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In this contribution, new data concerning bryophytes, fungi, and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the bryophyte genera Aneura, Aulacomnium, Dumortiera, Fossombronia, Hennediella, Hygrohypnella, Pohlia, Porella, Riccardia, Tortella, and Tortula, the fungal genera Cortinarius, Mycena, Naucoria, Trichoglossum, and Tubaria and the lichen genera Agonimia, Blastenia, Chaenotheca, Cladonia, Endocarpon, Gyalecta, Lecanographa, Parmeliella, Porpidia, Stenhammarella, and Thelidium.

Background: After the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), research has highlighted several aspects of the pandemic, focusing on clinical features and risk factors associated with infection and disease severity. However, emerging results on the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility or Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes are conflicting, and their robustness remains uncertain. Objective: In this context, this study aims at quantifying the proportion of SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence, studying the changes in antibody levels over time, and analyzing the association between the biochemically verified smoking status and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: The research design involves a 6-month prospective cohort study with serial sampling of the same individuals. Each participant will be surveyed about their demographics and COVID-19- related information, and blood sampling will be collected upon recruitment and at specified follow-up time points (namely, after 8 and 24 weeks). Blood samples will be screened for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies and serum cotinine, being the latter the principal metabolite of nicotine, which will be used to assess participants' smoking status. Results: The study is ongoing. It aims to find a higher antibody prevalence in individuals at high-risk for viral exposure (i.e., healthcare personnel), and to refine current estimates on the association between smoking status and SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19. Conclusions: The added value of this research is that the current smoking status of the population to be studied will be biochemically verified, in order to avoid the bias associated with self-reported smoking status. As such, the results from this survey may provide actionable metric to study the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 outcomes, and therefore implement the most appropriate public health measures to control the pandemic. Results may also serve as a reference for future clinical research and the methodology could be exploited in public health sectors and policies.

An overview of the salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is here presented. On the basis of a total of 241 relevés, 8 classes and 32 plant communities have been identified, following the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. The salt marsh vegetation of southeastern Sicily is represented by aquatic communities of Ruppietea and Potamogetonetea, by helophytic communities of Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, by hygrophylous communities of Juncetea maritimi, by halophylous communities of Salicornietea fruticosae, by annual halo-nitrophylous communities of Saginetea maritimae, and finally by halophylous annual communities of Thero-Suaedetea splendentis. The plant communities belonging to Salicornietea fruticosae and Juncetea maritimi classes, were analysed through a numerical analysis (hierarchical clustering). The study also describes two new associations belonging to the Tamaricion africanae (Limbardo crithmoidis-Tamaricetum africanae) and Frankenion pulverulentae (Brizo minoris-Isolepidetum cernui) alliances.

As part of researches undertaken on the aquatic and marsh vegetation of southern Italy, a study on the Aquila Lake, a small lake basin in southern Calabria near Rosarno (RC), is here presented. Overall, 86 phytosociological relevés were carried out. The phytosociological study allowed the identification of several aquatic and marsh phytocoenoses, many of which not yet known for the region. They are referable to the following 8 classes: Lemnetea minoris R. Tx. ex O. Bolòs & Masclans 1955, Potametea pectinati R.Tx. & Preising 1942, Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae Klika in Klika & Novák 1941, Agrostietea stoloniferae Oberdorfer 1983, Galio aparines-Urticetea dioicae Passarge ex Kopecký 1969, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tüxen 1937, Salici purpureae-Populetea nigrae Rivas-Martínez & Cantó ex Rivas-Martínez et al. 2001, Querco roboris-Fagetea sylvaticae Br.-Bl. & Vlieger in Vlieger 1937. A peculiar marsh vegetation is the Cladietum marisci Allorge 1922 ex Zobrist 1935 (habitat of Community interest, according to the EEC directive 43/92 - 7210 *Calcareous ferns with Cladium mariscus and species of the Caricion davallianae"). In the Aquila Lake, some rare aquatic plant communities highlight the importance of this biotope for biodiversity conservation. In particular, we found the pleustophytic associations Lemno-Spirodeletum polyrhizae Koch 1954, Lemno minoris-Hydrocharitetum morsus-ranae Passarge 1978 and the aquatic rooted vegetation of Nymphaeetum albae Vollm. 1947. Despite the heavy pressures on this area, the biotope harbours a well-differentiated and structured aquatic and marsh vegetation that allows the presence of a rich bird life, both sedentary and migratory. The area, privately owned, is not protected; hunting and fishing are practiced and water is pumped for irrigation with negative consequences on the integrity of the entire aquatic ecosystem. Because of its naturalistic peculiarities and its remarkable biodiversity, this biotope certainly deserves more attention and should be proposed as a protected area.

