Università del Salento: ESE - Salento University Publishing
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Nursalia fenestrata n. sp. (Actinopterygii: Pycnodontiformes) dal Turoniano inferiore della Formazione di Akrabou, Marocco sudorientale
Get PDFItL'autore descrive una nuova specie di picnodonte, Nursallia fenestrata n. sp., proveniente dalla Formazione di Akrabou, datata al Turoniano inferiore, affiorante nell'Alto Atlante marocchino. La nuova specie è un picnodonte di media taglia, caratterizzato dalla presenza: (i) di denti vomerini con corona a contorno circolare con incisura mediana, (ii) di un'ampia finestra temporale, (iii) di articolazioni intervertebrali estremamente complesse per la presenza di tre coppie (anteriori e posteriori) di zigoapofisi su ciascun arcocentro, sia ventrale che dorsale, (iv) di scaglie a barra estese esclusivamente nella regione dorsale, che non oltrepassano mai ventralmente la colonna vertebrale.EnThe author describes the new species of pycnodont, Nursallia fenestrata n. sp., from the Akrabou Formation, dated to the lower Turonian (Late Cretaceous), outcropping in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountains. The new species is a medium-sized pycnodont, characterized by the presence of the following unique combination of the anatomical traits: (i) vomerine teeth with crown with a circular outline and a median notch, (ii) large, well-developed temporal fenestra, (iii) extremely complex intervertebral joints, due to the presence of three pairs (anterior and posterior) of zygoapophyses on each both ventral and dorsal arcocentra, (iv) bar-scales extending exclusively in the dorsal region, never ventrally beyond the vertebral column. The new species has some highly developed characteristics typical of the Nursalliini tribe, such as the complexity of the intervertebral joints. In fact, in Nursallia fenestrata n. sp. the articulations between adjacent arcocentra are hyper-complex throughout the spine. On the other hand, the new species Nursallia fenestrata n. sp. demonstrates that it possesses skeletal characteristics hitherto never found within the Nursalliini tribe, as is the case with the parietal window. Finally, the new species represents the first report of a skeletal remains – moreover in a very peculiar state of conservation (in a three-dimensional calcareous nodule) – of a pycnodon within the Akrabou Formation, dated to the Lower Turonian, outcropping in the Moroccan High Atlas
Sacred lakes as conservation sites for crocodiles. Case study of Esiribi sacred lake in Niger delta, Nigeria
Get PDFThe Biseni Clan is located in Central Bayelsa State, Nigeria. It is a small tribe represented by Southeast Ijaw speaking people. The Biseni people occupy the upper regions of the Niger Delta River. They perceive their lands and particularly their lakes as sacred and are home to the crocodiles. This study examined the perception of residents around Esiribi Sacred Lake to investigate the effectiveness of sacred lake in biodiversity conservation with respect to crocodiles. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the people of Biseni on the presence and type of crocodile found in Esiribi Lake. Focus group discussions were carried out with the community members while Key Informant Interviews (KII) were conducted with the Lake Priest and some of the elders conversant with history of the lake. A total of 175 adults residents, comprising of 96 males and 74 females having formal education were interviewed. The people of Biseni regard the crocodiles in Esiribi Lake as sacred animals and live in harmony with them. The number of crocodiles in the lake seems to have increased over the years as a result of the sacredness the people accord to the species. The two most common species are the West African dwarf crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) and Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). Fishing is only allowed in the lake biennially. We conclude that communal governance should be strengthened for the continued protection of crocodiles and other species in and around the lake as well as a reduction in human activities that could threaten the species conservation
Wild bees in Southern Italy: impact of landscape management
Get PDFItGli impollinatori sono essenziali per il mantenimento degli ecosistemi, e i tre quarti delle principali colture alimentari del mondo necessitano dell'impollinazione animale per la produzione di frutti e semi. Negli ultimi decenni però stiamo assistendo ad un costante declino di questi importantissimi insetti in tutto il mondo, con un conseguente deficit nella produzione agricola. Se da un lato l'agricoltura è strettamente legata agli impollinatori, dall'altro è una delle cause del loro declino. Per questo motivo, in Italia, è nato il progetto "BeeNet", con lo scopo di valutare lo stato di salute degli ecosistemi agricoli italiani attraverso il monitoraggio delle api da miele e delle api selvatiche. In questo studio vengono presentati i dati del primo anno del progetto, 2021, sulle api selvatiche in due regioni meridionali (Campania e Puglia), comparando due ecosistemi agricoli diversi: uno intensivo e l'altro semi-naturale. Una volta al mese, da febbraio a ottobre, in entrambe le regioni ed entrambi gli ecosistemi, abbiamo campionato le api mediante un transetto (200 × 2 metri) percorso alla mattina e al pomeriggio. Inoltre, nelle stesse giornate abbiamo registrato tutte le specie botaniche mellifere presenti sul transetto. Le differenze riscontrate tra i due tipi di ecosistema indicano che l'agro-ecosistema intensivo ha in generale una biodiversità più bassa e una comunità di api più spostata verso specie generaliste. Questo risultato indica che l'uso di pratiche agricole più impattanti e l'omogeneità dell'ambiente influenzano fortemente, e negativamente, questi insetti e le piante spontanee di cui hanno bisogno per sopravvivere. Tuttavia, le differenze tra le ricchezze di specie e le abbondanze di specie tra i due tipi di ecosistema non sono risultate significative, e una possibile ragione di ciò potrebbe risiedere nell'irrigazione degli ecosistemi intensivi, che forse ha ridotto le differenze. È necessario quindi, in questi ambienti, attuare misure per la tutela degli impollinatori come richiesto dalla Comunità Europea, attraverso strategie mirate come ad esempio la nuova PAC 2023-2027.EnIn 2021, in two southern Italian regions (Campania and Puglia) we compared the biodiversity of both Apoidea and plants between intensive and semi-natural agro-ecosystems, aiming to evaluate the impacts of the agro-environment and agricultural practices on wild bees and spontaneous plant communities in southern Italy. Monthly, from February to October, we performed bee samplings (200 × 2 metres fixed transects) and botanical surveys in each site and region. We found no statistical differences between the two environments, probably because the two intensive agro-ecosystems were irrigated that year. However, the semi-natural agro-ecosystem was characterised by a higher biodiversity (bees and plants) and a higher rate of specialised bee species than the intensive agro-ecosystem, indicating that biodiversity benefits of agro-ecological practices and a more heterogeneous landscape
Exploring the psychosocial experiences of Afghan refugees in Italy: A qualitative study
Get PDFThe Taliban restored their government in Afghanistan in August 2021, following an international agreement and a rapid offensive throughout the country. Consequently, many Afghans who collaborated with the United States-NATO coalition were forced to leave the country. Forced migration events expose people to a wide breadth of sudden stressful changes, conventionally assumed as trauma. This article proposes another point of view of forced migration considering the turning points to understand negative impact and resilience trajectories, exploring the life stories of 34 Afghan refugees who were evacuated from Afghanistan to Italy. Grounded theory and a thematic analysis method were used to infer themes. The results show three themes: the shock for the taking of Kabul, a tragic possibility, gaining a sense of mastery. The last theme, gaining a sense of mastery, displays a form of suffering but also various forms of resilience and new modes of engagement. Overall, our results foreground the deep role played by the social and historical bonds in forging both suffering and resilience in the identified turning points. From these insights, practical implications for community-based psychosocial interventions can be drawn.
‘In the presence of English’: Informal English language learning. An introduction
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