Pub Date : 2016-06-28DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1193236
M. I. Taticchi, A. M. Dörr, M. Prearo, A. Elia
Abstract From 1982 to 2006, seven sampling surveys were performed in Red Bay of the alpine Lake Tovel (Brenta Dolomites, Italy) to investigate the bryozoan fauna. The record of small and round floatoblasts was noteworthy as they were not comparable to those produced by any presently known Bryozoa species. Three different types of floatoblasts characterized by almost circular shape were distinguished using morphological traits. All recorded specimens were attributed to the species Plumatella repens (Linnaeus, 1758). The dimensions of type 1 are the smallest ever recorded for Italy. The particular morphology and smallness of floatoblasts were investigated. The authors deem that the features of type 1 in the geographically isolated population of Plumatella repens from Red Bay may be due to constant low water temperature. Therefore, they are proposing for type 1 the name Plumatella repens type dolomitica.
{"title":"Plumatella repens (Linnaeus, 1758) (Bryozoa: Phylactolaemata) collected from an alpine lake in the Italian dolomites","authors":"M. I. Taticchi, A. M. Dörr, M. Prearo, A. Elia","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1193236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1193236","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract From 1982 to 2006, seven sampling surveys were performed in Red Bay of the alpine Lake Tovel (Brenta Dolomites, Italy) to investigate the bryozoan fauna. The record of small and round floatoblasts was noteworthy as they were not comparable to those produced by any presently known Bryozoa species. Three different types of floatoblasts characterized by almost circular shape were distinguished using morphological traits. All recorded specimens were attributed to the species Plumatella repens (Linnaeus, 1758). The dimensions of type 1 are the smallest ever recorded for Italy. The particular morphology and smallness of floatoblasts were investigated. The authors deem that the features of type 1 in the geographically isolated population of Plumatella repens from Red Bay may be due to constant low water temperature. Therefore, they are proposing for type 1 the name Plumatella repens type dolomitica.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"28 1","pages":"382 - 389"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72965746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-13DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1189611
M. Cianchetti-Benedetti, F. Manzia, F. Fraticelli, J. Cecere
Abstract Assessing threats and causes of mortality is crucial for understanding the factors driving population dynamics and planning effective conservation actions. Investigating the causes for admission into wildlife rehabilitation centres can contribute to assessing the main threats affecting animal populations inhabiting urban and suburban habitats. After analysing 2367 raptors belonging to 28 species admitted at the LIPU/Bioparco wildlife rehabilitation centre of Rome during 12 years (2000–2011), we found that collisions with man-made structures were the most frequent cause for admission, with shooting the second most frequent cause of admission. However, for Falconiformes, excluding kestrels, shooting was the most common cause for admission (52% of all admissions). Comparing urban with suburban landscapes, we found that the occurrence of birds admitted with evidence of gunshot wounds was higher in the suburban landscape for both Strigiformes and Falconiformes. Considering only the 17 species listed in Annex I to Bird Directive 147/2009/EC, shooting was the most frequent cause of admission and accounted for more than 40% of cases. The high frequency of admissions of raptors due to shooting in urban and suburban Rome shows that persecution of raptors is not restricted to rural areas of Italy.
