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This paper investigates the use of science in British newspapers’ narratives of climate change between 1988 and 2016. It is based on the analysis of eight newspapers and their Sunday and online versions (Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, The Daily Express, The Sun, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent). We used the keywords “climate / climatic change”, “warm / warming” and “greenhouse / greenhouse effect” to retrieve the articles from the Nexis / Lexis database. To identify the articles with a specific focus on climate change, we included only those containing the keywords in the headline (9789 items). Framing theory helps interpret the process of construction of the “threat” through science by showing a tendency towards scientific consensus for the centre / left-leaning newspapers, and an instrumental use of consensus for the centre-right. These findings are useful for both scientists and policymakers interested in understanding how climate narratives can promote delay in action on climate change.

The strategies for adaptation and resilience to climate change challenge the ongoing distinctions between the natural and the cultural. These coupled and inseparable concepts become fully interdependent in specific conditions of environmental change, when traditional representations of space and environment become inadequate to describe swiftly occurring transformations. Mapping techniques have made progresses at the local level but they need to include knowledge and approaches inherited from the past to develop new kind of adaptive information patterns. The paper describes examples of spatial change representations developed by Aboriginal communities who live in strict coupling with their natural environment. It focuses on the area of the Northern Territory of Australia which faces a condition of long-lasting coexistence with altered tides regimes and massive land degradation due to large wildfires. The orientation system adopted by Aboriginal communities over the land and by the sea has changed to include GIS technologies, developing a hybrid techno/visual language which allow both the space and the people to be represented by visual means, narrations and technical data.

This paper defines an original methodological and applicative approach in support of the experimental/planning phase in the area of the regeneration of urban districts, in order to offer responses to the challenges of adapting to and mitigating climate change. Applied in two case studies in Rome, the methodology incorporates and verifies strategies and passive bioclimatic solutions through activities of ex-ante/ex-post modelling/simulation, constructing multicriteria and multiscalar planning models based on fluid dynamics, and measuring their effectiveness through the quantification of the reduction of CO2 emissions. The expected results are improved environmental comfort in outdoor, in-between, and indoor spaces, lower energy demand and CO2 emissions mitigation, through a set of actions and solutions that are comparable, replicable, and measurable in terms of energy-climate performance and environmental well-being.

The Regional Oriented Reserve "Bosco Pantano" near Policoro (province of Matera, Southern Italy) has been established to preserve one of the most interesting lowland forests in Southern Italy which survived to the uncontrolled land drainage and intensive agriculture occurred in the last century. Floodplain forests were indiscriminately exploited for millenia according to economic demands, that led to a loss of habitats and their biodiversity. In this context, a survey was carried out through a questionnaire administered to local stakeholders with the aim of investigating the most relevant factors that might impact on the ecosystem vulnerability of the natural reserve, either now or in the future, thus undermining its survival. The application of the hybrid method SWOT-AHP (A'WOT) allowed to categorize the different SWOT factors. The survey revealed the strong and shared willingness of stakeholders to valorize the peculiar characteristics of the reserve in order to promote its protection and preserve its biodiversity. Nonetheless, several critical points were found like the poor attention to the weaknesses factors, that might compromise the survival of the protected forest. In general, a limited interest in the research and monitoring activities, as well as their possible benefits on the whole area, has been recorded. Yet, multiple actions are recommended for the preservation and valorization of the peculiarity of this biotype, for example by promoting the development of sustainable forms of tourism, implementing long-term research and monitoring projects, establishing control bodies, and improving the environmental awarness of local inhabitants through specific dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since February 2022, the National Forestry Strategy (NFS) for the forest sector and its supply chains is public. The NFS addresses in an innovative and science-based way key issues related to forest fire governance such as the integrated fire risk management, the convergence of forest, agro-pastoral and nature conservation policies with fire governance strategies, the regulatory update and the roadmap to open-access wildfire data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2015 Paris Agreement, complementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, showcases an impressive consensus on climatological rhetoric. Thereby, it will contribute certainly neither to achieving its overall objectives on temperature nor to redressing any of the resulting “loss [or] damage” yet possibly tocontinuing the worldwide dialogue on the environment or on ecological entitlements. This paper will dissect and categorize these. It will conclude that the framers essentially kept the conversation going, nationally and internationally, encouraging the establishment, the adjudicatory branch, and the public to resume the conceptual or practical advancement on the topic.

