Leveraging Google Earth Engine for a More Effective Grassland Management: A Decision Support Application Perspective.

Grasslands cover a substantial portion of the earth's surface and agricultural land and is crucial for human well-being and livestock farming. Ranchers and grassland management authorities face challenges in effectively controlling herders' grazing behavior and grassland utilization due to underdeveloped infrastructure and poor communication in pastoral areas. Cloud-based grazing management and decision support systems (DSS) are needed to address this issue, promote sustainable grassland use, and preserve their ecosystem services. These systems should enable rapid and large-scale grassland growth and utilization monitoring, providing a basis for decision-making in managing grazing and grassland areas. In this context, this study contributes to the objectives of the EU LIFE IMAGINE project, aiming to develop a Web-GIS app for conserving and monitoring Umbria's grasslands and promoting more informed decisions for more sustainable livestock management. The app, called "Praterie" and developed in Google Earth Engine, utilizes historical Sentinel-2 satellite data and harmonic modeling of the EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) to estimate vegetation growth curves and maturity periods for the forthcoming vegetation cycle. The app is updated in quasi-real time and enables users to visualize estimates for the upcoming vegetation cycle, including the maximum greenness, the days remaining to the subsequent maturity period, the accuracy of the harmonic models, and the grassland greenness status in the previous 10 days. Even though future additional developments can improve the informative value of the Praterie app, this platform can contribute to optimizing livestock management and biodiversity conservation by providing timely and accurate data about grassland status and growth curves.

Impact of invasive alien plants on native plant communities and Natura 2000 habitats: State of the art, gap analysis and perspectives in Italy.

Invasive alien plants are a major threat to biodiversity and they contribute to the unfavourable conservation status of habitats of interest to the European Community. In order to favour implementation of European Union Regulation no. 1143/2014 on invasive alien species, the Italian Society of Vegetation Science carried out a large survey led by a task force of 49 contributors with expertise in vegetation across all the Italian administrative regions. The survey summed up the knowledge on impact mechanisms of invasive alien plants in Italy and their outcomes on plant communities and the EU habitats of Community Interest, in accordance with Directive no. 92/43/EEC. The survey covered 241 alien plant species reported as having deleterious ecological impacts. The data collected illustrate the current state of the art, highlight the main gaps in knowledge, and suggest topics to be further investigated. In particular, the survey underlined competition as being the main mechanism of ecological impact on plant communities and Natura 2000 habitats. Of the 241 species, only Ailanthus altissima was found to exert an ecological impact on plant communities and Natura 2000 habitats in all Italian regions; while a further 20 species impact up to ten out of the 20 Italian administrative regions. Our data indicate that 84 out of 132 Natura 2000 Habitats (64%) are subjected to some degree of impact by invasive alien plants. Freshwater habitats and natural and semi-natural grassland formations were impacted by the highest number of alien species, followed by coastal sand dunes and inland dunes, and forests. Although not exhaustive, this research is the first example of nationwide evaluation of the ecological impacts of invasive alien plants on plant communities and Natura 2000 Habitats.

A Comparative Bryo-Ecological Study of Habitat 3170*: Sites of Particular Phytogeographic Interest in the Mediterranean Area.

In accordance with the 92/43/EEC "Habitats" Directive, Mediterranean temporary ponds are identified as a priority natural habitat within the European context. They are a very interesting and unique habitat type, as ecological conditions can vary greatly in a short period of time. Due to their small size, many Mediterranean hydrophytic bryophytes typical of this habitat are often overlooked or misinterpreted. Their distribution, habitats, ecology, and strategies are generally poorly understood. Several of them are currently considered rare or endangered in the Mediterranean. As these ponds are particularly sensitive to human activities and natural changes, such bryophytes and associated vegetation communities may be at risk. This study is focused on their floristic variability in different environmental conditions in two sites of particular phytogeographic interest in the Mediterranean area. In the Sardinian Pauli of Giara, 56 taxa (50 Bryophyta and 6 Marchantiophyta) were found, and in the Umbria Piana di Ferretto, 54 taxa (34 Bryophyta and 20 Marchantiophyta) were documented. The taxa from the two areas were analysed and compared. Life strategies, life macroforms, light and moisture preferences, chorological elements, and moisture belts were considered. The data are presented here together with information on the phytogeography and ecology of the species recorded. The findings indicate that a bespoke monitoring strategy and dedicated conservation measures are essential for the effective protection of bryophytes, ensuring the achievement of meaningful and sustainable conservation outcomes.

Robotic monitoring of grasslands: a dataset from the EU Natura2000 habitat 6210* in the central Apennines (Italy).

Despite the remarkable growth of the global market for robotics, robotic monitoring of habitats is still an understudied topic. This is true, among others, for the species-rich EU Annex I habitat "6210 - Semi-natural grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates". This habitat is typically surveyed by human operators. In this work, we present a dataset concerning relevés performed through the quadrupedal robot ANYmal C. The dataset contains information from three plots, which include the robot state, videos, and images acquired to assess the habitat conservation status. Additionally, a collection of videos and pictures about two typical and one early warning species of habitat 6210 is also presented. This database is publicly available in the provided Zenodo repository and will aid researchers in several fields. Robot state information can be used by engineers to validate their algorithms, while data gathered by the robot can be used to design new methodologies and new metrics to assess the habitat conservation status or train/test classifiers (e.g. neural networks) for plant classification.

