Neuronal Correlates of Motor Performance and Motor Learning in the Primary Motor Cortex of Monkeys Adapting to an External Force Field

AbstractThe primary motor cortex (M1) is known to control motor performance. Recent findings have also implicated M1 in motor learning, as neurons in this area show learning-related plasticity. In the present study, we analyzed the neuronal activity recorded in M1 in a force field adaptation task. Our goal was to investigate the neuronal reorganization across behavioral epochs (before, during, and after adaptation). Here we report two main findings. First, memory cells were present in two classes. With respect to the changes of preferred direction (Pd), these two classes complemented each other after readaptation. Second, for the entire neuronal population, the shift of Pd matched the shift observed for muscles. These results provide a framework whereby the activity of distinct neuronal subpopulations combines to subserve both functions of motor performance and motor learning

How Landscape Ecology Can Promote the Development of Sustainable Landscapes in Europe:The role of the European Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE Europe) in the 21st century

In Europe, landscape research has a long tradition of drawing on several disciplines. ‘National schools’ of landscape research developed, which were related to the characteristic landscapes found in the different countries and to specific linguistic meanings and legal traditions when using landscape related concepts. International co-operation demands a certain harmonization of these concepts for better mutual understanding. The 2000 European Landscape Convention provided an important momentum to rethink research, policy and management of landscapes from the perspective of sustainable development and participatory planning. Landscape ecology as a transdisciplinary science with a dynamic and holistic perspective on landscape offers a great potential for an integrative approach. The specificity of the European landscape research rests on its long history and on integration based on the great diversity of the landscapes, characterised by an intimate relationship between the varied natural environment and the different cultural traditions which define the identity of countries, regions and people. Within a unified Europe, with increasing international and trans-border co-operation and increasing common environmental problems, the creation of a specific European Association for Landscape Ecology (IALE-Europe), in addition to the existing international association and its national chapters, became justified by the need for a collaborative endeavour to address the specific problems of landscapes in Europe and to stimulate cooperation between landscape ecologists in research, education and practice

GEO-6 assessment for the pan-European region

Through this assessment, the authors and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) secretariat are providing an objective evaluation and analysis of the pan-European environment designed to support environmental decision-making at multiple scales. In this assessment, the judgement of experts is applied to existing knowledge to provide scientifically credible answers to policy-relevant questions. These questions include, but are not limited to the following:• What is happening to the environment in the pan-European region and why?• What are the consequences for the environment and the human population in the pan-European region?• What is being done and how effective is it?• What are the prospects for the environment in the future?• What actions could be taken to achieve a more sustainable future?<br/

Il monitoraggio dell’avifauna presente in un parco urbano per mezzo del soundscape - The soundscape methodology for bird monitoring in urban parks

I parchi urbani sono caratterizzati da un numero elevato di sorgenti acustiche, che spaziano da quelle tipicamente antropiche alla fauna locale, rappresentata in particolare dagli uccelli. Dall’analisi del soundscape è possibile ottenere informazioni preziose riguardo l’attività canora delle comunità aviarie e l’impronta acustica di un paesaggio. In questo lavoro si è condotta una campagna di rilievi acustici con registratori audio digitali low-cost (LCR) in un parco urbano finalizzata a testare l’uso di LCR in un ambiente boscoso urbano e a valutare gli andamenti spazio-temporali del soundscape a distanze crescenti dalla fonte di rumore per mezzo di un indice di complessità acustica (ACI). ------ Urban parks are characterized by a large amount of acoustic sources. Besides the typical anthropogenic noises there are those generated by the local wildlife, in particular birds. Soundscape analysis allows us to gain precious information about the sing activity of a bird community and about the acoustic footprint of a landscape. In this study we carried out a campaign of acoustic monitoring (from April to July) with low-cost digital audio recorders (LCR) in an urban park. The aims are to test the use of LCR in an urban park and to evaluate spatio-temporal patterns of soundscape at different distances from a noise source with the implementation of an index of acoustic complexity (ACI)