Copyright of Annuario di Antropologia is the property of Ledizioni-LediPublishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climate change is impacting on the agricultural sector in several ways, and the effects on yields are generally among the most observable ones. Open fields crops, such as cereals, are very vulnerable to climate change. We study the historical data on yields of main cereals, namely barley, maize, oats, rice, rye, wheat, to conclude on the long run impacts of temperature and precipitation, over the period 1920-2015. Yields are found to be inversely correlated with temperatures and positively with precipitation, in both cases the relationships are non-linear, as expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban microclimate studies could help manage heatwave crises and improve climate friendly urban planning. This paper presents adjustments to tools and approaches, in particular the Urban Climate Maps framework, typically produced in industrialized countries for contexts relevant to developing countries, where accurate urban data are often not available. In this study, relevant urban, architectural and land use data were collected and constructed to enable numerical simulations of a heat wave episode in the Greater Metropolitan area of Tunis. The simulation results indicate that the diurnal heat stress reached very high values corresponding to an extreme heat stress level, according to the Urban Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) scale, by 9 a.m. local time. The highest sea-breeze speeds were over the sea (∼8 m s−1). However, the effect of the sea breeze was low over densely urbanized areas (

The growing phenomena linked to climate change pushes cities to develop resilience plans to respond to environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Nature-based strategies can be a solution; among these, urban agriculture can increase the resilience of European urban fabrics. This activity has been the object of interest several times during crises or as a community activity with social, productive, and educational characteristics. Through a historical excursus and a subsequent analysis of contemporary case studies, the paper provides design tools for intervening in the built environment with strategies ranging from the urban to the architectural scale. The essay presents a replicable morpho-typological approach that can be applied and used by planners and policymakers to increase urban resilience.

Copyright of Enthymema is the property of Enthymema, International Journal of Literary Criticism, Literary Theory & Philosophy of Literature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents a digital interview with Justine Poon, legal researcher at the Australian National University (ANU), on selected aspects of Andreas Philippopoulos-Mihalopoulos’ approach to environmental law and legal science.

The multidimensional nature of climate change makes it a complex matter, on both the theoretical and practical planes. The urgency and centrality of the issues and problems it poses are of key importance for our species and its survival. In this paper, we propose pairing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities – the cornerstone of climate talks over the last thirty years – with the criterion of transgenerational responsibility. Such a criterion seeks to focus particular attention on the issues of diachronic justice and, in particular, intergenerational justice.

Adequate knowledge of climate change and correct perception of the associated risks by the population are crucial factors for the effectiveness of climate policies. We analyze this topic by collecting information on the degree of current risk perception and its evolution over the last ten years among citizens living in five municipalities in an area of Abruzzo, a central Italian region. In addition, we gather information on the willingness of citizens to stipulate public insurance against damages caused by extreme events. The paper offers a descriptive analysis of the association between outcomes and individual/household characteristics. We find the degree of risk perception is relatively high, as around 2/3 of respondents believe the current risk of suffering damage from extreme events related to climate change is high or very high. More than 90% also believe that this risk has increased in the last ten years. The perception, however, is heterogeneous across population subgroups. Finally, citizens’ inclination toward public insurance covering damage from extreme events is also high. We also provide a quantitative analysis of the factors affecting the current risk perception by adopting a probit model. The related results essentially confirm evidence from the qualitative analysis and stress, in line with previous studies, the importance of previous damages as a predictor of risk perception.

