Rodolfo Gentili

Is legal protection sufficient to ensure plant conservation? The Italian Red List of policy species as a case study

The conservation of species listed in the Bern Convention and European Directive 1992/43/EEC (so-called policy species) is mandatory for European Union (EU) countries. We assessed the conservation status of Italian policy species, based on the IUCN categories and criteria, to evaluate the effectiveness of existing protection measures at the national level. Among the 203 vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens evaluated, 41.9% are categorized as threatened, and one is already extinct, indicating that the protection measures for policy species are inadequate. Our results for the Italian policy species are consistent with those of an assessment at the EU level. Conservation priorities should be established at both the national and regional scales. An effective conservation strategy is needed, and in situ and ex situ actions focused on threatened species should be promoted.

The rotation of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) with metal-accumulating plant crops: A strategy to increase the benefits of soil phytoremediation

Most of the plants employed to remove metals from contaminated soils are annuals and have a seed-to-seed life cycle of a few months, usually over spring and summer. Consequently, for most of the year, fields are not actively cleaned but are completely bare and subject to erosion by water and wind. The objective of this study was to evaluate the benefits of using Lupinus albus as a winter crop in a rotation sequence with a summer crop ideally selected for phytoextraction, such as industrial hemp. Lupin plants were grown in two alkaline soil plots (heavy metal-contaminated and uncontaminated) of approximately 400 m(2) each after the cultivation and harvest of industrial hemp. A smaller-scale parallel pot experiment was also performed to better understand the lupin behavior in increasing concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn. White lupin grew well in alkaline conditions, covering the soil during the winter season. In few months plants were approximately 40-50 cm high in both control and contaminated plots. In fields where the bioavailable fraction of metals was low (less than 12%), plants showed a high tolerance to these contaminants. However, their growth was affected in some pot treatments in which the concentrations of assimilable Cu, Zn and Ni were higher, ranging from approximately 40-70% of the total concentrations. The lupins ability to absorb heavy metals and translocate them to shoots was negligible with respect to the magnitude of contamination, suggesting that this plant is not suitable for extending the period of phytoextraction. However, it is entirely exploitable as green manure, avoiding the application of chemical amendments during phytoremediation. In addition, in polluted fields, white lupin cultivation increased the soil concentration of live bacteria and the bioavailable percentage of metals. On average live bacteria counts per gram of soil were 65×10(6)±18×10(6) and 99×10(6)±22*10(6) before and after cultivation, respectively. The percentages of bioavailable Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn and Cr, which were 5.7±0.7, 5.3±1.7, 1.2±0.1, 12±1.5 and 0.1±0.02%, respectively, before lupin growth, increased to 9.6±1.6, 7±2, 2±0.3, 14±1.5 and 0.1±0.02% after lupin harvest. On the whole, our results indicate that the winter cultivation of white lupin in sequence with a metal-accumulator summer crop can improve the recovery of soil quality during the phytoextraction period. It improves the safety of the area, limiting additional ecological and human health problems, and enhances soil health by avoiding the use of chemical amendments and by increasing the levels of viable microorganisms.

Are Red Lists really useful for plant conservation? The New Red List of the Italian Flora in the perspective of national conservation policies

“The New Red List of the Italian Flora” includes all the Italian policy species and other species of known conservation concerns for a total of 400 taxa, 65% of which are threatened with extinction. The Red List is based on a huge georeferenced data-set useful for conservation purposes.

The Combined Toxic and Genotoxic Effects of Cd and As to Plant Bioindicator Trifolium repens L

This study was undertaken to investigate combined toxic and genotoxic effects of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) on white clover, a pollutant sensitive plant frequently used as environmental bioindicator. Plants were exposed to soil spiked with increasing concentrations of cadmium sulfate (20, 40 and 60 mg Kg−1) or sodium arsenite (5, 10 and 20 mg Kg−1) as well as with their combinations. Metal(loid) bioavailability was assessed after soil contamination, whereas plant growth, metal(loid) concentration in plant organs and DNA damage were measured at the end of plant exposition. Results showed that individual and joint toxicity and genotoxicity were related to the concentration of Cd and As measured in plant organs, and that As concentration was the most relevant variable. Joint effects on plant growth were additive or synergistic, whereas joint genotoxic effects were additive or antagonistic. The interaction between Cd and As occurred at both soil and plant level. In soil the presence of As limited the bioavailability of Cd, whereas the presence of Cd increased the bioavailability of As. Nevertheless only As biovailability determined the amount of As absorbed by plants. The amount of Cd absorbed by plant was not linearly correlated with the fraction of bioavailable Cd in soil suggesting the involvement of additional factors, such as plant uptake mechanisms. These results reveal that the simultaneous presence in soil of Cd and As, although producing an additive or synergistic toxic effect on Trifolium repens L. growth, generates a lower DNA damage.

