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Starting from a simple observation of apparent neglect, this thesis aims to explore the heritage of the land of Villa Ada, a city park in Rome Italy. To do so, this study relates historical narratives regarding this piece of land, from the earliest human presence to formation of the current park. The narratives help engage the reader with the past of this land, and to anchor it into the current landscape. An online survey was conducted to address how the park is perceived today and what meaning the visitors and neighbors associate to it. By connecting the past to the present, and then looking forward, this thesis can contribute in opening a discussion about Villa Ada’s fate and the strategies that can be implemented for its effective long-term management., Partendo da una semplice osservazione di apparente abbandono, questa tesi mira ad esplorare il patrimonio del terreno di Villa Ada, un parco urbano di Roma. Per fare ciò, questo studio mette in relazione narrazioni storico-ambientali riguardanti questo terreno, dalla prima presenza umana alla formazione del parco attuale. Le narrazioni aiutano a coinvolgere il lettore con il passato di questa terra e ad ancorarlo nel paesaggio attuale. Nel contesto di questo studio, è stato condotto un questionario online per valutare come il parco è percepito oggi e quale significato i visitatori e i vicini vi associno. Collegando il passato al presente, e quindi guardando avanti, questa tesi può contribuire ad aprire una discussione sul futuro di Villa Ada e sulle strategie che potrebbero essere attuate per una gestione efficace a lungo termine.

Coral reefs and their associated fauna are largely impacted by ongoing climate change. Unravelling species responses to past climatic variations might provide clues on the consequence of ongoing changes. Here, we tested the relationship between changes in sea surface temperature and sea levels during the Quaternary and present-day distributions of coral reef fish species. We investigated whether species-specific responses are associated with life-history traits. We collected a database of coral reef fish distribution together with life-history traits for the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We ran species distribution models (SDMs) on 3,725 tropical reef fish species using contemporary environmental factors together with a variable describing isolation from stable coral reef areas during the Quaternary. We quantified the variance explained independently by isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and related it to a set of species traits including body size and mobility. The variance purely explained by isolation from stable coral reef areas on the distribution of extant coral reef fish species largely varied across species. We observed a triangular relationship between the contribution of isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and body size. Species, whose distribution is more associated with historical changes, occurred predominantly in the Indo-Australian archipelago, where the mean size of fish assemblages is the lowest. Our results suggest that the legacy of habitat changes of the Quaternary is still detectable in the extant distribution of many fish species, especially those with small body size and the most sedentary. Because they were the least able to colonize distant habitats in the past, fish species with smaller body size might have the most pronounced lags in tracking ongoing climate change.

Coral reefs and their associated fauna are largely impacted by ongoing climate change. Unravelling species responses to past climatic variations might provide clues on the consequence of ongoing changes. Here, we tested the relationship between changes in sea surface temperature and sea levels during the Quaternary and present-day distributions of coral reef fish species. We investigated whether species- specific responses are associated with life-history traits. We collected a database of coral reef fish distribution together with life-history traits for the Indo-Pacific Ocean. We ran species distribution models (SDMs) on 3,725 tropical reef fish species using contemporary environmental factors together with a variable describing isolation from stable coral reef areas during the Quaternary. We quantified the variance explained independently by isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and related it to a set of species traits including body size and mobility. The variance purely explained by isolation from stable coral reef areas on the distribution of extant coral reef fish species largely varied across species. We observed a triangular relationship between the contribution of isolation from stable areas in the SDMs and body size. Species, whose distribution is more associated with historical changes, occurred predominantly in the Indo-Australian archipelago, where the mean size of fish assemblages is the lowest. Our results suggest that the legacy of habitat changes of the Quaternary is still detectable in the extant distribution of many fish species, especially those with small body size and the most sedentary. Because they were the least able to colonize distant habitats in the past, fish species with smaller body size might have the most pronounced lags in tracking ongoing climate change.