Covariation between plant biodiversity and soil systems in a European beech forest and a black pine plantation:the case of Mount Faito,(Campania,Southern Italy)

Both climate and land-use changes,including the introduction and spread of allochthonous species,are forecast to affect forest ecosystems.Accordingly,forests will be affected in terms of species composition as well as their soil chemical and biological characteristics.The possible changes in both tree cover and soil system might impact the amount of carbon that is stored in living plants and dead biomass and within the soil itself.Additionally,such alterations can have a strong impact on the detrital food web that is linked to litter decomposition.Although there are studies on the infuence of plant diversity on soil physical and chemical characteristics,the effects on soil biological activity and carbon storage processes remain largely unknown.The aim of this study was to investigate and compare chemical and biological variables in covariation with plant communities in an autochthonous beech forest(Fagus sylvatica L.)and a black pine plantation(Pinus nigra J.F.Arnold subsp.nigra).Our results confirmed that the two communities were considerably different,with the old-growth beech community having a lower number of plant species and the pine community was in development as a consequence of anthropogenic activities.These aspects of the two communities were also refected in the soil,with the beech soil having higher nitrogen levels and a more specialized microbial community compared to the pine soil,with most extracellular enzymes(such as peroxidase and chitinase)showing lower activity in the pine soil.

Applications of k-covers

We investigate a role of k-covers in selection principles theory. Some results about relationships between Ramsey theory and game theory and selection principles that involve k-covers are also given.

Shining the spotlight on NMR metabolic profiling and bioactivities of different solvent extracts of Piliostigma thonningii

Piliostigma thonningii (Fabaceae) is a versatile medicinal plant used as a traditional remedy,especially in African countries.In the present study,ethyl acetate,methanolic and water extracts of different parts of (fruits,leaves,stem barks) P.thonningii were evaluated for their bioactive contents,enzyme inhibitory,antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.Antioxidant potentials were also displayed in various methods like phosphomolybdenum assay (0.79–5.94 mmol TE/g),radical scavenging assays (DPPH:20.39–471.28 mg TE/g;ABTS:42.43–654.14 mg TE/g);reducing assays (CUPRAC:102.98–1207.42 mg TE/g;FRAP:45.30–656.25 mg TE/g) and metal chelating activity (2.55–22.32 mg EDTAE/g).In particular,the methanolic and water extracts showed better antioxidant potential.Except for a few,the extracts were also found to act as inhibitors of enzymes such as acetylcholinesterase (2.35–5.35 mg GALAE/g),butyrylcholinesterase (0.83–13.80 mg GALAE/g),tyrosinase (4.03–143.86 mg KAE/g),amylase (0.21–1.39 mmol ACAE/g) and glucosidase (3.52–7.13 mmol ACAE/g).Additionally,all the tested extracts possessed significant antibacterial (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration:0.11–0.61 mg/ml) and antifungal (MIC and minimum fungicidal concentration:0.04–0.61 mg/ml) effects.Indeed,the data garnered from the present study provides a bright scope for the advanced investigation on this particular plant possessing pharmacologically active traits.

NOTE FLORISTICHE PER L'ITALIA SETTENTRIONALE

Viola bertoloni Pio (Violaceae)Nuova stazione per il Piemonte.RepertoAppennino ligure-piemontese,comune di Bosio (AL),in Val Gorzente lungoil sentiero sulla sponda sinistra del torrente omonimo,su sfasciumi a componenteserpentinosa,m 700 ca.s.l.m.,1.Ⅵ.1985,N.Cartasegna,HbPAV (Erbario Regio-nale Lombardo-Università.di Pavia).