In 2019 the 4th Report ex-Art. 17 on the conservation status (CS) of Annex I Habitats of the 92/43/EEC Directive was expected by every EU/28 country, with reference to the period 2013-18. In Italy, the process was in charge to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), on behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection (MATTM), with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society (SBI). A large group of thematic and territorial experts elaborated the available data concerning the 124 types of terrestrial and inland water Habitats present in Italy, 39 of which are represented by Forest Habitats (Group 9),. The main aim of the work was the evaluation of the overall CS of each Habitat by Biogeographic Region (Mediterranean, Continental and Alpine), for a total amount of 294 assessments. A high proportion of these (92, corresponding to 31% of the total) referred to Forest Habitats, including 20 marginal types for which the CS was not requested. The analysis was carried out at different scales: a) administrative territory, through the data contained in the ISPRA database, whose compilation was in charge to the Regions and Autonomous Provinces; b) Natura 2000 site, with the latest updates available (Standard Data Forms updated to 2018); c) national scale, implementing the distribution maps for each Habitat based on the European grid ETRS89-LAEA5210 (10x10 km2 mesh); d) Biogeographic Region, scale of the final assessment. Cartographic outcomes, associated databases and additional data used for the assessments will be available online on the ISPRA Portal as soon as the validation process by the European Commission will be completed. A dedicated archive named "HAB_IT" has been created in the national database "VegItaly" (1), managed by the Italian Society of Vegetation Science, where the phytosociological relevés representative of the various Annex I Habitats in Italy will be archived and freely accessible. An overview of the results regarding the Forest habitats is here provided, including a comparison with the outcomes of the former reporting cycle, the 3rd Report ex-Art. 17 (2). In several cases (e.g. 9120, 91L0), the distribution maps have been remarkably improved due to better knowledge and more fitful interpretation. The conservation status resulted as Favourable (FV) for 6,7%, Inadequate (U1) for 58,7% and Bad (U1) for 32,0% of the 72 assessed forest Habitat types. In no case there was an improvement of the conservation status, while in 6 cases a worsening of the conditions resulted from the data analysis, pointing out the Habitats types with a higher need of action. Similarly to other projects carried out as a team by the network of Annex I Habitat experts of the Italian Botanical Society and the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (e.g. 3, 4), this is another step in the direction of supporting the implementation of the 92/43/EEC "Habitat" Directive in Italy and Europe. On this ground, the high biodiversity of the Italian forest Habitats could be emphasized, however results pointed out that some rare or endemic types (e.g. Alnus cordata or Betula aetnensis-dominated forests) are still scarcely acknowledged by the most prominent EU conservation tools such as the Annex I to the "Habitat" Directive. 1) F. Landucci et al. (2012) Plant Biosyst., 146(4), 756-763 2) P. Genovesi et al. (2014) ISPRA, Serie Rapporti, 194/2014 3) E. Biondi et al. (2009) Società Botanica Italiana, MATTM, D.P.N., http://vnr.unipg.it/habitat/ 4) D. Gigante et al. (2016) Plant Sociology, 53(2), 77-87

