Changes in genetic structure of Posidonia oceanica at Monterosso al Mare (Ligurian Sea) and its resilience over a decade (1998-2009).

Genetic differences in the Posidonia oceanica meadow of Monterosso al Mare (NW Mediterranean, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) "Cinque Terre") were compared in three stations, at an increasing distance from a source of impact (beach nourishment) in the recent decade. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis showed a higher genetic variability (>20 %) in the area directly subjected to the stress, increasing with time. Clone integration, confirmed by phenotypic analysis, showed increases both in shoot density and leaf length connected to genetic differences observed in DNA fingerprints of new shoots. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) showed 45 % individual differences within populations and 54 % among the populations. The fixation index (F (ST) = 0.54), of the genetic differentiation, showed a marked difference between the populations at different temporal scales. Over a decade AMOVA indicated genetic variations from 28 % (1998) to 54 % (2009). These results make it clear that in the P. oceanica population examined the environment had, in ten years, selected those clones which were more resistant to the anthropogenic impact, despite being subjected to the effects of the resuspension of fine sediments. These findings could help to explain both the survival of the regressed Mediterranean P. oceanica meadows in areas subjected to moderate impacts and the extreme variability in success of revegetation experiments. Management of the ecological disturbance here described indicates also the timescale in population response to stress and its increased resilience in MPAs.

Genetic diversity and structure in two protected Posidonia oceanica meadows.

Posidonia oceanica meadows growing along the west Mediterranean coastline are under continuous anthropogenic pressure. The way meadow health correlates with genetic and genotypic diversity in P. oceanica, is still under debate. Here we report a microsatellite analysis of two P. oceanica meadows living in protected areas of the Ligurian (Monterosso al Mare, MPA of "Cinque Terre") and central Tyrrhenian Sea (Santa Marinella, regional Site of Community Importance). Both meadows were recently classified as "disturbed", according to shoot density and other phenological parameters. Between the two meadows, Santa Marinella showed higher genetic diversity, while clear genetic substructure was present in both sites, reflecting high spatial heterogeneity. The present study suggests that genetic diversity does not match unequivocally with shoot density and leaf morphology and that small scale intra-meadow heterogeneity is an important factor to consider for establishing the relation between genetic/genotypic variability and health of natural seagrass meadows.

The Italian primary school-size distribution and the city-size: a complex nexus.

We characterize the statistical law according to which Italian primary school-size distributes. We find that the school-size can be approximated by a log-normal distribution, with a fat lower tail that collects a large number of very small schools. The upper tail of the school-size distribution decreases exponentially and the growth rates are distributed with a Laplace PDF. These distributions are similar to those observed for firms and are consistent with a Bose-Einstein preferential attachment process. The body of the distribution features a bimodal shape suggesting some source of heterogeneity in the school organization that we uncover by an in-depth analysis of the relation between schools-size and city-size. We propose a novel cluster methodology and a new spatial interaction approach among schools which outline the variety of policies implemented in Italy. Different regional policies are also discussed shedding lights on the relation between policy and geographical features.