Sicilian Territory Research Articles

Soil erosion risk, Sicilian Region (1:250,000 scale)

Assessing the risk of soil erosion caused by water at the regional level is important for current and future planning of land use and environmental actions to combat land degradation. The gravity of the risk depends not only on the rate of soil erosion by water, but also on other factors, primarily soil depth and workability of the underlying rocks and sediments, which may be used to calculate the eroded soil. We estimate the rate of erosion by water (tons ha−1 year−1) applying the Universal Soil Loss Equation model. The map of soil content (tons ha−1) to the effective rooting depth was divided by the map of soil erosion rate to obtain the risk of erosion by water in Sicily, expressed in terms of years of complete loss of soil cover. This map was intersected with a map of workability of the underlying bedrock to give advice on where the cost of soil recovery by deep ripping and rock grinding are very high. 8382.9 km2 (32.6% of the Sicilian territory) were rated as at high or very high risk (<100 years), of which 1230.9 km2 developed on bedrock with low workability and so very costly to be recovered.

A retrospective study of rabies cases at Techiman Municipal, Ghana, 2009 – 2012

Background: Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) byM. bovis is a chronic infectious disease of cattle that can represent a risk to human health. bTB European Eradication Plans are based on tuberculin testing and slaughtering of reactive subjects. Despite controlmeasures have been applied in Italy since 1964, illness is still present in Sicily. On 2012, regional official data reported an herd infection prevalence of 3.09% and an herd incidence of 2.37%. In the same year, head prevalence was of 0.70%. This study has analyzed the results of the control activity performed on cattle farm in Sicily between 2009-2012, with the aim to evaluate the bTB prevalence and incidence. Methods &Materials: The processed data are the results of the official testes carried out by the Veterinary Services of Sicily during the reference years (2009-2012). Population was the number of cattle farms insistent in each of the nine province of Sicily and the number of animals in each province. In the scope of this population were considered, for each year, the “cases”, ie all farms and animals tested positive for tuberculosis (prevalence) and the “new cases”, ie the new positive herds (incidence). Results: During 2009-2012, the prevalence of bTB infection in the herds of the Sicilian territory has remained around an average value of 3.47%. Adecreasewas registered in 2012 (3.09%) and apeak in 2011 (3.65%). The incidence amounted around an average value of 2.55%, with a decrease of 2.37% in 2012 and a peak of 2.73% in 2010. Head prevalence has showed a decreasing trend during the study period, going from 1.15% in 2009 to 0.70% in 2012. Conclusion: The results show that both the bTB prevalence and incidence of herds that the head prevalence has remained almost unchanged from2009 to 2011. A slight dropwas registered in 2012. The study confirmed that bTB is present in cattle in Sicily and the risk of the transmission of the disease to humans is possible. It is appropriate to make further investigations for identifying the risk factors that influence the persistence of infection in Sicily. Collaboration between the veterinary and the medical sectors could be encouraged.

Combining bioengineering and plant conservation on a Mediterranean islet

This paper reports the results of a bioengineering intervention within the Mediterranean Basin carried out at Lampedusa Island (Strait of Sicily) on the “Spiaggia dei Conigli”, the only sand shore of all Sicilian territory where the sea turtle Caretta caretta lays its eggs every year. The erosion of the steep slope over the beach itself caused sensitive changes in the grain size of shore’s sediment and reduced the area of the beach with fine sand suitable for C. caretta oviposition. In order to reduce surface water flow and to stop erosion, several bioengineering options were adopted using only native plant species to preserve local botanical heritage and to prevent the local extinction of some species. One year after interventions, average plant establishment was about 90% and many species which were severely endangered before the action (i.e., Jacobaea maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden subsp. bicolor (Willd.) B. Nord. & Greuter and Limoniastrum monopetalum (L.) Boiss.) are now at low risk. Micropropagation and inoculation with beneficial root microbial symbionts were successfully applied to selected species. Regular demographic and phytosociological monitoring on permanent plot areas enabled to quantify the effect of bioengineering techniques on plant percentage cover and plant survival. The combination of bioengineering, biotechnology, and agronomic practices applied on plants appears to be effective in increasing plant cover and preserving several locally endangered plant species. Results presented here suggest that erosion can be controlled without moving large quantities of soil and without planting tree species.

