Patterns of co-occurrence of rare and threatened species in winter arable plant communities of Italy

Detecting patterns of species co-occurrence is among the main tasks of plant community ecology. Arable plant communities are important elements of agroecosystems, because they support plant and animal biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. These plant communities are shaped by both agricultural and environmental drivers. The pressure of intensive agriculture worldwide has caused the decline of many characteristic arable species and communities. Italy is the European country where arable plant biodiversity is the best preserved. In this study, we assessed the patterns of co-occurrence of rare and threatened arable plants in 106 plots of winter arable vegetation located from Piedmont to Calabria, in the mainland part of the country. For this purpose, we based our investigation on the analysis of a recently acquired dataset and on the European list of rare and threatened arable plants. We highlight how dierent species of conservation interest tend to occur in the same community. On the other hand, generalist and more competitive taxa show similar patterns of co-occurrence. We suggest that single species of conservation value could be suitable indicators of a well-preserved community. On the other hand, to be eective, conservation strategies should target the whole community, rather than single species

Development of a new GIS-based method to detect high natural value farmlands. A case study in central Italy

An original method for the identification of High Natural Value farmlands is presented. Gathering information about land use (CORINE Land Cover), geomorphology (elevation and Terrain Ruggedness Index) and remote sensing data in a GIS environment we were able to develop a new detection process; its application to a wide sector of central Italy, in areas characterized by high biodiversity and relevant agronomic and cultural value, is presented. Thus, a new tool for diminishing sampling efforts and economic and time wastes in territorial studies is provided

The weed vegetation of the bean “Fagiolo Cannellino di Atina” and the red pepper “Peperone di Pontecorvo” PDO crops (Latium, central Italy)

The weed vegetation of the bean “Fagiolo Cannellino di Atina” (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the red pepper “Peperone di Pontecorvo” (Capsicum annuum L.) PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) crops was surveyed by means of 16 relevés, sampled in four farms of southern Latium during July 2019. The relevés were subjected to multivariate analysis, which revealed that the two crops are weeded by vegetation types referable to two different subassociations of Panico-Polygonetum persicariae (Spergulo-Erodion, Eragrostietalia, Digitario-Eragrostietea). Namely, communities colonizing bean fields, which are more mesophilous and richer in Eurasian taxa, are ascribable to the subassociation sorghetosum halepensis. Communities colonizing red pepper fields, which are more thermophilous and richer in Mediterranean taxa, are ascribable to the subassociation cyperetosum rotundi. Floristic, structural, and chorological features of the communities are discussed in relation to environmental factors and agricultural management

La flora commensale delle colture D.O.P. "Peperone di Pontecorvo" e "Fagiolo cannellino di Atina" (Lazio meridionale)

