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Restoring genetic diversity to facilitate the implementation of the EU Nature Restoration Law
Get PDFGovernments and economic blocs are recognising that the world faces a biodiversity crisis. The restoration of biodiversity to the levels prior to widespread human induced damage has been incorporated as a crucial component of conservation in the Global Biodiversity Framework of the Convention of Biological Diversity. The Nature Restoration Law (NRL) forms part of the European Union's response and after its adoption by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, it has formally become the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). The NRL aims to play a role in restoring ecosystems, habitats and species but does not expressly include genetic diversity, the third biodiversity component. Considering genetic diversity in strategic biodiversity planning is important to help nature adapt to rapid anthropogenic change. We have reviewed the text of the NRL and note opportunities to incorporate genetic diversity in National Restoration Plans to augment its implementation. In particular, genetic diversity assessments are well aligned with the NRL's aspiration to enhance connectivity, and genetic indicators can assess the effectiveness of its implementation. Here we give examples where restoration has incorporated genetic diversity to ensure long term wide-reaching success. This is of relevance beyond the NRL and applies generally to policy for nature restoration efforts globally, especially those related to the Global Biodiversity Framewor
Different genotypes of the rare and threatened moss Physcomitrium eurystomum (Funariaceae) exhibit different resilience to zinc and copper stress
Get PDFThe funarioid moss species Physcomitrium eurystomum, which is threatened with extinction, was the subject of this study. The riparian habitat type of this species is often under the influence of contaminated water, and, therefore, we tested the influence of selected potentially toxic elements (PTEs), namely zinc and copper, on the development, physiological features, and survival of the species on two different accessions (German and Croatian). The results obtained showed the different resilience of the two accessions to the PTEs. Flow cytometry analyses revealed that the two accessions differ significantly in terms of genome size. However, the different amplitude of resilience to the tested PTEs, the divergence in physiological responses, and survival within two accessions of the same species are confirmed, as well as the dissimilarity of their genome size, likely associated with ploidy level difference and possibly distinct hybrid origi
Fruit development and ripening: a molecular and physiological view modulating and enhancing fruit quality
No full textQuechers extraction and a straightforward clean-up procedure for the quantification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS) in ripened cheese using GC-MS/MS
No full textPolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are chemicals made up of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in two or more fused aromatic rings. Over a hundred different PAH compounds exist, typically in complex mixtures. These compounds are known environmental carcinogens and can originate from both human activities and food processing. For non-smokers, the primary route of PAH exposure is through food consumption. Due to their lipophilic nature, PAHs can easily accumulate in fatty food matrices such as milk, meat, edible oils, fish, and cheese. This study aimed to develop an effective and straightforward sample preparation procedure for the determination of PAHs in ripened cheese samples. For this study, 60 samples of non-smoked hard cheese were collected from the market. The optimized protocol for PAH quantification consisted of three steps: 1) a rapid QuEChERS extraction using cyclohexane as the solvent, 2) a quick and efficient mechanical clean-up with Silica Gel (70-200 mesh ASTM), and 3) concentration under a gentle stream of nitrogen. PAH analysis was performed using an Agilent Intuvo 9000 GC system coupled with an Agilent 7000 Series Triple Quadrupole MS, employing a HP-5MS Ultra Inert capillary column (30 m × 0.32 mm id × 0.25 μm film thickness). Chromatograms were acquired in selected-ion monitoring (SIM) mode, and target compounds were identified based on their ions and retention times. Eighteen different PAHs were considered for method development: naphthalene (NaP), 2-methylnaphthalene (MeNaP2), 1-methylnaphthalene (MeNaP1), acenaphthene (Ace), acenaphthylene (Acp), fluorene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phen), anthracene (Ant), fluoranthene (Fla), pyrene (Pyr), benzo[a]anthracene (B[a]a), chrysene (Chr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (B[b]f), benzo[k]fluoranthene (B[k]f), benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]p), indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene (I[cd]p), dibenzo[a,h]-anthracene (D[ah]a), and benzo[g,h,i]perylene (B[ghi]P). Once validated for linearity, repeatability, reproducibility, recovery, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ), the method was applied to analyze the entire set of collected samples. In three cheese samples were identified and quantified the lower molecular weight PAHs: NaP, MeNaP2 and MeNaP1. However, the degree of contamination in these samples was very low, with the total concentration not higher than 30 μg/kg. The experiments conducted in this study demonstrated that the proposed method effectively clean-up the sample while achieving acceptable recoveries, repeatability, and reproducibility for PAH quantification in cheese. Therefore, this method could be successfully applied to different food matrices with high fat content
An informal view on the path of direct injection mass spectrometry for rapid volatile compound monitoring from imms29 to imms41: agrifood applications, global quality and sustainable innovation
Get PDFEpidemiological studies on primary inoculum of Venturia inaequalis and V. asperata for apple scab management
Get PDFApple scab, caused by the ascomycete Venturia inaequalis, is the most important disease of apple, causing great losses worldwide. Its management is largely based on fungicide treatments, especially targeting ascosporic infections. To reduce the pesticide input, sanitation practices against overwintering inoculum, decision support systems for an optimal timing of treatments, and resistant cultivars can be used. However, reducing pesticide pressure increases the risk of emerging new and/or secondary pathogens. This is the case of V. asperata that was isolated on cultivars resistant to V. inaequalis and already reported in several regions of Italy and France. It causes atypical scab-spots on fruit and leaves. Limited information is available on the epidemiology of V. asperata. The specific objectives of the thesis were: i) to set up a method of reducing the overwintering inoculum of apple scab by irrigating overwintering leaves on the ground in dry days, ii) to understand the aerial dispersal of ascospores with the under-canopy irrigation, and iii) to identify the conditions of maturation of pseudothecia and ascospore discharge of V. asperata. The effect of irrigation was evaluated comparing irrigated and non-irrigated leaf litter. Irrigation in dry days induced the release of a noticeable amount of ascospores of V. inaequalis under conditions unsuitable for infection, thus reducing the inoculum during rainy days. In mean of all trials, the ascosporic inoculum was reduced by approx. 50% in irrigated plots. In addition, irrigation caused an earlier depletion of the ascospore supply. Field trials were carried out to evaluate the efficacy of irrigation in reducing scab in untreated and fungicide-treated plots. By the end of the primary season, the overall incidence of infected leaves and fruit in untreated and fungicide-treated plots had decreased by more than 50%. To understand the aerial dispersal of ascospores of V. inaequalis with under-canopy irrigation, rotating-arm spore traps were placed at heights, ranging from 0.3 m to 3.0 m above the ground. Irrigation was carried out above overwintered apple leaves infected with scab in two different situations, i.e., in a wind-protected enclosure and under real orchard conditions. Ascospores were found to disperse above the irrigated layer, with more spores detected above the sprinklers than below. Based on these results, since ascospores could settle on susceptible apple tissues, it is essential to ensure a rain-free period of at least 24 hours post-irrigation to prevent scab infections. The primary infection season of V. asperata was studied by comparing the development of pseudothecia and ascospore discharge to V. inaequalis in overwintered leaf litters. Venturia asperata showed a delay in pseudothecial maturation and emptying in relation to degree days accumulation, compared to V. inaequalis. The time of spore release for V. asperata was postponed compared to V. inaequalis. The delayed spore ejection and pseudothecial development of V. asperata, in comparison with V. inaequalis, could partly explain the late appearance of symptoms during the growing season in the orchards. In conclusion, targeted irrigation could represent a sustainable and easily applicable method to reduce the incidence of apple scab, and consequently to reduce the number of treatments or increasing their efficacy. Further research on epidemiology of V. asperata is necessary to find the optimal weather conditions for ascospore discharge and for primary and secondary infections, as well as its latency period. Future breeding programs for apple should also take into consideration resistance against V. asperat
