Search

In the frame of the activities of the LIFE11 NAT/GR/1014 ForOpenForests, some water bodies occurring in the "Ethnikos Drymos Oitis" (GR2440004) and "Oros Kallidromo" (GR2440006) (Sterea Ellada) were investigated with the aim of providing a first census of the composition and diversity of their crustacean fauna. Overall, the sampling of 15 water bodies (7 of them listed as "Mediterranean temporary ponds" sensu EU "Habitats Directive") led to the finding of 13 branchiopod, 11 copepod, and 7 ostracod taxa, including 4 species new for mainland Greece, i.e. the copepods Arctodiaptomus alpinus (Imhoff, 1885) and Diaptomus cf. serbicus, and the branchiopods Leptestheria dahalacensis (Rüppel, 1837) and Wlassicsia pannonica Daday, 1904. The comparative analysis of the observed species assemblages and richness suggests that the protection of those ponds identified as "priority habitats" according to the "Habitats Directive" is effective for the specialized and peculiar crustacean biota of these ecosystems, but it is not sufficient in order to preserve efficiently the whole diversity of temporary pond-dwelling crustaceans occurring in the study area. Therefore, the implementation of synergistic conservation measures dedicated to both "priority" and "non-priority" habitats is desirable. © 2019 eScholarship. All rights reserved.

Vengono presentati i risultati preliminari di una indagine multidisciplinare condotta in una zona umida nel territorio di Calatafimi Segesta in provincia di Trapani. L'area è di grande interesse per la presenza di rare specie animali e vegetali, di habitat minacciati tutelati da normative nazionali ed internazionali, ma anche perché è una delle ultime zone umide superstiti dell'entroterra trapanese. L'area ha subito in tempi recenti un pesante disturbo antropico che rischia di portare alla distruzione questo ambiente e il suo biota di pregio. Con questo contributo gli autori intendono supportare la richiesta di adeguata e urgente tutela del sito. Anguillara Ponds (Calatafimi Segesta, Trapani): preliminary data on the biodiversity in support of the protection of the biotope. The preliminary results of a multidisciplinary survey concerning a wetland complex in the territory of Calatafimi Segesta (Trapani) are presented here. The area is of great interest not only because of the presence of several rare animal and plant taxa and of threatened habitats protected by national and international laws, but also because it hosts one of the last surviving inland wetlands in the whole province. In the last years, the area was subjected to serious anthropogenic disturbance, so that this ecosystem and its valuable biota risk to be definitely destroyed. With this contribution, the authors wish support the request to appropriately and urgently protect the site.

Prevedere cambiamenti non è facile, ma spostamenti di rotta negli approcci di ricerca sui laghi nelle Terre Alte riguarderanno probabilmente due aspetti complementari: da una parte il modo in cui si acquisiscono e si archiviano i dati e dall'altra le domande che ci si pone usando i laghi delle Terre Alte come modelli di studio. Il monitoraggio delle caratteristiche dei laghi può essere ottimizzato grazie a nuove tecnologie o nuove concezioni. Esempi di tali cambiamenti riguardano: per il comparto abiotico, le tecniche di telerilevamento o l'utilizzo di droni; per il comparto biotico, gli approcci mediante DNA metabarcoding. Inoltre, l'utilizzo di database aggiornati o interattivi, collegati a livello internazionale (ad esempio PESI, LifeWatch, GenBank ecc.) permette l'introduzione di app per smartphone da usare per citizen science, ad esempio chiavi di riconoscimento fotografiche per organismi viventi. I laghi delle Terre Alte possono essere usati come ambienti modello per rispondere a domande di carattere generale. Ad esempio i laghi in quota possono essere usati come sentinelle del cambiamento climatico, per analizzare la diffusione di nuovi inquinanti (ad esempio i famigerati neonicotinoidi) o di problemi emergenti (come la temibile resistenza agli antibiotici in batteri presenti nell'ambiente) e per studiare gli adattamenti degli organismi agli ambienti estremi, in modo da trovare potenziali applicazioni biotecnologiche.

Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as highquality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for nonspecialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. New information This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs., PESI was funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program (project reference: RI-223806), contributing to the FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES 'Capacities' sub-program under the Coordination and Support Actions (CSA) funding scheme (call: FP7-INFRASTRUCTURES-2007-2).

La valutazione dello stato di conservazione di biodiversità, funzioni e servizi degli ecosistemi di acque interne e la stima della loro vulnerabilità ai cambiamenti climatici sono affrontate considerando tipologie omogenee di ecosistemi acquatici, alla scala integrata del bacino idrografico e della zona di transizione adiacente. Gli ecosistemi acquatici sono ripartiti, secondo uno schema tradizionale, in: bacini fluviali, laghi, zone umide e acque lentiche85 di piccole dimensioni, ecosistemi dipendenti dalle acque sotterranee (Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems - GDE) e ambienti di transizione a mare. I bacini fluviali e i laghi sono inoltre analizzati nel contesto della regione geografica cui appartengono, assumendo che vi siano associate diverse pressioni e minacce derivanti dai cambiamenti climatici. I cambiamenti climatici hanno effetti diretti sulla fenologia e sulla distribuzione delle specie che si manifestano in seguito a modificazioni della durata delle fasi di crescita, anticipazione o ritardo nelle migrazioni, sfasamento dei cicli vitali di predatore e preda, e migrazione verso nord e verso monte delle specie sensibili all’aumento di temperatura. Negli ecosistemi acquatici queste perturbazioni sono causate non solo dall’aumento della temperatura, ma anche dalle variazioni del regime idrologico e delle proprietà fisiche delle masse d’acqua. Tra gli ecosistemi a maggiore vulnerabilità si annoverano le acque lentiche di piccole dimensioni, i GDE e i laghi d’alta quota, e i corsi d’acqua appenninici e delle isole maggiori, sui quali già insistono pressioni importanti per l’elevato tasso di sfruttamento del territorio e delle risorse idriche. La vulnerabilità dei grandi corsi d’acqua dipende dall’interazione tra le pressioni locali (uso del suolo, urbanizzazione, alterazioni idro-morfologiche), le variazioni del regime idrologico e la gestione delle risorse idriche. Attualmente si segnalano problemi legati al dissesto idromorfologico dei corsi d’acqua, al deflusso residuo a valle delle derivazioni idriche, alle variazioni improvvise e intense delle portate dovute all’esercizio delle centrali idroelettriche (hydropeaking), all’inquinamento delle acque, alla perdita di specie indigene e alla crescente diffusione di specie aliene. Queste situazioni potrebbero essere amplificate dalle variazioni del regime idrologico indotte dai cambiamenti climatici. I grandi laghi subalpini profondi sono regolati e costituiscono la più importante riserva di acqua dolce in Italia. Negli ultimi decenni si sono osservate condizioni critiche per il bilancio termico e la conseguente stratificazione della colonna d’acqua: l’aumento della temperatura atmosferica ha già causato una notevole riduzione della frequenza del rimescolamento delle intere masse d’acqua (oligomissi) e potrebbe portare a un rimescolamento limitato ai soli strati superficiali (meromissi). Le condizioni di meromissi sono in genere accompagnate dall’esaurimento dell’ossigeno disciolto nelle acque di fondo e da notevoli alterazioni della composizione delle comunità lacustri. Nel lungo termine, la diminuzione degli apporti nivali e glaciali e l’aumento dei prelievi potrebbero determinare oscillazioni del livello idrico con gravi impatti anche sulle zone litoranee di basso fondale. Condizioni di particolare vulnerabilità sono previste per i laghi dell’Italia centrale, in particolare per quelli poco profondi come il Lago Trasimeno, nei quali si stanno verificando l’interramento delle zone litoranee, l’aumento delle concentrazioni dei soluti e il riscaldamento delle acque. Nei laghi artificiali dell’Italia meridionale e delle isole, la diminuzione delle precipitazioni e l’aumento della temperatura, combinate con un maggiore consumo idrico, potrebbero accentuare le variazioni di livello, favorendo così il peggioramento della qualità delle acque e l’affermazione di specie invasive e di cianobatteri tossici. Le acque di transizione (foci fluviali e lagune costiere) sono esposte alle variazioni del regime idrologico dei bacini di monte, all’innalzamento del livello marino e all’aumento della temperatura. Trattandosi di sistemi a bassa profondità, sono attesi effetti particolarmente marcati nelle comunità bentoniche, con comparsa di fioriture di macroalghe, microalghe tossiche e cianobatteri e scomparsa delle specie animali maggiormente sensibili. Le opere di difesa idraulica a protezione dei centri abitati e delle zone agricole subsidenti potrebbero fare aumentare il confinamento delle aree lagunari interne, con rischi crescenti di stagnazione e anossia delle acque, condizioni che comportano la perdita di specie sensibili al tenore di ossigeno e alla temperatura. Complessivamente, si ritiene che le tendenze evolutive degli ecosistemi lagunari possano essere sfavorevoli per le specie native a vantaggio di quelle esotiche, con possibili impatti anche sulle attività di pesca e acquacoltura. Nelle foci fluviali, nei periodi di secca si potrà verificare la risalita del cuneo salino, un fenomeno che si è già manifestato in modo significativo in anni particolarmente siccitosi, ad esempio dal 2003 al 2007. Nella maggior parte degli ambienti acquatici considerati, al crescere della temperatura e della durata della stagnazione delle masse idriche potranno aumentare il metabolismo microbico e l’eterotrofia, con possibili retroazioni sulle emissioni di gas clima-alteranti (CO2, N2O e CH4).