Nitrate, sulphate and chloride contents in public drinking water supplies in Sicily, Italy

Water samples collected from public drinking water supplies in Sicily were analysed for electric conductivity and for their chloride, sulphate and nitrate contents. The samples were collected as uniformly as possible from throughout the Sicilian territory, with an average sampling density of about one sample for every 7,600 inhabitants. Chloride contents that ranged from 5.53 to 1,302mg/l were correlated strongly with electric conductivity, a parameter used as a proxy for water salinity. The highest values are attributable to seawater contamination along the coasts of the island. High chloride and sulphate values attributable to evaporitic rock dissolution were found in the central part of Sicily. The nitrate concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 296mg/l, with 31 samples (4.7% of the total) exceeding the maximum admissible concentration of 50mg/l. Anomalous samples always came from areas of intensive agricultural usage, indicating a clear anthropogenic origin. The same parameters were also measured in bottled water sold in Sicily, and they all were within the ranges for public drinking water supplies. The calculated mean nitrate intake from consuming public water supplies (16.1mg/l) did not differ significantly from that of bottled water (15.2mg/l). Although the quality of public water supplies needs to be improved by eliminating those that do not comply with the current drinking water limits, at present it does not justify the high consumption of bottled water (at least for nitrate contents).

BIODIVERSITY OF SICILIAN FRUIT TREES: STUDIES ON PLUMS

The Sicilian territory contains a wide reserve of biodiversity of fruit tree species that, over a period of several centuries, have found there propitious pedoclimatic conditions for their establishment, and genetic diversification. The indigenous germplasm characterized Sicilian agriculture until less than one century ago but, after the diffusion of new cultivars originating from genetic improvement programs, a great part of this germplasm was replaced and now these important resources are at high risk of genetic erosion. Recently, public interest in the safeguarding of biodiversity and the development of a new interest in genetic resources and their scientific, economic and cultural importance, inspired several political actions aimed at the valorisation and conservation of this material. The present study, funded by the Sicilian government, aims to improve knowledge concerning Sicilian plum germplasm, which accounts for a great number of the accessions on the Island, through an action of characterization that includes various steps: biometric, qualitative and nutraceutical. The study was preliminarily carried out on 26 accessions as a preliminary study to facilitate the development of an efficient methodology prior to extending it to other accessions localized in the Sicilian territory.

The sabulicolous fungi from Sicily (southern Italy): additions and critical review

The ecological and distributive data of 165 sabulicolous taxa (29 Ascomycetes and 136 Basidiomycetes), included in 89 genera and 48 families, collected in Sicily (southern Italy) are here reported. New additions are included, together with a critical review of data reported in literature for the Sicilian territory.

Ecological characterization and cladocerans, calanoid copepods and large branchiopods of temporary ponds in a Mediterranean island (Sicily, southern Italy)

Temporary waters have been sporadically investigated in Sicily. These environments reflect the climatic features of the Mediterranean area with a winter ponding phase and a more or less prolonged dry period in summer. Their biota, especially those organisms strictly linked to aquatic environments and without any terrestrial life stage, have to exhibit special adaptations to survive the dry phases that are recurrent in such ecosystems. This study included more than 250 water bodies distributed on the whole Sicilian territory and on the small circum-Sicilian islands. This paper represents a first attempt to characterize Sicilian temporary waters from an ecological point of view and is mainly based on some of their limnological features and on the crustacean components of their communities. In particular, the groups which have been taken into consideration are those of cladocerans, calanoid copepods, and large branchiopods (notostracans, anostracans, and spinicaudatans).

Ecology and biogeography of Sphaerocarpos texanus Austin (Hepaticae): first record from Sicily

Summary During an investigation focused on phanerophyte and bryophyte urban diversity, carried out in Gela town, Sphaerocarpos texanus, a small hepatic, recording before 1950 only in very few localities of Northern Italy, was collected. This finding is the first in the Sicilian territory. The distribution, ecology and description of Sphaerocarpos texanus are presented.

Caratteristiche bioclimatiche della Sicilia

Abstract The results of a bio-climatic study regarding the Sicilian territory is given. On the basis of thermometric and pluviometric data, some indexes proposed by Rivas-Martinez have been produced for 61 localities of the island. In particular, the indexes utilized for the bio-climatic classification are the following: It (index of thermicity), Iov (ombro-thermic index) and Iovc (compensated ombro-thermic index). Besides, for the individuation and delimitation of the bio-climatic belts and relative thermo-types and ombro-types other data, as average annual temperatures, average annual precipitation, geomorphology and relative climax vegetation, have been considered. On the whole, the bio-climatic belts occurring in Sicily are: inframediterranean, thermomediterranean, mesomediterranean, supramediterranean, oromediterranean and crioromediterranean. The correlations between the vegetation and bio-climate are examined too.