Tuscan Apennines Research Articles

Offscraping and shallow ophiolite accretion in the Ligurian Accretionary Wedge (Tuscan Apennines): role of seafloor structural inheritance

The Morello Tectonic Unit in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy) represents the result of tectonosedimentary deformation, occurring in the frontal part of the non-metamorphosed Ligurian Accretionary Wedge, which consists of ophiolitic slices imbricated with a sedimentary succession containing ophiolite-bearing sedimentary mélanges. Geological mapping and structural and stratigraphic observations allow us to document that (1) the ophiolite-bearing sedimentary mélanges formed by gravitational reworking of material sourced from intrabasinal structural highs facing the oceanic basin environment from the Jurassic to early Eocene, before the middle Eocene accretion stage, and (2) the ophiolitic tectonic slices represent the scraping off at shallow structural levels of part of this sequence of crustal oceanic highs. The final internal architecture of the shallow frontal portion of the Ligurian Accretionary Wedge does not differ from those observed in metamorphosed orogenic belts and exhumed accretionary complexes throughout the world (e.g. blueschist and eclogite units of the Western Alps). This suggests that to the classical model of subduction and metamorphism followed by accretion and mélange formation (i.e. underplating), a model in which frontal accretion and ophiolite mélange formation at a shallow level are followed by underthrusting and subduction can be added, providing additional constraints for a better reconstruction of the evolution of orogenic belts and accretionary complexes. Thematic collection: This article is part of the Ophiolites, melanges and blueschists collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/ophiolites-melanges-and-blueschists

Robotic monitoring of forests: a dataset from the EU habitat 9210* in the Tuscan Apennines (central Italy)

Effective monitoring of habitats is crucial for their preservation. As the impact of anthropic activities on natural habitats increases, accurate and up-to-date information on the state of ecosystems has become imperative. This paper presents a new dataset collected from the forests located in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy) using the ANYmal robot. The dataset provides information regarding the structure and composition of the EU priority habitat 9210*. The dataset, which is publicly available through a Zenodo repository, includes photos, videos, and point clouds of the environment. This dataset is a valuable resource for the scientific community working in the field of forest ecology and conservation and has the potential to inform future research and conservation efforts on habitat 9210*. The collaboration between robotic engineers and plant scientists provides a unique perspective on the forest ecosystem and underscores the potential for interdisciplinary work in this field. This dataset constitutes an important contribution to the ongoing effort to monitor and conserve habitats globally, particularly in light of the challenges posed by global changes.

Assessing the Genetic Variability of Sweet Chestnut Varieties from the Tuscan Apennine Mountains (Italy)

Castanea sativa Mill. is a valuable species with historical and economic importance in Europe, particularly in the Mediterranean area. In Italy, chestnut cultivation has been developed for centuries, leading to the recognition of more than 300 varieties. Nevertheless, a profusion of local names has been assigned by growers, causing the occurrence of synonyms and homonyms across the country. This research focused on genetic characterization and identification using 21 single sequence repeats (SSRs) for four chestnut varieties (i.e., Pastinese, Nerattino, Carpinese, and Rossola) commonly used for flour production in the Tuscan Apennine Mountains (Pistoia Province). A comprehensive number of 55 accessions identified by local growers as belonging to the four varieties were analyzed, in addition to a few “Marrone” accessions as outgroups. The 21 microsatellites were highly informative, detecting 98 alleles and displaying an average polymorphism information content (PIC) equal to 0.582. In addition, a considerable amount of genetic diversity was revealed, as shown by the heterozygosity levels (He = 0.634 and Ho = 0.475). The STRUCTURE analysis provided clear distinctions among the different varieties, splitting them into four separate groups. This result was also confirmed by UPGMA dendrogram and principal co-ordinates analysis (PCoA). However, one accession (Carp_5), previously identified as Carpinese, showed an allelic profile attributable to Pastinese, suggesting that farmers might have performed mislabeling or grafting propagation errors. Thus, our results confirm the use of SSRs to allocate the accessions of different varieties, uncovering possible synonyms and homonyms. Specifically, in the context of the Pistoiese mountain region, this tool can favor the traceability of processed products, such as flour, enhancing the quality and economic value of the local market. Lastly, our findings have revealed a considerable genetic variability within the Tuscan chestnut varieties whose preservation is mandatory to face climate change challenges through sustainable forest management practices.

