Giovanna Puppi

Medium range transport of airborne pollen

The transport of Castanea sativa pollen has been studied by means of measurements of its air concentration and of the meteorological variables taken in three locations in the Po valley. On the basis of a simple transport model the decay distance characteristic of this type of particle has been estimated in relation to the wind speed and the type of surface. The results obtained allow one to evaluate the area concerned in the dispersion of pollen coming from a distant source and also to establish, on the basis of the travel time and the data on the viability of the pollen itself, the extended distance within which the exchange of genetic material can take place. Furthermore, the study of the removal mechanisms of the particles from the atmosphere has placed evidence on the usefulness of the use of pollen as organic tracer in the study of medium and long-range transport of airborne particulate matter.

Phenological surveys of allergenic species in the neighbourhood of Bologna (Italy)

The results of phenological observations in ageomorphologically differentiated area are shown.Phenological surveys were conducted on flowering andpollen emission of some common and widely diffusedGraminaceae species, using a 7-step key. By means ofmultiple regression analysis altitude,latitude, slope and exposure were identified as significantenvironmental factors in giving rise to thepollination: in particular with respect to altitude thephenological pattern showed a negative gradient below100 m of altitude and a positive one above.

Systematics of the Complex Pulmonaria saccharata-P.vallarsae and Related Species (Boraginaceae)

Summary The complex Pulmonaria saccharata-P. vallarsae has been studied by means of morphological, biometric and biosystematic analysis of dried and living specimens, in natural environments and under cultivation. Hydroponic cultures have been used to distinguish the effects of environmental conditions and of phenological phases in determining phenotypic plasticity. An electrophoretic study of the seed proteins has been done. Inter- and infra-specific crossability has been experimentally tested. Chromosome counts on populations of all italian species have been made. The following species have been recognised: P. saccharata Miller, confined to Belgium and perhaps the Netherlands, to be excluded from Italy; P. affinis Jordan, which is strictly related to P. saccharata, and is distributed throughout France and in Eastern Spain; P. picta Rouy (= P. saccharata Auct. Fl. Ital.), distributed from SE France to Central Apennines, mainly on the Tyrrenic side of the Italian peninsula; P. vallarsae Kerner, endemic to...

Erythronium dens-canis L. (Liliaceae): An unusual case of change of leaf mottling

Erythronium dens-canis is an early-flowering understory lily of southern Europe with two leaves and a single flower, although a number of plants have only one leaf and do not flower. The leaves are mottled with silvery flecks and brown patches, that gradually vanish turning to a lively green color. The nature and function of this striking variegation pattern were investigated in differently colored leaf parts following the springtime color change. Tissue organization was examined by light and electron microscopy; photosynthetic pigments were analyzed by spectrophotometry and HPLC; chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were evaluated by MINI-PAM. The results showed that brown patches originated in vacuolar anthocyanins in the subepidermal cell layer while air spaces between the upper epidermis and underlying chlorenchyma resulted in silvery flecks. The two leaf areas did not differ in photosynthetic pigments, chloroplast organization and photosynthetic parameters (F(v)/F(m), NPQ, rETR). Greening of brown patches due to anthocyanin resorption was faster in non-flowering plants than in flowering ones, occurring only when young fruits were developing. Anthocyanin disappearance did not change the structural-functional features of photosynthetic tissues. As a whole the results suggest that the anthocyanin pigmentation of E. dens-canis leaves does not affect the photosynthetic light use and has no photoprotective function. It is proposed that the complex leaf color pattern may act as a camouflage to escape herbivores, while the reflective silvery spots may have a role in attracting pollinators of this early-flowering species.

Riparian vegetation as indicator of channel adjustments and environmental conditions: the case of the Panaro River (Northern Italy)

Disturbances affecting flow and sediment transport regimes (e.g. dams, diversions, gravel mining, weirs, bank reinforcements, climate changes) can promote riverbed degradation and channel narrowing, and thus influence vegetation dynamics and composition. This study investigates the relationships and feedbacks between channel adjustments and riparian vegetation dynamics by combining an analysis of morphological channel changes with a wider phytosociology analysis of existing vegetation within the river corridor. These relationships were illustrated by using the case study of the Panaro River (located in the Northern Apennines, Italy), being a representative case of a deeply incised and narrowed river. More specifically we analyzed: (1) the relations between landforms and distributional patterns of vegetation types and characteristic plant species (index species): these provided information about the hydrogeomorphic condition of fluvial landforms and about channel adjustments; (2) the distance of riparian vegetation conditions from expected conditions as a consequence of human impact, based on the fact that each species and vegetation type has a given tolerance for specific disturbance regimes or stresses. Although some expected relations between landforms and vegetation types were found, we recorded significant deviations from the typical correlation pattern existing between morphology and vegetation, and this could be used to infer the intensity and the typology of human disturbances. In particular, the index species can indicate present ecological conditions and on past channel evolution. With this knowledge it might be possible to develop botanical recovery models in the future and, even more importantly, enable the recognition of the differences between temporal and spatial diversity.