{"title":"Shooting is still a main threat for raptors inhabiting urban and suburban areas of Rome, Italy","authors":"M. Cianchetti-Benedetti, F. Manzia, F. Fraticelli, J. Cecere","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1189611","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1189611","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Assessing threats and causes of mortality is crucial for understanding the factors driving population dynamics and planning effective conservation actions. Investigating the causes for admission into wildlife rehabilitation centres can contribute to assessing the main threats affecting animal populations inhabiting urban and suburban habitats. After analysing 2367 raptors belonging to 28 species admitted at the LIPU/Bioparco wildlife rehabilitation centre of Rome during 12 years (2000–2011), we found that collisions with man-made structures were the most frequent cause for admission, with shooting the second most frequent cause of admission. However, for Falconiformes, excluding kestrels, shooting was the most common cause for admission (52% of all admissions). Comparing urban with suburban landscapes, we found that the occurrence of birds admitted with evidence of gunshot wounds was higher in the suburban landscape for both Strigiformes and Falconiformes. Considering only the 17 species listed in Annex I to Bird Directive 147/2009/EC, shooting was the most frequent cause of admission and accounted for more than 40% of cases. The high frequency of admissions of raptors due to shooting in urban and suburban Rome shows that persecution of raptors is not restricted to rural areas of Italy.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"3 1","pages":"434 - 442"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90055946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-10DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1186236
F. Andreone, F. M. Angelici, P. Carlino, S. Tripepi, A. Crottini
Abstract The common chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon is present in many Mediterranean countries. Its occurrence in Italy is historically reported for Sicily, where it appears to be no longer present. While many contemporary findings across the Italian Penisula refer to single observations, likely due to introduced or released animals, the species turned out to be established in two southern regions (Apulia and Calabria) with acclimatised populations. To investigate their provenance, we analysed tissue samples of individuals from these localities. A fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was amplified and compared with sequences available in Genbank. Our results showed that individuals from Calabria share haplotypes with those from Tunisia (N. Africa), while those from Apulia are coincident to samples from Israel. This suggests that individuals were most likely introduced in Italy.
{"title":"The common chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon in southern Italy: evidence for allochthony of populations in Apulia and Calabria (Reptilia: Squamata: Chamaeleonidae)","authors":"F. Andreone, F. M. Angelici, P. Carlino, S. Tripepi, A. Crottini","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1186236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1186236","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The common chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon is present in many Mediterranean countries. Its occurrence in Italy is historically reported for Sicily, where it appears to be no longer present. While many contemporary findings across the Italian Penisula refer to single observations, likely due to introduced or released animals, the species turned out to be established in two southern regions (Apulia and Calabria) with acclimatised populations. To investigate their provenance, we analysed tissue samples of individuals from these localities. A fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene was amplified and compared with sequences available in Genbank. Our results showed that individuals from Calabria share haplotypes with those from Tunisia (N. Africa), while those from Apulia are coincident to samples from Israel. This suggests that individuals were most likely introduced in Italy.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"1 1","pages":"372 - 381"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89842327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-06-09DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1184332
Bálint Tóth, G. Schally, Norbert Bleier, R. Lehoczki, S. Csányi
Abstract Crossing water bodies (like lakes or rivers) by European roe deer Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758 is a known phenomenon. However, there is scarce information about the reasons for and patterns of this activity. We analysed 4-year localization data of 13 Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile Communications (GPS-GSM) collared roe deer living in the floodplain forests of the river Tisza in the Hungarian Great Plain in order to describe such behaviour. Initially, we assumed that this river may represent a barrier for roe deer and we studied the frequency of river crossing occasions, between and within the studied animals. Our questions were: (1) Does the Tisza River act as a barrier to the movements of roe deer? (2) Are there any seasonal or daily variations in the crossing patterns? (3) Is there any difference between males and females regarding the water crossing patterns? (4) Does the water level or the increase in human presence (disturbance by hunting) have any impact on crossings? According to our data, 10 of the 13 individuals crossed the river at least twice, and eight of them did so several times or regularly. The periods spent on the different sides of the river varied from a few hours to several months. During the study period, animals of both sexes crossed the river without difference. There were crossings in all seasons, in daytime and nighttime also. We could not find any difference between the seasons, but there were more crossings in the daytime when we excluded the data of an outlier animal. Water level or human disturbance (live brown hare capture) had no impact on crossings. We conclude that the Tisza River does not represent a real barrier to the movements of roe deer, and our assumption was not supported.