This paper presents the development of the methodology used to create an Urban Climatic Analytical Map (UC-AnMap) of Salvador, Brazil, based on its Land Use Patterns Map (MPO). Located in the Northeast Region of Brazil, Salvador is currently the fourth most populous city in the country, with nearly three million people. First, the MPO was used as a layer; then, an updated version of the MPO was used as a fundamental layer to derive thematic maps based on the distinct urban morphologies found in the city. MPOs are suggested here as a starting methodological procedure, a facilitative tool for the construction of an Urban Climatic Map. MPOs allow the variety of urban land use patterns to be captured and are based on universally available information, such as Google Earth images and tools, regardless of the existence of sophisticated and costly databases, which are not usually accessible in cities in developing countries. MPOs involve identifying and delimiting visually homogeneous land use areas in polygons at an adequate scale of 1:10,000. Similar areas are grouped under the same patterns, regardless of their urban functions, creating a classification system that characterizes different existing patterns by their distinct urban attributes. Salvador’s social and economic inequalities have produced ongoing unequal urban patterns, and institutional and structural factors have contributed to the absence of up-to-date digital urban databases. Given the local context, the Salvador UC-AnMap could not have been made without developing an MPO.

The complex interaction between city and climate crisis is converting design-based disciplines from deterministic to flexible approaches. In this regard, Decision-Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) methods and operational strategies can be valuable support mechanisms to cope with the emerging climate fragilities of urban systems. In light of recent advances in the field of adaptive approaches, this paper discusses key concepts, current limitations and the potential to introduce the DMDU in the method and practices of regenerative design. Our critical discussion aims to restore the designer’s role within the DMDU and to reduce current and future climate fragilities in European cities.

Climate change has been accelerating, and this has been causing an increase of the number of intensity of its impacts on communities, including on their health. This link between climate change and health, a theme that we have named "pathoclima" (a neologism of the authors), an amplification of pathologies due to the increasing impact of climate change on society and the environment, is the subject of this contribution. Firstly, we present an analysis of the state of the climate and its impact on some respiratory, neurodegenerative, and mental health diseases. Then, we discuss some of the main conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, and finally, we suggest that only through a transdisciplinary approach can we achieve the goal of zero net emissions by 2050. Only following a transdisciplinary approach, we could address climate change taking into account also all biological and sociological aspects of the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the management of scarce water resources in two metropolises of the arid West of the United States facing intensifying droughts and increased water stress. Located in the Sonoran Desert and built on the model of the oasis city, Phoenix and Tucson are great examples of the socio-ecological challenges linked to extreme water scarcity. This study considers these two cities as laboratories for urban adaptation to climate change and explores competing modalities of adaptation to water scarcity. Since the system of large hydraulic infrastructures underpinning urban growth is increasingly called into question, we observe and analyze the power relations between stakeholders involved in water resource management. Using an urban political ecology framework, this contribution shows that adaptation strategies are implemented by dominant actors in order to maintain the growth trajectory of particularly attractive cities. Yet, it also highlights the role that citizen empowerment plays in the emergence of potential environmental alternatives. The results show that environmental alternatives play an important role in regulating resource control strategies and in calling for socio-environmental transformations in the urban metabolism.

