Diversity of beetle species and functional traits along gradients of deadwood suggests weak environmental filtering

Background: Gradients in local environmental characteristics may favour the abundance of species with particular traits, while other species decline, or favour species with different traits at the same time, without an increase in average species abundances. Therefore, we asked: do variations in species and traits differ along gradients of deadwood variables? Do species abundance and trait occurrence change with species richness within or between functional groups? Thus, we analysed the beetle assemblages of five forest sites located in Italy, along the Apennines mountains.Methods: From 2012 to 2018 we sampled beetles and five deadwood types in 193 plots to characterise the deadwood gradient: standing dead trees, snags, dead downed trees, coarse woody debris, and stumps. We modelled beetle species relative abundances and trophic traits occurrences against the deadwood variables using joint species distribution models.Results: Out of 462 species, only 77 showed significant responses to at least one deadwood type, with a weak mean response across species. Trophic groups showed mostly negative responses to deadwood variables. Species abundance increased with species richness among sites only for phytophagous and saproxylophagous. Trait occurrence did not increase with species richness among sites, except for phytophagous and saproxylophagous.However, trait occurrence changed significantly with species richness of several trophic groups within some sites.We found that increases in species richness do not result in decreases in species abundance of a given trophic group, but rather null or positive relationships were found suggesting low interspecific competition.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in Mediterranean mountain forests there is still room for increasing the level of naturalness, at least for what concerns deadwood management. On one side, our findings suggest that competition for deadwood substrates is still low, on the other side they indicate that increasing deadwood volume and types to improve overall beetle richness may increase also beetle abundances.

Milk Production of Sarda Suckler Cows with Different Calving Period

The study explored the relationship between the performance of calves and calving season in a Mediterranean rangeland-based beef livestock system.Twenty multiparous Sarda cows,grazing on a natural pasture,with two distinct calving periods(group A,11 animals,calving date 15/10/2016±16(means±s.d.),and group W,nine animals,calving date 26/01/2017±11)were used.Meteorological data,herbage quality,daily milk yield(DMY),total milk yield(TMY),body weight(BW)of cows and calf,body-weight daily gain(ADG)of calves,body condition score(BCS)and calving interval(CI)of cows were assessed.A mixed-effects model was used to DMY and ADG data while TMY,BCS,weaning weight(WW)and CI data were analyzed by a linear model.The most determining factors in the DMY and ADG were detected by means of partial least square regression(PLSR)procedure.Group W showed higher DMY(6.5±0.3 kg/d vs.4.5±0.3 kg/d,p<0.001)and TMY(1,189±70 kg vs.830±60 kg,p=0.002)than Group A,but this did not result in a greater ADG of calves(Group A:0.83±0.04 kg/d/animal and Group W:0.99±0.09 kg/d/animal,p-value not significant)or WW when adjusted for their age(Group A:216±14 kg/animal and Group W:250±22 kg/animal,p-value not significant).In contrast,the WW actually measured were higher in Group A than in Group W(257±7 kg vs.175±8 kg,p<0.001).The Group W cows experienced a minor CI than Group A cows(288±13 d vs.320±8 d,p=0.04).The results of PLSR suggest that the factors with utmost importance for both DMY and ADG were the age and the body-weight of cows,highlighting the excellent maternal ability of Sarda breed and its good adaptation to environment.

Spatial and compositional variation in the fungal communities of organic and conventionally grown apple fruit at the consumer point-of-purchase

The fungal diversity in harvested apples from organic or conventional management practices was analyzed in different fruit locations(stem end,calyx end,peel,and wounded flesh)shortly after fruit purchase(T1)and after 2 weeks of storage(T5).A total of 5,760,162 high-quality fungal sequences were recovered and assigned to 8,504 Operational Taxonomic Units.Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant in all samples and accounted for 91.6%of the total number of detected sequences.This was followed by Basidiomycota(8%),Chytridiomycota(0.1%),and unidentified fungi(0.3%).Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed the presence of significantly different fungal populations in the investigated fruit parts.Among detected fungi,the genus Penicillium prevailed in the peel and in the wounded flesh while Alternaria spp.prevailed in the calyx and stem end samples that included apple core tissues.Several taxonomic units that appear to be closely related to pathogenic fungi associated with secondary human infections were present in peel and wounds.Moreover,significantly different populations were revealed in organic and conventional apples and this result was consistent in all investigated fruit parts(calyx end,peel,stem end,and wounded flesh).Several unique taxa were exclusively detected in organic apples suggesting that management practices may have been a contributing factor in determining the taxa present.In contrast,little differences were revealed in the two assessment times(T1 and T5).Results of the present study represent an advancement of the current knowledge on the fungal microbiota in collected fruit tissues of apple.