La classe Saginetea maritimae Westhoff, Leeuwen & Adriani 1962 include vegetazione pioniera caratterizzata da terofite, anche di piccola taglia, sub-alofile ed alo-nitrofile, a ciclo invernale-primaverile, di ambienti salmastri del litorale ma anche di aree calanchive interne, su substrati da sabbioso a limoso-sabbiosi ad argillosi. Negli ambienti litoranei questa vegetazione colonizza sia coste sabbiose, in particolare aree periodicamente inondate tipiche dei pantani costieri e di habitat retrodunali, sia coste rocciose, in corrispondenza di vaschette di corrosione o di micro-terrazzamenti. La classe comprende due ordini: Saginetalia maritimae Westhoff, Leeuwen & Adriani 1962, con areale che spazia dalle coste dell'Atlantico al bacino del Mediterraneo e legata ai macrobioclimi temperato e mediterraneo, e Frankenietalia pulverulentae Rivas-Mart. ex Castroviejo et Porta 1976, distribuita in Mediterraneo e Macaronesia e di macrobioclima mediterraneo. Ai sensi dell'Allegato I della Direttiva Europea 92/43/EEC (Direttiva "Habitat"), buona parte di queste queste comunità rientrano nell'habitat di interesse comunitario "Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand" (Natura 2000 code 1310). L'approccio fitosociologico ha un ruolo importante in termini di gestione ambientale e conservazione della biodiversità degli habitat in quanto, oltre alla possibilità di utilizzare i rilievi fitosociologici come fonte di informazione per la valutazione della diversità vegetale a diverse scale, va evidenziato che i principali sistemi di classificazione di habitat utilizzati in Unione Europea (EUNIS, Allegato I della Direttiva "Habitat") individuano la tassonomia fitosociologica come strumento diagnostico di riferimento per gli habitat stessi. La vegetazione della classe Saginetea maritimae della Puglia è stata in passato oggetto di indagini fitosociologiche da parte di alcuni autori anche se, ad oggi, manca un contributo unitario ed aggiornato per la regione. I rilievi di letteratura, insieme a nuovi dati recentemente acquisiti in campo, sono stati organizzati in un'unica matrice e quindi sottoposti ad analisi statistica multivariata, per mettere in evidenza le affinità e le differenze tra le diverse comunità e le correlazioni tra queste e i principali fattori ecologici che le interessano. Il presente contributo ha come obiettivo quello di fornire un quadro aggiornato sulla distribuzione delle diverse comunità vegetali individuate nella regione Puglia e sul loro inquadramento sintassonomico. Biondi E., Blasi C., Allegrezza M., Anzellotti I., Azzella M.M., Carli E., Casavecchia S., Copiz R., Del Vico E., Facioni L., Galdenzi D., Gasparri R., Lasen C., Pesaresi S., Poldini L., Sburlino G., Taffetani F., Vagge I., Zitti S., Zivkovic L., 2014. Plant communities of Italy: The Vegetation Prodrome. Plant Biosystems 148, 728-814. Brullo S., 1988. Le associazioni della classe Frankenietea pulverulentae nel Mediterraneo centrale. Acta Bot. Barc. 37: 45-57. Brullo S., Giusso G., 2003. La classe Saginetea maritimae in Italia. Fitosociologia, 40(2): 29-41. Mucina L., Bültmann H., Dierßen K., Theurillat J. P., Raus T., ?arni A., ?umberová K., Willner W., Dengler J., Gavilán García R., Chytrý M., Hájek M., Di Pietro R., Iakushenko D., Pallas J., Daniëls F.J.A., Bergmeier E., Santos Guerra A., Ermakov N., Valachovi? M., Schaminée J.H.J., Lysenko T., Didukh Y.P., Pignatti S., Rodwell J.S., Capelo J., Weber H.E., Solomeshch A., Dimopoulos P., Aguiar C., Hennekens S.M., Tichý L., 2016. Vegetation of Europe: hierarchical floristic classification system of vascular plant, bryophyte, lichen, and algal communities. Applied Vegetation Science 19 (S1), 3-264.

CNR-IBBR Attività di Coordinamento ed Organigramma del Capofila

The 4th National Report ex Art. 17 of the 92/43/EEC Directive in Italy (period 2013-2018) will try to fill a number of gaps still affecting the former versions of the Italian Reports, where territorial data were still missing for large parts of the country and the assessment was mostly based on the use of the expert opinion. Similar inconsistencies also emerged in other European countries (State of nature in the EU, EEA 2015). In order to reach this aim, a nationally shared protocol for monitoring the vegetation-based Annex I Habitats is currently under development. The most prominent issues addressed by the ongoing project are: i) fixing standardized, updated and scientifically grounded methodological tools, on the basis of the European guidelines (Evans & Arvela 2011, ETC-BD); ii) providing comparable data at national and European level; iii) harmonizing the territorially fragmented knowledge and iv) supporting nationally standardized measures for the conservation of terrestrial, brackish and freshwater Habitats. Promoted by the Italian Ministry for Environment (MATTM) and coordinated by the environmental agency ISPRA, the development of such a tool is being carried out by the Italian Society for Vegetation Science, with the support of a large team of experts. Open issues, such as the favourable reference values and the optimal thresholds for each considered parameter (range,area, structure and function), have to be dealt with, in a condition of large uncertainty. Due to its centrality in the assessment process, especially the concept of "typical species" should be developed with care, trying to combine the need for synthetic indicators with the great floristic diversity of the Italian Habitats. A clear definition of the parameters is crucial for a correct application of the monitoring protocol, to successfully contribute to the whole process of halting biodiversity loss in Europe.