The aqueduct serving the municipalities of Formia and Gaeta (Latina province, Italy), an area under the enforcement and control responsibility of “ATO 4” Autorità d’Ambito Territoriale Ottimale – (Integrated Urban Water Management Agency), is supplied by two important karst springs. These springs, fed by the western Aurunci Mountains system are known as Mazzoccolo and Capodacqua having an average flow rates of 1100 l/s and 1300 l/s, respectively. Although these sources have been used since ancient Roman times and the quality of their water is excellent, variations in the precipitation regime, possibly related to worldwide climate changes, has exacerbated the following problems: a decrease in the flow rates of the springs caused by the reduction in winter rainfall, and an increase of turbidity due to concentrated rainfall events. In order to mitigate these problems, which affect a resident population of about 150,000 inhabitants, Acqualatina S.p.A. - the water utility company - promoted a series of geological and hydrogeological surveys. These studies aim at increasing the knowledge on the geological setting and to find additional sources to improve the existing supply. Within the framework of these activities, we studied a strategy aimed at diversifying the water supply by identifying new exploitable aquifers in the area, to reduce the aforementioned problems. This paper presents the results of research carried out before and during the construction of the water well field “25 Ponti” located in the coastal area of the plain of Formia. The research consisted in laboratory analyses of 130 groundwater samples and in monitoring of piezometric trends. The data show a seasonal variation in groundwater chemical composition caused also by aquifer exploitation, which in some periods of the year affects the regulated reserves. This seasonal phenomenon was however present in absence of pumping.

Climate change, deforestation and the fate of Amazon. Understanding and mitigation the impact of the increasing population and global economic activities on tropical forests is one of the greatest challenges for scientists and policy makers. A summary of some of the latest findings and thinking on this topic has been reported by Malhi and colleagues in a recent paper published on Science. An overview and comments on this paper is herein proposed.

Increase in forest growth: new evidences from temperate forests. A paper recently published on PNAS provides a new evidence for an increase in forest growth in temperate forests. The possible causes of this process are discussed. The results show a relation between this change in tree growth with the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, and length of growth season. A better understanding of the specific mechanisms involved and the assessment of the consequences on the current and future global changes are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is increasingly threatening anthropic systems, which are calibrated on climate parameters that have been mostly stable during the last millennium. Reducing its impact on urban centres is one of the most pressing global challenges of our time. This study develops the concept of soft-resilience, the ability of systems to absorb and recover from the impact of disruptive events without fundamental changes in their function or structural characteristics. Starting from this assumption, this paper explores the potential of the urban services field in a perspective of city adaptation to climate change, suggesting that measures based on ICTs applications and information exploitation represent one of the pillars of soft strategies.

Copyright of Ri-vista: Ricerche per la progettazione del paesaggio is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The connection between migration and the environment has become a controversial topic in many areas of the public sphere, as nowadays we are witnessing changes in the discourses and languages evolving around, and feeding into, narratives of migration and the environment. This paper seeks to discuss the relationships between language uses and the representation of environmetal migrations.

Absence of coverage in elite newspapers about one aspect of climate justice is environmental migration. Very little is understood about victims caught in the debate about climate change and forced movement. The New York Times, with its selective framing of the issue makes absent ideologically important factors that seem to alter the central story line of environmental migration. These absences are methodologically mapped using Stibbe’s (2015) conceptual tools of capturing erasure in texts in this paper. The argument that emerges from mapping these absences is that there is a categorical operational difference between erasure and absences. While erasure may be intentionally manipulative, absences offers elite newspapers a way forward to ignore issues that do not seem to be news-worthy for coverage. This way absence of coverage leads to absence of attention on the true victims of climate change.

Human impact on natural environment has seriously increased over the last few centuries. However, it is only from the mid-twentieth century that a greater sensitivity has developed around environmental problems. With an eye on the development of the African environmentalism, the paper considers the reaction of some African writers and their efforts towards the conservation of physical environment and climate change through their literary works as narrative and poetry genres.