Climatic and anthropogenic factors explain the variability of Fagus sylvatica treeline elevation in fifteen mountain groups across the Apennines

Background:Fagus sylvatica forms the treeline across the Apennines mountain range,with an average elevation of 1589 ma.s.l.Previous studies evidenced that the current position of the treeline in the Apennines is heavily depressed as a result of a complex interaction between climatic factors and the past human pressure.In this study we correlated treeline elevation in the fifteen major mountain groups in the Apennines with selected climatic,geomorphological,and human disturbance variables in order to investigate in detail the site-specific features affecting the current treeline distribution.Results:Treeline elevation was lowest in the North Italy(Apuan Alps),while the highest treeline was found in Central Italy(Simbruini).An absolute maximum treeline elevation of F.sylvatica exceeding 2000ma.s.l.was found on 13 mountain peaks in Central and Southern Italy.Noteworthy,treeline elevation was largely lower on warmer south-facing slopes compared to northern slopes,with values several hundred meters lower in the Gran Sasso and Velino-Sirente.Although the causes of this pattern are still unknown,we argue that treeline elevation on southfacing slopes may be limited by the combination of climatic constraints(i.e.summer drought)and human disturbance.Evidence of a pervasive anthropogenic effect depressing treeline elevation was found in the North(Apuan Alps)Central(Gran Sasso,Velino-Sirente,Sibillini)and Southern part of Apennines(Pollino).By contrast,treeline elevation of the Laga,Simbruini,and Orsomarso mountain groups appears less affected by past anthropogenic disturbance.Finally,we recorded in the several mountain groups(i.e.Majella,Marsicani and Pollino)the coexistence of very depressed treelines just a few kilometers away from much higher treelines,among the highest ever recorded for F.sylvatica.Conclusions:Finally,we argue that F.sylvatica treeline across the Apennines is locally shaped both by the interaction of low temperatures experienced by the species in its earliest life stages in snow-free open spaces with summer soil water depletion and human disturbance.

Resin foraging dynamics in Varroa destructor-infested hives: a case of medication of kin?

t Social insects have evolved colony behavioral, physiological, and organiza. tional adaptations (social immunity) to reduce the risks of parasitization and/or disease transmission. The collection of resin from various plants and its use in the hive as propolis is a clear example of behavioral defense. For Apis mellifera, an increased propolis content in the hive may correspond to variations in the microbial load of the colony and to a downregulation of an individual bee's immune response. However, many aspects of such antimicrobial mechanism still need to be clarified. Assuming that bacterial and fungal infection mechanisms differ from the action of a parasite, we studied the resin collection dynamics in Varroa destructor-infested honeybee colonies. Comparative experiments involving hives with different mite infestation levels were conducted in order to assess the amount of resin collected and propolis quality within the hive, over a 2-year period (2014 and 2015). Our study demonstrates that when A. mellifera colonies are under stress because of Varroa infestation, an increase in the number of resin foragers is recorded, even if a general intensification of the foraging activity is not observed. A reduction in the total polyphenolic content in propolis produced in infested versus uninfested hives was also noticed. Considering that different propolis types show varying levels of inhibition against a variety of honey bee pathogens in vitro, it would be very important to study the effects against Varroa of two diverse types of propolis: from Varroa-free and from Varroa-infested hives.