Scavenger Activity and Anti-Predator Behaviour in an Apennine Wolf Area

Scavenging guilds often have several trophic levels with varying dominance and intra-guild predation, competition, and interaction. Apex predators can control subordinate predators by limiting their numbers and affecting behaviour but also supply a continuous food source by abandoning carcasses. Camera traps monitored the scavenger guild in Alpe di Catenaia, Tuscan Apennine, for three years to determine intraguild interactions and the behaviour response. Wild boar visited most feeding sites but only scavenged in 1.4% of their visits. Red fox was the most frequent scavenger, traded vigilance and feeding equally, and selected low vegetation density, while marten invested more in feeding than vigilance. Marten was the prime follower, appearing within the shortest time after another scavenger had left the site. Red fox occasionally looked upwards, possibly to detect birds of prey. Badger showed scarcely any vigilance, did not feed much on carcasses but scent-marked abundantly. Wolves showed the highest vigilance in proportion to feeding at carcasses among the scavengers. Sites with good visibility were selected by all scavengers except martens who selected poor visibility and new moon illumination. Scavengers were mostly nocturnal, showed weak responses to twilight hours or lunar illumination, and all but red fox avoided human disturbance areas.

Biocontrol of Phytophthora xcambivora on Castanea sativa: Selection of Local Trichoderma spp. Isolates for the Management of Ink Disease

Ink disease is a devastating disease of chestnut (Castanea sativa) worldwide, caused by Phytophthora species. The only management measures of this disease are chemical and agronomic interventions. This work focuses on the evaluation of the in vitro antagonistic capacity of 20 isolates of Trichoderma spp. selected in a diseased chestnut orchard in Tuscan Apennines (San Godenzo, Italy) for the biocontrol of Phytophthora xcambivora. Each Trichoderma isolate was tested to investigate pathogen inhibition capability by antagonism in dual cultures and antibiosis by secondary metabolites production (diffusible and Volatile Organic Compounds). The six most performing isolates of Trichoderma spp. were further assessed for their aptitude to synthesize chitinase, glucanase and cellulase, and to act as mycoparasite. All six selected isolates displayed the capability to control the pathogen in vitro by synergistically coupling antibiosis and mycoparasitism at different levels regardless of the species they belong to, but rather, in relation to specific features of the single genotypes. In particular, T. hamatum SG18 and T. koningiopsis SG6 displayed the most promising results in pathogen inhibition, thus further investigations are needed to confirm their in vivo efficacy.

The golden jackal Canis aureus L. 1758 (Carnivora: Canidae) on the Tuscan Apennines

We report the first observations of the golden jackal on the Tuscan Apennines (Italy). We observed two individuals 15 times in the district of Prato, between 21 November 2021 and 5 January 2022. Their presence has been assessed through camera traps at the edge of an urbanized area. The southernmost presence data for Italy reported in the literature is documented for Emilia-Romagna, about 200 km north from Prato, while a recent unpublished report records its presence in northern Lazio, about 300 km south. These observations highlight the need to increase the research effort to monitor the expansion of the golden jackal along the Italian peninsula more efficiently.

