Do tree-species richness, stand structure and ecological factors affect the photosynthetic efficiency in European forests?

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Silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is able to thrive and prosper under meso-Mediterranean conditions

The potential ecological envelope of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) based on its present distribution suggests a high suitability for moist rather than warm and dry environments. This contrasts with paleoecological evidence reporting its former presence at low elevations under meso-Mediterranean conditions. In this study, we evaluated the growth performance of silver fir at low elevation (20–60 m a.s.l.) under meso-Mediterranean climatic conditions in Tuscany (central Italy). We conducted a dendroecological analysis on Abies alba trees along a geomorphological gradient (from depression to upper slope conditions). Climate-growth relationships were assessed by means of correlations, response functions, pointer years, and superposed epoch analysis. Silver fir was found to grow and regenerate well in these stands mixed with evergreen (e.g., Quercus ilex L.) and thermophilous deciduous Mediterranean tree species (e.g., Q. cerris L.). Summer drought was the most growth-influencing factor, with immediate (i.e., current season) negative impacts on tree-ring widths (TRW). No significant impacts were observed in the four years following extreme summer droughts, but the TRW series (which started between the 1930s and 1950s) showed a growth decline since the mid-1990s that is likely drought-related. Our results show that, provided there is a sufficiently large soil water holding capacity, silver fir provenances exist which are able to withstand Mediterranean summer droughts, can naturally and regularly regenerate in these systems, and may even dominate over typical meso-Mediterranean species. As long as annual precipitation is not too low (i.e., >850 mm) and summer drought conditions not too extreme (i.e., less than three months), silver fir has thus the potential to thrive under warm Mediterranean conditions.ISSN:0378-1127ISSN:1872-704

Supported tris-triazole ligands for batch and continuous-flow copper-catalyzed huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions

The lack of supported versions of the tris[(1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl]amine (TBTA) ligand, suitable for flow-chemistry applications at scale, prompted us to develop a new route for the immobilization of such tris-triazole chelating units on highly cross-linked polystyrene resins. With this aim, the preparation of the known TBTA-type monomer 3 was optimized to develop a high-yield synthetic sequence, devoid of chromatographic purifications at any stage. Then, bead-type (P7) and monolithic (M7) functional resins were obtained by the easy and scalable suspension-or mold-copolymerization of 3 with divinylbenzene. Both types of materials were found to possess a highly porous morphology and specific surface area in the dry state and could be charged with substantial amounts of Cu(I) or Cu(II) salts. After treatment of the latter with a proper reducing agent, the corresponding supported Cu(I) complexes were tested in the copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). The immobilized catalysts proved active at room temperature and, in batch and with catalyst loadings as low as 0.6 mol%, afforded quantitative conversions within 20 h. Independent of the alkyne structure, extended use of the supported catalyst in flow was also possible. In the reaction of benzylazide and propargyl alcohol, this allowed a total turnover number larger than 400 to be reached

Environmental stress - what can we learn from chlorophyll a fluorescence analysis in woody plants? A review

Chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChF) signal analysis has become a widely used and rapid, non-invasive technique to study the photosynthetic process under stress conditions. It monitors plant responses to various environmental factors affecting plants under experimental and field conditions. Thus, it enables extensive research in ecology and benefits forestry, agriculture, horticulture, and arboriculture. Woody plants, especially trees, as organisms with a considerable life span, have a different life strategy than herbaceous plants and show more complex responses to stress. The range of changes in photosynthetic efficiency of trees depends on their age, ontogeny, species-specific characteristics, and acclimation ability. This review compiles the results of the most commonly used ChF techniques at the foliar scale. We describe the results of experimental studies to identify stress factors that affect photosynthetic efficiency and analyse the experience of assessing tree vigour in natural and human-modified environments. We discuss both the circumstances under which ChF can be successfully used to assess woody plant health and the ChF parameters that can be useful in field research. Finally, we summarise the advantages and limitations of the ChF method in research on trees, shrubs, and woody vines

Personalizing Cancer Pain Therapy: Insights from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) Group

Introduction: A previous Delphi survey from the Rational Use of Analgesics (RUA) project involving Italian palliative care specialists revealed some discrepancies between current guidelines and clinical practice with a lack of consensus on items regarding the use of strong opioids in treating cancer pain. Those results represented the basis for a new Delphi study addressing a better approach to pain treatment in patients with cancer. Methods: The study consisted of a two-round multidisciplinary Delphi study. Specialists rated their agreement with a set of 17 statements using a 5-point Likert scale (0 = totally disagree and 4 = totally agree). Consensus on a statement was achieved if the median consensus score (MCS) (expressed as value at which at least 50% of participants agreed) was at least 4 and the interquartile range (IQR) was 3–4. Results: This survey included input from 186 palliative care specialists representing all Italian territory. Consensus was reached on seven statements. More than 70% of participants agreed with the use of low dose of strong opioids in moderate pain treatment and valued transdermal route as an effective option when the oral route is not available. There was strong consensus on the importance of knowing opioid pharmacokinetics for therapy personalization and on identifying immediate-release opioids as key for tailoring therapy to patients’ needs. Limited agreement was reached on items regarding breakthrough pain and the management of opioid-induced bowel dysfunction. Conclusion: These findings may assist clinicians in applying clinical evidence to routine care settings and call for a reappraisal of current pain treatment recommendations with the final aim of optimizing the clinical use of strong opioids in patients with cancer

Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is one of the most recognized global patterns of species richness exhibited across a wide range of taxa. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed in the past two centuries to explain LDG, but rigorous tests of the drivers of LDGs have been limited by a lack of high-quality global species richness data. Here we produce a high-resolution (0.025° × 0.025°) map of local tree species richness using a global forest inventory database with individual tree information and local biophysical characteristics from ~1.3 million sample plots. We then quantify drivers of local tree species richness patterns across latitudes. Generally, annual mean temperature was a dominant predictor of tree species richness, which is most consistent with the metabolic theory of biodiversity (MTB). However, MTB underestimated LDG in the tropics, where high species richness was also moderated by topographic, soil and anthropogenic factors operating at local scales. Given that local landscape variables operate synergistically with bioclimatic factors in shaping the global LDG pattern, we suggest that MTB be extended to account for co-limitation by subordinate drivers