{"title":"First description of spatial and temporal patterns of river crossings by European roe deer Capreolus capreolus (Mammalia: Cervidae): characteristics and possible reasons","authors":"Bálint Tóth, G. Schally, Norbert Bleier, R. Lehoczki, S. Csányi","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1184332","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1184332","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Crossing water bodies (like lakes or rivers) by European roe deer Capreolus capreolus Linnaeus, 1758 is a known phenomenon. However, there is scarce information about the reasons for and patterns of this activity. We analysed 4-year localization data of 13 Global Positioning System-Global System for Mobile Communications (GPS-GSM) collared roe deer living in the floodplain forests of the river Tisza in the Hungarian Great Plain in order to describe such behaviour. Initially, we assumed that this river may represent a barrier for roe deer and we studied the frequency of river crossing occasions, between and within the studied animals. Our questions were: (1) Does the Tisza River act as a barrier to the movements of roe deer? (2) Are there any seasonal or daily variations in the crossing patterns? (3) Is there any difference between males and females regarding the water crossing patterns? (4) Does the water level or the increase in human presence (disturbance by hunting) have any impact on crossings? According to our data, 10 of the 13 individuals crossed the river at least twice, and eight of them did so several times or regularly. The periods spent on the different sides of the river varied from a few hours to several months. During the study period, animals of both sexes crossed the river without difference. There were crossings in all seasons, in daytime and nighttime also. We could not find any difference between the seasons, but there were more crossings in the daytime when we excluded the data of an outlier animal. Water level or human disturbance (live brown hare capture) had no impact on crossings. We conclude that the Tisza River does not represent a real barrier to the movements of roe deer, and our assumption was not supported.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"14 1","pages":"423 - 433"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88312369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-05-26DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1186234
Maria Vittoria Modica, Paolo Colangelo, A. Hallgass, Andrea Barco, M. Oliverio
Abstract Jaminia quadridens (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Enidae) is a land snail living up to 2400 m above sea level on calcareous meadow slopes. It is widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe, with two subspecies currently recognised (J. quadridens quadridens and J. quadridens elongata). Like other Enidae, the genus Jaminia is sinistrally coiled, whilst the vast majority of gastropods are dextral. Chirality in snails is determined in the early embryonic stages by a single gene with maternal effect. Following the discovery of reversed (dextral) populations in Abruzzi, we investigated the genetic variability of Jaminia quadridens in central and southern Italy. In fact, reversal of chirality is often associated with extremely rapid speciation in snails (“single gene speciation”), as gene flow between opposite chiral morphs can be severely reduced by pre-copula isolation mechanisms. Phylogenetic analyses with different inference methods, haplotype analyses and species delimitation analyses were carried out on cytochtome oxydase subunit I (COI) sequences of 126 Jaminia specimens from central and southern Italy, Sardinia and Provence. Our results suggested a complex framework, with at least five lineages that may represent distinct species, in agreement with biogeographic patterns previously reported for other terrestrial taxa. Southern populations of an ancestral stock probably underwent allopatric speciation while surviving in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene. Colonization of central Italy may be recent, with evidences of current gene flow between populations of a single species, which includes reversed individuals. The appearance of chiral reversal was statistically associated with marginal demes but apparently not related to other biological, ecological or historical factors. As land snails are generally severely affected by habitat degradation, due to their ecological requirements, our results have important implications for conservation. J. quadridens in Italy may comprise a complex of distinct species, mostly with restricted ranges, which may suffer from environmental changes more than a single, widely distributed species would.