Integrating morphology and molecular data to explore taxonomy, evolutionary history and conservation of Italian endemic Forficulidae (Dermaptera)
Get PDFItaly hosts 27 species of Dermaptera, five belonging to Forficula, which were never thoroughly investigated. We integrated morphological (morphometric measurements) and molecular data (mitochondrial COI, 16S and nuclear 28S, ITS2) to revise the Italian species, focusing on the endemic taxa, and on the diversity within F. auricularia to reveal the presence of cryptic species. Our data were integrated with those available for other West Mediterranean Forficula. Our results confirmed the taxonomic status of the endemic F. apennina and F. silana, that belong to different lineages but share some morphological traits. The endemic Pseudochelidura orsinii and P.galvagnii resulted nested within Forficula, and a new taxonomic arrangement is proposed (Forficula orsinii: resurrected combination and Forficula galvagnii: new combination). Molecular data revealed the presence in Pantelleria and Sardinia of F. mediterranea, cryptic with F.auricularia and reported only from Spain and Morocco. Morphometric data showed a distinction between West Mediterranean and Italian specimens of F. mediterranea, indicating a divergent selection within this species. This study provides new insights for the Italian Forficulidae, highlighting the importance of combining different approaches in the study of species diversity for their conservation. Indeed, F.apennina and F. galvagnii are high altitude species which seem to be affected by global warming so much to raise fears for their conservatio
Using long‐term ecological datasets to unravel the impacts of short‐term meteorological disturbances on phytoplankton communities
Get PDFExtreme meteorological events such as storms are increasing in frequency and intensity, but our knowledge of their impacts on aquatic ecosystems and emergent system properties is limited. Understanding the ecological impacts of storms on the dynamics of primary producers remains a challenge that needs to be addressed to assess the vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems to extreme weather conditions and climate change. One promising approach to gain insights into storm impacts on phytoplankton community dynamics is to analyse long-term monitoring datasets. However, such an approach requires disentangling the impacts of short-term meteorological disturbances from the effects of the seasonal trajectories of meteorological conditions. To this end, we applied boosted regression tree models to phytoplankton time series from eight relatively large lakes on four continents, coupled with a procedure adapted to detect and quantify rare events. Overall, the patterns and potential drivers we identified provide important insights into the responses of lakes to short-term meteorological events and highlight differences in the response of phytoplankton communities according to lake morphological characteristics. Our results indicated that deepened thermoclines and lake-specific combinations of drivers describing altered thermal structures caused deviations from the typical trajectories of seasonal phytoplankton succession. For shallow polymictic lakes, shifts in phytoplankton succession also depended on changes in light availability. Overall, our study highlights the value of long-term monitoring to improve our understanding of phytoplankton sensitivity to short-term meteorological disturbance
The global spectrum of tree crown architecture
Get PDFTrees can differ enormously in their crown architectural traits, such as the scaling relationships between tree height, crown width and stem diameter. Yet despite the importance of crown architecture in shaping the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, we lack a complete picture of what drives this incredible diversity in crown shapes. Using data from 374,888 globally distributed trees, we explore how climate, disturbance, competition, functional traits, and evolutionary history constrain the height and crown width scaling relationships of 1914 tree species. We find that variation in height-diameter scaling relationships is primarily controlled by water availability and light competition. Conversely, crown width is predominantly shaped by exposure to wind and fire, while also covarying with functional traits related to mechanical stability and photosynthesis. Additionally, we identify several plant lineages with highly distinctive stem and crown forms, such as the exceedingly slender dipterocarps of Southeast Asia, or the extremely wide crowns of legume trees in African savannas. Our study charts the global spectrum of tree crown architecture and pinpoints the processes that shape the 3D structure of woody ecosystems