Lifelong non-invasive genetic monitoring of a philopatric female wolf in the Tuscan Apennines, Italy

Lifelong non-invasive genetic monitoring of a philopatric female wolf in the Tuscan Apennines, Italy

Variations in trends of temperature and its influence on tree growth in the Tuscan Apennines

Variations in trends of temperature and its influence on tree growth in the Tuscan Apennines

The Source Materials for Lime Production in the Monte Pisano Area (NW Tuscany, Italy)

In the Monte Pisano area (north-western Tuscany, Italy) several limestones outcrop and some of them are carbonate-rich rocks that were used for air-hardening lime or hydraulic lime production. Since Roman times, carbonate rocks outcropping in the Monte Pisano area have been used for that purpose. Monte Pisano is a mountainous system of modest size that is part of the Tuscan Apennine, located in the north-western part of Tuscany, and it separates the two cities of Pisa and Lucca. As an obvious consequence of the presence of good source rocks useful for the production of lime, in the surroundings of Monte Pisano there was a great use of carbonate rocks for the production of aerial lime and hydraulic lime. In fact, the monumental buildings in the Middle Ages were built making extensive use of binding materials obtained by firing rocks belonging to formations of the Tuscan metamorphic sequence: the Monte Pisano marble and the Selciferous Limestone. Several famous monuments in Pisa’s Miracle Square and in Lucca’s historical centre were built by using air-hardening lime and hydraulic lime obtained by firing these rocks. The aim of this work is to characterize samples from the Monte Pisano quarries, where the aforementioned carbonate-rich stones were quarried to produce air-hardening lime and hydraulic lime, by mean of chemical, mineralogical and petrographic studies and by determining their physical and mechanical properties. These same properties will also be determined on handmade mortar samples made up of self-produced binders and normalised sand to evaluate the best uses, and the optimum time and temperature of stone firing.

Acoustic analysis of wolf howls recorded in Apennine areas with different vegetation covers

In animal communication, acoustic signals can be used to census individuals as well as groups of individuals of the same species. The wolf (Canis lupus) is a protected species in Europe, and the study of its vocalizations may furnish information about its spatial distribution, reproductive success, and social behaviour. This study was conducted in seven locations of the Tuscan Apennines over 2 years. Seven different free-ranging wolf-packs, from different environmental habitats, were recorded. The minimum wolf number of each pack was ascertained along with the presence of pups. Different acoustic characteristics were found among packs, confirming that the group-specific vocal signature is a useful method to recognize packs in the wild. Howls were also analysed in relation to different environmental characteristics, and different frequencies were found to correlate open/closed habitats, so environmental variables should be included in sound analysis models to recognise individual packs.

Patterns of change in α and β taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in the secondary succession of semi-natural grasslands in the Northern Apennines.

We studied the secondary succession in semi-natural grasslands (dry grasslands and hay meadows) located in the eastern side of the Tuscan Apennines (Tuscany, Central Italy). We compared these habitats, investigating: (i) the changes in species richness, composition and phylogenetic diversity during the succession; (ii) whether the trends in species loss and species turnover in taxonomic diversity matched those in phylogenetic diversity. We performed a stratified random sampling, in a full factorial design between habitat type and succession stage (60 sampled plots, 10 × 2 types of habitat × 3 stages of succession). We constructed a phylogenetic tree of the plant communities and compared the differences in taxonomic/phylogenetic α- and β-diversity between these two habitats and during their succession. We identified indicator species for each succession stage and habitat. Looking at α-diversity, both habitats displayed a decrease in species richness, with a random process of species selection in the earlier succession stages from the species regional pool. Nevertheless, in the latter stage of dry grasslands we recorded a shift towards phylogenetic overdispersion at the higher-level groups in the phylogenetic tree. In both habitats, while the richness decreased with succession stage, most species were replaced during the succession. However, the hay meadows were characterized by a higher rate of new species’ ingression whereas the dry grasslands became dominated with Juniperus communis. Accordingly, the two habitats showed similar features in phylogenetic β-diversity. The main component was true phylogenetic turnover, due to replacement of unique lineages along the succession. Nevertheless, in dry grasslands this trend is slightly higher than expected considering the major importance of difference in species richness of dry grasslands sites and this is due to the presence of a phylogenetically very distant species (J. communis).

In vitro propagation and conservation of wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) genotypes collected in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy)

In vitro propagation and conservation of wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) genotypes collected in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy)

A tele-ultrasonographic platform to collect specialist second opinion in less specialized hospitals.

