The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. Th... more The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. This paper focuses on a massive Mediterranean mussel die-off observed along the middle Italian Adriatic coast in the summer of 2022. We considered the possible environmental causes of this phenomenon and carried out a climatic analysis of the last decade. We performed field surveys in different locations along a 16 Km coastal stretch (from Martinsicuro (TE) on the South, to Grottammare (AP) on the North). The study area includes two marine Sites of Community Importance under the European Natura 2000 network. The mussels die-off has interested practically all the natural mussel-beds colonizing the study area. Mussels are sessile filter-feeding organisms inhabiting the intertidal zone, therefore, are highly exposed to variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and nutrient load. We discuss the possible causes of this die-off, proposing that high temperature and the scarce ava...
The fight against alien invasive insect pests of plants in the urban environment often affects va... more The fight against alien invasive insect pests of plants in the urban environment often affects varied sectors of the economy, landscape gardening, public health, and ecology. This paper focuses on the evolution of the red palm weevil in San Benedetto del Tronto, a coastal urban area in central Italy. We investigated the evolution of this insect pest of palm trees in the 2013–2020 period, considering both the effectiveness of the chemicals used and their potentially harmful effects. With a multidisciplinary approach, we carried out a spatio-temporal analysis of the extent and mode of pest spread over time using historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images, and field surveys integrated in a GIS environment. We also assessed the toxicity risk associated with the chemicals used to protect the palms from the red weevil. The fight against this weevil is now concentrated in specific areas such as parks, roads, villas, hotels, farmhouses, and nurseries. The preventive ch...
The implications related to the fight against alien organisms often affect different sectors, fro... more The implications related to the fight against alien organisms often affect different sectors, from the economic to the landscape one or from the public health to the ecological one. This paper is an upgrade of our previous study focused on the evolution of the red palm weevil in a coastal urban area (central Italy); we investigate the evolution of this parasite in the following period (2013-2020), considering both the effectiveness of the chemicals used and their potential effects. With a multidisciplinary approach, on the one hand we carried out a spatio-temporal analysis to analyze the extent and mode of pest spread over time using historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images and field surveys, integrated in a GIS environment, and on the other hand we performed an assessment of the chemical risk associated with the substances used to protect the palms from the red weevil. The fight against weevil is now concentrated in specific areas (parks, relevant roads, vil...
In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are p... more In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.
Table S1. A list of the species per country found in this study. References to previous research ... more Table S1. A list of the species per country found in this study. References to previous research of Culicoides fauna in the same countries are made, as well as remarks on the distribution of the species as described in the IIKC. (XLSX 14 kb)
Frequency distribution for the number of trap nights that a specific number of female mosquitoes ... more Frequency distribution for the number of trap nights that a specific number of female mosquitoes was trapped. Shown are the results for three countries (Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy), two trap types (MMLP, Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus trap; BGS, Biogents Sentinel trap), and the four most common genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex and Culiseta). Comparisons between the two trap types were made for the four most common mosquito genera in each country, using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Significance is displayed for each comparison, with *P
Rarefaction plot of sampling effort. The plot shows the number of species expected to be found fo... more Rarefaction plot of sampling effort. The plot shows the number of species expected to be found for the number of individuals sampled for Sweden (blue), Italy (green) and the Netherlands (orange). (PNG 6 kb)
The Science of the total environment, Jan 11, 2017
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are priority contami... more Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are priority contaminants that bioaccumulate through the food webs and affect the biology of a variety of resident and migratory species, including sea turtles. Few studies have evaluated toxicological biomarkers of exposure to PAHs and PCBs in these animals. The present paper reports the results of an initial field study to quantify the association between plasma concentrations of PAHs/PCBs and whole blood cell expression of gene biomarkers in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) rescued along the Italian coasts of the northern and central areas of the Adriatic Sea. While detectable levels of PAHs were found in all plasma samples examined, only three PCB congeners (PCB52, PCB95, and PCB149) were noted, with detection percentages ranging between 48% and 57%. A significant correlation was found between 3 of the 6 gene biomarkers assessed (HSP60, CYP1A and ERα) and plasma levels of some PAH conge...
