D. Dallai

Palynological diagram of the peat‐bog near Pavullo nel Frignano (Modena, Italy) in the framework of Tuscan/Emilian Apennines vegetation history

A pollen diagram drawn for a peat bog located at San Pellegrino, in a vast plain at 675 m a.s.1. near Pavullo nel Frignano (Modena, Italy), is of vegetation on the northern slope of the Tuscan/Emilian Apennines. This altitude is just below the lower limit of the Fagus‐Abies belt. The sequence, 20 m in depth, consists mostly of clayey sediments in its lower part, the upper part prevalently formed by peat. The upper complex is dated by 14C at 10,790 yr B.P. and 2590 yr B.P., the lower part of the sequence is dated by chronological comparison with Chiarugis diagram (1950) and subsequent 14C updates (Bertolani Marchetti, 1985). The sequence apparently begins after 16,950 yr B.P., because its lower part does not reach the Salix tundra/Artemisia steppe located at the bottom of Chiarugis diagram. The period of general dominance of Pinus over the existing Fagus and oak mixed forest runs from about 20 m and 12 m. The Lanscombe (?), Dryas I and Bolling phases fall here. After a hiatus that may contain the Dryas I...

Flora Palinologica Italiana, Sezione Aeropalinologica —S 103:Cupressus sempervirens L

SummaryThis contribution to the «Palynological Italian Flora, Aeropalynological Section» deals withCupressus sempervirens L. (Mediterranean cypress). Palynological card regards fresh and acetolyzed pollen.RiassuntoViene presentata la scheda palinologica diCupressus sempervirens L. (cipresso comune), redatta su polline fresco e acetolizzato secondo il programma della «Flora Palinologica Italiana, Sezione Aeropalinologica».

The memory of water: Archaeobotanical evidence of wetland plants from Modena (Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy) and palaeoecological remarks

Modena, founded by the Romans (183 BC), has always been conditioned by water in all its urban history. In the city, numerous archaeobotanical investigations have been carried out in order to reconstruct the natural landscape and human–environment interactions over time. During these investigations, four archaeological sites (two Roman and two medieval) have revealed deposits with a marked character of palaeobiocoenosis, largely resulting from the natural environment surrounding the sites, due to natural “seed rain”. These deposits are characterized by widespread evidence of plants related to water, constituting a valuable archive to investigate habitats which currently have become very rare and threatened, if they have not completely disappeared. The present paper aims to reveal the peculiarities of the Roman/medieval archaeocarpological floristic lists (through a comparison with the flora over the last two centuries in the area of Modena) and highlight the possible causes explaining the presence or the demise of several taxa, considering also the palaeoecological reconstruction of the environment in which they have been found.

Genetic diversity of the rare and endangered meadow violet (Viola pumila Chaix) at the southern margin of its range

Viola pumila Chaix is a rare violet with a Eurasian-continental distribution. It has undergone a severe population decline during the last decades, and is endangered in Europe. Its southernmost extrazonal occurrence is in northern Italy, with only four populations. Inter-simple sequence repeat markers were used to detect genetic diversity level and distribution in the Italian stand and to compare it to a small sample from Germany. Estimates of genetic diversity revealed retention of genetic variation and weak genetic structure in the Italian populations of V. pumila. Comparable levels of genetic variation were detected in the German population. Principal component and cluster analyses on the whole data-set grouped individuals regardless of their geographical distribution, pointing out that genetic diversity in the V. pumila populations surveyed is homogeneously distributed. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of the genetic variation is within populations rather than among them. Our results indicate that habitat fragmentation has not induced genetic depauperation and differentiation in the Italian stand of V. pumila; moreover, they provide evidence of past extensive outcrossing and a common evolutionary history of the examined populations. The high diversity detected in this study suggests effective measures for conservation strategies of this rare species.

The Modena Botanic Garden: Plant Conservation and Habitat Management Strategies

The Botanic Garden of Modena (Northern Italy) was founded in 1758 by Duke Francesco III d’Este. Its original functions of “Hortus simplicium” evolved over more than two centuries of its academic history, until its present structure. Today, like the majority of the University Botanic Gardens in Italy, the Modena Botanic Garden is involved in several projects for plant conservation and ecosystem management that are compliant with the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Even if its original location in the centre of the town does not permit enlargement or structural modifications, it does, however, greatly help the education activities carried out in the Garden, while the conservation activities are developed outside the Garden by means of numerous co-operations with Parks, natural reserves and other administrative bodies or institutions. The Botanic Garden of Modena recently started various in situ/ex situ integrated conservation projects with Parks and other land-managing institutions. Even if such projects involve only a limited number of Endangered and/or Vulnerable species/populations, some interesting and noticeable results have been achieved. Plantlets (e.g. indigenous Orchidaceae) are often obtained by the way of non-conventional techniques such as in vitro culture. Co-operation with local Museums has provided interesting sources for future action: the collections that they preserve are mostly related to circumscribed local areas or well-defined periods, so they are the source of fundamental information about past situations. Investigation on flora and vegetation and the monitoring of plants and plant communities, carried out in protected areas, cooperating with the National Forestry Service, is a very important source of knowledge to improve conservation and verify the effectiveness of conservation actions.

Ten years of citizen science data collection of wetland plants in an urban protected area

Abstract Floodplain landscape is the result of man’s presence over a long period of time. This has caused the degradation, or even loss, of several habitats, especially wetlands, which frequently preserve rare biodiversity, even though they are subjected to intense human presence. Human activities can be of value, but can also cause problems in species preservation. The protected area “Ansa e Valli del Mincio” (northern Italy) is an outstanding case study in this respect: it is located in a densely urbanized context, but has great value from a conservation standpoint. This paper presents the results of 10 years of monitoring (2003–2012) of the spatial distribution of two native species (Trapa natans and Nymphaea alba) and the invasive Nelumbo nucifera. Data collected by volunteers from the protected area were processed in GIS and analysed using a number of configurational landscape metrics. Nymphaea alba and N. nucifera became more widespread; T. natans underwent a serious decline, mostly due to the interference of N. nucifera. An oscillating trend of this species is visible until 2008, followed by substantial stability. Furthermore, the potential area of each species was calculated. On the whole, citizen science is a valuable tool to enhance biodiversity knowledge and safeguarding, especially in wetlands that are used for tourism and surrounded by residential areas. As in other contexts, the volunteer contribution was particularly helpful in data collection on a local scale, over a considerable time span.