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Study of the climate in the Mediterranean basin during different historical periods has taken on a particular importance, particularly regarding its role (together with other factors) in the evolution of human settlement patterns. Although the Roman age is traditionally considered a period with a favourable climate, recent studies have revealed considerable complexity in terms of regional climate variations. In this paper, we compare the hydrological change from speleothem proxy records with flood reconstructions from archaeological sites for Northern Tuscany (central Italy). We identify a period of oscillating climatic conditions culminating in a multidecadal dry event during the 1st century bc, followed by a century of increased precipitation at the beginning of the Roman Empire and subsequently a return to drier conditions in the 2nd century ad. The period of rainfall increase documented by the speleothems agrees with both the archaeological flood record as well as historical flood data available for the Tiber River, ca. 300 km to the south. These data also suggest a return to wetter conditions following the 3nd and 4rd centuries ad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big-data mining approaches based on Artificial Intelligence models can help forecast biodiversity changes before they happen. These approaches can predict macroscopic species distribution patterns and trends that can inform preventive measures to avoid the loss of ecosystem functions and services. They can, therefore, help study and mitigate climate change implications on biodiversity conservation in fragile ecosystems. Wetlands are particularly fragile ecosystems where climate change poses severe risks and has dramatically reduced their size over the past century, with profound consequences on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Through big-data mining approaches, we can predict future wetland biodiversity trends in the context of climate change. This paper proposes such predictive analysis for a specific wetland: The Massaciuccoli Lake basin in Tuscany, Italy. This basin is a critical tourist attraction due to its rich biodiversity, making it an area of interest for citizens, tourists, and scientists. However, the region's suitability for native and non-native species is at risk due to climate and land-use change. Using machine-learning models, we predict the potential effects of climate change on animal spatial distribution in the basin under different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. The results suggest that habitat suitability has generally improved from 1950 to today, presumably owing to the targeted conservation strategies adopted in the area, but climate change will severely reduce bird biodiversity by 2050 while favouring several insect species' proliferation and other species' habitat change, even under a medium-emission scenario. This will lead to significant changes in the basin's biodiversity. Our methodology is adaptable to other wetland basins, being fully based on open data and models. The spatially explicit modelling used in this research provides valuable information for policymakers and spatial planners, complementing traditional biodiversity trend analyses. [Display omitted] • Bayesian Open Science ecological niche models for 180 species in an Italian wetland • Environmental change in the last 70 years has benefited animal biodiversity • Climate change will disadvantage birds even under medium greenhouse gas emission • Climate change will alter other species' richness and habitat distribution [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting on 2 November 2023, some territories in the Region of Tuscany in Italy were hit by exceptionally intense meteorological and calamitous events. The Region of Tuscany's government was immediately at the forefront of relief, assisting the population, and aiding restoration. On 3 November, a national state of emergency was declared due to flooding. Journalistic communication is an essential aspect of disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. In terms of protecting people and reducing damage, journalists and the media have an important role to play. This article reports an Italian case study analysing the behaviour of local media in cases of natural disaster. Nine focus groups were conducted with local journalists covering the flood emergency. The results highlight the role of social and institutional mediation, rather than mere dissemination, played by the local press in emergency situations, a central element in the construction of a community bond, precisely in moments of insecurity and disorientation. The narration of a disaster from the inside seems to have allowed the emergence and representation of hitherto unknown social realities in Tuscany. The goal of the news coverage was widened, making it possible to respond better to the diverse interests of the reading public and to satisfy in a short time and exhaustively the information needs of individual communities in difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, several ongoing processes, ranging from climate change to alien pests spreading, make plants protection and green care more complex, forcing the adoption of stringent management rules and changing traditional operational frameworks. In Tuscany, green maintenance has become extremely challenging for municipal technical departments, professionals, and private companies having the responsibility of High-Quality Urban Green Areas Management, characterized by different types of plants and services. The application of new technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), geomatics, and automation, could provide concrete assistance for precision gardening, increasing the sustainability of the management practices. This paper describes the general structure and main components of GARANTES, a support system for green maintenance, oriented also to improve the analytical performance of