Il “Peperone di Pontecorvo” (Capsicum annuum L. ‘Cornetto di Pontecorvo’) e il “Fagiolo cannellino di Atina” (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Cannellino di Atina’) (Fig. 1) sono due colture annuali a ciclo estivo-autunnale della Provincia di Frosinone (Lazio), che hanno ottenuto il marchio D.O.P. nel 2010. I disciplinari di produzione prevedono la semina primaverile (peperone) o estiva (fagiolo), l’irrigazione e, infine, la raccolta estiva o autunnale. Per quanto riguarda le concimazioni e il diserbo chimico, questi sono consentiti per il peperone, mentre vengono vietati per il fagiolo. Le aree di produzione sono localizzate rispettivamente nella bassa Valle del Liri (a circa 50 m s.l.m.) e nella media Valle di Comino (a circa 400 m s.l.m.) e sono entrambe estremamente ridotte (poche centinaia di km2), fatto che conferisce alle due colture un intimo legame con il territorio. I substrati sono di natura alluvionale ed il fitoclima è Temperato Submediterraneo, a contatto con la fascia a fitoclima Mediterraneo nel caso di Pontecorvo (Pesaresi et al. 2017). Data l’utilità dello studio della flora commensale delle colture, sia dal punto di vista naturalistico-ambientale sia agronomico, e la totale mancanza di informazioni su questa per il “Peperone di Pontecorvo” e il “Fagiolo cannellino di Atina”, nel mese di luglio 2019 è stata effettuata un’indagine floristica in quattro aziende campione, due produttrici di peperoni e due di fagioli (Commissione Europea 2019). Il rilevamento è stato svolto tramite plot di area fissa di dimensioni 1 × 16 m, effettuando un rilievo al centro di ogni appezzamento coltivato (Chytrý, Otýpková 2003, Güler et al. 2016). Ad ogni agricoltore è stato, inoltre, chiesto di compilare un questionario riguardante le principali pratiche agronomiche effettuate. In totale sono stati censiti 52 taxa di piante vascolari, 35 nei campi di peperone e 27 nei campi di fagiolo, riferibili a 43 generi e 21 famiglie; le famiglie più rappresentate sono Asteraceae, Poaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Polygonaceae e Brassicaceae ed il genere più rappresentato è Euphorbia. I taxa più frequenti sono Amaranthus retroflexus L., Convolvulus arvensis L., Portulaca oleracea L., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., Cyperus rotundus L., Sonchus oleraceus L., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Xanthium italicum Moretti e Chenopodium album L. subsp. album. Tra i molti taxa ampiamente diffusi, ne sono stati rinvenuti alcuni poco comuni in regione (Anzalone et al. 2010): Chrozophora tinctoria (L.) A.Juss., Euphorbia chamaesyce L., Lotus hispidus DC. e Visnaga daucoides Gaertn. L’analisi strutturale (Fig. 2a) ha evidenziato la presenza di una flora prevalentemente terofitica (67% di taxa annuali nelle colture di fagiolo, 82% in quelle di peperone), e subordinatamente geofitica ed emicriptofitica. La maggior incidenza di terofite nella flora commensale dei peperoni è riconducibile ad un contesto fitoclimatico caratterizzato da una maggiore aridità, comunque presente nonostante le irrigazioni. Tra le geofite, rilevante è il ruolo rivestito dalle rizomatose Cyperus rotundus L., nelle colture di peperone, e Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., in quelle di fagiolo; entrambe queste specie sono infestanti di notevole rilevanza in agricoltura (Holm et al. 1977). In termini corologici (Fig. 2b), la flora totale è caratterizzata da una notevole incidenza di neofite (maggiormente rappresentate nella flora commensale dei peperoni) e cosmopolite (più presenti in quella dei fagioli). Tra le neofite, tutte invasive e quasi tutte di provenienza americana, vi sono Amaranthus hybridus L. subsp. hybridus, A. retroflexus L., Artemisia verlotiorum Lamotte, Datura stramonium L., Erigeron canadensis L., E. sumatrensis Retz., Euphorbia maculata L., E. prostrata Aiton e Veronica persica Poir. Tra i taxa ad ampia distribuzione sono presenti Chenopodium album L. subsp. album, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Cyperus rotundus L., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) P.Beauv. subsp. crusgalli, Euphorbia helioscopia L., Persicaria maculosa Gray, Portulaca oleracea L. e Rumex crispus L. Le archeofite sono invece esclusive delle colture di fagiolo e sono rappresentate da Abutilon theophrasti Medik. e Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Seguono per importanza i taxa eurimediterranei, più rappresentati nelle colture di peperoni. L’applicazione degli indici di Ellenberg (Pignatti 2005, Domina et al. 2018) ha evidenziato come la flora commensale dei peperoni sia leggermente più termofila ed eliofila, coerentemente con il fitoclima, e leggermente più nitrofila, come conseguenza delle concimazioni chimiche. In generale, l’indagine ha confermato la spiccata omogeneità della flora commensale delle colture a ciclo estivo nel Lazio, evidenziando notevoli affinità tra i contingenti floristici indagati e quelli, recentemente studiati, delle colture di mais (Abbate et al. 2013, Fanfarillo et al. 2019)

