Antibacterial activity of Arthrobacter strains isolated from Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area, Mongolia.

Desert soil hosts many microorganisms, whose activities are essential from an ecological viewpoint. Moreover, they are of great anthropic interest. The knowledge of extreme environments microbiomes may be beneficial for agriculture, technology, and human health. In this study, 11 Arthrobacter strains from topsoil samples collected from the Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area in the Gobi Desert, were characterized by a combination of different techniques. The phylogenetic analysis, performed using their 16S rDNA sequences and the most similar Arthrobacter sequences found in databases, revealed that most of them were close to A. crystallopoietes, while others joined a sister group to the clade formed by A. humicola, A. pascens, and A. oryzae. The resistance of each strain to different antibiotics, heavy-metals, and NaCl was also tested as well as the inhibitory potential against human pathogens (i.e., Burkholderia ssp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus ssp.) via cross-streaking, to check the production of metabolites with antimicrobial activity. Data obtained revealed that all strains were resistant to heavy metals and were able to strongly interfere with the growth of many of the human pathogens tested. The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile of the 11 Arthrobacter strains was also analyzed. A total of 16 different metabolites were found, some of which were already known for having an inhibitory action against different Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Isolate MS-3A13, producing the highest quantity of VOCs, is the most efficient against Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), K. pneumoniae, and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) strains. This work highlights the importance of understanding microbial populations' phenotypical characteristics and dynamics in extreme environments to uncover the antimicrobial potential of new species and strains.

The Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area: Characterization of Soil Bacterial Communities from Four Oases.

Understanding how microbial communities survive in extreme environmental pressure is critical for interpreting ecological patterns and microbial diversity. Great Gobi A Strictly Protected Area represents an intriguing model for studying the bacterial community since it is a protected and intact wild area of the Mongolian desert. In this work, the composition of a bacterial community of the soil from four oases was characterized by extracting total DNA and sequencing through the Illumina NovaSeq platform. In addition, the soil's chemical and physical properties were determined, and their influence on shaping the microbial communities was evaluated. The results showed a high variability of bacterial composition among oases. Moreover, combining specific chemical and physical parameters significantly shapes the bacterial community among oases. Data obtained suggested that the oases were highly variable in physiochemical parameters and bacterial communities despite the similar extreme climate conditions. Moreover, core functional microbiome were constituted by aerobic chemoheterotrophy and chemoheterotrophy, mainly contributed by the most abundant bacteria, such as Actinobacteriota, Pseudomonadota, and Firmicutes. This result supposes a metabolic flexibility for sustaining life in deserts. Furthermore, as the inhabitants of the extreme regions are likely to produce new chemical compounds, isolation of key taxa is thus encouraged.

Reintroductions of the Corsican Red Deer (Cervus elaphus corsicanus): Conservation Projects and Sanitary Risk.

The Corsican red deer is an endangered subspecies that needs artificial translocation projects to gain its complete recovery with the formation of viable, interconnected populations. Between 2007 and 2017, we performed two reintroduction projects in four sites in central-eastern Sardinia via tracking 32 deer by means of GPS/GSM radiotelemetry. On the basis of the obtained results, we built a species distribution model (SDM) using MaxEnt software, selecting 200 random points from the merged deer core areas as presence data. Furthermore, to evaluate the sanitary risk linked to artificial translocations, we analyzed deer positivity to Bluetongue virus (BTV) in the founder populations. The SDM showed a high deer capability to colonize central-eastern Sardinia, but it also showed the possibility of spreading BTV to domestic sheep because sanitary analyses confirmed the virus' presence in the founder populations. Our main conclusion was that reintroductions are effective tools for the long-term conservation of the Corsican red deer, as long as sanitary risks are minimized by means of sanitary monitoring of translocated deer.

Diet Selection by the Italian Hare (Lepus corsicanus de Winton, 1898) in Two Protected Coastal Areas of Latium.

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.

Feeding Preferences of the Italian Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus italicus Festa, 1925) in a Coastal Mediterranean Environment.

The present study was aimed to deepen the knowledge on diet and on feeding preferences of the Italian roe deer. The research was carried on in the Castelporziano Presidential Estate, a protected area of Latium coast. Quadrat method was used to assess plant frequency, whereas diet composition was determined by fecal micro-histological analysis. A total of 143 plant species were identified in the site and 109 of them were found in the feces of the Capreolus capreolus italicus. All over the year, most of the taxa were ingested in low percentages (≤5%) and the most utilized plant species were Quercus suber, Prunus spinosa, Rubia peregrina, and Crateaegus monogyna. Fagaceae and Rosaceae plant families represented the bulk of the diet and were positively selected. In addition, a positive selection on Fabaceae and Oleaceae families was found in wet season but not in dry one. In both periods the Italian roe deer showed a positive selection for deciduous woody plants and evergreen woody plants, instead avoided wild forbs and wild graminoids. Our results confirmed that this subspecies behaved as a generalist highly selective feeder.

Assessment of seasonal variation of diet composition in rodents using DNA barcoding and Real-Time PCR.

The study of animal diet and feeding behaviour is a fundamental tool for the illustration of the ecological role of species in the ecosystem. However, size and quality of food intake samples make it hard for researchers to describe the diet composition of many small species. In our study, we exploited genomic tools for the analysis of the diet composition of the Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) using DNA barcoding and qPCR techniques for the identification of ingested plant species retrieved from stomach contents. In contrast with previous studies, we found that, despite being a fossorial species, the Savi's pine vole is a selective feeder that undergoes intense superficial activity in search for food. In addition, our study shows that with a a priori knowledge of the candidate plant species included in animal diet, qPCR is a powerful tool to assess presence/absence, frequency of occurrence and electivity of ingested species. We conclude that this approach offers new opportunities to implement the analysis of food selection in small animals, thereby revealing a detailed picture of plant-animal interactions.

From biology to management of Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii).

Savi's pine vole (Microtus savii) is a rodent species of the Cricetidae family, inhabiting southern European agroecosystems. It is considered to be the main cause of rodent-attributed damage in Italy. To achieve an effective management, detailed knowledge of this species is needed. However, the available information about this species is fragmentary and incomplete. In this paper, the existing knowledge of Savi's pine vole taxonomy, reproduction, population dynamics, habitat and food preferences is reviewed in order to organise available information and identify priority areas of future research. Some of the changes in farming practices that have occurred in recent decades may have increased the impact of Savi's pine vole populations in crop fields. To manage this pest species effectively, an integrated strategy is recommended (involving habitat management, trapping and, when appropriate, the use of rodenticides). The apparent lack of cyclical population outbreaks and the relatively small litter size and long gestation and interpartum period of this species suggest that it could be more manageable than other vole species, while its strict herbivorous diet, stable population size in open habitats and wide distribution seem to indicate it as an ideal model species for risk assessment studies.

Hare populations in Europe: intra and interspecific analysis of mtDNA variation.

We report results of a project aimed at analysing genetic diversification in Lepus corsicanus (italian hare), carried out at the INFS as part of an ongoing project on the biology of L. corsicanus. Samples of Italian hare were collected in different localities in central-southern Italy and Sicily. Moreover samples of L. europaeus (brown hare), as well as other species of the genus Lepus, were collected in Italy and Europe in order to define the phylogenetic relationships of the Italian hare. Results show a clear genetic distinction of the Italian hare. Consequently the status of true species is warranted at the molecular level. Phylogenetic relationships among species suggest the presence of two distinct groups, the Italian hare belonging to an evolutionary lineage including species which probably originated in a glacial refugia in southern Europe before colonization by the brown hare. On the other hand the brown hare belongs to a different lineage including species of African origins.