decision-makers and stakeholders in site design and fieldwork programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Calcareous tufa, as well as other types of continental carbonates, are largely sensitive to climate variations. As a consequence, the relationship between climate variations and tufa deposition is relatively well known and calcareous tufa deposits are often used as a reliable climatic proxy in many geological settings. Conversely, the response of tufa to tectonics and uplifting processes is relatively poorly known, due to their genetic independence from geothermally heated groundwater springs and associated tectonic-controlled upwelling conduits in tectonically active settings. The aim of this paper is to describe a peculiar stratigraphic succession where calcareous tufa deposits are closely associated and interbedded with coarse-grained clastic deposits. The study area is located in southern Tuscany (Massa Marittima), where extensional tectonic processes, responsible for the emplacement of magmatic bodies at shallow crustal levels, have been active from Pliocene to Quaternary age, and caused a diffuse uplift as well as local volcanic eruptions and hydrothermal fluid circulation. The succession described in the paper recorded phases of calcareous tufa-dominated deposition (i.e. overall, medium/low hydrodynamic energetic settings) repeatedly interbedded with coarse-grained clastic fluvial sediments which testify an abrupt change in both the energy of the depositional environment and the sediment supply. Nevertheless, during the phases dominated by clastic sedimentation, tufa deposition was not inhibited as it would be expected for climate-influenced settings, suggesting that the observed stratigraphic settings were a consequence of a local uplift of the catchment area. These findings indicate that calcareous tufa deposits could be a sensitive proxy to tectonics when they are associated with coarse-grained clastic deposits, in a geological setting where the origin of the clastic sediments cannot be explained by autocyclic or climate-induced factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on Holocene deposits of the Firenze alluvial plain (Northern Apennines, Italy) and deals with the sedimentary features of chute channels draining the down-river edges of the meander neck formed by 70 to 100 m wide and 1 to 1·5 m deep sinuous channels. Two main types of chute channels have been recognized. Type 1 is represented by 3 to 6 m wide and 0·5 to 1 m deep straight channels filled with mud aggregates overlying a basal gravel lag made of reworked caliches. These channels drained the point bar top during floods, and are thought to have been initiated as small rills when a shallow flow overpassed the downstream side of the point bar. Type 2 channels, 3 to 6 m wide and 1 to 1·5 m deep, are moderately to highly sinuous and filled with well-stratified sand and gravels sourced from nearby rocky highlands. Type 2 channels were connected to the main river channel also during the base flow stage. The transition from Type 1 to Type 2 channels is documented and is interpreted as the result of the meander cut-off process. Type 1 chute channels represent the early stage of the cut-off phase, when a headcut is incised on the down-river edges of the meander neck. The headcut migrates up-river across the meander neck during floods, when fast currents shape the chute channels into a straight route. The transition from Type 1 into Type 2 channels is linked to the connection of the up-river migrating headcut with the main channel and the termination of the cut-off process. At this stage, the cut-off channel is drained permanently and receives bedload from the main channel. The progressive shaping of the newly formed channel will convert it into the main channel and lead to the formation of an oxbow lake in the abandoned meander branch. Development of chute channels in the Firenze alluvial plain is thought to have heralded a decrease in sinuosity of the main channels, triggered by a climate-driven increase in water discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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According to the latest projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, at the end of the century, coastal zones and low‐lying ecosystems will be increasingly threatened by rising global mean sea levels. In order to support integrated coastal zone management and advance the basic "source–pathway–receptor–consequence" approach focused on traditional receptors (e.g., population, infrastructure, and economy), a novel risk framework is proposed able to evaluate potential risks of loss or degradation of ecosystem services (ESs) due to projected extreme sea level scenarios in the Italian coast. Three risk scenarios for the reference period (1969–2010) and future time frame up to 2050 under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 are developed by integrating extreme water‐level projections related to changing climate conditions, with vulnerability information about the topography, distance from coastlines, and presence of artificial protections. A risk assessment is then performed considering the potential effects of the spatial‐temporal variability of inundations and land use on the supply level and spatial distribution of ESs. The results of the analysis are summarized into a spatially explicit risk index, useful to rank coastal areas more prone to ESs losses or degradation due to coastal inundation at the national scale. Overall, the Northern Adriatic coast is scored at high risk of ESs loss or degradation in the future scenario. Other small coastal strips with medium risk scores are the Eastern Puglia coast, Western Sardinia, and Tuscany's coast. The ESs Coastal Risk Index provides an easy‐to‐understand screening assessment that could support the prioritization of areas for coastal adaptation at the national scale. Moreover, this index allows the direct evaluation of the public value of ecosystems and supports more effective territorial planning and environmental management decisions. In particular, it could support the mainstreaming of ecosystem‐based approaches (e.g., ecological engineering and green infrastructures) to mitigate the risks of climate change and extreme events while protecting ecosystems and biodiversity. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1564–1577. © 2021 SETAC KEY POINTS: The loss of coastal ecosystem services to extreme sea level scenarios is evaluated.The index integrates climatic, physical, and environmental indicators.About 8% of the Italian shoreline is subjected to potential ecosystem services loss.Ecosystem services at greatest risk are mainly located on the North Adriatic coast.Results can inform ecosystem‐based coastal zone management and climate adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus trees are a very important crops that are cultivated worldwide, but not much knowledge is known about the ecophysiological responses to climatic changes in trees under natural conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate their adaptive capacity in response to seasonal phenological and environmental changes. The trial included Citrus trees (sweet orange, bitter orange, lemon, mandarin) growing under non-regular cropping conditions in a Monumental Charterhouse in Tuscany, in a subtropical Mediterranean climate with hot summer conditions. During a 1-year field trial, we determined the variations in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and leaf biochemical traits (content of chlorophylls and carotenoids, total phenolic content (TPC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total non-structural carbohydrates). In all Citrus spp., interspecific mean values of photochemical efficiency peaked during the summer, while a marked photoinhibition occurred in the winter in concomitance with higher interspecific mean values of leaf TPC, TAC, and non-structural carbohydrates. The trees showed the pivotal role played by photosynthetic acclimation as a survival strategy to tolerate abiotic stress in the climate change hotspot of Mediterranean environment. This study is included in a wider project aimed at a new valorization of Citrus trees as genetic resource and its by-products with added-value applications for innovative functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global change affects precipitation and small modifications in rainfall regimes could compromise water availability, especially in areas characterized by a strong seasonality and a climate ranging from dry sub‐humid to semi‐arid. Drought, in particular, is a creeping phenomenon defined as an important temporary decrease in water availability below the expected value in a certain period and a specific area. Among the different methodologies for analysing drought periods, one of the most used is the evaluation of dry spells. The aim of this study is to investigate spatial and temporal changes in dry spells in Tuscany during the period 1955–2017, by using daily precipitation data. Changes in the number of dry days, maximum duration and 75th percentile of the duration of the dry spells were investigated. Three precipitation thresholds were selected: 1, 5 and 10 mm. The analyses were carried out at annual, September–May, September–November and December–May level. Theil–Sen nonparametric method was used to estimate the slope; Mann–Kendall test and a modification of it, which applies a trend‐free pre‐whitening (TFPW) method to the series having a serial correlation, were applied to look for statistically significant trends. The drought indicators showed increasing trends (some significant) especially at December–May and to a lesser extent at the annual and September–May level; the most pronounced increases were found in the southernmost areas of Tuscany. During September–November period, on the other hand, a prevalence of decreasing trends (rarely significant), with less pronounced decreases in the south of the region, were observed. Mediterranean area is considered a climate change "hot‐spot" from the viewpoint of vulnerability. An increase in long‐lasting dry spells, especially in southern Tuscany, can exacerbate the problems linked to water management and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simple approach to evaluate the impact of climate change on groundwater. • Correlation between meteorological and groundwater indices. • Regional climate model outputs to estimate future groundwater levels. This paper investigates the impacts of climate change on groundwater droughts making use of regional projections and standardized indices: the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) and the Standardized Groundwater Index (SGI). The method adopted, using historical precipitation and temperature data and water levels collected in monitoring wells, first investigates the possible correlations between meteorological and groundwater indices at each well. Then, if there is a correlation, a linear regression analysis is used to model the relationships between SGIs and SPIs, and SGIs and SPEIs. The same relationships are used to infer future SGIs from SPI and SPEI projections obtained by means of an ensemble of Regional Climate Models (RCMs), under different climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). This methodology has been applied to data collected in northern Tuscany (Italy) in an area served by a water company, where historical series of daily climate variables (since 1934) and daily records for 16 wells, covering the period 2005–2020, are available. The impacts on groundwater have been computed in the short- (2006–2035), medium- (2036–2065) and long-term (2066–2095). The analysis indicates that, in the historical period and for most of the monitoring wells, there is a good correlation between SGIs and SPIs or SPEIs. The results point out that making use of the SGI-SPI relationships, slight variations in the availability of groundwater are expected in the future. However, in a global warming scenario, the influence of temperature on evapotranspiration phenomena cannot be overlooked and, for this reason, the SGI-SPEI relationships seem more suitable to forecast groundwater droughts. According to these relationships, negative effects on groundwater levels in almost all wells are estimated for the future. For the RCP 4.5 scenario, the largest decline in groundwater level is expected in the medium-term, while for the RCP 8.5 scenario future SGIs will significantly decrease over the long-term. Due to the type of data required and its simplicity, this methodology can be applied to different areas of interest for a quick estimate of groundwater availability under climate change scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a high-resolution lake-level record for the Holocene at Lake Accesa (Tuscany, north-central Italy) based on a range of sedimentological techniques validated in previous studies, with a chronology derived from 43 radiocarbon dates and four tephra layers. It gives evidence of centennial-scale fluctuations with major highstands at ca 11500, 11100, 10200, 9400, 8200, 7300, 6200, 5700–5200, 4850, 4200, 3400, 2600, 1200 and 400calBP. Except for the Early Holocene until ca 10500calBP, this pattern of hydrological changes appears to be in agreement with the regional pattern established for west-central Europe. Correlations with the Preboreal oscillation and the 8.2ka event as well as with the atmospheric 14C residual series suggest that lake-level fluctuations developed at Accesa in response to (1) final steps of the deglaciation in the North Atlantic area and (2) variations in solar activity. For the period after 4500calBP, correlations with other palaeohydrological records from central Italy indicate that lake-level changes reconstructed at Accesa were mainly driven by climatic variations while anthropic activities and local geomorphological factors only played a secondary role. The Accesa lake-level record also highlights millennial-scale variations with a maximal lowstand at ca 9200–7700calBP contemporaneous with Sapropel event 1 in the Mediterranean. It was followed by generally higher lake-level conditions. This appears to be the opposite of that observed in Sicily (southern Italy) where a lake-level maximum developed at ca 9000–8200calBP and was followed by a general trend towards aridification. These opposite patterns were interpreted as contrasting hydrological responses to orbitally induced changes in summer insolation. This interpretation has to be tested by further lake-level studies in the central Mediterranean region. Finally, correlations between major lowstands and periods of maximal representation of Quercus ilex point to convergences between climate oscillations and Holocene vegetation history in the Accesa region. However, the maximal representation of Abies during the first half of the Holocene, including a time window where lake level reached a minimal level, suggests a more subtle impact of seasonality processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study on the summer temperature in Tuscany, Italy. According to the author, climate change patterns are present in during 1955 until 2004. The author studies temperature and extreme events indices regarding the said phenomenon. Data, which are analyzed using least square regression analysis and Theil-Sen nonparametric regression, were taken from weather stations in the area. Tables of climatological data regarding the summer temperature in Tuscany are also included in the article.

Simple Summary: The recent alarming reports on global climate change and the challenges facing the agricultural sector to meet the increase in meat consumption, impose research in biodiversity. An important genetic pool of local breeds might play a crucial role in the near future to address these challenges. Although Italy is considered as one of the richest countries in biodiversity, there are autochthonous cattle breeds under extinction. To safeguard biodiversity and increase genetic diversity within breeds, appropriate management tools must be developed. To achieve this, precise knowledge of the population structure and genetic diversity per breed are required. This study analyzed pedigree data of six local beef breeds: Calvana, Mucca Pisana, and Pontremolese (from the region of Tuscany), all under extinction, and Sarda, Sardo Bruna, and Sardo Modicana, from the island of Sardinia, that are larger in number but of lower productivity. In addition, the study investigated the population structure of the cosmopolitan beef breeds, Charolais and Limousine, reared in the same regions and undergoing selection. The high mating percentage between relatives for Mucca Pisana and Calvana is an alarming situation for these breeds. The population structure of the Sardinian breeds suggests the application of breeding programs. The aim was to investigate the population structure of eight beef breeds: three local Tuscan breeds under extinction, Calvana (CAL), Mucca Pisana (MUP), and Pontremolese (PON); three local unselected breeds reared in Sardinia, Sarda (SAR), Sardo Bruna (SAB), and Sardo Modicana (SAM); and two cosmopolitan breeds, Charolais (CHA) and Limousine (LIM), reared in the same regions. An effective population size ranges between 14.62 (PON) to 39.79 (SAM) in local breeds, 90.29 for CHA, and 135.65 for LIM. The average inbreeding coefficients were higher in Tuscan breeds (7.25%, 5.10%, and 3.64% for MUP, CAL, and PON, respectively) compared to the Sardinian breeds (1.23%, 1.66%, and 1.90% in SAB, SAM, and SAR, respectively), while for CHA and LIM they were <1%. The highest rates of mating between half-siblings were observed for CAL and MUP (~9% and 6.5%, respectively), while the highest rate of parent–offspring mating was ~8% for MUP. Our findings describe the urgent situation of the three Tuscan breeds and support the application of conservation measures and/or the development of breeding programs. Development of breeding strategies is suggested for the Sardinian breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]