Efficient and reversible CO2 capture in bio-based ionic liquids solutions

Choline/amino acid-based ionic liquids were synthetized via ionic metathesis and their CO2 absorption performances evaluated by employing different experimental approaches. In order to overcome any viscosity-related problem, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was employed as solvent. IL-DMSO solutions with different IL concentrations were evaluated as absorbents for CO2, also investigating their good cyclability as desirable for real industrial CO2 capture technologies. 1H-NMR and in-situ ATR-IR experiments were the toolbox to study the CO2 chemical fixation mechanism under different experimental conditions, proving the formation of distinct chemical species (carbamic acid and/or ammonium carbamate). In general, these ILs demonstrated molar uptakes higher than classical 0.5 mol CO2/mol IL and the capacity to release CO2 in extremely mild conditions. The possible biological adverse effects were also analyzed, for the first time, in zebrafish (Danio rerio) during the development, by assessing for different toxicological endpoints, proving the non-toxicity and high biocompatibility of these bio-inspired ILs

Global and Regional IUCN Red List Assessments: 5

In this contribution, the conservation status of four vascular plants according to IUCN categories and criteria are presented. It includes the assessment of Arceuthobium oxycedri (DC.) M.Bieb., Ionopsidium albiflorum Durieu, Trifolium latinum Sebast., and Vicia incisa M.Bieb. at a Regional level (Italy)

Elevations of inflammatory markers PTX3 and sST2 after resuscitation from cardiac arrest are associated with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and early death

BACKGROUND: A systemic inflammatory response is observed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We investigated two novel inflammatory markers, pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2), in comparison with the classic high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), for prediction of early multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), early death, and long-term outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. METHODS: PTX3, sST2, and hsCRP were assayed at ICU admission and 48 h later in 278 patients. MODS was defined as the 24 h non-neurological Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score 6512. Intensive care unit (ICU) death and 12-month Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) were evaluated. RESULTS: In total, 82% of patients survived to ICU discharge and 48% had favorable neurological outcome at 1 year (CPC 1 or 2). At ICU admission, median plasma levels of hsCRP (2.8 mg/L) were normal, while levels of PTX3 (19.1 ng/mL) and sST2 (117 ng/mL) were markedly elevated. PTX3 and sST2 were higher in patients who developed MODS (p<0.0001). Admission levels of PTX3 and sST2 were also higher in patients who died in ICU and in those with an unfavorable 12-month neurological outcome (p<0.01). Admission levels of PTX3 and sST2 were independently associated with subsequent MODS [OR: 1.717 (1.221-2.414) and 1.340, (1.001-1.792), respectively] and with ICU death [OR: 1.536 (1.078-2.187) and 1.452 (1.064-1.981), respectively]. At 48 h, only sST2 and hsCRP were independently associated with ICU death. CONCLUSIONS: Higher plasma levels of PTX3 and sST2, but not of hsCRP, at ICU admission were associated with higher risk of MODS and early death

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora 6

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions of taxa in the genera Acalypha, Acer, Canna, Cardamine, Cedrus, Chlorophytum, Citrus, Cyperus, Epilobium, Eucalyptus, Euphorbia, Gamochaeta, Hesperocyparis, Heteranthera, Lemna, Ligustrum, Lycium, Nassella, Nothoscordum, Oenothera, Osteospermum, Paspalum, Pontederia, Romulea, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sesbania, Setaria, Sicyos, Styphnolobium, Symphyotrichum, and Tradescantia. Nomenclature and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as supplementary material

Notulae to the Italian native vascular flora: 1

In this contribution, new data concerning the Italian distribution of native vascular flora are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and confirmations pertaining to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Arundo, Bromopsis, Cistus, Crocus, Festuca, Galeopsis, Genista, Lamium, Leucanthemum, Nerium, Orobanche, Peucedanum, Pilosella, Polycnemum, Stipa and Viola

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 1

In this contribution, new data concerning the Italian distribution of alien vascular flora are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and confirmations for Italy or for Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Agave, Arctotheca, Berberis, Bidens, Cardamine, Catalpa, Cordyline, Cotoneaster, Dichondra, Elaeagnus, Eragrostis, Impatiens, Iris, Koelreuteria, Lamiastrum, Lantana, Ligustrum, Limnophila, Lonicera, Lycianthes, Maclura, Mazus, Paspalum, Pelargonium, Phyllanthus, Pyracantha, Ruellia, Sorghum, Symphyotrichum, Triticum, Tulbaghia and Youngia