Monitoring and recording changes in natural landscapes: A case study from two coastal wetlands in se italy

This study analyzed and evaluated the changes that occurred in two coastal wetlands, characterized by complex and fragmented landscape patterns, in Southern Italy, which were moni-tored over a period of seven years from 2007 to 2014. Furthermore, the performances of two Land Cover (LC) and habitat taxonomies, compared for their suitability in mapping the identified changes, were assessed. A post-mapping method was adopted to detect the habitat/LC changes that occurred in the study period. Various changes were identified, both inter-class changes (class conversions) and intra-class changes (class modifications), and quantified by means of transition matrices. Conversions were easily mapped, while the modification mapping depended on the taxonomy adopted: the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) allowed the detection of morpho-structural changes in woody vegetation, but the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) showed a higher thematic resolution for the salt marsh types. The detected changes were related to specific impacts, pressures and underlying factors. Landscape indices highlighted different trends in landscape richness and complexity in the two sites. Changes are occurring very quickly in the observed coastal sites and the ongoing dynamics are strictly related to their small size and complexity. For effective monitoring and detection of change in these environments, the coupling of EUNIS and LCCS is suggested

Challenges and Opportunities in Teaching Writing Online Amidst the Pandemic: Voices from English Language Teachers in Philippine Universities

With the sudden transition to online instruction in most educational institutions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be assumed that there is paucity in research as regards the teaching of writing online during this crisis moment. To address this niche, 13 Filipino university English language teachers were asked to participate in both online semi-structured and follow-up email interviews to describe their experiences in teaching writing online during the pandemic, particularly the challenges they faced, their coping strategies to address these challenges, and the opportunities in online teaching they valued. The interview responses revealed three major challenges in teaching writing online: technological concerns and equity issues, vague response of schools to emergency remote teaching, and problems in assessment. Three key strategies to cope with these challenges were found: flexibility in communicating with students and in accommodating their concerns, initiatives for professional development, and gaining support from colleagues and students. Despite the challenges of online instruction, two opportunities for development in online writing instruction were identified: optimizing the use of online-teaching platforms and resources, and enhancing one’s reflective practice. Implications for teaching writing online in particular and for online learning and teacher education in general are discussed in the paper

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 4

In this contribution, new data concerning the Italian distribution of alien vascular flora are presented. It includes new records and exclusions for Italy or for Italian administrative regions of taxa in the genera Cedrus, Cenchrus, Citrus, Cyrtomium, Diospyros, Elaeagnus, Erigeron, Iris, Oenothera, Pavonia, Phytolacca, Styphnolobium, and Verbena. Furthermore, a new combination in the genus Amaranthus is proposed

Comparison of Land Cover/Land Use and Habitat Classification Systems for Habitat Mapping from Space: Strengths and Weaknesses Evidenced in Mediterranean Sites of Natura 2000 Network

At a global level, protected sites have been established for the primary purpose of conserving biodiversity, with survey and monitoring of habitats undertaken largely within their boundaries. However, because of increasing human populations with greater access to resources, there is a need to now consider monitoring anthropic activities in the surrounding landscapes as pressures and disturbances are impacting on the functioning and biodiversity values of many protected sites. Earth Observation (EO) data acquired across a range of spatial and temporal scales offer new opportunities for monitoring biodiversity over varying time-scales, either through direct or indirect mapping of species or habitats. However, Land Cover (LC) and/or Land Use (LU), rather than habitat maps are generated in many national and international programs and, whilst the translation from one classification to the other is desirable, differences in definitions and criteria have so far limited the establishment of a unified approach. Focusing on both natural and non-natural environments associated with Natura 2000 sites in the Mediterranean, this paper considers the extent to which three common LC/LU taxonomies (CORINE, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) and the IGBP) can be translated to habitat taxonomies with minimum use of additional environmental attributes and/or in situ data. A qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the Jaccard's index established the FAO-LCCS as being the most useful taxonomy for harmonizing LC/LU maps with different legends and dealing with the complexity of habitat description and as a framework for translating EO-derived LC/LU to habitat categories. As demonstration, a habitat map of a wetland site is obtained through translation of the LCCS taxonomy

