A5084744662- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Plant responses to water stress
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna
- Climate change and permafrost
- Weed Control and Herbicide Applications
- Forest ecology and management
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- Fire effects on ecosystems
University of Udine
2015-2024
University of Palermo
2024
University of Trieste
2023
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
2019
University of Zurich
2014
ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2013
Abstract Trait‐based ecology has already revealed main independent axes of trait variation defining spaces that summarize plant adaptive strategies, but often ignoring intraspecific variability (ITV). By using empirical ITV‐level data for two dimensions leaf form and function 167 species across five habitat types (coastal dunes, forests, grasslands, heathlands, wetlands) in the Italian peninsula, we found ITV: (i) rotated define space; (ii) increased variance explained by these (iii)...
Summary Biological pest control is a key ecosystem service, and it depends on multiple factors acting from the local to landscape scale. However, effects of soil management biological its potential interaction with are still poorly understood. In field exclusion experiment, we explored relative effect tillage system (conservation vs. conventional tillage) aphid in 15 pairs winter cereal fields (barley wheat) selected along gradient complexity. We sampled abundance main natural enemy guilds,...
Abstract Exotic plant invasions are considered one of the major threats to biodiversity causing important impacts at population, community, and ecosystem levels. Understanding drivers across multiple spatial temporal scales often requires a landscape approach. The effect composition on biological invasion has been extensively studied, whereas configuration effects were seldom or analyses limited single species. Here, we aimed analyze how expansion urban agricultural areas can affect exotic...
Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, valuation these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset tidal marsh (MarSOC) from 99 studies that includes location, depth, site name, dry bulk density, SOC, and/or matter (SOM). The MarSOC 17,454 points 2,329 unique locations, 29 countries. generated...
Enhanced shrub growth and expansion are widespread responses to climate warming in many arctic alpine ecosystems. Warmer temperatures could cause major changes plant community structure, affecting both species composition diversity. To improve our understanding of the ongoing communities tundra, we studied interrelations among climate, growth, cover diversity, using an elevation gradient as a proxy for conditions. Specifically, analyzed bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) its associated along...
Agroecosystems are principally managed to maximize food provisioning even if they receive a large array of supporting and regulating ecosystem services (ESs). Hence, comprehensive studies investigating the effects local management landscape composition on provision trade-offs between multiple ESs urgently needed. We explored conservation tillage, nitrogen fertilization six (crop production, disease control, soil fertility, water quality regulation, weed pest control) in winter cereals....
Seagrass meadows play a vital role for lagoon ecosystems and their biota, sustaining multiple ecosystem services. Their distribution functioning are closely tied to the environmental pressures induced by global changes. Long-term monitoring of seagrass species communities is, hence, important depict response past future scenarios. The availability long term open-access satellite data offers new remote sensing perspective dynamics in shallow waters, especially when combined with machine...
Abstract Questions Understanding the mechanisms underlying impacts of exotic plant invasions is a central issue in ecology. Considering invasion process, any alteration nutrient cycle fundamental importance. We hypothesized that woody N‐fixing invasive Amorpha fruticosa indirectly depleting diversity by altering ecosystem functions riverine grasslands, thus producing conspicuous shift species composition. Location Temperate lowland riparian areas northeast Italy. Methods In 12 sites, we...
The N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa L. is rapidly spreading in the dry riparian natural grasslands of Europe, altering ecosystem functions and depleting plant diversity. Alteration N cycle represents key factor involved invasions by plants with cascading effects on species richness. We hypothesized that A. encroachment strongly impacts not only but also C magnitude such alterations may be modulated soil characteristics. To test these hypotheses, we selected four river floodplains North...
Abstract Aims Among terrestrial ecosystems, coastal sandy dunes are particularly prone to alien plant invasion. Many studies related the invasion of dune habitats anthropic causes, but less is known about role soil properties and traits in In this study, we tested relationships between features systems, focusing on interplay nutrients, salinity functional traits. Methods Study sites were barrier islands Marano Grado lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea). One hundred plots (4 m × 4 m) selected...
Abstract Measuring habitat specialisation is pivotal for predicting species extinctions and understanding consequences on ecosystem functioning. Here, we sampled pollinator natural enemy communities in all major types occurring across multiple agricultural landscapes used species–habitat networks to determine how changed along gradients landscape composition configuration. Although it well known that simplification often causes the replacement of specialists with generalists, our study...
Abstract Unveiling the processes driving exotic plant invasion represent a central issue in taking decisions aimed at constraining loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services. The success is often linked to anthropogenic land uses warming due climate change. We studied responses native versus casual naturalised species richness landscape level, relying on large floristic survey undertaken North - Eastern Italy. Both use drove richness. Our results suggest that this scale mainly warm...
Abstract Aim Climate warming and increasing human disturbance are expected to promote non‐native plant invasions in mountain ecosystems. Although biological also be modulated by biotic interactions, it is still not clear how invertebrate herbivores can affect invasion dynamics. Using a large manipulative experiment, we aimed at testing: (1) the effect of soil elevation on native communities, (2) plant‐herbivore nitrogen deposition, driving establishment after disturbance. Location European...
Abstract Understanding the response of salt marshes to flooding is crucial foresee fate these fragile ecosystems, requiring an upscaling approach. In this study we related plant species and community multispectral indices aiming at parsing power remote sensing detect environmental stress due in lagoon marshes. We studied Salicornia fruticosa (L.) L. associated along a soil texture gradient nine northern Italy. considered (i.e., richness, dry biomass, height, matter content) individual traits...
In grapevine, the anatomy of xylem conduits and non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) content associated living parenchyma are expected to influence water transport under limitation. fact, both NSC features play a role in plant recovery from drought stress. We evaluated these traits petioles Cabernet Sauvignon (CS) Syrah (SY) cultivars during stress (WS) recovery. CS, response was consumption, supporting hypothesis that starch mobilization is related an increased supply maltose sucrose,...
The effect of different management techniques for plant control in the vineyard were compared present work, focusing on diversity preservation and efficacy a two-year experiment row weed community. Biomass-fueled flame weeding (with two intensities) was applied as an innovative technique contrast to tillage mowing practices. results showed that flaming comparable regarding effectiveness, more efficient than mowing. However, species number functional evenness not substantially modified by...
Biological invasion is recognised as one of the major threats to biodiversity, particularly in disturbance-prone ecosystems such costal dunes. Many studies have associated alien plant dune ecosystem human disturbances, but less known about role soil properties after disturbance. Soil are crucial filters during succession and soil-related changes initial stage species colonization might shape final success invaders. We performed a manipulative experiment aimed at elucidating effects on...
Several studies have verified the suitability of LiDAR for estimation forest metrics over large areas. In present study we used as support characterization structure, volume, biomass and naturalistic value in mixed-coniferous forests Alpine region. Stem density, height structure test plots were derived using a mathematical morphology function applied directly on point cloud. From these data, digital maps describing horizontal vertical derived. Volume then computed regression models. A strong...
Abstract Question Does dispersal mode and/or disturbance intensity affect the spread of exotic species across agricultural landscapes? Location Friuli Venezia Giulia, NE Italy. Methods We analysed α‐ and β‐diversity native plants in 128 plots distributed four habitats (viz. woods, hedgerows, field boundaries meadows), areas northeast Italy, along a gradient increasing cover arable land landscape. used multi‐model inference approach to explore relationships between diversity landscape...