Le acque temporanee contribuiscono alla biodiversità regionale con una ricchezza specifica sproporzionatamente elevata in rapporto all’esigua superficie da esse occupata. Questa breve nota descrive le ragioni che determinano tale diversità biologica, analizza l’importanza delle acque temporanee come hotspot di biodiversità e sottolinea come questi ecosistemi rappresentino un valido strumento per valutare l’impatto delle attività umane sul Pianeta. In aggiunta, le acque temporanee sono particolarmente vulnerabili agli effetti del cambiamento climatico che ne influenza l’idroperiodo e ne riduce la numerosità sul territorio. Tali effetti accoppiati alla distruzione diretta operata dalle attività antropiche, causato da una mancanza di riconoscimento come ecosistemi acquatici dotati di biota particolarmente ricchi e diversificati, rischiano di causare la scomparsa di una parte considerevole di specie il cui ciclo vitale è strettamente dipendente dalla natura temporanea di questi ecosistemi. Per scongiurare una notevole erosione della diversità biologica delle acque interne italiane e per la tutela della biodiversità a livello regionale e nazionale è improcrastinabile una oculata gestione territoriale, volta a preservare ed eventualmente favorire la creazione di nuovi ecosistemi acquatici temporanei. Temporary waters: biodiversity, functional ecology, vulnerability and susceptibility to climate change. Temporary waters contribute to regional diversity disproportionately compared to the Earth’s surface they cover. This short note i) describes the reasons underlying this biological diversity, ii) analyzes the importance of temporary waters as hotspots of biodiversity and iii) stresses how these ecosystems represent a valuable tool to evaluate the impact exerted by human activities on our Planet. Moreover, temporary waters are strongly impacted by the climate change, which modifies their hydroperiod and reduces their territorial density. When these effects are coupled with direct destruction operated by human activities (they are hardly recognized as aquatic ecosystems with an extraordinary rich biota) a large portion of species, whose life cycles are strictly dependent upon the temporary nature of these ecosystems, is endangered. To decrease the risk of a significant decrease of biological diversity of Italian inland waters, and to safeguard regional and national biodiversity, a sound management of the whole territory, addressed to preserve the existing and eventually to create new temporary ecosystems, cannot be further delayed.

Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as highquality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for nonspecialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (expertise) and information (standards, data and technical) capacities of five major community networks on taxonomic indexing in Europe, which is essential for proper biodiversity assessment and monitoring activities. The key objectives of PESI were: 1) standardisation in taxonomic reference systems, 2) enhancement of the quality and completeness of taxonomic data sets and 3) creation of integrated access to taxonomic information. New information This paper describes the results of PESI and its future prospects, including the involvement in major European biodiversity informatics initiatives and programs. © de Jong Y et al.