{"title":"Cryptic diversity in a chirally variable land snail","authors":"Maria Vittoria Modica, Paolo Colangelo, A. Hallgass, Andrea Barco, M. Oliverio","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1186234","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1186234","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Jaminia quadridens (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Enidae) is a land snail living up to 2400 m above sea level on calcareous meadow slopes. It is widely distributed in Central and Southern Europe, with two subspecies currently recognised (J. quadridens quadridens and J. quadridens elongata). Like other Enidae, the genus Jaminia is sinistrally coiled, whilst the vast majority of gastropods are dextral. Chirality in snails is determined in the early embryonic stages by a single gene with maternal effect. Following the discovery of reversed (dextral) populations in Abruzzi, we investigated the genetic variability of Jaminia quadridens in central and southern Italy. In fact, reversal of chirality is often associated with extremely rapid speciation in snails (“single gene speciation”), as gene flow between opposite chiral morphs can be severely reduced by pre-copula isolation mechanisms. Phylogenetic analyses with different inference methods, haplotype analyses and species delimitation analyses were carried out on cytochtome oxydase subunit I (COI) sequences of 126 Jaminia specimens from central and southern Italy, Sardinia and Provence. Our results suggested a complex framework, with at least five lineages that may represent distinct species, in agreement with biogeographic patterns previously reported for other terrestrial taxa. Southern populations of an ancestral stock probably underwent allopatric speciation while surviving in glacial refugia during the Pleistocene. Colonization of central Italy may be recent, with evidences of current gene flow between populations of a single species, which includes reversed individuals. The appearance of chiral reversal was statistically associated with marginal demes but apparently not related to other biological, ecological or historical factors. As land snails are generally severely affected by habitat degradation, due to their ecological requirements, our results have important implications for conservation. J. quadridens in Italy may comprise a complex of distinct species, mostly with restricted ranges, which may suffer from environmental changes more than a single, widely distributed species would.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"53 91 1","pages":"351 - 363"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75884470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1172121
D. Bigi, N. Mucci, C. Mengoni, E. Baldaccini, E. Randi
Abstract In this study, we aimed to characterise the genetic diversity of Italian pigeon breeds and describe the relationships among them and other European lineages, conjecturing which processes have led to actual breeds. We analysed the eight most diffused Italian pigeon breeds in addition to 11 foreign lineages that could have shared common ancestors or have been used in the creation of the Italian breeds. We analysed 12 autosomal microsatellite loci in 427 samples collected from 19 breeds belonging to six main groups of domestic pigeons (tumblers and highflyers, structure, owls, wattle, utility and hen). Genetic variability did not differ considerably among breeds, with an average observed heterozygosity (HO) of 0.550 ± 0.072 (max = 0.661 in breed Sottobanca; min = 0.411 in breed Frillback). The 21.34% of total genetic variation found was partitioned among breeds. Italian pigeon breeds were assigned coherently to their respective groups of origin. The analysis supports the origin of homing pigeons from English Carrier and the existence of a close relationship between Old Dutch Capuchine and Italian Owl. Despite the differences in body size, pigeons of the breeds belonging to the hen group are genetically very similar. The sub-populations recognised by breeders inside Italian Owl and Triganino are not genetically supported and their identification as new breeds ought not to be yet proposed, although they are morphologically distinguishable. Consequently, it could also be discussed how the genetic characterisation of domestic lineages could give useful information in breeding and selection processes.
在这项研究中，我们旨在描述意大利鸽子品种的遗传多样性，并描述它们与其他欧洲血统之间的关系，推测哪些过程导致了实际的品种。我们分析了8个最分散的意大利鸽子品种，以及11个可能有共同祖先或被用于创造意大利品种的外国血统。我们分析了来自6个主要家鸽类群(tumblers and highflyers, structure，猫头鹰，wattle, utility and hen)的19个品种的427个样本中的12个常染色体微卫星位点。品种间遗传变异差异不显著，平均杂合度(HO)为0.550±0.072(最大= 0.661);在品种Frillback中min = 0.411)。品种间遗传变异占总遗传变异的21.34%。意大利鸽子品种被一致地分配到各自的起源群。这一分析支持了信鸽来自英国载体的起源，以及古荷兰卷尾猴和意大利猫头鹰之间存在着密切的关系。尽管体型不同，但属于母鸡组的品种的鸽子在基因上非常相似。育种家在意大利猫头鹰和特里格尼诺鸮中发现的亚种群在遗传上是不支持的，尽管它们在形态上是可区分的，但它们作为新品种的鉴定还不应该提出。因此，它也可以讨论如何遗传特征的家系可以在育种和选择过程中提供有用的信息。