Functional correlates of skull shape in Chiroptera:feeding and echolocation adaptations

Morphological,functional,and behavioral adaptations of bats are among the most diverse within mammals.A strong association between bat skull morphology and feeding behavior has been suggested previously.However,morphological variation related to other drivers of adaptation,in particular echolocation,remains understudied.We assessed variation in skull morphology with respect to ecology(diet and emission type)and function(bite force,masticatory muscles and echolocation characteristics)using geometric morphometrics and comparative methods.Our study suggests that variation in skull shape of 10 bat families is the result of adaptations to broad dietary categories and sound emission types(oral or nasal).Skull shape correlates with echolocation parameters only in a subsample of insectivorous species,possibly because they(almost)entirely rely on this sensory system for locating and capturing prey.Insectivores emitting low frequencies are characterized by a ventrally tilted rostrum,a trait not associated with feeding parameters.This result questions the validity of a trade-off between feeding and echolocation function.Our study advances understanding of the relationship between skull morphology and specific features of echolocation and suggests that evolutionary constraints due to echolocation may differ between different groups within the Chiroptera.

Upscaling the use of fallout radionuclides in soil erosion and sediment budget investigations:Addressing the challenge

The application of fallout radionuclides in soil erosion investigations and related sediment budget studies has provided a widely used tool for improving understanding of soil erosion and sediment transfer processes.However,most studies using fallout radionuclides undertaken to date have focussed on small areas.This focus on small areas reflects both the issues addressed and practical constraints associated with sample collection and analysis.Increasing acceptance of the important role of fine sediment in degrading aquatic habitats and in the transfer and fate of nutrients and contaminants within terrestrial and fluvial systems has emphasised the need to consider larger areas and the catchment or regional scale.The need to upscale existing approaches to the use of fallout radionuclides to larger areas represents an important challenge.This contribution provides a brief review of existing and potential approaches to upscaling the use of fallout radionuclides and presents two examples where such approaches have been successfully applied.These involve a national scale assessment of soil erosion rates in England and Wales based on 137Cs measurements and an investigation of the sediment budgets of three small/intermediate-size catchments in southern Italy.

The complex of Diplodia species associated with Fraxinus and some other woody hosts in Italy and Portugal

Studies on the taxonomy and phylogeny of Diplodia have been hampered by the lack of an ex-type culture linked to the holotype of D.mutila,which is the type of the genus.In this study a large collection of Diplodia strains,obtained from ash and other woody hosts showing V-shaped cankers and branch dieback,were identified based on morphological characters and DNA sequence data from ITS and EF1-α loci.Results of combined morphological and phylogenetic analyses showed that the Fraxinus isolates from Italy,the Netherlands,Portugal and Spain belong to three distinct species namely Diplodia fraxini,Diplodia mutila and Diplodia subglobosa sp.nov.An epitype was designated for Diplodia mutila,with associated ex-epitype cultures.The name D.fraxini is re-instated and a neotype designated.Two species,Diplodia seriata and Diplodia pseudoseriata were reported for the first time on Fraxinus spp.

Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with grapevine and other woody hosts in Italy,Algeria and Tunisia,with descriptions of Lasiodiplodia exigua and Lasiodiplodia mediterranea sp.nov

The diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae species associated with“Botryosphaeria dieback”of grapevine was investigated in 18 vineyards in Sardinia,Italy.Lasiodiplodia isolates obtained from different woody hosts including holm oak,sweet orange and broom bush in Italy,Algeria and Tunisia were also characterized.Morphological and cultural characteristics as well as ITS and EF1-αsequence data were used to identify the fungal isolates.Forty-eight botryosphaeriaceous isolates were obtained from 113 symptomatic grapevine samples,from which ten species were identified.Diplodia seriata was the dominant species(25%of isolates),followed by Neofusicoccum parvum(21.7%).Two species,Diplodia olivarum and D.africana are reported for the first time on grapevine.In addition,two new species namely Lasiodiplodia mediterranea sp.nov.from grapevine,holm oak and sweet orange and Lasiodiplodia exigua sp.nov.from broom bush are described.In artificial inoculation experiments conducted on excised green grapevine shoots and lignified canes as well as holm oak seedlings,L.mediterranea was shown to be an aggressive pathogen.

Can Biochar Protect Labile Organic Matter Against Mineralization in Soil?