In situ occurrence and protection of crop wild relatives in Italian sites of natura 2000 network: Insights from a data-driven approach.

Aim of this work is to evaluate the in situ status of different crop wild relative species in Italy by analysing the geographic distribution of their populations and to suggests possible strategies to improve their future conservation. The work has been focused on different species of the Allium, Beta, Brassica, Secale and Triticum genera that are of priority at European and global levels for the economic importance of the related crops, the level of threat, as well as the potential for use. Using information available in the Italian National Geoportal, geographical distribution and the overall percentage of populations occurring in Natura 2000 sites was initially analysed. In addition, due to the economic importance of the genus and species distribution in Italy, Brassica glabrescens, B. insularis, B. macrocarpa, B. montana, B. procumbens, B. rupestris, B. villosa were the object of additional analyses based on more detailed occurrence data, retrieved from multiple databases, and including land cover/land use and in situ and ex situ density analyses. Geographical distribution data were retrieved for 1,996 in situ populations belonging to 60 crop wild relative species: Allium (43), Brassica (11), Triticum (4), Beta (1) and Secale (1). Percentages of population occurring in Natura 2000 sites are quite different when the different species are considered; this also applies to Brassica species in most need of protection. Results of land cover/land use analysis showed that Brassica populations outside Natura 2000 areas mainly occur in anthropized sites while those within Natura 2000 mainly in sites characterised by natural and seminatural conditions. Areas where genetic reserves could be instituted and that could be the target of future Brassica resources collection missions are also suggested. Based on a large dataset of punctual geographical distribution data of population occurrences across the territory, this research shows that, in Italy, crop wild relatives in situ are in a quite precarious condition especially when species in most need of protection are considered. Our data also highlight the role of Natura 2000 Network in favouring in situ protection of these precious resources in Europe.

AFLP Approach Reveals Variability in Phragmites australis: Implications for Its Die-Back and Evidence for Genotoxic Effects.

Phragmites australis is a subcosmopolitan species typical of wetlands being studied in Europe for its disappearance from natural stands, a phenomenon called reed die-back syndrome (RDBS). Although it is conjectured that low genetic variability contributes to RDBS, this aspect remains neglected to this day. Using a molecular fingerprinting approach and a sequence analysis of the trnT-trnL/rbcL-psaI regions of cpDNA, this study aimed to compare the genetic structure of stable vs. RDBS-affected P. australis stands from five wetlands of central Italy. Beforehand, in order to characterize the health condition of reed populations, the occurrence of the main macromorphological descriptors for RDBS was considered on 40 reed stands. Soil samples were also collected to examine the total content of heavy metals. The current study analyzed cpDNA in 19 samples and AFLP profiles in 381 samples to investigate the genetic structure of Phragmites populations. Based on the multinomial-Dirichlet model, an analysis of candidate loci under selective pressure was also performed. The relationships among AFLP data, RDBS descriptors and chemicals were evaluated with the use of Linear Mixed Models. The analysis of the cpDNA shows the occurrence of the haplotypes M (the most widespread), and K here recorded for the first time in Italy. Three new haplotypes were also described. The DNA fingerprinting analysis has produced a total of 322 loci (98% polymorphic) and shows the medium-to-high amount of genetic diversity. The significant genetic differentiation among wetlands (Fst = 0.337) suggests either low gene flow or small effective population size. Moreover, the low amount of outlier loci (only 5; l.5% of the total), seems to indicate the scarce occurrence of selective pressure upon the reed's genome. Genetic diversity increased in relationship to the decrease in diameter and of flowering buds of the reed, two of the trends associated with the die-back. The current study rejects the hypothesis that genetic diversity massively contributed to RDBS. Moreover, significant relationships between genetic diversity and the total concentration of some heavy metals (Cr, Cu, and Zn) were highlighted, indicating possible genotoxic effects on P. australis. The current study represents a fact-finding background useful for the conservation of common reed.

Applying predictive models to decipher rhizobacterial modifications in common reed die-back affected populations.

The microbiota inhabiting the soil, as well as the rhizosphere, represents a key determinant of several plant functions. Like for humans, dysbiosis of the plant-associated microbiota may be a co-causal agent in disease with still obscure eziology. In the last decades, the common reed Phragmites australis has been deeply studied for its disappearance from natural stands, but no clear causative agents have been identified and no laboratory models of such "reed die-back syndrome" (RDBS) have been developed. In this study, we try to shed light on the RDBS, by comparing the rhizosphere microbiota of five Italian P. australis populations with different degrees of decline. Results obtained showed a biogeographical meaningful pattern of rhizosphere microbiota, coupled with an impact of RDBS. Obtained data allowed to construct a two-steps predictive model which enabled the prediction of the plant health status from the microbiota taxonomic composition, independently from their geographic location. In conclusion, this study represents one of the first overviews that statistically links RDBS to alteration of rhizosphere microbiota and suggests a model for the analysis of plant-bacteria relationships in nature.

