestali a cornice del nucleo centrale della Tenuta di Coltano o all’interno di questa, questi boschi costituiscono un lembo di vegetazione forestale sopravissuta alle grandi trasformazioni del paesaggio della pianura limitrofa Pisa negli ultimi secoli. Caratterizzati prevalentemente da popolamenti misti a Quercus robur e Fraxinus oxycarpa, rivelano, frammentate nella matrice forestale di caducifoglie, ampi lembi xerici del Quercion ilicis e, aspetto ancora più interessante, una estrema diffusione di Laurus nobilis che, oltre a caratterizzare il mantello arbustivo del sottobosco, in alcune aree, diventa decisamente dominante sia dal punto di vista della copertura che della struttura forestale. L’analisi statistica dei dati vegetazionali ottenuti, ha consentito l’individuazione di popolamenti vegetali in alcuni casi estremamente differenziati, seppure a stretto contatto catenale. È stata inoltre messa in evidenza l’importanza del paesaggio vegetale dell’area dal punto di vista storico e conservazionistico.The vegetation survey of the “boschi di Coltano” (Pisa) was carried out by means of phytosociolocical relevés and data analyses. Represented by forestry bands perimetral to the’’ island of Coltano “or within this, these woods are a strip of forest vegetation survived the great transformations of the landscape of the plain adjacent Pisa in recent centuries. Characterized mainly by mixed stands with Quercus robur and Fraxinus oxycarpa, reveal, fragmented in the deciduous matrix, xeric areas of Quercion ilicis and, even more interesting, a great spread of Laurus nobilis. This, in addition to characterizing the undergrowth shrubs, in some areas, it becomes significantly dominant both from the point of view of the cover that the forest structure. Statistical analysis of vegetation data obtained, has allowed the identification of plant populations in some cases very different, albeit closely catenal. It was also highlighted the importance of the area in terms of history of vegetation landscape and for conservation

Aspetti botanici delle pinete litoranee toscane

Le pinete litoranee della Toscana danno luogo a formazioni forestali prevalentemente dominate e caratterizzate da tre specie di pino: Pinus pinea L. (pino domestico), Pinus pinaster Aiton (pino marittimo) e Pinus halepensis Mill.(pino d’Aleppo). Mentre P.pinea e P.pinaster costituiscono l’elemento paesaggistico litoraneo preponderante lungo i settori costieri sedimentari e danno luogo a pinete in larga misura di origine antropica, quelle a P.halepensis sono in maggior parte rinvenibili nei settori costieri rocciosi, evidenziando caratteri di maggiore naturalità. Tutte e tre le specie, dal punto di vista fitogeografico, sono definibili archeofite, ovvero specie il cui indigenato è dubbio e la cui presenza e distribuzione nel territorio, seppure molto antica e in misura diversa, è legata all’uomo. Le peculiarità botaniche, la flora caratterizzante e gli aspetti fitocenotici delle pinete litoranee, devono necessariamente essere distinte oltre che in base alla specie dominante, anche all’età della pineta, al suo trattamento e all’ambiente in cui si sviluppano. In base a questo le pinete a pino domestico e a pino marittimo, a parità di trattamento selvicolturale e di età, sviluppandosi in ambienti retrodunali e sulle dune antiche planiziali sono essenzialmente caratterizzate dalla medesima florula che, in realtà è quella originariamente legata alle macchie litoranee spontanee (leccio, sughera, fillirea, lentisco, ginepro, alaterno, erica etc.) del Quercetalia ilicis o del Ceratonio-Rhamnetalia. Spesso, in queste pinete, a seconda della maggiore o minore idromorfia dei suoli, si inseriscono anche elementi dei boschi mesoigrofili planiziali a farnia e frassino meridionale. Quando vi insiste un elevato grado di antropizzazione e/o i sesti di impianti risultano eccessivamente fitti , queste pinete danno luogo a fitocenosi estremamente povere in termini di ricchezza floristica. Nel caso delle pinete a pino d’Aleppo le specie della macchia che vi si rinvengono appaiono maggiormente legate al substrato poco profondo e prevalentemente roccioso e quindi a elementi casmofili. L’inclusione delle pinete litoranee nell’habitat prioritario 2270* ( sensu Dir.92743/CEE) ne costituisce, oltre a quella storico-paesaggistica, un elemento di ulteriore tutela naturalistica, anche se questa appare più legata alla maggiore diversità floristico-vegetazionale che viene a verificarsi quando Pinus sppl. perde la sua predominanza all’interno della matrice delle macchie costiere

“A case of ecological renaturation in a drained Mediterranean peatland: the case study of the Massaciuccoli Lake basin (Tuscany, It)”