{"title":"Genetic investigation of Italian domestic pigeons increases knowledge about the long-bred history of Columba livia (Aves: Columbidae)","authors":"D. Bigi, N. Mucci, C. Mengoni, E. Baldaccini, E. Randi","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1172121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1172121","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In this study, we aimed to characterise the genetic diversity of Italian pigeon breeds and describe the relationships among them and other European lineages, conjecturing which processes have led to actual breeds. We analysed the eight most diffused Italian pigeon breeds in addition to 11 foreign lineages that could have shared common ancestors or have been used in the creation of the Italian breeds. We analysed 12 autosomal microsatellite loci in 427 samples collected from 19 breeds belonging to six main groups of domestic pigeons (tumblers and highflyers, structure, owls, wattle, utility and hen). Genetic variability did not differ considerably among breeds, with an average observed heterozygosity (HO) of 0.550 ± 0.072 (max = 0.661 in breed Sottobanca; min = 0.411 in breed Frillback). The 21.34% of total genetic variation found was partitioned among breeds. Italian pigeon breeds were assigned coherently to their respective groups of origin. The analysis supports the origin of homing pigeons from English Carrier and the existence of a close relationship between Old Dutch Capuchine and Italian Owl. Despite the differences in body size, pigeons of the breeds belonging to the hen group are genetically very similar. The sub-populations recognised by breeders inside Italian Owl and Triganino are not genetically supported and their identification as new breeds ought not to be yet proposed, although they are morphologically distinguishable. Consequently, it could also be discussed how the genetic characterisation of domestic lineages could give useful information in breeding and selection processes.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"28 1","pages":"173 - 182"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83097750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1181800
F. Mastrototaro, R. Aguilar, G. Chimienti, C. Gravili, F. Boero
Abstract The present note reports a new record of Rosalinda incrustans (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) since its last reliable record in the Mediterranean Sea in 1958. Several colonies were recorded on the spider crab Anamathia rissoana off the Balearic Islands. The taxonomic history of R. incrustans, considered a putatively extinct species in a recent paper, is reviewed.
{"title":"The rediscovery of Rosalinda incrustans (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) in the Mediterranean Sea","authors":"F. Mastrototaro, R. Aguilar, G. Chimienti, C. Gravili, F. Boero","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1181800","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1181800","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The present note reports a new record of Rosalinda incrustans (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa) since its last reliable record in the Mediterranean Sea in 1958. Several colonies were recorded on the spider crab Anamathia rissoana off the Balearic Islands. The taxonomic history of R. incrustans, considered a putatively extinct species in a recent paper, is reviewed.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"189 12","pages":"244 - 247"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/11250003.2016.1181800","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72458419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1171915
C. Cusimano, B. Massa, M. Morganti
Abstract Passive wind dispersal is one of the major mechanisms through which organisms disperse and colonise new areas. The detailed understanding of which factors affect this process may help to preserve its efficiency for the future. Despite its interest, the analysis of factors affecting the aeroplankton dispersal in urban environments is rare in literature. We sampled the aeroplankton community uninterruptedly every 4 hours from 17 May to 19 September 2011 in the urban garden of Parco d’Orléans, within the campus of the University of Palermo (Sicily). Sampling was performed by means of a Johnson-Taylor suction trap with automatised sample storing. Weather variables were recorded at a local meteorological station. Overall, 11,739 insects were caught during the present study, about 60% of which belonged to the order Hymenoptera, with particular presence of families Agaonidae and Formicidae. The suction trap also captured specimens of very small size, and in some cases, species caught resulted in new records for Italy. Composition and abundance of the aeroplankton community was influenced by alternation of day/night, as well as by daily fluctuations of climatic variables, for example fluctuating temperature. The taxonomic diversity of the samples was also studied, and was higher when the wind blew from the nearby green area. Our findings confirm that passive transport of arthropods strictly depends on weather conditions, and that the presence of natural areas within the urban environment significantly contributes to raising aeroplankton diversity, eventually fuelling overall biodiversity at a local scale.