Water and food are – along air – the most important things for human life. Even human health depends in a crucial manner on air, water and food. Since ancient times, philosophers analyzed the importance of these elements; Aristotle recalled that cities must have access to fresh air and clean water, in order to have a healthy population. Furthermore, they are interconnected; reduced water availability means poorer harvests. In this century humankind will face very complex phenomena, all reflecting their effects upon water and food. Climate changes, coupled with rising world population and urbanization, would amplify the vulnerability of many countries in the world. Haushofer recalled that a high urbanization degree brings a high geopolitical risk from military point of view; and the world of the future will have to handle all this complex issues with the greatest proportion of urbanized population in history. In this context, the first part of the paper is focused on problems menacing the world and their possible evolution, while the second is dedicated on possible solutions, mentioning the Romania’s capacity to become an agricultural power and a political stabilizer in region due to her potential for food production. As climate changes – overlapping rising population’s number, rising urbanization concentration and changing lifestyles in developing countries – will make humankind more vulnerable to extreme weather events, water, food and energy will come close to the center of domestic political agenda; anyway all these three elements are interrelated. A water crisis is an energy crisis because all types of energy are based directly or indirectly on water, while an energy crisis metamorphoses instantly in a food crises. These three elements are already moving towards central position in numerous countries’ foreign policy agenda. I call here only the case of South Korean state, which is in searching for access to land (and water) in Madagascar, at a very large scale. In this context, Romania’s food potential, doubled by its good position in water resources availability, could transform it in a regional stabilizer, changing its current second-rank position towards a more pivotal role. The exploitation in a sustainable manner of Romania’s potential for self-sufficiency in water and food areas will bring welfare for its citizens and stability in its geographical region, transforming it in a state with a better position in international relations.

Copyright of Agathon: International Journal of Architecture, Art & Design is the property of DEMETRA CE.RI.MED and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sustainability perspectives require non-standard scientific and political reasoning, now more than ever. The lexicons of ecology and political economy articulate epistemic categories and imaginaries in which humans and environments are in mutual relationship avoiding an exploitation logic of the former. We support these scenarios allow to grasp the discontinuities between the past and the present of the environmental movements, between the scientific ideals of modernity and the contemporary ones. The need to connect two opposing styles of reasoning is progressing: the theme of the non-neutrality of science and the need for science based political judgments. In this previously unknown combination of science and society, the current democratic practices of "multilevel co-production" between researchers and active citizenship (citizen-science) mark realistic governance pathways of the planetary ecological crisis to which governments seem to have to face, sooner as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change appears as a major driver of identity crisis, affecting changes at local and global level in terms of spaces, security, livelihood and weather. The prevailing narration on climate change describes unfamiliar scenarios struck by exceptional events, that rarely can be connected with personal experiences. Yet, smaller but more subtle consequences of climate change occur in cities and in metropolitan areas, that suddenly appear fragile and risky contexts. The paper explores the notion of climate change, which is investigated in its constructive dimensions considering how scientific facts and social meanings contribute to shape the very notion of climate, across time and across disciplines.

Copyright of Moneta e Credito is the property of Associazione Economia Civile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The possible effects of climate change in urbanized areas – evidenced by several studies – led the City of Bologna to adopt a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to assess potential risks and vulnerabilities as a basis for adaptation actions prioritizing interventions through a coordinated local strategy. This paper summarizes some measures implemented at local level in collaboration with the Department of Architecture of the University of Bologna and, in particular, the pilot actions for urban greening developed within the European project H2020 - ROCK and the proposals for intervention included made during the “Design for Adaptation” project. Resilient Urban Communities” PhD Climate KIC summer school.

Democracy is one of the West’s most important contributions to universal human heritage. Still it presents some drawbacks in the ways it relates to certain global problems, especially climate change. In this paper we claim that these drawbacks can be ameliorated by turning to a non-Western tradition, specifically to Confucianism. A tradition that, first of all, we will have to analyze in its proper terms – i.e. in ideographical ones –, in order to relate it, afterwards, to democracy in what concerns climate change. Finally, we will propose a synthesis – what we call 君人, individual and king –, introducing in the concept of democracy the idea of harmony between nature and society. In other terms, we will defend a royal/real democracy, in which the political subject would be individual 人and king 君at the same time.

Effectively addressing the issue of climate resilience in urban areas requires the development of innovative design methods that can handle the complexity of the information needed to guide sustainable urban regeneration and retrofitting strategies, as well as to manage the technological and environmental solutions in a multi-scale perspective. The paper presents the methodology developed by the ARC3-2 Urban Planning and Design working group of the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) and the results of the experimental activities conducted within Studios and Workshops promoted in New York, Paris and Naples by the New York Institute of Technology, the Polytechnic of Milan and the University of Naples Federico II.

