Estimation of the allergenic potential of urban trees and urban parks: Towards the healthy design of urban green spaces of the future

The impact of allergens emitted by urban green spaces on health is one of the main disservices of ecosystems. The objective of this work is to establish the potential allergenic value of some tree species in urban environments, so that the allergenicity of green spaces can be estimated through application of the Index of Urban Green Zones Allergenicity (IUGZA). Multiple types of green spaces in Mediterranean cities were selected for the estimation of IUGZ. The results show that some of the ornamental species native to the Mediterranean are among the main causative agents of allergy in the population; in particular, Oleaceae, Cupressaceae, Fagaceae, and Platanus hispanica. Variables of the strongest impact on IUGZA were the bioclimatic characteristics of the territory and design aspects, such as the density of trees and the number of species. We concluded that the methodology to assess the allergenicity associated with urban trees and urban areas presented in this work opens new perspectives in the design and planning of urban green spaces, pointing out the need to consider the potential allergenicity of a species when selecting plant material to be used in cities. Only then can urban green areas be inclusive spaces, in terms of public health.This work has been made possible thanks to members of the Silva MediterraneaWorking Group on Urban and Peri-Urban Forestry (FAO WG7) and COST Action FP1204 Green Infrastructure approach: linking environmental with social aspects in studying and managing urban forests. Nezha Acil thanks the technical sta of ISESCO park for their help during his first visit to the park. Maria Beatrice Andreucci also thanks students Giada Di Sante, Guglielmo Pirri e Daniele Purini for her course in Environmental Technological Design of the Master degree in Landscape Architecture at Sapienza Università di Roma for participation in the tree inventory and Duilio Iamonico for the tree taxonomy classification review. The research by the Slovenian Forestry Institute was financially supported by the Program and Research group P4-0107 “Forest ecology, biology and technology” funded by the Slovenian Research Agency.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Strategie riproduttive di Bombina variegata pachypus (Bonaparte, 1838) nel Parco Nazionale della Maiella.

The reproductive biology of the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata pachypus) was studied in a population inhabiting the Maiella National Park, central Italy

Analisi biometrica degli stadi larvali e dei neometamorfosati di una popolazione della Maiella di Bombina variegata pachypus (Bonaparte, 1838)

A morphometric study was conducted on a population of yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata pachypus) in the Maiella Natiomal Park, central Italy, by the examination of tadpoles and newly metamorphosed specimens

Spatial properties of a forest buffalo herd and individual positioning as a response to environmental cues and social behaviour

Many animals aggregate into organized temporary or stable groups under the influence of biotic and abiotic factors, and some studies have shown the influence of habitat features on animal aggregation. This study, conducted from 2002 to 2004 in the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic, studied a herd of forest buffaloes (Syncerus caffer nanus) to determine whether spatial aggregation patterns varied by season and habitat. Our results show that both habitat structure and season influenced spatial aggregation patterns. In particular, in open habitats such as clearings, the group covered a larger area when resting and was more rounded in shape compared to group properties noted in forest during the wet season. Moreover, forest buffaloes had a more aggregated spatial distribution when resting in clearings than when in the forest, and individual positions within the herd in the clearing habitat varied with age and sex. In the clearings, the adult male (n = 24) was generally, on most occasions, located in the centre of the herd (n = 20), and he was observed at the border only four times. In contrast, females (n = 80) occupied intermediate (n = 57), peripheral (n = 14) and central positions (n = 9) within the group. Juveniles (n = 77) also occurred in intermediate (n = 64) and peripheral positions (n = 13). Based on these results, we concluded that habitat characteristics and social behaviour can have relevant effects on the spatial distribution of animals within a group