Integrating local ecological knowledge,citizen science and long‐term historical data for endangered species conservation: Additional records of angel sharks (Chondrichthyes: Squatinidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

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Contrasting land use legacy effects on forest landscape dynamics in the Italian Alps and the Apennines

Landscape Ecology - Land use legacies of human activities and recent post-abandonment forest expansion have extensively modified numerous forest landscapes throughout the European mountain ranges....     

Changes in allele frequencies in landraces, old and modern barley cultivars of marker loci close to QTL for grain yield under high and low input conditions

Changes in alleles frequencies of marker loci linked to yield quantitative trait loci (QTL) were studied in 188 barley entries (landraces, old and modern cultivars) grown in six trials representing low and high yielding conditions in Spain (2004) and Syria (2004, 2005). A genome wise association analysis was performed per trial, using 811 DArT^® markers of known map position. At the first stage of analysis, spatially adjusted genotypic means were created per trial by fitting mixed models. At the second stage, single QTL models were fitted with correction for population substructure, using regression models. Finally, multiple QTL models were constructed by backward selection from a regression model containing all significant markers from the single QTL analyses. In addition to the association analyses per trial, genotype by environment interaction was investigated across the six trials. Landraces seemed best adapted to low yielding environments, while old and modern entries adapted better to high yielding environments. The number of QTL and the magnitude of their effects were comparable for low and high input conditions. However, none of the QTL were found within a given bin at any chromosome in more than two of the six trials. Changes in allele frequencies of marker loci close to QTL for grain yield in landraces, old and modern barley cultivars could be attributed to selection exercised in breeding, suggesting that modern breeding may have increased frequencies of marker alleles close to QTL that favour production particularly under high yield potential environments. Moreover, these results also indicate that there may be scope for improving yield under low input systems, as breeding so far has hardly changed allele frequencies at marker loci close to QTL for low yielding conditions.     

Soil available water capacity interpolation and spatial uncertainty modelling at multiple geographical extents

Assessment of the spatial distribution of environmental variables and of the associated uncertainty is a key issue in environmental modelling. The water content of soil plays an important role in many ecological and hydrological processes for land suitability evaluation. In this study we present a flexible procedure to interpolate soil-related variables that uses covariates to estimate the spatial trend of the variables and quantifies the uncertainty dealing with non-linear relationships. The procedure further extends approaches based on generalized additive models. The use of Gaussian simulations of the error allows the assessment of spatial uncertainty. The method was applied to available soil water capacity for three different nested extents: national, regional, and catchment. The models fitted have different significant covariates and different estimated values according to the region considered. The results suggest that the estimates from the model fitted at the appropriate extent are the most accurate. Taking into account the uncertainty of the trend, the results provided a realistic estimation of the variability and they are spatially consistent with the geomorphological patterns. Estimating the variability with the proposed procedure is useful for further environmental and land use modelling and it can be integrated with uncertainty from other variables, such as those derived from climate models.     

Molecular characterization of compost at increasing stages of maturity. 2. Thermochemolysis-GC-MS and 13C-CPMAS-NMR spectroscopy

Off-line pyrolysis TMAH-GC-MS (thermochemolysis) and solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy were applied for the direct molecular characterization of composted organic biomasses after 60, 90, and 150 days of maturity. Off-line thermochemolysis of both fresh and mature composts released various lignin-derived molecules, the quantitative measurement of which was used to calculate structural indices related to compost maturity. These indicated that most of the molecular transformation occurred within the first 60 days of the composting process, whereas slighter molecular variations were observed thereafter. Both 13C NMR spectra and offline programs suggested that the process of compost maturity was characterized by a progressive decrease of alkyl components, whereas cellulose polysaccharides appeared to be more resistant and began to be transformed at a later composting period. The main components of the final mature compost were lignocellulosic material and hydrophobic alkyl moieties, in as much as that commonly found in well-humidified organic matter of soils and sediments. The persistence of untransformed lignin-derived products and di- and triterpenoids throughout the maturity period suggested that these molecules are useful markers to both evaluate compost origin and trace its fate in the environment. Thermochemolysis provided the same characterization of molecules either unbound or bound to the compost matrix as that reached by a previously applied sequential chemical fractionation of the same compost materials, thereby indicating that thermochemolysis is a more rapid and equally efficient tool to assess compost molecular quality.     

Ochratoxin a contents in wine: comparison of organically and conventionally produced products

Ochratoxin A (OTA) content was determined in 44 organically and conventionally produced wines originating from different geographical regions. Wine samples were extracted using a series of C18 and mixed-bed solid-phase cartridges and analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. The identity of the mycotoxin was confirmed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Recoveries were in excess of 90%, intraday precisions were better than 6%, and the interday variation was 15%. Limit of detection was 0.05 microg/L (HPLC). All sampled wines contained OTA below the level permitted by the European Union of 2 microg/L, ranging from not detectable (nd) to 0.75 microg/L for red wines (n = 26), from nd to 0.092 microg/L for rosé wines (n = 2), and from nd to 0.22 microg/L for white wines (n = 16). The concentration of OTA in organically produced wines (nd to 0.72 microg/L, median 0.092 microg/L, n = 19) was not significantly different from that in conventional products (nd to 0.75 microg/L, median 0.066 microg/L, n = 25) as assessed by a Mann-Whitney statistical test (p = 0.54).     

LiDAR-derived slopes for headwater channel network analysis

Slope is one of the most important distinguishing features for channel morphology. Variations in the computation of slope from a digital elevation model can affect a wide range of hydrogeomorphically derived applications. We compare different methods for computing channel slope using LiDAR-derived digital terrain models (DTMs) with varying resolutions. We chose a headwater basin of the Eastern Italian Alps, characterized by a dense ephemeral colluvial network and a main alluvial channel as our study area. The identified alluvial morphologies are characteristic of steep mountain streams, namely, cascades and step pools. Field surveys were carried out along the main channel and in some small tributaries. Results indicate that a single method for slope calculation cannot estimate channel slope at the hydrographic network scale. The differential geometry approach for slope calculation tends to overestimate field-surveyed channel slope values for all the DTM resolutions (1, 2, 5 m). When a trigonometric approach for slope calculation is applied, 2 and 5 m DTM resolutions give more consistent results. Nevertheless, a reliable channel slope can be derived from a DTM with an appropriate resolution by choosing a suitable method only after considering the channel width.     

Multicentric Hemangiosarcoma in the Horse: A Case Report

The present article reports a case of multicentric hemangiosarcoma in a 22-year-old Warmblood mare presented for recurrent fever and weight loss. Thoracic ultrasonography showed multiple small areas of pulmonary consolidation. Ultrasonography in the region of the right liver lobe showed the presence of a rounded mass, approximately 24 × 19 cm² in size, extending from the 9th to 14th rib of the right side, characterized by multiple fluid-filled cavities and hypo- and hyperechoic rounded areas. On the left side, several hyperechoic rounded areas were detected in the spleen. Because of sudden onset of hemoperitoneum and worsening of the clinical conditions, the mare was humanely destroyed. Necroscopy confirmed the presence of hepatic, splenic, and pulmonary lesions, and showed further nodules on the stomach wall. The microscopic appearance of the lesions was consistent with hemangiosarcoma with multiple visceral metastases. Because the reported prevalence of equine hemangiosarcoma is as low as 0% to 0.7%, this case report may provide further information and describe one of the possible ultrasonographic patterns of multicentric hemangiosarcoma in horses.