Bryophytic vegetation of fragile and threatened ecosystems: the case of the Mediterranean temporary ponds in inland Central Italy.

The first overview of the bryophytic vegetation of the Mediterranean temporary ponds in Umbria region is reported. Phytosociological relevés were carried out in a scattered system of ephemeral pools, where seasonal fluctuation in the water level is the main driving factor. By applying Braun-Blanquet's approach to sample the bryo-communities and multivariate analysis tools to analyse data, the identification of some bryophyte communities was possible, one of which is here described as new association. It is Entosthodono fascicularidis-Archidietum alternifolii ass. nova, referable to the class Psoretea decipientis. The other bryo-communities have been framed into the classes Cladonio digitatae-Lepidozietea reptantis, Ceratodonto purpurei-Polytrichetea piliferii and Psoretea decipientis again

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #26 to #36

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 1510*, 2130*, 2250*, 3180*, 3260, 5230*, 6410, 7140, 7220*, 9320 are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 14 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 20 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria

First overview on the 4th Annex I Habitats Report in Italy: methods, criticality, results and future prospects

Like all the other EU/28 countries, in 2019 Italy developed the 4th Italian Report ex-Art. 17 on the conservation status of the Habitats of Annex I to the 92/43/EEC Directive. Institutional referent of the process, on behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection (MATTM), was the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society (SBI). A huge working group composed of thematic and territorial experts was formed with the task to collect, analyse, validate the data resulting from Annex I Habitat monitoring in Italy for the period 2013-2018, whose collection is in charge to the regional administrations. Data on 124 types of terrestrial and inland water Habitats present in Italy have been processed in order to assess their overall conservation status in the Biogeographic Regions of occurrence. The carried out activity led to the compilation of 278 assessment sheets. The work included a critical analysis of the data and a broad scientific confrontation aimed at finding methodologically robust solutions to fill the gaps. The work was structured so as to guarantee the traceability of the information and to allow the collection of "gray" literature and scientific articles, phytosociological surveys and unpublished material of the specialists, composing a substantial pool of data useful for starting a long-term process to support the next reporting cycles. Cartographic outcomes, associated databases and additional data used for the assessments will be available online on the ISPRA Portal as soon as the validation process by the European Commission will be completed. A freely accessible online archive of phytosociological surveys representative of the various Annex I Habitats in Italy is being set up within the national "VegItaly" database, managed by the Italian Society of Vegetation Science, by way of a dedicated archive named "HAB_IT". Such a long-term vision, oriented to the storage and enhancement of knowledge, represents an important innovative aspect and a significant progress towards the construction of an effective monitoring system for the conservation of Annex I Habitats in Italy

The role of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, in protecting against age-related macular degeneration: A review based on controversial evidence

PURPOSE: A review of the role of the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, and their function in altering the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: Medline and Embase search. RESULTS: Recent evidence introduces the possibility that lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids found in a variety of fruits and vegetables may protect against the common eye disease of macular degeneration. This potential and the lack to slow the progression of macular degeneration, has fueled high public interest in the health benefits of these carotenoids and prompted their inclusion in various supplements. The body of evidence supporting a role in this disease ranges from basic studies in experimental animals to various other clinical and epidemiological studies. Whilst some epidemiological studies suggest a beneficial role for carotenoids in the prevention of AMD, others are found to be unrelated to it. Results of some clinical studies indicate that the risk for AMD is reduced when levels of the carotenoids are elevated in the serum or diet, but this correlation is not observed in other studies. Published data concerning the toxicity of the carotenoids or the optimum dosage of these supplements is lacking. CONCLUSION: An intake of dietary supplied nutrients rich in the carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, appears to be beneficial in protecting retinal tissues, but this is not proven. Until scientifically sound knowledge is available we recommend for patients judged to be at risk for AMD to: alter their diet to more dark green leafy vegetables, wear UV protective lenses and a hat when outdoors. Future investigations on the role of nutrition, light exposure, genetics, and combinations of photodynamic therapy with intravitreal steroid (triamcinolone-acetonide) injections hold potential for future treatment possibilities

Il supporto della SISV alla realizzazione di un manuale nazionale per il monitoraggio degli habitat della Direttiva 92/43/EEC in Italia.

A partire dall'entrata in vigore della Direttiva 92/43/EEC, la sorveglianza dello stato di conservazione degli habitat elencati nell'Allegato I ed il relativo monitoraggio periodico a intervalli di sei anni sono diventati un obbligo per tutti i paesi membri dell'UE, in base a quanto previsto negli Articoli 11 e 17. Nel 2011 è stato pubblicato un documento che fornisce le linee guida di riferimento europee per il monitoraggio di habitat e specie (Evans & Arvela 2011). Su questa base metodologica, la Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione (SISV), avvalendosi di un ampio gruppo di soci esperti, ha avviato un dibattito interno su principi, criteri, parametri e strumenti per il monitoraggio degli habitat di Allegato I e dei tipi di vegetazione in essi rappresentati. Il progetto è stato promosso dal Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare e coordinato dall'Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, e si trova al momento in una fase prossima alla conclusione. A partire dalla documentazione già prodotta a livello nazionale per gli habitat italiani (Biondi et al., 2009, 2012, 2014; Genovesi et al., 2014), diversi aspetti critici sono stati esaminati attraverso una discussione scientifica ampiamente condivisa. In particolare, sono stati affrontati: gli aspetti legati alla scelta di strumenti adeguati per valutare i parametri area, struttura e funzione, prospettive future; il concetto di "specie tipica"; i metodi di campionamento habitat-specifici appropriati. Il protocollo sviluppato si pone come uno strumento pratico ed efficace, scientificamente valido e in linea con gli standard metodologici internazionali. Il suo utilizzo permetterà una raccolta armonizzata di dati su scala nazionale, rendendo possibile una valutazione comparata dello stato di conservazione di ciascun habitat

Adonis distorta Ten.: un esempio di studio per implementare le conoscenze sulla biologia, ecologia, distribuzione, dinamica delle popolazioni e stato di conservazione delle specie di interesse comunitario

Sono riportati i primi risultati degli studi in corso su Adonis distorta Ten., endemismo dell'Appennino centrale, per aumentare le conoscenze sulla biologia, rapporti sistematici intercorrenti con specie affini, informazioni sulla consistenza e struttura delle popolazioni, stato di conservazione nei vari siti di crescita

Application of IUCN red listing criteria at the regional level: a case study with Boletales across the Apennine province ecoregion and EU-habitats of Central Italy

A Red List of the 100 Boletales (Agaricomycetidae) species recorded in Apennine Province ecoregion Subsections “Tuscan Basin, 1C1b” and “Umbria and Marche Apennine, 1C2a” (central Italy) is provided. According to the IUCN categories and criteria, 67% of the assessed species are classified as threatened, whereas 19% are Near Threatened (NT), 11% are Least Concern (LC) and 3% are Data Deficient (DD). As a consequence of the downlisting applied to the majority of the assessed taxa, no species results Critically Endangered (CR), while 44.78% of the threatened species are Endangered (EN) and 55.22% Vulnerable (VU). The distribution of Non-Threatened (NT, LC) species across 1C1b and 1C2a subsections is quite uniform, whereas the distribution of the Threatened species varies in a dissimilar way. In fact, the two subsections share 33 (4 EN, 29 VU) Threatened species, while 23 (18 EN, 5 VU) are present exclusively in 1C1b subsection and 11 (8 EN, 3 VU) only in 1C2a subsection. The present assessments will allow in future to assess these species also against the criterion A of the IUCN protocol, given that it will be possible to define a trend of the populations and to highlight a possible reduction. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1918782