In non-urban scenarios: rural areas or small cities, there is often a limited access to specialistic healthcare due to the inherent challenges associated with recruitment, retention, and access to healthcare professionals. Telemedicine is an economical and effective way to address this problem. In this research, we developed a framework for real-time communication during ultrasound examination that combines interaction via standard video conference protocols and basic AR functionalities (commercial) and a custom-developed application. The tele-ultrasonographic platform has been installed in a rural hospital in the Tuscan Apennines, and was tested on 12 patients. The study explores the utility of the system from the local and remote clinician perspectives. The results obtained provide valuable insight: the platform and the telemedicine paradigm can reduce the costs related to the necessity to move critical patients when there is a need for a specialist second opinion. Moreover, the possibility of having an expert guiding and commenting on the fly the diagnostic examination has also a didactic power, and thus allows the local less specialized clinicians to grow in competencies over time.

Genetic diversity and changes in phenolic contents and antiradical activity of Vaccinium myrtillus berries from its southernmost growing area in Italy

In this study, we evaluated by the RAPD technique the genetic diversity of 42 individual Vaccinium myrtillus L. plant samples, collected from different locations of Tuscan Apennines (Italy), which represent the southernmost growing latitude of this plant. Total polyphenols, total anthocyanins and radical scavenging activity were also determined in two successive harvesting years on bilberry samples obtained from the same individuals characterized by molecular analysis. The RAPD analysis indicated a highly prevalent gamic propagation of bilberry in the investigated area, and, in accordance with genetic findings elsewhere reported for populations of Central and Northern Europe, suggested the presence, from North-to-South Europe, of a clonal-to-gamic genetic gradient of the propagation strategy. In the context of a quite homogeneous panorama of biochemical data, significant variations were occasionally evidenced by comparing closely-located individuals. We tentatively attributed such variations mainly to genetics, due to the very close location of biomes exhibiting different biochemical attributes. However, molecular clustering by RAPD did not show any relationship with biochemical diversity. Strong variations of climatic conditions were probable responsible of the remarkable variability of the investigated biochemical parameters in the two harvesting years.

Soilless systems as an alternative to wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) traditional open-field cultivation in marginal lands of the Tuscan Apennines to enhance crop yield and producers’ income

ABSTRACTYield and quality of wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.) cultivars ‘Regina delle Valli’ and ‘Alpine’ cultivated in soil, as the traditional production system, and in soilless (both in open air and protected environments), as an innovative and sustainable production system, were investigated in a marginal and inner area of the Pistoiese Apennine Mountains during two production seasons. An earlier marketable production was obtained in soilless culture, but total marketable yield was higher from plants grown in a traditional open-field environment. Fruits obtained from the protected soilless system were larger, but developed some mildew, had some visual defects, and revealed a reduced skin chroma index, flesh firmness, and total soluble solids content compared to fruits harvested from plants grown under direct sunlight, while no significant differences were observed in total titratable acidity and pH between growing systems. ‘Alpine’ was more suited to soilless protected cultivation, with a much higher yield compared to ‘Regina delle Valli’. Physicochemical properties of berries were not affected by the cultivar, but fruit quality changed with plant age and seasonal crop cycle. ‘Alpine’ fruits gained a greater sensorial preference, both in traditional soil and soilless culture.

Assessment of geotechnical and hydrological properties of hillslopes by means of on site and laboratory tests: a case study in Tuscany (Central Italy)

The aim of this study is to realize an in-depth characterization of geotechnical and hydrological properties of cover soils affected by landslides. In particular, an extensive geotechnical campaign, carried out by means of on site and laboratory test, was performed in correspondence of selected sites of the main soil types covering the most widespread and representative lithologies of the area test (arenaceous-marly flysch and calcareous-marly flysch). Area test (Tuscany region, Central Italy), located in correspondence of the northern Tuscan Apennine ridge and the southern hilly-mountainos sectors (Mount Amiata and Metalliferous hills), consists of alluvial plains surrounded and crossed by major mountain chains, having a relief that is dominated by hills used for agriculture. Measured geotechnical and hydrological parameters are necessary to carry out studies on the conditions of slope stability and calculate the safety factor. In situ measurements of geotechnical properties are employed to improve the assessment of the variation and uncertainty affecting these parameters.