From cold to warm-stage refugia for boreo-alpine plants in southern European and Mediterranean mountains: the last chance to survive or an opportunity for speciation?

During glacial phases of the Quaternary, Southern European and Mediterranean mountains (SEMms: Pyrenees, Apennines, Balkan Mountains, Maritime Alps, etc.) provided suitable habitats for numerous cold-adapted (boreo-alpine) plant species migrating from northern regions, which have been described as cold-stage refugia. Speciation events occurred in these refugia through adaptation and evolution by genetic differentiation; other species still survive as peripheral populations. In the current phase of climate change, SEMms are (macro-)refugia of great interest because they still host important populations of glacial relicts and alpine flora, often in isolated occurrences. Such species can be found in topographic niches generally linked to peculiar landforms such as fossil glacial cirques, scree slopes and gorges that may perform as warm-stage (micro-)refugia. We present a review on the boreo-alpine species living across SEMms with the aim to describe their genetic patterns evolved during Quaternary climatic oscillations as well to highlight the role of microtopographic/microgeomorphologic niches as microrefugium areas under the current scenario of climate change.

Living with extremes: the dark side of global climate change

We are pleased to announce a new special issue ofPlant Ecology on extreme weather events.The new report of IPCC (2013) predicts remarkableincrease in global mean air temperatures. Dependingon the scenarios, the best estimates of temperatureincrease range from 1.8 and 4.0 C by 2100. Climatechange may generally act in two ways: gradualwarming will affect plants and vegetation over short(decades), medium (centuries), and long (millenniaand over) timescales, with some effects alreadyevident, including upward altitudinal plant migrationsin mountain regions, species turnover, range shifts andchanges in vegetation patterns (Dullinger et al. 2012).In many cases, increased mean temperature corre-sponds to increased variability, leading to moreextreme temperatures, and increased heat energy inthe atmosphere, which promotes the development andintensity of extreme weather (Easterling et al. 2000).Consequently, climate change is characterized also byunpredictable extreme weather events (EWEs) such asheat waves, extreme droughts, heavy rains, storms andtheir associated effects like increased frequency offires, floods, etc. The occurrence of EWEs has beenmore common in the last 20 years, as a direct effect ofincreased temperatures (Easterling et al. 2000). EWEsmay adversely affect natural ecosystems, crop pro-ductivity and human health, and facilitate biologicalinvasions (Ciais et al. 2005). The recent examples ofEWEs include: the extremely hot summer in SouthernEurope in 2003, when the thermometer marked 40 Cfor several consecutive days, and the exceptionalfloodingofLake Eyre South (South Australia) in2011.However, our understanding of EWEs effects on plantlife and vegetation remains poor. While gradual risingof temperature allows species to adapt or at least toacclimate to the changing environment, extremeweather works like a stochastic event, with rapid andunpredictable effect on plant fitness and survival (Niuet al. 2014).The study of EWEs is in its infancy in the scientificliterature, and it is a promising and pertinent researchfield for the future. To date, most studies of the effectsof EWEs have been published in special issues of plantscience journals, demonstrating that special issuesplay the special role in promoting research in this fieldand summarizing the current state of knowledge.This special issue of Plant Ecology will advanceour ecological understanding of direct and indirecteffects of EWEs on plants, with attention to a broad

Preliminary assessment of the genetic diversity in Lamyropsis microcephala (Asteraceae)

Endangered species with small and isolated populations has been a key topic of conservation biology studies in the last decade. Lamyropsis microcephala is among the most significant narrow endemic plants in the Mediterranean region, lying on the Gennargentu massif of the Sardinia island (Italy). Due to heavy threat factors, this species has rapidly become threatened with extinction. The inter-simple sequence repeat technique was used to assess the genetic variation and structure of the individuals growing in the four remnant localities known to date, with the aim to implement further conservation strategies. Results indicated a degree of differentiation among the four subpopulations, in particular for the Fonni one. The estimates of Neis genetic diversity (H) ranged from 0.0563 (Fonni) and 0.1104 (Bau ‘e Laccos). Analysis of molecular variance values showed that 53% of the total variation may be attributed to the individuals within subpopulations, while 47% is due to differences among subpopulations (P < 0.001). Results also highlighted a scarce gene flow (Nm = 0.503).