International audience

A compilation of our present knowledge of the water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia) adapted to life in standing waters on the three large islands in the western Mediterranean (Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily) is provided. In addition to published data, this study deals with a rich volume of new material from recent field work, mostly deriving from intermittent ponds and pools, an extremely poorly investigated yet peculiar habitat type in the Mediterranean area. Species richness of water mites reported for the standing waters of the three islands amounts to 91 species. Out of the 47 species for which we present new distributional data, Hydrachna incisa Halbert, 1903, Hydrachna leegei Koenike, 1895, Piersigia limophila Protz, 1896, Hydryphantes crassipalpis Koenike, 1914 and Piona laminata (Thor, 1900) have not been recorded previously from the Mediterranean area. Most of these species were believed to have typical North European distributions. In addition to these, a further 13 species are recorded for the first time from the area covered. In total, 11 species are new for Italy, seven more are new for Sicily, three for Sardinia and seven for Corsica. Redescriptions are given of Axonopsis complanata (Müller, 1776) (A. graeca, nov. syn), Brachypoda baderi (reported for the first time after the original description from Abruzzo, Italy, synonymization with B. mutila rejected) and B. mutila (recorded for the first time outside Algeria with certainty). For each species, information is given on habitat preference and geographical distribution; the significance of the data is discussed under perspectives of zoogeography and nature protection. The completeness of our knowledge for the three investigated island is assessed using rarefaction curves and non-parametric estimators of species richness; while Sicily can be considered fairly well known, Corsica and Sardinia require further sampling to assess their water mite diversity.

The Scientific Committee for the Italian Fauna is managing the new checklist of the animal species of Italy. The previous checklist was published in 1993-1995 and included both protozoans and Metazoa (more than 57,000 species); the new project, which includes only Metazoa, started in 2020 and is aimed at updating the former checklist (with more than 60,000 expected species) by on-line datasets and data papers. The new checklist includes marine species recorded in the Italian seas, divided into nine marine sectors, with the Italian Economic Exclusive Zone, and terrestrial and freshwater species recorded in administrative regions, as well as in the three macro-regions (northern continental, southern peninsular and insular - Sicily and Sardinia - macro-regions). Records from geopolitical units biogeographically Biogeographia 37: ucl001 Bologna 2 et al., 2022 related to Italy (i.e., Canton Ticino, CH; Corsica, F; San Marino Republic and Vatican City) are also included. Over 180 Italian and foreign taxonomists have so far participated to the first phase of this new project, providing datasets for taxa at different hierarchical level, from phyla to subfamilies and tribes. The list is intended to be a fundamental instrument not only for the faunistic knowledge of Italy, but also for biodiversity conservation strategies in the country and in the European Union. The new Checklist of the Italian fauna will be available from the LifeWatch Italy platform, and it will be progressively updated. Furthermore, data papers for taxa at different hierarchical level could be published with continuity in a special section of the journal Biogeographia – The Journal of Integrative Biogeography.

Calanoids of the family Diaptomidae are the most widespread copepods in the lentic inland waters of the Palearctic region. In Italy, studies on the family date back to the end of 19th century. Since then, several papers contributed to increasing the knowledge on their presence, distribution, and ecological preferences. Nevertheless, new records for the area and the discovery of putative new species stress that the current knowledge on these inland water crustaceans is still far from being exhaustive. This paper presents an updated and annotated checklist and bibliography of the Diaptomidae of the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands, including Corsica and the Maltese islands, compiled through a critical review of the existing literature and carrying out further field research. The doubtful records reported in the literature are discussed and clarified. The updated checklist includes 30 diaptomid species and subspecies; among them, an alien species and three putative new species pending formal description are reported. About 20% of the observed species are endemic or subendemic to the study area. The faunal provinces ascribed to the Mediterranean limnofaunistic region host the highest species richness and contribute to the checklist with rare species and unique occurrences. The high species richness observed in the Mediterranean area supports the hypothesis of a long-lasting persistence of an ancient and peculiar copepod fauna.