[The paper shows the evolution of the breeding distribution of the Ashy-headed Wagtail Motacilla flava cinereocapilla in the period 1820-2014. Until 1880, the subspecies nested along the coast north and east of the Adriatic Sea, with some settlements (probably of poor numerical consistency) located in suitable areas of Tuscany, Sicily and Provence; after 1880 it was observed to appear regularly in the Po Valley during migration, and afterwards to occupy the area widely as a breeder. During the nineteenth century the Po Valley underwent major transformation processes with the consequent disruption of ancient agricultural rotations, and an increase of 1°C in the average temperature was also recorded in the area. Out of all the changes that occurred, besides the abundant availability of water, the biotic factor that probably favored the expansion of the subspecies in the Po valley the most is the increase in livestock and the consequent increase in the meadowlands: the first mowing of grass coincides temporally with the hatching of yellow wagtails (often nesting in neighboring fields of wheat), offering them the opportunity to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of foraging on the open ground, with likely benefits for the reproductive success. In the first half of the twentieth century the Ashy-headed Wagtail completed the occupation of the Po Valley, and in the late 1940 a new phase began, during which it settled in new areas in central and southern Italy and Sardinia, extending its distribution area in southern France; but, above all, appearing with increasing frequency and regularity during migrations north of the Alps. These northward shifts later materialized in the settlement of several reproductive groups in France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria, always along basins of rivers or near lakes. Water seems to be the catalyst for the presence of the subspecies. This further expansion phase has probably been favored by climate changes, and in particular by the rise in temperature in the Greater Alpine Region. Favoured by this situation, the subspecies has also colonized mountain areas: in France up to 350 m.a.s.l. in the department of Isère, in Switzerland up to 1700-1800 m.a.s.l. in the Upper Engadine, in Germany up to 880 m.a.s.l. at Ammer and Grunt lakes, in Austria up to 960 m.a.s.l. in Hochfilzen and in Bosnia-Herzegovina up to 720 m.a.s.l. in the plain of Livanjsko. In the Italian Alps it reached the altitude of about 900 m.a.s.l. in Venosta Valley and up to 1000 m.a.s.l. in central Apennines. Since the last decades of the twentieth century nestings have been recorded in Spain. Instead, the breeding of the subspecies in Maghreb is still uncertain.]

This study investigates the climate change discourse as this is a highly debated topic nowadays. A case study is revealed in this paper, which consists of applying the critical discourse analysis method at Raiffeisen Bank, one of the most important international banks. The findings of this study disclose that misleading messages are construed in climate change discourse by using some persuasion means in order to support the statement of the discourse. The study was conducted by combining a wide variety of sources, such as articles, strategies, and reports.

In urban environments, green spaces have proven to act as ameliorating factors of some climatic features related to heat stress, reducing their effects and providing comfortable outdoor settings for people. In addition, green spaces have demonstrated greater capacity, compared with built-up areas, for promoting human health and well-being. In this paper, we present results of a study conducted in Italy with the general goal to contribute to the theoretical and empirical rationale for linking green spaces with well-being in urban environments. Specifically, the study focused on the physical and psychological benefits and the general well-being associated with the use of green spaces on people when heat stress episodes are more likely to occur. A questionnaire was set up and administered to users of selected green spaces in Italy (metropolitan area of Milan and Bari - n=400). Results indicate that longer and frequent visits of green spaces generate significant improvements of the perceived benefits and well-being among users. These results are consistent with the idea that the use of green spaces could alleviate the perception of thermal discomfort during periods of heat stress.