Recovering mountain Mediterranean grasslands for breeding birds: ecology and population status shape species responses to management

The Mediterranean basin is considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspots. This extraordinary richness originates mainly from thousands of years of human activities that deeply modified the landscape. Safeguarding the so-called cultural landscapes plays a key role in biodiversity conservation. In this paper we present the results of our monitoring of the effects of the life project “Preservation of mountain grasslands of the Tuscan Apennines”, mainly characterized by shrub-cutting actions, on bird populations in the Pratomagno pasture, one of the two areas where the project was implemented, a SPA in eastern Tuscany. The monitoring plan covers a period of 5 years. We tested the effects of shrub clearing on a series of bird community parameters, such as abundance and richness of common species and of some ecological guilds. We also tested the timing of the response to the interventions (immediate or drawn out over time). Our results show a dramatic decrease of birds associated with shrubland, while there were no important increases in grassland species, with the sole exception of Woodlark. Regardless of their positive or negative effects, our results show different response times for individual species or groups of species. Moreover, species with a bad regional conservation status increased less than those with a good one. Broadly speaking, these results suggest that the efficacy of such projects depends on a careful preliminary assessment of a number of aspects, encompassing the nature of the interventions themselves and the characteristics of the target sites, but also the type of response of target species and the conservation status of target populations.

The Longest Day: Dino Campana and Walt Whitman Across Italy and South America

ACCORDING TO ROGER ASSELINEAU, Dino Campana (1885-1932), author of the collection Canti Orfici [Orphic Songs] (1914),1 was the most influenced by Walt Whitman.2 Yet, the connections between these poets have not been thoroughly explored nor have critics assessed the implications of Campana's decision to take Leaves of Grass with him in 1907, when he left from Genoa on ship for Argentina in what would become his transformative journey to South America.3Campana-who has been regarded (and perhaps stereotypically stigmatized) as the poete maudit par excellence, because of his mental illness,4 his extravagant and rebellious ways of living, his turbulent social interactions, and the explosive power of his poetic voice-was, with this journey, abandoning himself once again to the roaming life that he deeply loved. But this time the was going much farther than on previous sojourns to Paris, or Switzerland, or Mount of La Verna in the Tuscan Apennines, which he loved to climb and get lost in for weeks. This time, Campana was going far away to start new life in the American hemisphere that he had encountered through the words of Whitman, so it was fitting to bring Leaves of Grass along. With reference to his journeys and experiences in South America, Campana wrote with mythopoetical and very Whitmanian perception of the American landscape and its imminent potential (especially in the poems Journey to Montevideo, Pampas, A Trolley Ride to and Back, Dualism, and in the early draft of Pampas, The Fiery Train on the Tawny Pampas).5 These poems can be read as Campana's creative response to Whitman's idea of America as the source of an extra-European newness, freedom, and regeneration. For Campana, just as for Whitman, to be in America and of America meant to move toward modernity and experimentation, to embody bardic voice that sings future land of equality and democracy, to pursue personal, social, political, and also creative liberation.6Dino Campana represented figure of radical alterity within the context of the avant-gardist literary scene of his time-a scene that he repeatedly and desperately tried to enter, but also scene from which he naturally stood out because of his highly idiosyncratic manner, characterized by mixture of stylistic innovations and archaisms and by daring expressionist tone. Although he studied in prestigious grammar school in Faenza, took part in university cultural life in Bologna, and did his novitiate in the Florentine avant-garde circles that gathered around the literary magazines Lacerba and La Voce and the literary cafe Giubbe Rosse, Campana refused to adhere to the literary edicts of the futurist avant-gardes that rejected the values of the nineteenth century and that urged the emergence of new intellectual class ready to make sense of the new industrial society. As result, Campana was shunned and misunderstood by these circles during his lifetime and also excluded from the mainstream canon after his premature death. His poetic vision remains singular. Labels classifying him as the Italian or visionary poet have done as much to distort our understanding of his work as have the harsh words of the Umberto Saba, who judged Campana to be crazy, only crazy.7 We should recognize Campana instead as someone with serious mental issues that had the effect of radicalizing his verse and making it, as and critic Edoardo Sanguineti said, enact sort of cultural sabotage that led [him] to be completely alone to face things in their nakedness.8Eugenio Montale's description of Campana as a tramp who read Rimbaud and Whitman9 (and, we could add, Verlaine, Baudelaire, Poe, Goethe, and Nietzsche) reminds us that, while spending weeks hiking in the mountains, incarcerated for months here and there, and travelling penniless around Europe and South America, Campana imbibed from the very sources of western poetic modernity,10 and one key source was Whitman. …