被动风扩散是生物扩散和殖民新区域的主要机制之一。详细了解影响这一过程的因素可能有助于保持其未来的效率。尽管对城市环境中影响浮游生物扩散的因素进行了分析，但在文献中却很少。2011年5月17日至9月19日，我们在帕尔莫大学(西西里岛)校园内的Parco d ' orlsamans城市花园每4小时不间断地对浮游生物群落进行采样。采样是通过一个约翰逊-泰勒吸阱进行的自动样本存储。在当地气象站记录了天气变量。共捕获昆虫11739只，其中膜翅目昆虫约占60%，主要有膜蜂科和蚁科昆虫。吸力捕集器还捕获了非常小的标本，在某些情况下，捕获的物种为意大利创造了新的记录。浮游生物群落的组成和丰度受到昼夜交替以及气候变量(例如温度波动)的日常波动的影响。样品的分类多样性也进行了研究，当风从附近的绿地吹来时，样品的分类多样性更高。我们的研究结果证实，节肢动物的被动运输严格取决于天气条件，城市环境中自然区域的存在显著有助于提高浮游生物的多样性，最终促进局部范围内的整体生物多样性。
{"title":"Importance of meteorological variables for aeroplankton dispersal in an urban environment","authors":"C. Cusimano, B. Massa, M. Morganti","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1171915","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1171915","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Passive wind dispersal is one of the major mechanisms through which organisms disperse and colonise new areas. The detailed understanding of which factors affect this process may help to preserve its efficiency for the future. Despite its interest, the analysis of factors affecting the aeroplankton dispersal in urban environments is rare in literature. We sampled the aeroplankton community uninterruptedly every 4 hours from 17 May to 19 September 2011 in the urban garden of Parco d’Orléans, within the campus of the University of Palermo (Sicily). Sampling was performed by means of a Johnson-Taylor suction trap with automatised sample storing. Weather variables were recorded at a local meteorological station. Overall, 11,739 insects were caught during the present study, about 60% of which belonged to the order Hymenoptera, with particular presence of families Agaonidae and Formicidae. The suction trap also captured specimens of very small size, and in some cases, species caught resulted in new records for Italy. Composition and abundance of the aeroplankton community was influenced by alternation of day/night, as well as by daily fluctuations of climatic variables, for example fluctuating temperature. The taxonomic diversity of the samples was also studied, and was higher when the wind blew from the nearby green area. Our findings confirm that passive transport of arthropods strictly depends on weather conditions, and that the presence of natural areas within the urban environment significantly contributes to raising aeroplankton diversity, eventually fuelling overall biodiversity at a local scale.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"82 1","pages":"263 - 269"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83528922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1169321
L. Ronci, L. Meccoli, V. Iannilli, P. Menegoni, E. De Matthaeis, A. Setini
Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance and the robustness of active and passive approaches used in freshwater biomonitoring with the ecologically relevant gammarid amphipod Echinogammarus veneris. To assess the contaminant bioavailability in two rivers of Latium (Central Italy), we measured the genotoxic potential in haemocytes by comet assay and metal bioaccumulation in tissues by analytical methods. We adopted an active strategy of exposure in situ and a passive method of sampling in situ. In the first case, the gammarids were exposed in cages in several sampling sites selected along two rivers, while in the sampling in situ, individuals were collected directly in the same sampling sites and then analyzed. The results indicate that the comet assay carried out on haemocytes from caged individuals proved to be a sensitive tool for freshwater genotoxicity monitoring. However, the sampling in situ is more appropriate for a realistic understanding of the presence of trace metal in E. veneris.