The Massaciuccoli Lake floodplain is located in the Natural Park of San Rossore, Migliarino and Massaciuccoli in NW of Tuscany (Italy). Since the 1930s, a large part of the Massaciuccoli floodplain has been drained for agricultural purposes. To ensure a water table depth suitable for cultivation, a complex network of artificial drains and pumping stations has been used to drain the superficial aquifer and rainwater. Land use is characterised by conventional agriculture (covers 80% of the area) and periurban infrastructures, such as a wastewater treatment plant. In the peatland area, cropping systems are based on continuous production of maize (Zea mays L.), sunflower (Heliantus annuus L.), wheat (Triticum spp. L.). As a consequence of land use, several environmental concerns arose in the last 50 years. The most important concerns are those related to: I. eutrophication of the lake due to nutrient enrichment (N, P) in the surface- and groundwater. II. the subsidence rate (2-3 m in 70 years) due to compaction and increased mineralization of peat. The project RestoMedPeatland (https://sites.google.com/site/restomedpeatland/) started in 2011, identified rewetting and setting-up a phyto-treatment system as the solution for improving water quality,slowing down soil organic matter (SOM) mineralization, and, therefore, a method to restore the ecological functions of this site. A 15 ha experimental area was used to compare the efficiency of three different systems (A: constructed wetland, B: paludiculture system and C: natural wetland in treating the eutrophic drainage water coming from a sub-watershed in the reclamation district.In the natural wetland (C), after top soil removal, excavation and rewetting with drainage water, the vegetation has evolved naturally. The surveys carried out during the four years after pilot experimental field, highlighted the development of a spontaneous hydro-hygrophilous vegetation. This was mainly composed of helophytic communities dominated by Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. and Typha latifolia L., in addition to monophytic populations of Myriophillum spp., occupying different areas of the system according to the depth of excavation, for about 50% of the whole surface. The flora, currently, consists more than 30 species, as hydro-hygrophilous Alisma plantago-aquatica L., Juncus effusus L., Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lag, Lemna minor L., characteristic of the nearby Massaciuccoli Lake. The data collected so far showed a high and progressive growth of the biomass of the natural area, a dynamic upward trend of floristic-vegetation biodiversity, and, from a technical standpoint, a large phyto-treatment capability

Effetti dei metalli pesanti su germinazione e crescita iniziale di Typha latifolia L. e T. angustifolia L.

The paper reports some data obtained during experimental tests carried out in order to describe the behaviour in the early stages of growth of the two species Typha latifolia and T. angustifolia in relation to the presence of heavy metals in growing medium. In particular, while the germination is not affected by this type of stress, the development of root systems in both species is highly compromised especially in the presence of Cu and Cd. These observations make it possible to suggest the use of these two species as bioindicators to quickly show toxic levels of these pollutants in the environment

Selectively Charged and Zwitterionic Analogues of the Smallest Immunogenic Structure of Streptococcus Pneumoniae Type 14

Zwitterionic polysaccharides (ZPs) have been shown in recent years to display peculiar immunological properties, thus attracting the interest of the carbohydrate research community. To fully elucidate the mechanisms underlying these properties and exploit the potential of this kind of structures, in depth studies are still required. In this context, the preparation of two cationic, an anionic, as well as two zwitterionic tetrasaccharide analogues of the smallest immunogenic structure of Streptococcus pneumoniae type 14 (SP14) capsular polysaccharide are presented. By exploiting a block strategy, the negative charge has been installed on the non-reducing end of the lactose unit of the tetrasaccharide and the positive charge either on the non-reducing end of the lactosamine moiety or on an external linker. These structures have then been tested by competitive ELISA, showing that the structural variations we made do not modify the affnity of the neutral compound to binding to a specific antibody. However, lower effcacies than the natural SP14 compound were observed. The results obtained, although promising, point to the need to further elongate the polysaccharide structure, which is likely too short to cover the entire epitopes

Le aree umide salmastre della Tenuta di San Rossore (PI): zonazione e successione delle specie vegetali in relazione alla salinità del suolo

The study area, localized in north Tuscany (Parco di Migliarino, S. Rossore e Massaciuccoli - Italy), is characterized by wide retrodunal depressed plains. In these sites is evident a marked seasonal soil hydromorphy and a geomorphology related to coastal dynamism. These swampy areas, covering about 380 hectares, have a salt gradient that increases with the proximity to the sea. The distribution and ecology of phytocenosis is affected by the chemical-physical parameters of the substrate: populations of Salicornia patula on clay and salty soils, cenosis of Spartina juncea on sandy and moderately salty soils, Phragmites australis. on lime and freshwater soils . In this area the contiguity and interpenetration of taxa with different ecology (Lippia nodiflora, Cladium mariscus, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Limonium narbonense, Sporobolus pungens, Aster tripolium, Artemisia caerulescens, Hordeum maritimum, Juncus maritimus) allow to the development of an elevated number of species and consequently a high plant biodiversity. The variation of salinity related to seasonal hydromorphy of the soils, depends on the seasonal climate change (rainy winter and dry summer). This fact determines a high vegetation dynamism which brings not only to a different spatial distribution of vegetation but also to a seasonal succession of the phytocenosis