Italian Winter Research Articles

The segetal flora of Italy: an occurrence dataset from relevés in winter cereals and allied crop types.

The segetal flora of winter crops includes mostly native or archaeophyte annual species that are often strong specialists of their habitats. Threatened by the intensification of agriculture, segetal flora is particularly valuable from a perspective of biodiversity conservation and evolution. Moreover, it contributes to maintain biodiversity in agroecosystems and provides several ecosystem services. The dataset here described was set up to provide the first inventory of the segetal flora of Italian winter cereal crops and allied crop types, the latter including flax and autumn-sown legumes. It includes 24,676 georeferenced occurrence data deriving from 1,240 floristic and phytosociological relevés. The data were collected from the greater part of Italian territory, in a temporal range spanning from 1946 to 2018.

Species composition, richness, and diversity of weed communities of winter arable land in relation to geo-environmental factors: a gradient analysis in mainland Italy

The interest in knowledge of the weed communities of arable land is growing worldwide. Italy is one of the countries in Europe that is the most biodiverse, geographically and environmentally heterogeneous, and rich in arable weed species. Thus, in this study, the geo-environmental factors influencing the floristic composition, the species richness, and the Shannon diversity of weed communities of Italian winter arable crops were investigated along a gradient across mainland Italy. Original data were collected in the spring of 2018 in 106 winter cereal and legume arable fields from one fixed area plot per field. Environmental and geographic data were retrieved for each plot, including latitude, longitude, elevation, soil texture, soil pH, continentality, temperature, and precipitation. The effect of crop type was also tested. Latitude was the main driver of floristic differentiation between the studied plant communities, followed by precipitation, temperature, continentality, elevation, and longitude. Soil features and crop type had no significant effects. Higher values of species richness and Shannon diversity were found in southern areas and at higher elevations. Significant explanatory variables accounted for 11.55% of the total variation in species composition of the surveyed communities. The results are discussed and compared with those of similar studies in other Eurasian countries.

The segetal flora of winter cereals and allied crops in Italy: species inventory with chorological, structural and ecological features

We present the first inventory of the segetal flora of Italian winter cereal crops and allied crop types. The database consists of over 30,000 records, derived from different sources. We provide information and analyses on life forms, chorotypes, Ellenberg indicator values and preferential habitats of the flora. The inventory includes 987 vascular taxa and nothotaxa (868 species, 118 subspecies and 1 nothosubspecies), belonging to 354 genera and 55 families. Characteristic segetal species are 128, while 740 are generalist or accidental species from other habitats. Species exclusive of segetal habitats are 47. One species is extinct, and one is not confirmed in Italy. We recorded 42 neophytes, 15 archaeophytes and 10 cryptogenic species. Segetal species that are threatened in Europe are 45. Species in the Italian Red List are four, and five are threatened endemic species. The most frequent species are Papaver rhoeas (1,045 records), Convolvulus arvensis (623) and Ranunculus arvensis (571). Most species are therophytes (64%) and have a Mediterranean (36%), wide (14%) or eastern (13%) distribution range. Mean Ellenberg indicator values revealed relevant ecological affinities between the inventoried flora and cultivated winter cereals. Our work represents the basis for future applied studies in botany, ecology and agronomy.

The effect of climatic simulations on DNA persistence on glass, cotton and polyester

It is important to understand the variables impacting DNA persistence when considering the recovery, and evaluative interpretation, of DNA evidence from crime scenes. Whilst it is known that temperature, humidity and UV affect DNA persistence, little research has been conducted to explore these effects in a combined and controlled manner. This study includes two experiments in which a climate chamber was used to simulate climatic conditions over a repeating 24-h period. Aliquots of ∼50 ng DNA were added to each substrate and DNA recovered at 0, 1, 3 and 7 days after deposition. Samples were run in triplicate, extracted and quantified. The first experiment investigated the effect of typical Southern English winter and summer days on DNA persistence on glass and cotton, with DNA being recovered by wet and dry swabs from glass and mini-tapes from cotton. The second experiment investigated the effect of typical Northern Italian winter and summer days on DNA persistence on cotton and polyester, with DNA being recovered by wet and moist swabs from both fabrics. Quantities of DNA on all substrates significantly declined over 7 days under summer conditions (p < 0.05), and more DNA tended to persist on the fabric substrates in both studies under conditions of winter than summer. These results contribute to our understanding of DNA persistence under different climatic conditions and will help inform investigators’ DNA recovery strategies.

Fifty years later: I. Michael Lerner'sGenetic Homeostasis (1954)—a valiant attempt to integrate genes, organisms and environment

Although it elicited considerable discussion, Genetic Homeostasis by (I)sadore Michael Lerner, published in 1954, does not occupy a position as one of the seminal works in population genetics, the integration of genetics and environment or in evolutionary developmental biology, nor, despite its context and avowed intention, is it seen to provide the crucial mechanistic link between Waddingtonian genetic assimilation, canalization, genetics (heterozygosity), phenotypic change and selection. Why is that? A slim book of 134 five and a half by nine inch pages (more or less Royal Octavo), Genetic Homeostasis was written between January and July 1953 by a 42-year-old Professor of Poultry Science from the University of California at Berkeley; see below. Supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship, Lerner wrote the book at the Institute of Genetics at the University of Pavia, Italy and completed it at the Istituto Italiano di Idrobiologia in Pallanza. This was not Lerner’s first bookFPopulation Genetics and Animal Improvement was published in 1950Fnor would it be his last. He wrote The Genetic Basis of Selection (1959), a broadbased book for professionals, and Heredity Evolution and Society (1968), a wonderfully accessible book aimed at the more general readerFbut it is the most original and innovative of Lerner’s books, a testament to what can emerge from the combination of a prepared mind, sabbatical leave, ‘‘Guggenheim’’, solitude and an Italian winter.