Oomycete Communities Associated with Reed Die-Back Syndrome.

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. die-back is a widely-studied phenomenon that was first discovered in northern Europe and that, until recently, was almost unknown in the Mediterranean basin. It has been described as a complex syndrome affecting reed populations leading to their retreat and decline, with significant impacts on valuable ecosystem services. Among the factors that cause the decline, soil-living microorganisms can be crucial. The aims of this study were to analyze the diversity of oomycetes communities associated with reed stands, and to understand whether they could play a key role in the decline. Variations in the structure of oomycetes communities were studied by metabarcoding of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1 region of ribosomal DNA, from the sediments of five Italian freshwater ecosystems. They were chosen to cover a large variability in terms of surface area, water depth, microclimate, and presence of documented reed retreat. From 96 samples collected from reed roots, rhizosphere, and bulk soil, we assembled 207661 ITS1 reads into 523 OTUs. We demonstrated that oomycete communities were structured by several factors, among which the most important was die-back occurrence. Our study also indicates that Pythiogeton spp. could be potentially involved in the development of die-back. The role of heavy metals in the soil was also explored, and cadmium concentration was shown to affect oomycetes distribution. This study represents a significant step forward for the characterization of microbial communities associated with reed die-back syndrome and helps to gain knowledge of the complexity of these important wet ecosystems.

A review of in vitro methods to assess the biological activity of tobacco smoke with the aim of reducing the toxicity of smoke.

In the last few years tobacco companies have been developing several research strategies in order to reduce the risks associated with smoking. These strategies include, for example, the refining of alternative cigarette designs that reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals in the mainstream smoke by introducing modified filters, and/or reducing the amount of biologically significant ingredients in tobacco-burning cigarettes. In the last few decades numerous studies have been published to assess the biological activity of tobacco smoke using in vivo and in vitro test systems. In this scenario a general scientific consensus on how to measure and characterize the risk associated with cigarette smoke is still lacking. Short-term in vitro assays, which are widely accepted by regulatory agencies around the world, are useful tools to evaluate both the biological activity and the progress towards a reduction of tobacco smoke toxicity. These assays could be mainly applied to evaluate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity properties on whole cigarette smoke as well as condensates or fractions of whole smoke. Cytotoxicity induction can be measured as cellular viability and growth rates using different end-points. Otherwise, the target of genotoxicity studies is the DNA molecule. For genotoxicity evaluation, the end-points and cell systems should be chosen from those that are relevant and appropriate as clinical surrogate markers. In this respect, the occurrence of early biological effect markers, such as mutational or clastogenic events (point mutations, frameshifts, micronuclei, SCE, DNA adducts) in bacterial and mammalian cells should be studied in a tiered approach following the guidelines of regulatory agencies. The choice of criteria shall be matter of discussion.

New occurrence of reed bed decline in southern Europe: do permanent flooding and chemical parameters play a role?

Based on the experimental design proposed in similar studies, macromorphological and ecological traits of common reed beds were analysed at Lake Chiusi (Central Italy), together with selected chemical parameters in sediments and interstitial waters and aerial images of the site, in order to investigate reed decline and search for possible correlations among data. Typical symptoms of the reed dieback syndrome were detected, thus enlarging the occurrence of this phenomenon in southern Europe. Permanently dry, permanently flooded and partially flooded stands show different levels of decline, with the permanent flooding always co-occurring with reed dieback. Only few of the considered chemical parameters seem to play a role in reed decline (nitrates, rubidium, nickel, barium, manganese), although no clear pattern was identified. Data suggest that the co-occurrence of some chemicals with stressing conditions might affect the growth even of an efficient metal accumulator, as reed is generally considered.

Reed die-back in southern Europe? A case study from Central Italy.

Common reed die-back is a widely investigated phenomenon in Central Europe, not frequently recorded in S-European areas and almost unknown in the Mediterranean Basin. Symptoms of reed decline recently observed in the Italian Peninsula provided the starting point for a detailed investigation on a reed population in one of the largest freshwater ecosystems in Central Italy. The analyses were conducted over two vegetative seasons in 19 plots at seven locations. A set of 13 morphologic and phenologic reed traits were screened, monitored and statistically analysed. The data indicated the presence of the reed die-back syndrome in a wet Mediterranean ecosystem and enabled us to highlight a set of usable traits to detect the condition of decline. Among them, the stem height and diameter, the number of nodes, the relative growth rate and the lateral root diameter resulted the most significant factors highlighting the declining condition. Some environmental characteristics of the reed stands were also taken into account. The period of submersion and the presence of standing litter emerged as important features of the stands, strictly related to the degree of decline in the population. The results draw attention to the risk, in southern Europe too, of the loss of an ecosystem which plays an important role in biodiversity conservation.