The 4th National Report ex Art. 17 of the 92/43/EEC Directive in Italy (period 2013-2018) will try to fill a number of gaps still affecting the former versions of the Italian Reports, where territorial data were still missing for large parts of the country and the assessment was mostly based on the use of the expert opinion. Similar inconsistencies also emerged in other European countries (State of nature in the EU, EEA 2015). In order to reach this aim, a nationally shared protocol for monitoring the vegetation-based Annex I Habitats is currently under development. The most prominent issues addressed by the ongoing project are: i) fixing standardized, updated and scientifically grounded methodological tools, on the basis of the European guidelines (Evans & Arvela 2011, ETC-BD); ii) providing comparable data at national and European level; iii) harmonizing the territorially fragmented knowledge and iv) supporting nationally standardized measures for the conservation of terrestrial, brackish and freshwater Habitats. Promoted by the Italian Ministry for Environment (MATTM) and coordinated by the environmental agency ISPRA, the development of such a tool is being carried out by the Italian Society for Vegetation Science, with the support of a large team of experts. Open issues, such as the favourable reference values and the optimal thresholds for each considered parameter (range, area, structure and function), have to be dealt with, in a condition of large uncertainty. Due to its centrality in the assessment process, especially the concept of "typical species" should be developed with care, trying to combine the need for synthetic indicators with the great floristic diversity of the Italian Habitats. A clear definition of the parameters is crucial for a correct application of the monitoring protocol, to successfully contribute to the whole process of halting biodiversity loss in Europe.

The methodological foundations of the recently published Manual for Annex I Habitats monitoring in Italy, edited by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) with the scientific support of the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV), are here presented, discussed and related to the most consolidated and acknowledged scientific advances in the field of Vegetation science. The proposed methodologies aim at offering simple, yet effective, protocols and procedures towards a harmonized data collection, by way of standardized and shared technical tools, resulting in comparable evaluations of the conservation status of Annex I Habitats. The methodological framework was developed by experts including a large team of members of the SISV. Big efforts were deployed to provide indicators and parameters for biodiversity monitoring able to catch its complexity, yet simple enough to be easily measured. Diagnosis and syntaxonomical correspondences of Habitat types, sampling procedure, plot size, distribution mapping, typical species are among the principal issues here examined through a widely shared scientific discussion. The final product is a comprehensive Manual, which offers practical but scientifically sound methodological tools for an efficient and effective monitoring of Annex I Habitats. The importance of bridging across the science-policy interface is emphasized, in a general will to improve the impact of Vegetation science on conservation policy development in Europe.

A partire dall’entrata in vigore della Direttiva 92/43/EEC, la sorveglianza dello stato di conservazione degli habitat elencati nell’Allegato I ed il relativo monitoraggio periodico a intervalli di sei anni sono diventati un obbligo per tutti i paesi membri dell’UE, in base a quanto previsto negli Articoli 11 e 17. Nel 2011 è stato pubblicato un documento che fornisce le linee guida di riferimento europee per il monitoraggio di habitat e specie (Evans & Arvela 2011). Su questa base metodologica, la Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione (SISV), avvalendosi di un ampio gruppo di soci esperti, ha avviato un dibattito interno su principi, criteri, parametri e strumenti per il monitoraggio degli habitat di Allegato I e dei tipi di vegetazione in essi rappresentati. Il progetto è stato promosso dal Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare e coordinato dall’Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, e si trova al momento in una fase prossima alla conclusione. A partire dalla documentazione già prodotta a livello nazionale per gli habitat italiani (Biondi et al., 2009, 2012, 2014; Genovesi et al., 2014), diversi aspetti critici sono stati esaminati attraverso una discussione scientifica ampiamente condivisa. In particolare, sono stati affrontati: gli aspetti legati alla scelta di strumenti adeguati per valutare i parametri area, struttura e funzione, prospettive future; il concetto di "specie tipica"; i metodi di campionamento habitat-specifici appropriati. Il protocollo sviluppato si pone come uno strumento pratico ed efficace, scientificamente valido e in linea con gli standard metodologici internazionali. Il suo utilizzo permetterà una raccolta armonizzata di dati su scala nazionale, rendendo possibile una valutazione comparata dello stato di conservazione di ciascun habitat.

