1,721,015 research outputs found
A comprehensive overview of bacteria and fungi used for pentachlorophenol biodegradation
No full textAbstract Pentachlorophenol (PCP) is an extremely
dangerous worldwide pollutant due to its high toxicity
towards all organisms. It has been introduced into the
environment mainly as a wood preservative, biocides
and from the bleaching of paper or tissues. The use of
PCP indiscriminate has led to the contamination of
water and soil systems. Many countries have specific
regulations, guidelines or procedures for the management
and disposal of PCP but the most common
methods are: adsorption with activate carbons, incineration
in an approved and secure area, closed in
sealed containers and biological degradation. PCP
depletion can occur either by abiotic processes such
as: absorption, volatilization and photo degradation or
by biotic degradation. One of the main studies focused
on remediation using plants, animals and microbial
communities. Aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms
can degrade PCP under a variety of conditions and at
different PCP concentrations. Bacterial strains such as
Pseudomonas sp., Sphingomonas sp., Arthrobacter
sp., Mycobacterium sp., Flavobacterium sp., Serratia
sp. and Bacillus sp., and fungal cultures as Trametes
sp., Phanerochaete sp., Anthracophyllum sp., Armillaria
sp., Bjerkandera sp., Ganoderma sp., Lentinula
sp., Penicillium sp, Trichoderma sp., Rhizopus sp. and
Plerotus sp. showed various rates and extent of PCP
degradation. This review focuses on PCP degradation
by various aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms with
emphases on the biological and chemical aspects.
Furthermore we will analyze intermediate products,
processes and enzymes involved in the degradation of
PCP in different environmental conditions and at
various PCP concentrations
First sighting of the humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae in the Tyrrhenian Sea and a mini-review of Mediterranean records
No full textWe report on the sighting of a humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae for the Tyrrhenian Sea, where the species had not been observed previously. Since the 1980s the species has become an increasingly frequent visitor of the Mediterranean Sea, where the mean observation rate is ca. 0.1 subjects/year. The sighting was made on December 10, 2015 at 10 a.m. local time, in the shallow waters of Baia, in the Gulf of Naples (Campania Region, Southern Italy, 40° 49' 0" N, 14° 04' 00" E). The increased sighting frequency of humpback whales suggests that in the near future this species will become more common in the Mediterranean. We remark that Marine Protected Areas might play an important role in protecting the species but appropriate management and effective mitigation of potential threats are essential
Serious damage by Diplodia africana on Pinus pinea in the Vesuvius National Park.
No full textIn some municipalities, located within the boundaries of the Vesuvius National Park, several area with forest cover of Pinus pinea showed severe withering of the crowns and damage to pine cones. In the present study, we have isolated in the period may 2013 ??? may 2014 from Ercolano, San Sebastiano, Terzigno, Torre del Greco and Trecase an anamorphic form of Botryosphaeriaceae. The latter cause dieback and serious canker on several woody plants, including species of Pinus. Morphological and cultural characteristics as well as DNA sequence data (5.8S rDNA, ITS-1 and ITS-4) were made on 30 isolates obtained from 5 municipalities. All strains belonged to only two species: Botryosphaeria dothidea and its anamorph, Diplodia africana. These two fungi were present on all pine cones collected and analyzed. Finally we carried out growth assays at different temperatures: 8 °C, 18 °C and 28 °C. All fungi found the optimum of growth at 28°C while at 8°C we noted the lowest growth. This seems to be the first report of D. africana on Pinus species in Campania Region
Modelling geographic distribution and detecting conservation gaps in Italy for the threatened beetle Rosalia alpina
No full textResilient responses by bats to a severe wildfire: conservation implications
No full textWildfires shape ecosystems globally, yet little is known on their effects on wildlife distribution and spatial behaviour. We used bats as models to test the effects of fire on ecosystems because they are multi-habitat specialists and feature ecological and life traits such as behavioural plasticity and longevity that make them able to respond to both short- and long-term environmental changes. We aimed at testing the effects of a severe wildfire on a Mediterranean bat assemblage in terms of occupancy, activity and individual fitness. Here, we measure the effects of fire on activity levels and occupancy by a Mediterranean bat assemblage at the Vesuvius National Park, in Southern Italy, over 4 years, encompassing a year when a severe wildfire occurred. By comparing bat occurrence and activity at burnt versus unburnt sites with a Before-After/Control-Impact approach, we found that bat responses to wildfires are species specific and depend on the time elapsed since the fire. Species that rely more strongly on forest areas showed a strong short-term adverse response in terms of occupancy and activity, while species adapted to open habitats showed no response 1 year after the wildfire. However, most species showed a general positive effect due to the passage of fire 2 years after its occurrence, probably because of vegetation regrowth. The wildfire event was also associated with reduced reproduction in at least one species, and to worse individual body conditions 1 year after the wildfire. Our results show that most bats in a Mediterranean ecosystem show resilience to the occurrence of fire, yet many species show negative short-term responses by altering their spatial behaviour and decreasing their investment in reproduction. Future increases in fire occurrence and intensity due to climate change may alter bat assemblages and impair population viability in the long term, hampering the fundamental ecosystem services provided by structured bat communities
Feeding habits of the Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus on Cyprus island: A first assessment
No full text
A gap analysis for threatened bat populations on Sardinia
No full textSardinia is home to three bat species of chief conservation importance, the endemic Plecotus sardus as well as Myotis punicus and Rhinolophus mehelyi, for which Sardinia is the Italian stronghold. We carried out two gap analyses overlapping the network of protected areas present on the island respectively with 1) the occurrence records of all species and 2) the binarized maps obtained from maximum entropy models. Unlike the other two species, P. sardus known records are confined to the central sector of the island and its suitable habitat partly overlaps with that of M. punicus but not with R. mehelyi. Due to its uniqueness and restricted range P. sardus requires a very specific management strategy for its protection to be successful. Both analyses led to the conclusion that all species considered require more extensive protection than is currently granted so that urgent measures should be taken to improve the current situation
Modelling the Risk Posed by the Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha: Italy as a Case Study
No full textWe generated a risk map to forecast the potential effects of the spreading of zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha across the Italian territory. We assessed the invader’s potential impact on rivers, lakes, watersheds and dams at a fine-grained scale and detected those more at risk that should be targeted with appropriate monitoring. We developed a MaxEnt model and employed weighted overlay analyses to detect the species’ potential distribution and generate risk maps for Italy. D. polymorpha has a greater probability of occurring at low to medium altitudes in areas characterised by fluviatile deposits of major streams. Northern and central Italy appear more at risk. Some hydroelectric power dams are at high risk, while most dams for irrigation, drinkable water reservoirs and other dam types are at medium to low risk. The lakes and rivers reaches (representing likely expansion pathways) at medium-high or high risk mostly occur in northern and central Italy. We highlight the importance of modelling potential invasions on a country scale to achieve the sufficient resolution needed to develop appropriate monitoring plans and prevent the invader’s harmful effects. Further high-resolution risk maps are needed for other regions partly or not yet colonised by the zebra mussel
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