ABSTRACT Plasma testosterone levels were evaluated, by validating and using a commercially availa... more ABSTRACT Plasma testosterone levels were evaluated, by validating and using a commercially available testosterone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) as an indicator of the sex of immature loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) recovered along the western coast of the central Adriatic Sea between November 2011 and February 2012. Testosterone levels were measured in blood samples collected from 28 immature turtles kept in short-term maintenance at the Fondazione Cetacea Rescue Centre (Italy). Overall, plasma testosterone ranged between 229.3 and 2628.6 pg ml−1, suggesting that the EIA procedure is effective for determining androgen titers in immature loggerhead sea turtles. Analysis of the obtained data indicates an unbiased sex ratio supporting previous studies of juvenile loggerhead turtle sex ratios in the Mediterranean Sea. The present work can be considered a starting point for augmenting knowledge on the dynamics of juvenile loggerhead aggregations increasingly found in the northern-central Adriatic Sea and for promoting local management for conservation actions.
The outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease in Europe have increased efforts to underst... more The outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease in Europe have increased efforts to understand the ecology of Culicoides biting midges and their role in pathogen transmission. However, most studies have focused on a specific habitat, region, or country. To facilitate wider comparisons, and to obtain a better understanding of the spread of disease through Europe, the present study focused on monitoring biting midge species diversity in three different habitat types and three countries across Europe. Biting midges were trapped using Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute light traps at a total of 27 locations in Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, comprising farm, peri-urban and wetland habitats. From July 2014 to June 2015 all locations were sampled monthly, except for during the winter months. Trapped midges were counted and identified morphologically. Indices on species richness, evenness and diversity were calculated. Community compositions were analysed using non-metric multidim...
Abstract: A morphometric study of populations from the central-southern Apennines and Sicily of t... more Abstract: A morphometric study of populations from the central-southern Apennines and Sicily of the Italian endemic Corydalis densiflora has been undertaken, based on herbarium specimens and field research. A new subspecies, C. densiflora subsp. apennina, is described from the central Apennines. It differs from C. densiflora s.str. by its more divided leaves and bracts, basal leaf with more numerous and narrower leaflets, longer middle and lateral lobes of middle and upper bracts, narrower lower petal wing, shorter inner petals and shorter upper stamen. Citation: Conti F., Bracchetti L., Uzunov D. & Bartolucci F. 2019: A new subspecies of Corydalis densiflora (Papaveraceae) from the Apennines (Italy). – Willdenowia 49: 53–64. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.49.49107 Version of record first published online on 29 March 2019 ahead of inclusion in April 2019 issue.
The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. Th... more The effects of the climate crisis are affecting ecosystems at different scales and magnitudes. This paper focuses on a massive Mediterranean mussel die-off observed along the middle Italian Adriatic coast in the summer of 2022. We considered the possible environmental causes of this phenomenon and carried out a climatic analysis of the last decade. We performed field surveys in different locations along a 16 Km coastal stretch (from Martinsicuro (TE) on the South, to Grottammare (AP) on the North). The study area includes two marine Sites of Community Importance under the European Natura 2000 network. The mussels die-off has interested practically all the natural mussel-beds colonizing the study area. Mussels are sessile filter-feeding organisms inhabiting the intertidal zone, therefore, are highly exposed to variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and nutrient load. We discuss the possible causes of this die-off, proposing that high temperature and the scarce ava...
The fight against alien invasive insect pests of plants in the urban environment often affects va... more The fight against alien invasive insect pests of plants in the urban environment often affects varied sectors of the economy, landscape gardening, public health, and ecology. This paper focuses on the evolution of the red palm weevil in San Benedetto del Tronto, a coastal urban area in central Italy. We investigated the evolution of this insect pest of palm trees in the 2013–2020 period, considering both the effectiveness of the chemicals used and their potentially harmful effects. With a multidisciplinary approach, we carried out a spatio-temporal analysis of the extent and mode of pest spread over time using historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images, and field surveys integrated in a GIS environment. We also assessed the toxicity risk associated with the chemicals used to protect the palms from the red weevil. The fight against this weevil is now concentrated in specific areas such as parks, roads, villas, hotels, farmhouses, and nurseries. The preventive ch...
The implications related to the fight against alien organisms often affect different sectors, fro... more The implications related to the fight against alien organisms often affect different sectors, from the economic to the landscape one or from the public health to the ecological one. This paper is an upgrade of our previous study focused on the evolution of the red palm weevil in a coastal urban area (central Italy); we investigate the evolution of this parasite in the following period (2013-2020), considering both the effectiveness of the chemicals used and their potential effects. With a multidisciplinary approach, on the one hand we carried out a spatio-temporal analysis to analyze the extent and mode of pest spread over time using historical aerial photos, freely available remote sensing images and field surveys, integrated in a GIS environment, and on the other hand we performed an assessment of the chemical risk associated with the substances used to protect the palms from the red weevil. The fight against weevil is now concentrated in specific areas (parks, relevant roads, vil...