Biochar could help to stabilize soil organic(SOM) matter, thus sequestering carbon(C) into the soil. The aim of this work was to determine an easy method i) to estimate the effects of the addition of biochar and nutrients on the organic matter(SOM)mineralization in an artificial soil, proposed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), amended with glucose and ii) to measure the amount of labile organic matter(glucose) that can be sorbed and thus be partially protected in the same soil, amended or not amended with biochar. A factorial experiment was designed to check the effects of three single factors(biochar, nutrients, and glucose) and their interactions on whole SOM mineralization. Soil samples were inoculated with a microbial inoculum and preincubated to ensure that their biological activities were not limited by a small amount of microbial biomass, and then they were incubated in the dark at 21℃ for 619 d. Periodical measurements of C mineralized to carbon dioxide(CO_2) were carried out throughout the 619-d incubation to allow the mineralization of both active and slow organic matter pools. The amount of sorbed glucose was calculated as the difference between the total and remaining amounts of glucose added in a soil extract. Two different models, the Freundlich and Langmuir models, were selected to assess the equilibrium isotherms of glucose sorption. The CO_2-C release strongly depended on the presence of nutrients only when no biochar was added to the soil. The mineralization of organic matter in the soil amended with both biochar and glucose was equal to the sum of the mineralization of the two C sources separately. Furthermore, a significant amount of glucose can be sorbed on the biochar-amended soil, suggesting the involvement of physico-chemical mechanisms in labile organic matter protection.

Soil Physical Quality of Citrus Orchards Under Tillage, Herbicide, and Organic Managements

Soil capacity to support life and to produce economic goods and services is strongly linked to the maintenance of good soil physical quality(SPQ). In this study, the SPQ of citrus orchards was assessed under three different soil managements, namely no-tillage using herbicides, tillage under chemical farming, and no-tillage under organic farming. Commonly used indicators, such as soil bulk density,organic carbon content, and structural stability index, were considered in conjunction with capacitive indicators estimated by the Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameter(BEST) method. The measurements taken at the L'Alcoleja Experimental Station in Spain yielded optimal values for soil bulk density and organic carbon content in 100% and 70% of cases for organic farming. The values of structural stability index indicated that the soil was stable in 90% of cases. Differences between the soil management practices were particularly clear in terms of plant-available water capacity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Under organic farming, the soil had the greatest ability to store and provide water to plant roots, and to quickly drain excess water and facilitate root proliferation.Management practices adopted under organic farming(such as vegetation cover between the trees, chipping after pruning, and spreading the chips on the soil surface) improved the SPQ. Conversely, the conventional management strategies unequivocally led to soil degradation owing to the loss of organic matter, soil compaction, and reduced structural stability. The results in this study show that organic farming has a clear positive impact on the SPQ, suggesting that tillage and herbicide treatments should be avoided.

Frequent Applications of Organic Matter to Agricultural Soil Increase Fungistasis

Soil-borne plant pathogens are among the most important limiting factors for the productivity of agro-ecosystems.Fungistasis is the natural capability of soils to inhibit the germination and growth of soil-borne fungi in the presence of optimal abiotic conditions.The objective of this study was to assess the effects of different soil managements,in terms of soil amendment types and frequency of application,on fungistasis.For this purpose,a microcosm experiment was performed by conditioning a soil with frequent applications of organic matter with contrasting biochemical quality(i.e.,glucose,alfalfa straw and wheat straw).Thereafter,the fungistasis response was assessed on four fungi(Aspergillus niger,Botrytis cinerea,Pyrenochaeta lycopersici and Trichoderma harzianum).Conditioned soils were characterized by measuring microbial activity(soil respiration) and functional diversity using the BIOLOG EcoPlates^(?)method.Results showed that irrespective of the fungal species and amendment types,frequent applications of organic matter reduced fungistasis relief and shortened the time required for fungistasis restoration.The frequent addition of easily decomposable organic compounds enhanced soil respiration and its specific catabolic capabilities.This study demonstrated that frequent applications of organic matter affected soil fungistasis likely as a result of higher microbial activity and functional diversity.

Measurement of the integrated luminosity of the Phase 2 data of the Belle Ⅱ experiment

From April to July 2018,a data sample at the peak energy of the T(4 S) resonance was collected with the Belle Ⅱ detector at the SuperKEKB electron-positron collider.This is the first data sample of the Belle Ⅱ experiment.Using Bhabha and digamma events,we measure the integrated luminosity of the data sample to be(496.3±0.3±3.0) pb-1,where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic.This work provides a basis for future luminosity measurements at Belle Ⅱ.