Planning for assisted colonization of plants in a warming world

Assisted colonization is one way of facilitating range shifts for species that are restricted in their ability to move in response to climate change. Here we conceptualize and apply a new decision framework for modelling assisted colonization of plant species prior to in situ realization. Three questions were examined: a) Is species translocation useful in a certain area? b) where, and c) how long will it be successful in the future? Applying our framework to Carex foetida in Italy at the core of its distribution and its southern edge revealed that assisted colonization could be successful in short-term (2010–2039) climate conditions, partially in medium (2040–2069) but not in long-term (2070–2099) scenarios. We show that, for some species, it is likely that assisted colonization would be successful in some portions of the recipient site under current and short-term climate conditions, but over the mid- and long-term, climate changes will make species translocation unsuccessful. The proposed decision framework can help identify species that will need different conservation actions (seed banks and/or botanical gardens) when assisted colonization is unlikely to be successful. Furthermore it has broad applicability, as it can support planning of assisted migration in mountainous areas in the face of climate change.

Ecological Filtering and Plant Traits Variation Across Quarry Geomorphological Surfaces: Implication for Restoration

AbstractRevegetation patterns after quarry abandonment have been widely studied from several ecological points of view, but a trait-based approach is still lacking. The aim of this study was to characterise the plant species assemblages and the associated functional traits filtered on different geomorphological surfaces in abandoned limestone quarry areas: artificial cliffs, embankments, and platforms. We then verified if species with certain traits were better able to overcome the dispersal and environmental filters necessary for establishment. To this aim, we analyzed 113 vegetation plots and collected data on 25 morphological, ecological, and dispersal traits to detect species adaptaions across these man-made environments. As a case study, we investigated the extraction basin of Botticino (Lombardy, Italy), the second largest in Italy. The results obtained by SIMPER and CCA analyses showed that rockiness, stoniness, slope, elevation, and time of surfaces are the main filters that varied across quarries and affected plant assemblages at the macro-scale level. Across the three geomorphological surfaces (meso-scale) of quarries, more specific abiotic filters selecting species were found. In turn, traits differentiation according to the three main geomorphological surfaces of quarry emphasized that further filters acting at the micro-scale imply differences in dispersal mechanisms and resource availability. This work highlighted the utility to study species assemblages and environmental filters to address quarry restoration according to the type of geomorphological surface. The investigation of some traits (chorological form, life forms, seed dispersal,s and plant height) can furnish some interesting indications for practice individuating further abiotic filters acting at the micro-scale.

Conservation genetics of two island endemic Ribes spp. (Grossulariaceae) of Sardinia: survival or extinction?

Measuring levels of population genetic diversity is an important step for assessing the conservation status of rare or endangered plant species and implementing appropriate conservation strategies. Populations of Ribes multiflorum subsp. sandalioticum and R. sardoum, two endangered endemic species from Sardinia, representing the whole genus on the island, were investigated using ISSR and SSR markers to determine levels and structure of genetic variability in their natural populations. Results indicated medium to low genetic diversity at the population level: Neis gene diversity for ISSR markers ranged from 0.0840 to 0.1316; the expected heterozygosity (HE ) for SSR ranged from 0.4281 to 0.7012. In addition, only one remnant population of R. sardoum showed a high level of inbreeding, in accordance with its very small size. Regarding the structure of the six R. sandalioticum populations, both principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analysis of ISSR and SSR data highlighted low population structure, although two populations appeared to be clearly distinct from the others. The genetic pattern of the two taxa associated with their different ecological positions indicated resilience of R. sandalioticum populations in fresh and humid habitats and uncertain future resistance for the residual R. sardoum population in xeric calcareous stands. Hence, this study highlights the importance of an integrated conservation approach (genetic plus in situ and ex situ conservation studies/measures) for activating management programmes in these endemic and threatened taxa that can be considered as crop wild relatives of cultivated Ribes species.