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The geographic range of Piseinotecus soussi Tamsouri, Carmona, Moukrim & Cervera, 2014 is here updated, since it was found in two new localities along the Tyrrhenian coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This species was previously recorded in Mediterranean basin only from the Ionian Sea (Apulia). With this paper, the range of distribution of this aeolid sea slug is considerably extended. Furthermore, to confirm the identity of specimens recorded, a DNA Barcoding approach was carried out using the mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) as it is the mostly used barcoder marker in Nudibranchs.

Climate change is threatening species and habitats. Altitudinal shifts uphill and negative population trends are commonly observed in altitude-related taxa. The bumblebee Bombus alpinus (Linnaeus, 1758) has a disjoint distribution restricted to Fennoscandia and the Alps, and is considered threatened. We studied the ecology and distribution of B. alpinus in the Alps, where the endemic subspecies Bombus alpinus helleri Dalla Torre 1882 is found, as a case-model because of its rarity, habitat, and mutual dependence with the ecosystem for pollination and resources. We developed species distribution models including both climatic and habitat variables to obtain the surface suitable for this subspecies and quantified its protected portion. Our analyses indicate that this bumblebee is restricted to the upper altitudes and has a narrow niche mainly related to the presence of glaciers, the cool temperature, a low temperature variation, and a specific range of precipitation. A strong altitudinal shift is also taking place probably due to climate change. After years of no changes in altitudinal distribution, its lowest altitudinal limit has moved up 479m since the year 1984, while its upper altitudinal limit has remained unchanged. Over half of the suitable area in the Alps is included within protected areas, but conservation has not been planned yet. However, rare species with narrow niche, such as B. alpinus, are highly threatened by climate change. Potential short-term mitigation actions are discussed, including exchange of males between locations and integral protection of prairies in the vicinity of glaciers.

Results of the first documented reintroduction of the endangered endemic quillwort Isoetes malinverniana are presented 1 year after transplanting. This represents the most complete report of a quillwort translocation globally. A new population of I. malinverniana was established in a protected area in Lombardy (northern Italy) after several years of investigation of the ecology, biology and genetics of this species. The selected site was restored before the trial release in March 2016 of 20 individuals of the target species. Although modelling for the selection of suitable release sites for the target species indicated that the selected site was not suitable for the species, I. malinverniana exhibited a survival of 60% 1 year after reintroduction. This trial indicates that with very rare species, experimental trialling of a few individuals can test the feasibility of translocation at a larger scale. Although the model was constructed using a wide variety of ecological and phenological parameters, it was unreliable because of intrinsically low statistical power, which is a limitation of modelling associated with very rare species. Although mature spores were dispersed in autumn 2016, sporelings have not yet been observed. Ultimately, reintroduction of I. malinverniana will rely on the evidence of self-recruitment; however, this translocation effort promoted understanding of ecological tolerance and facilitated focused conservation management. For instance, a protocol for in vitro reproduction of the species was successfully developed, resulting in long-term survival of ex situ collections that exist in two botanical gardens in Pavia and Turin. Considering that many isoetid species are threatened worldwide, the techniques applied here may have broad applicability to other endangered species.

Phenological relationships among entomophilous species for pollination may play an important role in structuring natural plant communities. The main aim of this work was to test whether in dry grassland communities there is a non-random flowering pattern and if the pattern influences the species richness, and the richness of subordinate and common species. Field sampling was carried out in temperate dry grasslands in NE Italy. Species composition and the flowering phenology were monitored in 45 2 m × 2 m plots randomly placed over dry grasslands. To quantify the degree to which insect-pollinated species overlap in their flowering time we developed a “co-flowering index” (CF-index). The significance of the observed flowering pattern was tested using a null model. A positive correlation was found between the synchronic flowering and the number of subordinate species. Subordinate species showed shorter flowering length than the common species and a mostly specialized pollination system. Our findings suggest that flowering synchrony might be a key characteristic which may contribute to shape dry grassland composition by favouring the long lasting maintenance of rare species populations within the community. The comprehension of such functional relationships between species of different trophic levels is of great importance for the conservation of dry grasslands and the maintenance of the ecosystem services that pollination provides.

In the last decades, a large body of literature has grown to evaluate the impact of forest management on epiphytic lichens in boreal coniferous forests. However, information is still lacking on coniferous forests of the Alps. This study compares lichen diversity between spruce forest stands of four successional stages: (1) young, (2) intermediate, (3) mature forests managed for timber production with a rotation cycle of 120-180 years, and (4) old-growth protected forests. The emphasis was placed on the occurrence of nationally rare and calicioid species (lichens and fungi traditionally referred to as Caliciales, known to be indicative of forest age and continuity). For each forest successional stage, four plots were selected. In each plot, 7 spruce individuals were surveyed for epiphytic lichens according to a standardised sampling method. Species richness increased from young to mature stands, while no difference was detected between mature and old-growth stands. This pattern was also confirmed for rare and calicioid species which are, however, more frequent in old-growth stands. Differences in species composition were also found between the different forest successional stages. Mature and old-growth plots slightly overlap, indicating that to some extent comparable lichen assemblages could be found in these stands. A nested pattern of species assemblages was found, old-growth stands hosting most of the species which were also found in stands belonging to the previous forest successional stages. Our results support the hypothesis that the management regime applied to spruce forests of the Italian Alps renders mature stands managed for timber production somewhat similar to old-growth stands as lichen habitat. However, we found a higher complexity in old-growth forests, and many species of conservation concern clearly preferred old-growth stands. In this perspective, a further prolongation of the normal cycle it is likely to be a most favourable conservation-oriented management to be recommended at least within protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, where conservation purposes should receive a high priority. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

In the European Alps, subalpine forests are important for lichen diversity conservation at multiple levels. However, the potential role of coarse woody debris (CWD) has been only marginally considered in the previous literature. The aims of this case study are (i) to provide a first evaluation of the effects of different types of CWD (stumps, logs, and snags) and wood decay on lichen diversity in Pinus-Larix forests in the Italian Alps, and (ii) to increase the knowledge of the lichen biota on CWD in Italy. Seventy-eight species were found, including 12 nationally rare and 10 calicioid species; Placynthiella hyporhoda is new to Italy. Different types of CWD in different decay stages had significantly different lichen communities. Snags seem to be particularly effective for conservation, since they host the highest number of nationally rare species. Our survey suggests that CWD could be an important substratum for several nationally rare species, indicating that further surveys at a regional scale are urgently required in order to evaluate the role of CWD for lichen diversity conservation in the Alps.