Introducing children in the primary school to the concept of ecosystem services

The respect for Earth and life in all its diversity and the protection of the integrity of the environment are two of the fundamental principles declared in the Earth Charter 2000, which aims to build a right, peaceful, and sustainable global society. Due to the increasing effects of the environmental crisis, there is a need for a greater environmental sensibility and consciousness, and one path to reach this goal passes through environmental education projects with children. Here we carried out a project about the involvement of children in environmental-related issues, using as a teaching tool the ecosystem services. The project aims to develop in children a sensitivity towards the environment, good social and civic competence, and make the new generations more aware of environmental issues through the discovery of their territory. The topic of ecosystem services was introduced through a storytelling approach and some questions, as a reference point for activities. The 17 children taking part in the project were 9 years old and the considerations obtained were supported and tested by questionnaires appropriate to their age and level of comprehension. Successively, videos of urbanized and degraded environments in our territory were shown, thus had to describe and map them in their town. Thus, children were asked to make a proposal for the recovery of a degraded area in their town. After one year, a meeting with the children took place and they were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the project, and the consequences it brought to their lives. The results highlighted that the majority of children remember this project with a positive feeling and had an improved competence and critical sense regarding the environment and ecosystem services

How Do People Experience the Alps? Attitudes and Perceptions in Two Protected Areas in Italy

Protected areas play an important role due to their twofold capacity for biodiversity conservation and the provision of many benefits to human well-being. Tourism can be a tool for protecting nature, enhancing people’s sensitivity, and a threat to biodiversity management. This study investigates users’ attitudes and perceptions and managers’ concerns related to the frequentation of two protected areas in the Italian Alps: the Gran Paradiso National Park and the Adamello Regional Park. We carried out 32 semi-structured interviews with park managers and municipalities to identify their perception of tourism and possible threats related to the use of the parks. Thus, we administered questionnaires to 3399 users of the PAs to investigate their attitudes and perceptions. We made considerations on whether there were similarities in the attitudes identified by the park managers and results of the questionnaires. Questionnaires confirmed the managers’ perception of mass tourism regarding one-day stays and the purpose of the visits, but we could not exhaustively confirm the increase of new visitors. We performed a binary logistic regression to understand the relationship between short-term stays and attitudes of visitors (origin, frequency of visits, stakeholders’ category, and biographical data). Eventually, interviews stated an exacerbation of the growth of visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, we investigated if the pandemic changed the assiduity of visits, and half of the users claimed a change in their assiduity of visits, but mostly declared a decreased frequentation of the area

Temporal Variation of Ecological Factors Affecting Bird Species Richness in Urban and Peri-Urban Forests in a Changing Environment: A Case Study from Milan (Northern Italy)

Urban and peri-urban forests determine different habitat services for biodiversity according to their characteristics. In this study, we relate ecological characteristics of urban and peri-urban forests to forest bird species richness and we assess whether their effect changed over time due to the urban sprawl within the urban region of Milan, Italy. We analyse two periods (1998–2002 and 2010–2014) using weighted generalized linear models that considered urban and peri-urban forests collectively and urban and peri-urban forests separately. Patch area, proximity to source areas and number of surrounding urban and peri-urban forests were the main factors predicting species richness within urban and peri-urban forests in both periods. While there were no differences in factors affecting bird richness in peri-urban forests between the two periods, the negative effect of urban matrix density was statistically significant for birds inhabiting urban forests in the second period. Moreover, protected areas within urban and peri-urban forests and urban forests in the second period were important determinants in providing suitable habitat for birds at the regional scale. This study offered important insights regarding urban and peri-urban forests characteristics that should be maintained to ensure biodiversity conservation across changing urban landscapes

Avian ecological diversity as an indicator of urban forest functionality. Results from two case studies in northern and southern Italy

Greenspaces and forest trees contribute to a number of environmental functions in urban environments, such as the survival of urban-dwelling species (e.g., bird species). This paper analyzes the relationship between greenspace characteristics (structural and spatial attributes) and the diversity of avian ecology species. This provides research findings coming from two studies conducted in Italy. Using point-count method, a quantification was done of the abundance and diversity of bird species in a number of greenspaces having different structural attributes (e.g., vegetation type, tree height) and spatial characteristics (e.g., location, connectivity). Results showed positive correlations between greenspaces with a more diverse and mature forest vegetation and the number of specimens and species observed in the two studies. A positive correlation appeared also between distance to the city centre and richness and abundance of bird species. Finally, we discuss some of the main implications for enhancing the functional attributes of greenspaces by using avian ecological indicators to inform ecologically sound urban planning and design.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex