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In this study, we examined the annual diet composition of Lepus corsicanus in two different sites within a southern Italy Regional Park. Vegetation of site 1 was composed of a mixed scrub forest ( Viburno- Quercetum ilicis s.l.), a ripisilva ( Roso sempervirentis- Populetum nigrae), some thermophilous scrubs ( Pruno- Rhamnetalia alaterni), and a Pinus halepensis reforested area. Site 2 comprised a mixed-oak forest ( Centaureo- Quercetum pubescentis s.l.) with meadows and arable lands. Micro-histological analysis of faecal samples revealed that hares utilised 70 different species of plants during the year, indicating the capability of the Apennine hare of exploiting a wide variety of vegetation. Herbaceous plants (Hemicryptophytes, particularly graminoid grasses, and Geophytes) predominated in the diet. Brachypodium sylvaticum (9.44 %) and Allium subhirsutum (8.28 %) were the major contributors to the diet in sites 2 and 1, respectively. Other taxa found most often in the diet were Trifolium pratense (site 1: 8.19 %; site 2: 5.80 %) and Prunus spinosa (site 1: 7.03 %; site 2: 4.10 %). Significant differences were found between sites in terms of diet richness, diversity, and evenness. Nevertheless, both the similarity indices (Morisita-Horn: 0.79; Sørensen: 0.87) showed that the food composition of the hare's diet was broadly the same in both sites. Some qualitative and quantitative differences between sites were due to the availability or consumption of some plant species and evidenced that the Apennine hare can modify its trophic niche in order to adapt its dietary requirements to the availability of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inventory of the taxa collected in 2022 during the annual field trip of the Working Group for Floristics, Systematics and Evolution of the Italian Botanical Society is reported. The field trip was held from 19th to 22th April in the islands of Lipari and Panarea (Aeolian Islands, Sicilia). Overall, 1,664 herbarium specimens were deposited in public and private herbaria. The flora documented for the studied area amounts to 386 specific and subspecific taxa, belonging to 241 genera and 74 families. Centaurea aeolica, Helichrysum litoreum (Asteraceae), and Dianthus rupicola subsp. aeolicus (Caryophyllaceae) were the only three Italian endemics found in the study area, whereas 48 alien taxa were recorded. Dimorphotheca ecklonis (Asteraceae), Nassella tenuissima (Poaceae), Solanum torvum (Solanaceae), and Viola wittrockiana (Violaceae) are casual alien species new to Sicilia, whereas Oenothera odorata (Onagraceae) is a new naturalized alien species for the Italian vascular flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present a comprehensive inventory of the non-native vascular flora of Italy, which was produced within the project “A survey of the Italian non-native flora”, funded by the Italian Ministry for the Environment. Previously published floristic accounts were the main source of information. Historical records were critically revised and integrated with recent literature, data from herbaria and some unpublished information, so as to obtain a complete, up-to-date catalogue of the non-native vascular plant species that occur spontaneously in Italy. The inventory lists 1023 non-native species and subspecies, which account for 13.4% of all the Italian flora. The Italian non-native flora was divided, according to its residence time, into 103 archaeophytes and 920 neophytes. According to its current invasion status, it was classified into 437 casual (42.7% of all non-native) and 524 established taxa, the latter being divided into 361 naturalized non-invasive (35.3%) and 163 invasive taxa (15.9%). The inventory includes a group of 62 species (6.1%) that lack recent records (i.e. since 1950). By combining local expertise into a unified, nationwide scheme using a standardized method and terminology, the inventory provides the essential scientific basis for the development of plant invasion research and management in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying areas susceptible to invasion by an alien species is a strategy of prevention. We used national herbaria and global databases to assess the invasion trends of the two aquatic invasive species Ludwigia hexapetala and Ludwigia peploides subsp. montevidensis in Italy. We defined the invasion status with invasion curves and predicted potentially suitable areas with Species Distribution Models based on WorldClim variables and the human footprint index. Low seasonal variation in temperature and precipitation, temperature ≥ 20 °C in the driest period of the year and low precipitation in the coldest period are the bioclimatic factors that most account for the potential distribution of the two species. The human footprint has a lower relative importance than bioclimatic variables. All Italian peninsula appears as a suitable bioclimatic environment for the invasion of the two Ludwigia species, with over 90% of areas with high suitability lying below 600 m altitude. Only mountain regions and the islands appear less suitable. The agricultural land at the foothill of the Appennine in the Mediterranean region is the most vulnerable to the invasion. Considering the trend of the invasion curves, which have been sharply rising for the latest decades, there are reasons to expect that the alien Ludwigia species will continue their expansion, if no timely and effective actions are taken. Informative campaigns, accurate monitoring and prompt management are fundamental preventive tools in areas predicted as vulnerable to invasion by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the wide amount of scientific contributions published on alien plant species, their diffusion dynamics, and their interactions with native taxa, it is increasingly difficult to slow down their spreading and their negative impact on habitats. Last recent years, in fact, a sharp rise in the number of new alien plant taxa introduced in Italy and Europe has been recorded. The aim of this work is to investigate most of the Italian territory in order to verify whether this alarming trend is still underway. Specimen collections and/or observations of alien plants have been performed in as many as 12 Italian regions. All the collected specimens are stored in public or private herbaria. Taxa have been identified according to the literature from the countries of origin of the investigated taxa, while the nomenclature followed the current international references. Updates on 106 taxa are reported. In particular, among 117 new records, 89 are first records, 27 are changes to status and there is 1 extinction. Seven new taxa for Italian alien flora are reported, two of which are new to Europe. The administrative regions with the highest number of records are Calabria (48), Sardegna (17) and Sicilia (15). Five of the surveyed taxa, for the first time, have been considered invasive aliens to Italian territory. The unfrequent amount of original results provided by this work, over the simple importance of data itself, proves how floristic investigation, still today, represents one of the most effective tools in broadening the current knowledge about alien taxa and their dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species richness is a fundamental property of biodiversity patterns and is properly expressed by the species–area relationship (SAR), namely the increase in the number of species with the area. Here, we studied and explored the species–area relationship with respect to vascular plant species in Italy and compared vascular plant richness among Italian administrative regions. Concerning the entire vascular flora (native and alien), the best-performing formula is the Arrhenius' Power function: S = c Az. The constants of this function are c = 241.2 and z = 0.281. The best-performing formula concerning just native (c = 245.2 and z = 0.263) and alien (c = 10.1 and z = 0.404) richness is the Power function as well. The floristically richest Italian regions considering the entire flora are Liguria, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige, which are also the regions that are richest in alien flora unfortunately. Regions of particular naturalistic interest are Abruzzo, Valle d'Aosta, and Molise, because only these three regions exhibit native floristic richness that is higher than expected, and this is coupled with an alien floristic richness that is lower than expected. On the contrary, four regions (Lombardia, Veneto, Toscana, and Emilia-Romagna) show potentially severe conservation problems due to biological invasions since they experience native floristic richness that is lower than expected, with an alien floristic richness that is higher than expected. This study offers for the first time the 'c' and 'z' constants specifically calibrated at the national level for Italian vascular flora. The availability of such constants allows the calculation of the number of expected species for a given area to be investigated, providing a robust starting hypothesis for floristic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper presents the first effort to organize a comprehensive review of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of Greece. For this purpose, a database was developed with fields of information on the taxonomy, origin, ecology and pathways of introduction of terrestrial, freshwater and marine species. Our database includes a) taxa in the Union's list that are present in Greece, b) taxa already present in Greece and considered to be invasive, and c) taxa highly likely to enter Greece in the next 10 years and become invasive. The Database served as the starting point for the compilation of the National List of Alien Invasive Species (HELLAS-ALIENS) in compliance with the EU Regulation 1143/2014. Overall, the HELLAS-ALIENS comprises 126 species, i.e. 32 terrestrial and freshwater plant species, 14 terrestrial invertebrates, 28 terrestrial vertebrates, 30 freshwater fishes and invertebrates and 22 marine species. Terrestrial invertebrates, birds and mammals are mainly of Asiatic origin. Most of the terrestrial plants have their native geographical distribution in the Americas (North and South). Most of the freshwater invertebrates and fishes are of North American origin, while the majority of the marine species are of Indo-Pacific origin. The first records of IAS concern terrestrial plant species, and date back to the 19th century, while those in freshwater and marine ecosystems seem to have been systematically recorded some decades later. Regarding the pathways of introduction, most of the taxa arrived in Greece or are expected to arrive through escape from confinement and unaided. The majority of the terrestrial, freshwater and marine species have been evaluated as of High-risk for the indigenous biodiversity and only 3% of the species listed have been evaluated of Low-risk. Our results provide an important baseline for management and action plans, as required by the priorities set by the European Union through the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity has become a priority in modern times. Over the past two centuries, the explosive development of human economy has led to the occupation of formerly natural areas for economic infrastructure or residential purposes. These replacements have resulted in the transformation of natural habitats into anthropized ones, disrupting the balance between species. Moreover, human activities have facilitated the migration of species from one continent to another, and the introduction of alien species to habitats different from their origin often has a significant impact on local biodiversity. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of alien species in three types of forest habitats (91E0*, 92A0 - riparian woods, and 9110 - beech forests) and three types of grassland habitats (6430 - Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plain and of the montane to alpine, 6510 - lowland hay meadows, and R3803 - hillside hay meadows) within a set of protected natural areas in North-Western Romania (Central Europe). Out of the 23 species identified in habitats of community interest within the protected areas, 5 species are common to all of them. Among all the analysed habitat types, 91E0* riparian woods are the most affected due to human pressures, such as agricultural fragmentation, weakening of their structure, and the presence of road networks in their immediate vicinity. Beech forests, even though they have been mostly managed without considering their inclusion in Natura 2000 sites, show resistance to the spread of invasive alien species (IAS) due to their cohesive cenotic structure. For herbaceous vegetation, the pattern of IAS behaviour is similar - the most numerous and widespread IAS are found in narrow and ecotonal wet grasslands, while in well-connected, stable, and sustainably managed meadows, the incidence of IAS is minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological variables may be expressed on four basic measurement scales (nominal, ordinal, interval or ratio), whereas circular variables and those combining a nominal state with other scale types are also common. However, existing methods are not suited to calculate correlations between all pairwise combinations of such variables, preventing the application of standard multivariate techniques.The essence of the new approach is to derive a so‐called difference semimatrix for all pairs of observations for each variable, and then to calculate the matrix correlation based on two such semimatrices. The advantage of this function, termed d‐correlation, is that comparisons are made on the same logical basis regardless of the measurement scale, allowing for the use of principal components analysis to visualize interrelationships among many variables simultaneously. Further advantages are that missing values in the data are tolerated and that the Gower index of dissimilarity between objects may also be computed.The use of the method is demonstrated on a small toy matrix, an artificial plant trait matrix and a large dataset summarizing ecological features of all vascular plant species of Sardinia, Italy. The source code in R and FORTRAN, and applications for three different operation systems, are provided for computations with results serving as input for other statistical software.The new computational framework will allow the comparison of any types of ecological traits in a mathematically meaningful manner. This option was not available earlier in the field of multivariate statistics, and the method is expected to receive applications in other subject areas as well in which many objects are described in terms of variables expressed on different measurement scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper illustrates the results of a survey aimed at deepening knowledge on vegetation in which Festuca lachenalii and Ophioglossum lusitanicum were recently discovery on Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) after about 200 and 150 years from the last observation, respectively. Both species were previously thought to be locally extinct. These noteworthy microphytes are rare and poorly documented species within their global distribution range. They were found within a habitat of community interest (Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC), where they are subject to extensive anthropogenic impact and require urgent actions for their in situ conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The non-native vascular plants of Murmansk Region (European Russia) are under active investigation towards the compilation of the first complete checklist. This work is part of the project 'Flora of Russian Lapland', which ultimately aims at the complete inventory of the taxonomy, distribution and status of vascular plant species in Murmansk Region, based on the comprehensive database of herbarium specimens, field observations and literature. New information New territory-level records of non-native vascular plants emerged during our inventory of herbarium collections and recent fieldwork. Fourteen species (Anthemis ruthenica, Aruncus dioicus, Bromus commutatus, Chaerophyllum hirsutum, Galega orientalis, Geum aleppicum, Leonurus quinquelobatus, Lepidium densiflorum, Levisticum officinale, Myrrhis odorata, Phleum phleoides, Prunus armeniaca, Rorippa sylvestris, Senecio vernalis) are reported as new to Murmansk Region. The historical occurrences of alien plants appeared in the territory largely as contaminants (of seed or forage). In particular, Rorippa sylvestris and Senecio vernalis arrived with the forage imported during the Second World War. All recent occurrences originated by escape from confinement (ornamental purposes, horticulture, agriculture), reflecting a high diversity of the modern assortment of cultivated plants in commerce and private gardens. Regarding the invasion status, five alien species are considered casual and eight species are treated as locally established or persisting (for uncertain time). Only one species, Galega orientalis, is considered naturalised and capable of further spreading in the territory, although without invasive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Industrial Revolution, the rapid global population and economic expansion have had tremendous impacts on biodiversity across spatial scales, especially for islands. While changes in species richness are easily inferred, the impact of human activity on the underlying community assembly processes has been difficult to ascertain because of lack of long‐term community data.Here, we document how the manifestations of plant community assembly have changed over time and space in a Mediterranean archipelago, using a long‐term dataset of plant species composition on 16 Tuscan islands sampled across two centuries. The community structure of Mediterranean island plant communities was assessed by integrating species' trait and evolutionary distances.We found that, with increasing island area, the functional and phylogenetic structure of plant communities shifted from clustered early (1830–1950) to overdispersed more recently (1951–2015). On large islands, extirpated species were generally more phylogenetically or functionally similar to remaining residents than expected by chance, while colonists were generally more distantly related to residents. The extinction of similar species and the colonization of dissimilar species drove plant communities towards overdispersion.Synthesis. We provide evidence that plant community assembly on islands has dramatically changed following increased human impacts during the last two centuries, and that this change is shaped by the scale dependency of species extinctions and colonizations. Our results reveal accelerated species replacements of closely related residents by distant colonists on large islands over time, reflecting changes in community assembly and which could alter the functioning of island ecosystems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Unravelling patterns of species richness is a fundamental prerequisite to understand evolutionary and ecological dynamics, aiding to set efficient conservation activities. The Species-Area Relationship (SAR) is one of the most general patterns in ecology. Focusing on a Mediterranean area as case study, we investigated SAR and the drivers underlying species richness. We gathered data from all vascular floras published for circumscribed areas in Tuscany after 1970 and then we fitted SAR models based on Arrhenius' power function for the whole established flora, and for native and alien species separately. SAR residuals, which express the actual species richness free of area-effect, were modelled through spatially explicit Generalised Linear Models using geographic, climatic, and anthropogenic explanatory variables. The most relevant predictor for species richness is the grain of the study area, while environmental drivers play a minor role. Topographic heterogeneity and the amount of precipitation show a positive effect on total floristic richness, while the spatial heterogeneity of annual temperature range shows a negative effect. Native and alien species richness are positively correlated, but different combinations of drivers are involved to explain the patterns of the two different species pools. A fundamental factor driving species richness is the insularity: islands host, proportionally, fewer native species and more alien species than mainland areas. Alien species richness is positively affected by landscape heterogeneity. Finally, we present for the first time a method to draft maps of SAR-predicted floristic richness, integrated by the influence of environmental drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery of few isolated populations of Gymnospermium scipetarum (since now considered as an amphi-Adriatic endemic) in the S-Apennines prompted to investigate, also for conservation purposes, some aspects of its reproductive biology. We aim: (1) to determine if insects play an important role in pollination; (2) to describe the pollinator community; (3) to detect floral scent composition. Experiments of insect exclusion were carried out in the field using 24 flowering individuals: one raceme was capped whereas the nearest one was used as control to ascertain differences in seed set. Pollinator community was detected during the blooming phase of two consecutive flowering seasons by visual observation; insect identification was made at the highest possible taxonomic resolution with the help of digital photographs. In order to determine the chemical composition of the volatiles, we used SPME sampling of cultivated plants. Mann-Whitney U test reveals significant differences for treatment in mean seed set with very low values for capped flowers, thus clearly indicating as insects are crucial for successful pollination. During the 42 h of observations we detected 326 visitors belonging to only three guilds: 79% were Diptera, 20% Hymenoptera and 1% Coleoptera. We identified overall 36 floral organic compounds with only two compounds common to the other studied Berberidaceae. Ambrox was never identified before in the floral scents of any angiosperm. The presence in the scent of several aldehydes and one ketone (benzophenone) could be related to the detected dominance of muscoid flies as pollinators. Floral morphology and composition of the pollinators community indicate a generalist pollination behaviour probably related to its phenology and habitat preference. The possibility of being pollinated also by muscoid flies can be considered an advantage for the reproductive fitness of the species, since these Diptera are abundant in the mountain pastures surrounding the forest habitat of Gymnospermium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study method based on characterization of palynofacies (organic matter, palynomorphs) preserved in sediments was applied to obtain information about past environments of Sardinian sites. Organic matter (OM) was classified in ten categories according to its biological source, ecological characteristics, morphology and preservation state. These categories included woody and non-woody particles (cuticles, amorphous organic matter), phytoclasts, spores and pollen grains, gelified particles, and altered phytoclasts that ranged from transparent to opaque fragments. Cluster analysis classified the samples into associations. Each cluster includes stations with a similar spatial distribution pattern. The characterization of the different types of OM was coupled with palynological analyses to produce suggested hypotheses about past vegetation, human activity and land use in Sardinia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: Warmer and drier conditions associated with ongoing climate change will increase abiotic stress for plants and mycorrhizal fungi in drylands world‐wide, thereby potentially reducing vegetation cover and productivity and increasing the risk of land degradation and desertification. Rhizosphere–microbial interactions and feedbacks are critical processes that could either mitigate or aggravate the vulnerability of dryland vegetation to forecasted climate change. We conducted a 4‐year manipulative study in a semi‐arid shrubland in the Iberian Peninsula to assess the effects of warming (c. 2.5°C; W), rainfall reduction (c. 30%; RR) and their combination (W+RR) on the performance of native shrubs (Helianthemum squamatum) and their associated mycorrhizal fungi. Warming (W and W+RR) decreased the net photosynthetic rates of H. squamatum shrubs by c. 31% despite concurrent increases in stomatal conductance (c. 33%), leading to sharp decreases (c. 50%) in water use efficiency. Warming also advanced growth phenology, decreased leaf nitrogen and phosphorus contents per unit area, reduced shoot biomass production by c. 36% and decreased survival during a dry year in both W and W+RR plants. Plants under RR showed more moderate decreases (c. 10%–20%) in photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and shoot growth. Warming, RR and W+RR altered ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) community structure and drastically reduced the relative abundance of EMF sequences obtained by high‐throughput sequencing, a response associated with decreases in the leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and dry matter contents of their host plants. In contrast to EMF, the community structure and relative sequence abundances of other non‐mycorrhizal fungal guilds were not significantly affected by the climate manipulation treatments. Synthesis. Our findings highlight the vulnerability of both native plants and their symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi to climate warming and drying in semi‐arid shrublands, and point to the importance of a deeper understanding of plant–soil feedbacks to predict dryland vegetation responses to forecasted aridification. The interdependent responses of plants and ectomycorrhizal fungi to warming and rainfall reduction may lead to a detrimental feedback loop on vegetation productivity and nutrient pool size, which could amplify the adverse impacts of forecasted climate change on ecosystem functioning in EMF‐dominated drylands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of alien vascular plant species only temporarily occurring in Wielkopolska refers to the previously published list of native and permanently established plants. Together, these two lists document the vascular flora of this region at the beginning of the 21st century. The current list, like the previous one, is a result of critical analysis of both contemporary and historical data, collected since the beginning of the 19th century. All information accessible in herbarium collections, publications and unpublished materials was used. A critical analysis was conducted at the taxonomic, nomenclatural, chorological and habitat levels, based on the verification of negative information not supported by sufficient arguments. The list is presented in an alphabetical order. Information on each species includes: family affinity, life form, geographic and historic status. In cases particularly disputable, the standard characteristic of a species was supplemented with an additional commentary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is reported the presence in Sicily of a new alien species destined to a progressive further spread in the Island. It is Bidens subalternans DC., an annual asteracea of American origin, already known in other Italian regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Marche, Lazio and Campania) and in other European countries (Belgium, Corse, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Great Britain, Montenegro, Republic of Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland). The new locality, in Sicily, occurs along the roadside Monreale -- Pioppo, south of the city of Palermo. In this station, B. subalternans is found together with B. pilosa subsp. minor and other indigenous and exotic nitrophilous taxa. The population observed near Monreale (Palermo), is quite large and, according to the methods of dispersion, shows in Sicily an invasive tendency in favourable environment. The affinities of B. subalternans with B. bipinnata L. -- with which the species was sometimes confused -- is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new and one historical site of Cyperus glomeratus were discovered in SW Slovakia along the left bank of the river Danube. After 60 years, this is the second record of the species in the country. We provide details about the historical and current distribution of C. glomeratus in Slovakia based on herbarium revision and field survey on the Slovak section of the river Danube. According to the phytosociological data collected from the new locality (Čenkov) and from the confirmed historic locality (Štúrovo), the stands with C. glomeratus were identified with less developed, ruderalized form of the association Cyperetum micheliani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diplachne fascicularis (Poaceae), a taxon native to North and South America, is reported for the first time as an alien species for the flora of Bulgaria and of the Balkan Peninsula. It was recorded in rice fields in Central Bulgaria, in the Thracian Lowland floristic region. Brief morphological description is provided based on the material collected from the Bulgarian localities. This species grows in damp to wet places at the margins of rice fields and is already rather abundant. Distinguishing characters from the morphologically most similar native species (Cleistogenes serotina and C. bulgarica) have been highlighted. The invasiveness and spreading potential of the species have been discussed based on personal observations and data from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euphorbia graminea Jacq. (Euphorbiaceae), a species native from Central America through northern South America, from Northern Mexico to Peru, has been found naturalized near Palermo (Sicily). This is the first record for Italy and Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in land use are among the forces shaping Earth's surface. In many industrialized areas, the loss of a traditional state of dynamic equilibrium between traditional management and natural dynamics is followed by abandonment to regeneration processes. This can reduce ecological complexity at the landscape scale and negatively affect biodiversity patterns. In this study, we investigate the relation between land use change and plant species diversity in the network of protected areas (PAs) of the province of Siena (Tuscany, Central Italy). This is an area characterized by long-lasting human activities and highly renowned cultural landscapes. We used remotely sensed, mapping and ground based plant compositional data, to investigate the present pattern of plant species diversity, the changes of landscape structure and changes in forest habitats. Most of the plant diversity present in this network of PAs is due to broad scale gradients due to ecological diversity but also to human management. Most of the area is currently covered by forests and analysis of a historical sequence of spatial data reveals that this is largely a consequence of the abandonment of traditional management during the last decades. Finally, focusing on forest succession as a consequence of land use change, we demonstrate that species richness significantly declines with increasing age of forest stands. Taken together, our results confirm that the recent trends of rural abandonment are leading to homogenization and biodiversity loss in traditional landscapes of Mediterranean Europe. We discuss implications for policy, and suggest that PA management in cultural and historical landscapes should pay increasing attention traditional anthropic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasions of ecosystems by alien species are one of the major threats to biodiversity. Among alien plant species, members of the family Fabaceae s.l. represent some of the most dangerous and well known global invaders. In Mediterranean ecosystems, many Australian acacias have been found to establish and rapidly spread, often determining severe impacts on understorey vegetation. In the present work, we report a case study of an Acacia pycnantha invasion in a typical Mediterranean matorral (Elba Island, central Mediterranean Sea, Italy). We conducted a survey of understorey plant communities across an invasion gradient from non-invaded to transitional and invaded areas, aiming to quantify the impacts on the understorey assemblage and to investigate the ecological processes involved in the changes in species composition. The understorey plant community was highly affected starting from the intermediate stage of invasion. Species richness, diversity and total cover were all lower in invaded than in non-invaded plots, with a transition generally in the middle. In addition, plant community composition severely changed along the invasion gradient. The species set we recorded showed a nested structure, with the composition of species in the invaded plots representing a subset of the others. According to our findings, A. pycnantha exerted detrimental impacts on the native vegetation, mainly causing a severe species loss in the understorey assemblage and the impoverishment of the invaded ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We aimed to assess the utility of the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW) as an indicator of plant invasiveness, by relating it to invasiveness at smaller scales. We correlated two global measures of invasiveness for alien plant species taken from the GCW (the total number of references for each species and the number of continental areas they are reported from), against distribution data from 18 regions (countries and continents). To investigate relationships between correlation strength and region size and spatial resolution (size of distribution units), we conducted meta-analyses. Finally, invasiveness measures were correlated against the number of habitats occupied by alien plant species and their median abundance in those habitats, in fine-scale vegetation plots in the Czech Republic and the state of Montana (USA). The majority of Spearman's rho coefficients between GCW-derived invasiveness and regional distributions were less than 0.4. Correlation strength was positively related to region size and resolution. Correlations were weaker when the number of habitats occupied by a species, and species abundances within occupied habitats, were considered. We suggest that the use of the GCW as an invasiveness measure is most appropriate for hypotheses posed at coarse, large scales. An exhaustive synthesis of existing regional distributions should provide a more accurate index of the global invasiveness of species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most robust emerging generalisations in invasion biology is that the probability of invasion increases with the time since introduction (residence time). We analysed the spatial distribution of alien vascular plant species in a region of north-eastern Italy to understand the influence of residence time on patterns of alien species richness. Neophytes were grouped according to three periods of arrival in the study region (1500-1800, 1800-1900, and > 1900). We applied multiple regression (spatial and non-spatial) with hierarchical partitioning to determine the influence of climate and human pressure on species richness within the groups. We also applied variation partitioning to evaluate the relative importance of environmental and spatial processes. Temperature mainly influenced groups with species having a longer residence time, while human pressure influenced the more recently introduced species, although its influence remained significant in all groups. Partial regression analyses showed that most of the variation explained by the models is attributable to spatially structured environmental variation, while environment and space had small independent effects. However, effects independent of environment decreased, and spatially independent effects increased, from older to the more recent neophytes. Our data illustrate that the distribution of alien species richness for species that arrived recently is related to propagule pressure, availability of novel niches created by human activity, and neutral-based (dispersal limitation) processes, while climate filtering plays a key role in the distribution of species that arrived earlier. his study high-lights the importance of residence time, spatial structure, and environmental conditions in the patterns of alien species richness and for a better understanding of its geographical variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major step in tackling invasive alien plants consists of identifying those species that represent a future threat to managed and unmanaged habitats. The European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization reviews and organizes data on alien plants in order to build an early warning system. A prioritization system is being developed to select species that represent emerging threats and require the most urgent pest risk analysis to implement preventive measures and to perform eradication and management measures. Attention has been drawn to the Mediterranean Basin which is particularly vulnerable because its climatic conditions potentially allow the establishment of sub-tropical and tropical species. Surveys and rapid assessments of spread and impact have allowed identification of emerging invasive alien plants for Mediterranean countries: Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae), Ambrosia artemisiifolia (Asteraceae), Baccharis halimifolia (Asteraceae), Cortaderia selloana (Poaceae), Eichhornia crassipes (Pontederiaceae), Fallopia baldschuanica (Polygonaceae), Hakea sericea (Proteaceae), Humulus japonicus (Cannabaceae), Ludwigia grandiflora and L. peploides (Onagraceae), Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae), Microstegium vimineum (Poaceae), Myriophyllum heterophyllum (Haloragaceae), Pennisetum setaceum (Poaceae), Pistia stratiotes (Araceae), Salvinia molesta (Salviniaceae), Solanum elaeagnifolium (Solanaceae). These species represent priorities for action. Some other species are placed on the observation list, as available information does not allow them to be counted among the worst threats: Akebia quinata (Lardizabalaceae), Araujia sericifera (Apocynaceae), Delairea odorata (Asteraceae), Cabomba caroliniana (Cabombaceae), Nassella neesiana, N. tenuissima and N. trichotoma (Poaceae), Sesbania punicea (Fabaceae), and Verbesina encelioides (Asteraceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In order to better understand the ecological niche of the Italian hare, we evaluated the diet selection of the species in two protected areas of the Latium coastal environment. The main results emerging from our study were: the wide feeding spectrum of the Italian hare; the high incidence of grasses in dry and in wet season diets; the low number of plant species ingested at relatively high rates; the plastic feeding behaviour of this hare, as diet preferences changed with the variety and abundance of food species. These results highlighted the great adaptability of the species to different niches and the influence of the floristic composition on its feeding habits. In the Italian hare, the assessment of habitat suitability is of strategic importance for its conservation. In particular, feeding preferences of the species may lead to defining some food items as key plant species for identifying its elective habitat and, hence, planning effective re-introduction initiatives. This study was focused on the diet and feeding behaviour of Lepus corsicanus in two protected coastal areas of Latium, Castelporziano Presidential Estate (CPE) and Circeo National Park (CNP). Plant frequency was assessed by the quadrat method, while diet composition was determined by microhistological analysis of faecal samples. Over the year, the Italian hare fed on 185 of the 229 plant species identified in vegetation, with most of them ingested in low percentages (≤1%). During the dry season (DS), in both areas, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Cynodon dactylon, and Avena fatua were among the most consumed species. In the wet season (WS) the most common plant species in diet were B. sylvaticum, Poa trivialis, and Carex distachya in CPE and Dactylis glomerata, Cynosurus echinatus, and Spartium junceum in CNP. In both sites, considering the annual selection of life forms, grasses and leguminous forbs were preferred, while non-leguminous forbs and shrubs were used less than expected according to their availability. ANOSIM analysis showed significant differences between sites in DS and WS diets. Our study evidenced that the Italian hare behaved as generalist, revealing its capability for exploiting several plant species and to adapt its diet preferences to space-time variation of food availability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In 1766, while working for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti listed several plant species that could be used, in times of famine, to increase vegetable mass in bread making. In his text the author cites over 340 vernacular names. We carried out a research work on contemporary and modern bibliographic sources to match them with a binomial name leading to the current nomenclature. In our research we have thus been able to obtain the first "alimurgic flora" drawn up by Targioni Tozzetti himself and made a comparison with our AlimurgITA database of wild edible plants used in Italy. Furthermore, the author identified eight toxic plants that were useful for increasing the mass of bread dough, indicating how to eliminate poisonous substances. We treat them in detail, examining their current and past use, their geographical distribution in Italy, and their possible toxicity. We hope this contribution can stimulate curiosity in the use of wild edible species, even for the ones neglected today because of their unpleasant taste or more complicated use due to their toxicity. In 1766, the agricultural scientist Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti described for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the wild and cultivated plant species that could be used, in times of famine, to increase the quantity of flour or vegetable mass in bread making. These wild plants can be defined as wild edible plants (WEPs) or "alimurgic species", a concept usually traced back to Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti himself. The 342 plant names mentioned in the text are in the Tuscan vernacular, so a research work was done on bibliographic sources from the 1800s in order to match them with their current nomenclature. This process led to an "alimurgic flora" repertoire based on the writing of Targioni Tozzetti; and a comparison with our AlimurgITA database of 1103 wild edible plants used in Italy. It is particularly interesting that in his short treatise, Giovanni Targioni Tozzetti identified eight toxic plants (corresponding to 14 species), indicating how to eliminate the poisonous substances from their useful roots. We treat them in detail, examining their current and past use, their geographical distribution in Italy, and their eventual toxicity. We obtained 343 matches, of which 198 were reliable (certain matches) and 145 possessed some degree of uncertainty (due to generic or collective vernacular names). Among the 198 certain identifications, 140 species are present in the AlimurgITA database (92 mentioned for Tuscany) and 58 are not; for bread-making there are only documentary traces of 53 species for Italy and 7 for Tuscany. Moreover, among the total 198 species, 84 showed some degree of hazard. Researching edible toxic spontaneous species allows: (1) investigation, from an unusual perspective, of a historical period in which the poor conditions of some social strata led to finding unusual solutions to food provision; (2) idea generation to re-enable potentially useful WEPs whose use has been lost. Making a virtue of necessity! [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the floristic composition and diversity of seven urban habitat types in 24 Serbian cities with different climatic affiliation. In each of the 24 cities, we selected 1 ha plots representing a habitat from one of the following groups: square, boulevard, residential area with compact and with open building pattern, city park, and sites with early and mid-succession vegetation stages. All vascular plant species that occur spontaneously in these plots were observed. Data on the main climatic characteristics were collected for each plot, and data on the life forms were obtained for each species recorded. Diagnostic species were identified for each habitat type analyzed, and alpha, beta and gamma diversity were calculated. A total of 674 taxa were recorded in the studied area. Significant differences were observed in habitats by diagnostic species and by life form representation. The lowest alpha and gamma diversity and the dominance of therophytes were observed in habitat types with intensive anthropogenic impact, whereas the highest number was recorded in mid-successional sites and residential areas with a compact building pattern. The analysis showed that habitat type influences species composition much more than climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a microhistological key for identification of plant fragments consumed and partially digested by free-roaming, forest cervids based on collection of 92 plant species representing forage availability of the Western Carpathian forests. The key represents a determination tool to facilitate microhistological analyses of faecal and ruminal material. We summarized, integrated, and developed current knowledge on microstructures of plants consumed by Cervidae using specific diagnostic features of plant fragments including type, shape, orientation, and arrangement of cells and stomata, type of venation, presence, and type of trichomes and crystalline inclusions. Since most plant species of the same taxa show common patterns in morphology of the different epidermal traits, we categorized collected material into seven functional botanical groups, i.e., grasses and sedges, herbs and leaves of broadleaved trees, needles, ferns and mosses, seeds and fruits, and genera Rubus, Rosa, Vaccinium. The key is consistent with classifications used in the majority of studies on diet of wild cervids and is supported with photographs of the main diagnostics features. The key has the potential to decrease amount of time needed for processing of the reference material, and to improve consistency between users studying feeding behaviour of forest cervids in central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plant species are expected to display high dispersal capacity but low levels of genetic diversity due to the founder effect occurring at each invasion episode. Understanding the history of invasions and the levels of genetic diversity of such species is an important task for planning management and monitoring strategy for these events. Peruvian Peppertree (Schinus molle L.) is a pioneer tree species native from South America which was introduced in North America, Europe and Africa, becoming a threat to these non-native habitats. In this study, we report the discovery and characterization of 17 plastidial (ptSSR) and seven nuclear (nSSR) markers for S. molle based on low-coverage whole-genome sequencing data acquired through next-generation sequencing. The markers were tested in 56 individuals from two natural populations sampled in the Brazilian Caatinga and Pampa biomes. All loci are moderately to highly polymorphic and revealed to be suitable for genetic monitoring of new invasions, for understanding the history of old invasions, as well as for genetic studies of native populations in their natural occurrence range and of orchards established with commercial purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]