{"title":"Comparison between active and passive biomonitoring strategies for the assessment of genotoxicity and metal bioaccumulation in Echinogammarus veneris (Crustacea: Amphipoda)","authors":"L. Ronci, L. Meccoli, V. Iannilli, P. Menegoni, E. De Matthaeis, A. Setini","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1169321","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1169321","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance and the robustness of active and passive approaches used in freshwater biomonitoring with the ecologically relevant gammarid amphipod Echinogammarus veneris. To assess the contaminant bioavailability in two rivers of Latium (Central Italy), we measured the genotoxic potential in haemocytes by comet assay and metal bioaccumulation in tissues by analytical methods. We adopted an active strategy of exposure in situ and a passive method of sampling in situ. In the first case, the gammarids were exposed in cages in several sampling sites selected along two rivers, while in the sampling in situ, individuals were collected directly in the same sampling sites and then analyzed. The results indicate that the comet assay carried out on haemocytes from caged individuals proved to be a sensitive tool for freshwater genotoxicity monitoring. However, the sampling in situ is more appropriate for a realistic understanding of the presence of trace metal in E. veneris.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"44 1","pages":"162 - 172"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78584504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-04-02DOI: 10.1080/11250003.2016.1183052
M. Salem
Abstract The development of the saccular sensory epithelium in the inner ear of the silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, was studied from an early stage (2 days after fertilization), when the otic vesicle or otocyst first formed, to the post-larval stage (7 days after hatching), when the development of the inner ear approximates that of the juvenile stage. Light microscopy revealed: (1) the otic vesicle, the primordia of the saccular otolith and the stato-acoustic ganglion were observed by 2 days after fertilization; (2) the saccular macula overlain by a small round otolith is established at 3 days after fertilization, while the utricular macula with its otolith is first observed at 4 days after fertilization; (3) the saccular macula began to differentiate at 3 days after hatching and became well differentiated at 7 days after hatching. At 7 days after hatching, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed: (1) the apical surface of each hair cell is covered with a ciliary bundle formed of a long kinocilium and a short bundle of stereocilia. The supporting cells are provided with microridges on their apical surface and seemed to be covered with small and large vesicles, suggesting that they have a secretory function beside the supporting one; (2) secretory materials such as multivesicular bodies, electron dense granules, empty vesicles and cytoplasmic extrusions are observed scattering over the saccular sensory epithelium, which probably contribute to the formation of the otolith and/or otolithic membrane. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), two types of hair bundles are distinguished: the first type consisted of numerous short stereocilia and a kinocilium; the second type has a small number of short stereocilia with a very long kinocilium. Most of these results are discussed with special regard to the environmental factors affecting the early development of the inner ear in teleost fishes.
{"title":"Embryonic development of the saccular sensory epithelium in relation to otolith growth in the inner ear of the silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Valenciennes, 1844) (Teleostei: Cyprinidae): light and electron microscopic study","authors":"M. Salem","doi":"10.1080/11250003.2016.1183052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1183052","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The development of the saccular sensory epithelium in the inner ear of the silver carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, was studied from an early stage (2 days after fertilization), when the otic vesicle or otocyst first formed, to the post-larval stage (7 days after hatching), when the development of the inner ear approximates that of the juvenile stage. Light microscopy revealed: (1) the otic vesicle, the primordia of the saccular otolith and the stato-acoustic ganglion were observed by 2 days after fertilization; (2) the saccular macula overlain by a small round otolith is established at 3 days after fertilization, while the utricular macula with its otolith is first observed at 4 days after fertilization; (3) the saccular macula began to differentiate at 3 days after hatching and became well differentiated at 7 days after hatching. At 7 days after hatching, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed: (1) the apical surface of each hair cell is covered with a ciliary bundle formed of a long kinocilium and a short bundle of stereocilia. The supporting cells are provided with microridges on their apical surface and seemed to be covered with small and large vesicles, suggesting that they have a secretory function beside the supporting one; (2) secretory materials such as multivesicular bodies, electron dense granules, empty vesicles and cytoplasmic extrusions are observed scattering over the saccular sensory epithelium, which probably contribute to the formation of the otolith and/or otolithic membrane. Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), two types of hair bundles are distinguished: the first type consisted of numerous short stereocilia and a kinocilium; the second type has a small number of short stereocilia with a very long kinocilium. Most of these results are discussed with special regard to the environmental factors affecting the early development of the inner ear in teleost fishes.","PeriodicalId":14615,"journal":{"name":"Italian Journal of Zoology","volume":"107 1","pages":"183 - 194"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76978843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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