In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are p... more In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.
Table S1. A list of the species per country found in this study. References to previous research ... more Table S1. A list of the species per country found in this study. References to previous research of Culicoides fauna in the same countries are made, as well as remarks on the distribution of the species as described in the IIKC. (XLSX 14 kb)
Frequency distribution for the number of trap nights that a specific number of female mosquitoes ... more Frequency distribution for the number of trap nights that a specific number of female mosquitoes was trapped. Shown are the results for three countries (Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy), two trap types (MMLP, Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus trap; BGS, Biogents Sentinel trap), and the four most common genera (Aedes, Anopheles, Culex and Culiseta). Comparisons between the two trap types were made for the four most common mosquito genera in each country, using the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test. Significance is displayed for each comparison, with *P
Rarefaction plot of sampling effort. The plot shows the number of species expected to be found fo... more Rarefaction plot of sampling effort. The plot shows the number of species expected to be found for the number of individuals sampled for Sweden (blue), Italy (green) and the Netherlands (orange). (PNG 6 kb)
The Science of the total environment, Jan 11, 2017
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are priority contami... more Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are priority contaminants that bioaccumulate through the food webs and affect the biology of a variety of resident and migratory species, including sea turtles. Few studies have evaluated toxicological biomarkers of exposure to PAHs and PCBs in these animals. The present paper reports the results of an initial field study to quantify the association between plasma concentrations of PAHs/PCBs and whole blood cell expression of gene biomarkers in juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) rescued along the Italian coasts of the northern and central areas of the Adriatic Sea. While detectable levels of PAHs were found in all plasma samples examined, only three PCB congeners (PCB52, PCB95, and PCB149) were noted, with detection percentages ranging between 48% and 57%. A significant correlation was found between 3 of the 6 gene biomarkers assessed (HSP60, CYP1A and ERα) and plasma levels of some PAH conge...
ABSTRACT Plasma testosterone levels were evaluated, by validating and using a commercially availa... more ABSTRACT Plasma testosterone levels were evaluated, by validating and using a commercially available testosterone enzyme immunoassay (EIA) as an indicator of the sex of immature loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) recovered along the western coast of the central Adriatic Sea between November 2011 and February 2012. Testosterone levels were measured in blood samples collected from 28 immature turtles kept in short-term maintenance at the Fondazione Cetacea Rescue Centre (Italy). Overall, plasma testosterone ranged between 229.3 and 2628.6 pg ml−1, suggesting that the EIA procedure is effective for determining androgen titers in immature loggerhead sea turtles. Analysis of the obtained data indicates an unbiased sex ratio supporting previous studies of juvenile loggerhead turtle sex ratios in the Mediterranean Sea. The present work can be considered a starting point for augmenting knowledge on the dynamics of juvenile loggerhead aggregations increasingly found in the northern-central Adriatic Sea and for promoting local management for conservation actions.
The outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease in Europe have increased efforts to underst... more The outbreaks of bluetongue and Schmallenberg disease in Europe have increased efforts to understand the ecology of Culicoides biting midges and their role in pathogen transmission. However, most studies have focused on a specific habitat, region, or country. To facilitate wider comparisons, and to obtain a better understanding of the spread of disease through Europe, the present study focused on monitoring biting midge species diversity in three different habitat types and three countries across Europe. Biting midges were trapped using Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute light traps at a total of 27 locations in Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy, comprising farm, peri-urban and wetland habitats. From July 2014 to June 2015 all locations were sampled monthly, except for during the winter months. Trapped midges were counted and identified morphologically. Indices on species richness, evenness and diversity were calculated. Community compositions were analysed using non-metric multidim...
Abstract: A morphometric study of populations from the central-southern Apennines and Sicily of t... more Abstract: A morphometric study of populations from the central-southern Apennines and Sicily of the Italian endemic Corydalis densiflora has been undertaken, based on herbarium specimens and field research. A new subspecies, C. densiflora subsp. apennina, is described from the central Apennines. It differs from C. densiflora s.str. by its more divided leaves and bracts, basal leaf with more numerous and narrower leaflets, longer middle and lateral lobes of middle and upper bracts, narrower lower petal wing, shorter inner petals and shorter upper stamen. Citation: Conti F., Bracchetti L., Uzunov D. & Bartolucci F. 2019: A new subspecies of Corydalis densiflora (Papaveraceae) from the Apennines (Italy). – Willdenowia 49: 53–64. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.49.49107 Version of record first published online on 29 March 2019 ahead of inclusion in April 2019 issue.
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Papers by Luca Bracchetti