Habitat mapping and change detection in Natura2000 coastal sites in Southern Apulia

Monitoring biodiversity at habitat and landscape level is becoming widespread in Europe and elsewhere as countries establish national and international habitat conservation policies and monitoring systems. Long-term habitat mapping and change detection are essential for the management of coastal wetlands as well as for evaluating the impact of conservation policies. Earth observation (EO) data and techniques are a valuable resource for long-term habitat mapping, through direct mapping of habitats or by integrating Land Cover/Use (LC/LU) maps with contextual spatial information and in situ data. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) has been identified as the most effective for translating EO-derived LC/LU classes to habitat types, since it allows a better description of natural habitats in comparison to other classification systems; moreover, LCCS has proven to be a effective tool in change detection, both at the level of conversion and modification (Tomaselli et al., 2013; Adamo et al 2014). As regards the present contribution, vegetation, LC and habitat mapping has been performed on three coastal sites belonging to the Natura 2000 and located in Southern Apulia (Italy), in years 2007 and 2015. Vegetation maps represented the baseline position for natural and semi-natural types, defined as phytosociological units in accordance with the Zurich-Montpellier method. Vegetation units were then reclassified in habitat types (according to the Annex I to the 92/43 EEC Directive and EUNIS) and in LC classes (according to Corine Land Cover and LCCS). The adopted landscape classification procedure refers to a hierarchical model with three different information levels: the vegetation unit, the habitat type, and the LC type. The mapping products were then compared, in the different acquisitions, in order to point out the ability of different taxonomies in detecting changes in vegetation and habitat types. LCCS turned out to be the most effective, highlighting changes such as height, structure and density, which were not evidenced with other classification systems

Therophytic halophilous vegetation classification in South-Eastern Italy

Aims: Halophilous, sub-halophilous, and halo-nitrophilous annual plant communities belonging to the Thero- Salicornietea and Saginetea maritimae classes have been analyzed in South-Eastern Italy. Even if numerous contributions have been provided on these vegetation types, at diverse scales of observation, the different and sometimes contrasting syntaxonomic treatments adopted by different authors, as well as the phytogeographical interpretations, have led to uncertainty about their proper classification and nomenclature. Methods: In the present contribution a data-set of 391 relevés (230 from literature and 161 original data) was first subjected to some basic statistics and then analyzed through flexible beta clustering. CH index was used to determine the best partition, and the phi coefficient for the identification of diagnostic species. Indirect gradient analysis was performed by DCA ordination. Results: Results were interpreted from a syntaxonomic point of view. As regards Thero-Salicornietea, halophilous communities are well separated from the halo-nitrophilous ones in the two orders Thero-Salicornietalia and Thero-Suaedetalia splendentis. Within Thero-Salicornietalia, a new alliance, Salicornion venetae, including the tetraploid Salicornia vegetation typically growing in long flooded sites of the Adriatic region, is here proposed. As for Saginetea maritimae, two main groups well separate: rocky coasts, sandy soils (Saginetalia maritimae, with the E-Mediterranean alliance Sileno sedoidis-Catapodion balearici) and salt marshes, clayey-silty soils (Frankenietalia pulverulentae, here with the two alliances Frankenion pulverulentae and Limonion avei)

Vegetation map of "Zone Umide della Capitanata" (SCI IT9110005)

This article illustrates the vegetation map of the SCI "Zone umide della Capitanata" (IT 9110005) a wetland area of South Italy (Apulia Region). The SCI "Zone Umide della Capitanata" is one of the most important Italian coastal wetlands and it covers about 14.000 ha, part of which is exploited for marine salt production. The site is characterized by a wetlands complex in coastal environment, with highly fragmented landscape because of anthropogenic activities (mainly herbaceous crops). This study aims at assessing presence and distribution of vegetation types that, despite strong human pressure, still maintain good natural habitat conditions. Thematic maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in ombination with topographical maps (1:5.000). In case of fragmented areas, vegetation mosaics were adopted. The extent of complex vegetation mosaics is wider in those areas where anthropogenic activities are stronger