Author(s): Marrone, Federico; Alfonso, Giuseppe; Cottarelli, Vezio; Botta, Marco Massimo; Koepp, Christian; Stoch, Fabio | Abstract: The large branchiopod fauna of Sardinia is reviewed based both on literature and newly collected data. Based on the available evidence, 13 taxa are present on the island (8 Anostraca, 2 Notostraca, and 3 Spinicaudata). Among them, the finding of the spinicaudatan Leptestheria dahalacensis is new for Sardinia, while the spinicaudatans Cyzicus bucheti and Eulimnadia sp. were overlooked in the most recent synopses on the fauna of the island due to misidentifications. Conversely, Cyzicus tetracerus and Limnadia lenticularis, previously erroneously reported based on misidentifications, must be excluded from the fauna of Sardinia. The finding of Eulimnadia sp. is the first record in Europe and the northernmost record of the genus. The occurrence of Leptestheria dahalacensis in Sardinia is rather unexpected and probably due to its accidental introduction linked with rice cultures. At least four of the 13 Sardinian large branchiopod species are absent from the Italian mainland and Sicily, stressing the uniqueness of its fauna and its significant contribution to the Mediterranean inland water crustacean diversity.n

Author(s): Marrone, Federico; Alfonso, Giuseppe; Barbagallo, Rosario; Brandmayr, Pietro; Bruni, Giacomo; Costa, Simone; Farina, Giovanni; Gerecke, Reinhard; Iannarelli, Angelina; Mazza, Giuseppe; Mazzei, Antonio; Menchetti, Mattia; Moretti, Valerio; Mori, Emiliano; Novaga, Riccardo; Pecoraro, Marco; Schifani, Enrico; Stoch, Fabio; Vecchioni, Luca | Abstract: Scarce data are currently available about the distribution of the Mediterranean medicinal leech Hirudo verbana in Italy, and most of the known occurrence localities are based on records collected in the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, which were not confirmed in the last decades, mostly due to a lack of surveys. Accordingly, the available knowledge on the distribution of the species is far from being updated and representative, although a significant negative trend of H. verbana throughout the country is supposed. The lack of sound distribution data is a significant shortfall, which hinders the implementation of the monitoring of the species as required by the Article 17 of the “Habitats Directive” on the species of Union concern. To provide recent, validated distributional data for the Mediterranean medicinal leech in Italy to be used as baseline data for further surveys and monitoring, we present herein a set of unpublished observations collected in the last decades in peninsular Italy, Sicily, and Sardinia. Moreover, we report observation of H. verbana feeding on amphibians, a feeding habit to date poorly documented for the Mediterranean medicinal leech. Based on both published and novel data, H. verbana is characterised by a large but fragmented distribution in Italy. Therefore, dedicated monitoring programs and the collection of validated occasional observations are highly desirable to get a clearer picture of the real distribution of the species.

The current knowledge of Sicilian inland water decapod malacostracans is scarce and an updated synopsis on species distribution is lacking. Therefore, we reviewed the checklist and recent distribution of Sicilian inland water decapods based on published and unpublished records and novel observations with the aim of providing an exhaustive repository, also to be used as a sound baseline for future surveys. Overall, five native decapod species occur in the study area, i.e., the atyid shrimp Atyaephyra desmarestii, the palaemonid shrimps Palaemon adspersus, P. antennarius, and P. elegans, and the freshwater crab Potamon fluviatile, and their current local distributions are described. In addition, three alien species were recorded: the common yabby Cherax destructor and the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, strictly linked to inland waters, and the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus, a mainly marine species that can also colonise the lower stretches of rivers and coastal brackish waters. The collected data suggest the existence of a partial segregation of native versus non-native species, with the latter currently confined to coastal water bodies and the lower stretches of rivers. Moreover, the exclusively freshwater caridean A. desmarestii and P. antennarius show a parapatric distribution in the study area, which may suggest the existence of mutual exclusion phenomena. The results obtained raise some concerns about the effects of alien species on the native biota, and dedicated monitoring and management strategies should be implemented in order to better understand and mitigate their impact.

SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published