The methodological foundations of the recently published Manual for Annex I Habitats monitoring in Italy, edited by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) with the scientific support of the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV), are here presented, discussed and related to the most consolidated and acknowledged scientific advances in the field of Vegetation science. The proposed methodologies aim at offering simple, yet effective, protocols and procedures towards a harmonized data collection, by way of standardized and shared technical tools, resulting in comparable evaluations of the conservation status of Annex I Habitats. The methodological framework was developed by experts including a large team of members of the SISV. Big efforts were deployed to provide indicators and parameters for biodiversity monitoring able to catch its complexity, yet simple enough to be easily measured. Diagnosis and syntaxonomical correspondences of Habitat types, sampling procedure, plot size, distribution mapping, typical species are among the principal issues here examined through a widely shared scientific discussion. The final product is a comprehensive Manual, which offers practical but scientifically sound methodological tools for an efficient and effective monitoring of Annex I Habitats. The importance of bridging across the science-policy interface is emphasized, in a general will to improve the impact of Vegetation science on conservation policy development in Europe.

In the framework of the LIFE + DEMETRA (LIFE08/NAT/IT/342) project, aimed at defining a methodology to monitor possible collateral effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on natural and semi-natural environments, a survey on plant biodiversity within the "Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli" Regional Park - Tuscany (Italy) was carried out. Activities focused on: a) evaluating how phenological features may be influenced by different environments; b) detecting wild species subject to potential breeding with cultivated oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera D.C.); c) allowing a proper planning of crop plantation. Permanent plots were designed in six selected sites; phenological data were collected from March to October 2010 and then compared with meteorological data provided by three weather stations. Results showed that Sinapis arvensis L. and Cardamine hirsuta L. turned out to have a flowering period overlapping with B. napus var. oleifera. The phenological observations allowed the identification of three phenological groups. Some phenological variations between environments were highlighted, although it wasn't possible to outline a clear relationship with the examined meteorological variables.

A vegetation survey of the SCI IT9140002 - "Litorale Brindisino" (Apulia Region, Italy), with a focus on the coastal environments, along with vegetation and habitat maps, are here presented. The SCI is a coastal site characterized by dunes and salt marshes and, landwards, by garrigues, maquis and grasslands. The coastal belt is characterized by a highly fragmented landscape, because of anthropogenic pressures and coastal erosion. The vegetation was studied according to the phytosociological method and the survey led to the identification of 22 plant communities belonging to 11 syntaxonomic classes. Vegetation and habitat maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in combination with topographical maps, at a scale of 1:5,000. The presence of several complex vegetation mosaics was highlighted.

Effective and timely biodiversity monitoring within protected sites and their surroundings is critical for detecting landscape changes which might impact site’s conservation status, quality and resources and to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation policies in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems from human activities. The most commonly used Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) or habitat classification systems are limited in their ability to read all aspects of the landscape. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) taxonomy (Di Gregorio and Jansen, 2005) was identified as the most appropriate for providing a common language for harmonizing different LC/LU legends. One of the basic principles of this system is that a given land-cover class is defined by a dynamic combination of classifiers, thus allowing the more complex semantics of each land-cover class may be described. FAO/LCCS has been also found to be effective for translating EO-derived LC/LU classes to habitat types (Tomaselli et al., 2013; Adamo et al 2014), since it allows a better description of natural habitats in comparison to other classification systems. Furthermore, LCCS has proven to be a valid tool in change detection, both at the level of conversion and modification. In fact, changes become immediately identifiable by a difference in classifier, or through the use of additional classifiers, although maintaining the same class type. In this contribution LC and habitat mapping have been performed on a site belonging to the Natura 2000 and located in Southern Apulia (Italy), characterized by coastal environments, Mediterranean maquis and extensive pine forests. The mapping was performed by means of photo interpretation and on-site survey, in years 2007 and 2015. Different LC and habitat classification systems were used and results compared. The LCCS turned out to be the most effective in detecting changes in forest types, highlighting changes such as height and density which were not evidenced with other classification systems.