Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk

Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different land cover and management, distributed over three Mediterranean regions under strong desertification risk, with the final aim to define critical SOC ranges for fast loss of important soil functionalities. The study sites belonged to private and public landowners seeking to adopt sustainable land management practices to support ecosystem sustainability and productivity of their land. Data showed a very clear relationship between SOC concentrations and the other analyzed soil properties: total nitrogen, bulk density, cation exchange capacity, available water capacity, microbial biomass, C fractions associated to particulate organic matter and to the mineral soil component and indirectly with net N mineralization. Below 20 g SOC kg−1, additional changes of SOC concentrations resulted in a steep variation of all the analyzed soil indicators, an order of magnitude higher than the changes occurring between 50 and 100 g SOC kg−1 and 3–4 times the changes observed at 20–50 g SOC kg−1. About half of the study sites showed average SOC concentration of the topsoil centimetres <20 g SOC kg−1. For these areas the level of SOC might hence be considered critical and immediate and effective recovery management plans are needed to avoid complete land degradation in the next future.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Silent Epidemic of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in Italy During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

To compare the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with the frequency of DKA during 2017-2019

Has COVID-19 Delayed the Diagnosis and Worsened the Presentation of Type 1 Diabetes in Children?

Objective: To evaluate whether the diagnosis of pediatric type 1 diabetes or its acute complications changed during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Italy. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional, Web-based survey of all Italian pediatric diabetes centers to collect diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), and COVID-19 data in patients presenting with new-onset or established type 1 diabetes between 20 February and 14 April in 2019 and 2020. Results: Fifty-three of 68 centers (77.9%) responded. There was a 23% reduction in new diabetes cases in 2020 compared with 2019. Among those newly diagnosed patient who presented in a state of DKA, the proportion with severe DKA was 44.3% in 2020 vs. 36.1% in 2019 (P = 0.03). There were no differences in acute complications. Eight patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 had laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic might have altered diabetes presentation and DKA severity. Preparing for any "second wave" requires strategies to educate and reassure parents about timely emergency department attendance for non-COVID-19 symptoms

Diabetic ketoacidosis at the onset of disease during a national awareness campaign: a 2-year observational study in children aged 0-18 years

After a previous survey on the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset of type 1 diabetes in children in 2013-2014 in Italy, we aimed to verify a possible decline in the incidence of DKA at onset during a national prevention campaign

SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITY AS AFFECTED BY HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN A MEDITERRANEAN AREA OF SOUTHERN ITALY

The relationship between pollution by heavy metals and soil microbial community was investigated in an area of Southern Italy mainly used for agriculture but also affected by industrial and extractive activities as well as vehicular traffic. Soil samples were seasonally collected in permanent crop fields (i.e. citrus and peach orchards, olive groves and vineyard) and uncultivated areas (coniferous and mixed forests, shrublands, grazing lands). Soil samples were analysed for chemical (water content, pH, cation exchange capacity, organic C, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd contents) and biological properties (microbial biomass, fungal mycelium, soil respiration, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, metabolic quotient and carbon mineralization rate). The results showed that heavy metal contents in the studied soils generally fell within the limit values after Italian law, with the exception of soil from vineyard that generally exceeded the limit value for Cu, probably because of the large use of copper-containing fungicides. The soil Pb content was always above the values reported for typical unpolluted soils and sometimes the same was also observed for Cd and Cu. The data suggest that Cr, Cu and Zn mainly derive from agricultural activity, whereas Pb and Cd were mainly introduced by cement industry associated with extractive activity. The soil microbial community was negatively affected by increased Cr, Cu and Zn contents, but not by Pb and Cd. Among the heavy metals considered, Cr and Zn had the highest negative effect on soil microbial community. © by PSP

Factors influencing the stability of organic carbon pool in some Mediterranean soils

Soils from pine, fir and chestnut woods, Mediterranean maquis at different successional stages, mixed area of maquis with pines introduced by foresters, Pteridium grasslands, garigue and clearing area in southern Italy were compared for microbial biomass and activity as well as for the stability of carbon reserve. Cluster analysis and principal component analysis showed that carbon turnover was influenced in decreasing order by soil age and both soil origin (volcanic or non-volcanic) and anthropic activity, with mature volcanic undisturbed soil being characterised by a low rate of carbon mineralization and the highest content of organic and microbial carbon. A long history of grazing, cutting and burning of vegetation, resulting in a garigue, as well as frequent fires or the introduction of pine to the maquis had a higher impact on the soil than the management of the chestnut orchards or coppice

Changes in microfungi and fauna of burned and unburned soils in a Mediterranean area of southern Italy

The effect of experimental fires on fungi and fungivorous microarthropods was investigated in a coastal area of southern Italy. In particular, in burned soils affected by different severity fires (low and high) the following parameters were determined at 245 (March 2001), 364 (July 2001) and 728 (July 2002) days after fire: total and active fungal mycelium, abundance and species density of total, xerotolerant and heat-stimulated fungi as well as abundance and species density of oribatid mites and springtails, which are the main groups of mesofauna. Fungal mycelium decreased in burned soils, compared to unburned soils, during the whole study period (active mycelium) or only at 728 days after fire (total mycelium), with significant effect of fire severity only at 245 days after fire. Similarly, species density of total mycobiota tend to be reduced in burned soils; by contrast, total mycobiota abundance increased in burned soils, reflecting the increase in abundance of xerotolerant and heat-stimulated fungi. To some extent total fungal decrease could be responsible for reduction in abundance and species density of oribatid mites and springtails often occurred in this study (with the exception for July 2002), particularly in soils affected by high-severity fire. In fact, positive correlations between faunal and fungal parameters were often observed. However, the effect of other factors on soil fauna cannot be excluded. A clear temporal dynamics of considered biological parameters was generally evident, with the lowest values in the first summer after fire (July 2001), characterized by the lowest soil water content. In fact, positive correlations with soil water content were found for fungal mycelium and abundance as well as for springtail species density. Different organism groups showed the highest abundance and species density in different times (at March 2001 or July 2002). Data suggest that changes due to fire together with seasonal variation of climatic factors (probably emphasized by fire) raise the survival probability of several species, also providing temporary refuges to species (such as heat-stimulated fungi) that are unable to compete in undisturbed soils, so that different groups were favoured in different microhabitats and/or in different times