Evidence of climatic control on hydrocarbon seepage in the Miocene of the northern Apennines: The case study of the Vicchio Marls

The Vicchio outcrop in the Tuscan Apennines contains excellent exposures of a Miocene methane-derived carbonate system, made up of more than 80 carbonate bodies enclosed in marly sediments. Facies analysis, composition and a detailed biostratigraphic study of the carbonates and enclosing Vicchio Marls allowed us to document the role of climatic changes and eustasy on seepage in these ancient deposits. Results of our study indicate that the stratigraphic horizon bearing seep-carbonates is constrained by two planktonic foraminiferal events, the Acme End (AE) of Turborotalita cf. T. quinqueloba (13.75 Ma) and the Acme1 Beginning (A1B) of Paragloborotalia siakensis (13.32 Ma), encompassing about 400,000 years. The AE of T. cf. T. quinqueloba approximates the mid-Miocene global cooling event (Mi3b), as defined by the δ18O maxima (13.78 Ma). The glacio-eustatic sea level drop associated with this cooling event is estimated to be approximately 60 m. Assuming that the highest rates of glacio-eustatic sea level fall coincide with δ18O maxima, the timing of the seepage onset (at about 13.75 Ma) is concomitant with the phase of sea level-lowering. The ascent and emission of methane-rich fluids may have been triggered by pressure drop due to the eustatic fall associated with the Mi3b event. The moderate intensity of fluid expulsion is suggested by the lack of brecciation, by the scarcity of detrital particles in the carbonates and by the pervasive occurrence of carbonate in the enclosing marls. This type of seepage differs from focused fault-confined fluid flows, typical of other tectonically controlled Apenninic seep-carbonates.

Diversità ornitica nei cedui di cerro utilizzati e in conversione: un confronto nell’Appennino settentrionale

Abstract: In the last decades, socio-economical changes occurred in Italy have deeply affected woodland, particularly coppices. Although most of them, above all in public land, are being converted to high forests, in the last years coppices have been experiencing an increase in their use. The claimed need to reconcile silviculture and biodiversity conservation calls for a better understanding of the effects of coppice management practices on the different components of biodiversity. Using birds as environmental indicators, we studied differences in species composition and diversity of bird communities in coppices and “transitory stands” (ex-coppices recently converted in high stands) in the Alpe della Luna forest (Arezzo), in Tuscan Apennines. Relative frequency of each species and the mean abundance and richness at point level were compared among forest typologies. To test the effects of different management types on bird communities, descriptive models (GLM) have been applied using stand age and the amount of non-forest habitats as predictors. Our results show that 34.4% of the species (57.1% considering only forest species) are affected by the forest management type: 9 species (7 considering only forest species) were more common in transitory stands, while only two (of which one considered forest species) in coppices. Overall, richness is higher in transitory stands, where species of mature forests have been found; on the contrary, coppices did not host any open habitat species, as stated in other studies. Richness in forest species is positively related to stand age for both coppice and transitory stands; the amount of open habitats is positively correlated with number of open-habitat species, but it did not negatively affect richness in forest species that apparently did not suffer for any boundary effect.