This paper summarizes the topics discussed during the session “Silviculture, Forest Protection” of the Third Italian National Congress of Silviculture. The health of Italian forests is often depending on irrational forest exploitation schemes and is threatened by the arrival of invasive species, the strengthening of native pests and diseases, and the increase of stress related to changing environment (both climate and pollution). The climate change is considered as a major complication in forest protection, as it is related to increasing outbreaks both directly and indirectly, through changes in tree physiology. Drawbacks are observed on biodiversity, forest growth and productivity, and protective function of forests. Ecosystems with high biodiversity may show a high degree of resilience to the changes. It is important to address these issues in the framework of the systemic silviculture approach to the management of Italian forests. Important requisites are availability of trained staff, funding for research and monitoring projects, access to the most uptodated scientific knowledge and methodologies. An integration of different types of available expertise (entomologists, plant pathologists, pollution scientists) is also envisaged.

Will Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems be affected by the expected changes in precipitation regimes? If so, by how much and in which direction? These questions are at the basis of the research performed in context of the EU MIND project, whose key objectives were: i) to investigate the potential effects of increasing drought on Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems at the process, ecosystem and regional scales and ii) to assess ecosystem vulnerability to changes in rainfall patterns. A network of experimental study sites has been created in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy, where field manipulations alter the amount of water available to the ecosystem. The most up-to-date methods of ecophysiology, micrometeorology, soil ecology and remote sensing have been used to elucidate the mechanisms that regulate the response of vegetation and soil to changes in water availability. This information is providing the basis for the implementation and validation of simulation models capable of predicting the drought response of Mediterranean terrestrial ecosystems, and their vulnerability to future climate change, on a larger scale. The out-coming results are elucidating how water availability affects plant ecophysiological processes, the dynamics of soil carbon and the overall exchange of mass and energy between the land and the atmosphere. This paper focuses on some of the important, yet preliminary, results on C and energy fluxes that have been obtained at the large scale troughfall manipulation experiment (Tolfa, Italy), in a forest dominated by Arbutus unedo L.

Impact of environmental pollution and climate change on forest ecosystems: the activity of the IUFRO Research Group 7.01. The IUFRO RG 7.01 deals with "Impacts of Air Pollution and Climate Change on Forest Ecosystems". Climate change and air pollution are closely linked, although in applied scientific research and even more in political negotiations they have been largely separated. Many of the traditional air pollutants and greenhouse gases have not only common sources, but may also interact physically and chemically in the atmosphere causing a variety of environmental impacts on the local, regional and global scales. The impacts on forest ecosystems have been traditionally treated separately for air pollution and climate change. However, the combined effects of numerous climate change and air pollution factors may significantly differ from a sum of separate effects due to an array of various synergistic or antagonistic interactions. The net effect varies for different ecosystem types and geographic regions, and depends on magnitude of climate or air pollution drivers, and types of interactions between them. This paper reviews the links between air pollution and climate change and their interactive effects on forests. A simultaneous addressing of the air pollution and climate change effects on forests is an opportunity for capturing synergies and avoiding overlaps between two lines of traditional research. This could result in more effective research, monitoring and management as well as better integration of environmental policies.

After its massive introduction in the seventies in France Crassostrea gigas has become the main production of French oyster farming. From the early 1990’s, C. gigas has started to spread to many sites of Brittany and Normandy and, thanks to climate warming, its population has dramatically increased leading to a general invasion and to deep changes in ecosystems and biodiversity. A research program called PROGIG has been set up to evaluate the dynamic of this proliferation on French Channel and Atlantic coasts, and to identify its interactions with marine ecosystems and human activities. This paper presents the GIS implemented to integrate the data collected during field surveys of oyster populations, and the results of a spatial analysis of its potential interactions with human activities on coastal zone.

A paper recently published on PNAS provides a new evidence for an increase in forest growth in temperate forests. The possible causes of this process are discussed. The results show a relation between this change in tree growth with the increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, and length of growth season. A better understanding of the specific mechanisms involved and the assessment of the consequences on the current and future global changes are needed.