Sul significato del binomio Pulmonaria saccharata Miller

Riassunto Vengono qui presentati i risultati di una indagine storica ed erbariologica volta a chiarire il significato del binomio P. saccharata Miller. I dati raccolti hanno permesso di designare un lectotipo, la cui origine risulta essere nord-europea (Belgio), e non Svizzera, come indicato nel protologo, ne Italiana, come vuole una tradizione derivata dalla classica monografia di Kerner. Queste conclusioni comportano modificazioni consistenti nel significato del binomio, poiche le popolazioni nord-europee vanno riferite ad una entita tassonomica distinta rispetto a quelle italiane, almeno a livello di sottospecie. Il nome P. saccharata compete alla pianta nord-europea; il piu antico nome validamente pubblicato per le popolazioni italiane e P. picta Rouy.

IPHEN—a real-time network for phenological monitoring and modelling in Italy

This paper aims to describe the Italian PHEnology Network (IPHEN), a cooperative project started in 2006 with the aim of producing nationwide maps of analysis and forecast of plants phenological stages mainly used to satisfy the needs of agriculture, health and environmental care. Iphen is a data processing system composed of the following main segments (a) collection of atmospheric and phenological data, (b) processing of data with suitable phenological and geo-statistical models and (c) phenological maps of analysis and forecast. In more detail, IPHEN maps of analysis (featuring phenological stages reached at the date of processing) are produced with models based on a Normal Heat Hours approach which weighs hourly air temperature effectiveness for plant phenological progression applied to national grids of hourly temperature derived from the operational agro-meteorological network of CRA-CMA. A correction scheme based on phenological surveys provided by volunteer observers is applied to the first guess maps of analysis to obtain final maps. Forecast maps (prediction of the days of occurrence of relevant phenological stages) are produced on the basis of GFS model medium range forecasts and climatic data. Freeware IPHEN maps for grapevine, common and Arizona cypress, black elder, olive and locust trees are broadcasted weekly on the CRA-CMA website. The positive operational results of IPHEN are testified by 150 maps broadcasted during the 2011 season for the above-mentioned species. The system performances and reliability have been analysed focusing on the analysis of phenological simulation errors and on the sensitivity of phenological maps to anomalous atmospheric circulation patterns. The error analysis shows that phenological models are characterized by advances/delays that justify the adoption of an observation based correction scheme. The sensitivity analysis highlights that the system is responsive to the effects of circulation blocking systems leading to phenological advances and delays.

Dispersione anemofila di polline in Valle Padana

Abstract Anemophylus dispersal of pollen grains in the Po Valley.—Results of phenological and aerobiological measurements with Castanea sativa pollen are presented. The data concerning the dispersal of this pollen in the Po Valley, show some features of the transport over hundred kilometer distances and give useful suggestions for application research.

The Influence of Vegetation and Landscape Structural Connectivity on Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperiidae), Carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae), and Sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) in Northern Italy Farmland

ABSTRACT Landscape structure as well as local vegetation influence biodiversity in agroecosystems. A study was performed to evaluate the effect of floristic diversity, vegetation patterns, and landscape structural connectivity on butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperiidae), carabids (Coleoptera: Carabidae), syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae), and sawflies (Hymenoptera: Symphyta). Vegetation analysis and insect samplings were carried out in nine sites within an intensively farmed landscape in northern Italy. Plant species richness and the percentage of tree, shrub, and herb cover were determined by means of the phytosociological method of Braun-Blanquet. Landscape structural connectivity was measured as the total length of hedgerow network (LHN) in a radius of 500 m around the center of each sampling transect. Butterflies species richness and abundance were positively associated both to herb cover and to plant species richness, but responded negatively to tree and shrub cover. Shrub cover was strictly correlated to both species richness and activity density of carabids. The species richness of syrphids was positively influenced by herb cover and plant richness, whereas their abundance was dependent on ligneous vegetation and LHN. Rarefaction analysis revealed that sawfly sampling was not robust and no relationship could be drawn with either vegetation parameters or structural connectivity. The specific responses of each insect group to the environmental factors should be considered in order to refine and optimize landscape management interventions targeting specific conservation endpoints.

Atmospheric Spore Content at Mount Cimone, Italy, in Relation to the Winds

A preliminary research on air spora (bacteria and fungi), captured by an air impinger at M. Cimone (2,160 m), Northern Apennines, Italy, shows that the frequencies of the air spora collected during the period February–July 1971, was generally related to the directions of the prevailing winds (from SW, NW and NE). It was also found that while fungi (without yeasts) and bacteria were related to these wind directions, the yeasts were only associated with the SW and NW wind. During the whole period of sampling a progressive decrease of fungi and an increase of bacteria was noted. During the period of maximum snow cover of the area surrounding M. Cimone, the bacteria represented 7% only of the examined air spora.