Papers by Tommaso La Mantia
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Nov 19, 2021
Il problema degli incendi in Sicilia è, al pari di quanto accade a livello nazionale e internazio... more Il problema degli incendi in Sicilia è, al pari di quanto accade a livello nazionale e internazionale un problema crescente. Scopo di questo editoriale è di apportare un contributo a questa discussione ragionando sulle cause e sui rimedi. L'impatto degli incendi è tale, infatti, che qualunque naturalista dovrebbe avere a cuore questo problema. Naturalmente siamo consapevoli che il fuoco è un fattore coevolutivo importante per la vegetazione mediterranea ma qui naturalmente si affronta il problema degli incendi che, in maniera parossistica, devastano il patrimonio naturalistico dell'isola. Quanto scritto in questo editoriale risponde ad una considerazione ovvia ma forse solo per noi, gli incendi non sono una "emergenza"; se digitate su Google "emergenza incendi Sicilia" vengono fuori 102.000 risultati, ma l'emergenza, secondo la Treccani (), è "Circostanza imprevista, accidente". Però i dati statistici sugli incendi in Sicilia non lasciano dubbi: l'evento rientra tra la normalità che sempre la Treccani considera "Carattere, condizione di ciò che è o si ritiene normale, cioè regolare e consueto …". Mescolo in questo scritto ipotesi di cause e soluzioni perché non sono separabili ed evito di approfondire con riferimenti bibliografici dettagliati che, seppure disponibili, appesantirebbero il testo ma che sono disponibile a fornire a chi li richiederà. PASTORIZIA, BRUCIATURA DEI RESIDUI AGRICOLI, RACCOLTA ASPARAGI La maggior parte degli incendi che scoppiano interessano zone preforestali, quali macchia, praterie perenni e hanno relazioni con il pascolo perché sono provocati da chi conta sulla capacità immediata di ricaccio (anche in assenza di pioggia) delle tenaci specie erbacee perenni (Ampelodesma, Hyparrenhia, Lygeum) e arbusti vari. Vantaggi effimeri, mentre invece un sistema agroforestale con una forte componente arborea apporterebbe solo vantaggi agli animali. Su questo tema esiste
Forests, Oct 21, 2020
Large old trees are extraordinary organisms. They not only represent a historical, landscape and ... more Large old trees are extraordinary organisms. They not only represent a historical, landscape and environmental heritage of inestimable value, but they also witness a long history of environmental changes and human interventions, and constitute an as yet poorly known reserve of genetic variability which can be considered a great resource for management programs of forest species. This is the first genetic study on Italian, large, old chestnut trees (Castanea sativa Mill.). Ninety-nine trees were surveyed and analysed. For each tree, more than one sample from canopy and root suckers was collected to test for the genetic integrity of the individuals. All samples were genotyped using nine nuclear microsatellite markers (nSSRs) and 106 unique genetic profiles were identified. A Bayesian analysis performed with the software STRUCTURE revealed the occurrence of two main gene pools and unveiled the genetic relationships existing among the genotyped individuals, and with the natural chestnut populations living in proximity. A phylogeographic structure of the plastid diversity was also obtained by the use of DNA sequence variation at two marker regions, revealing different origins and probable connections of the old trees with different glacial refugia. Our results contribute to an improved evaluation of the European chestnut genetic resources and provide useful insights into the species' history and domestication in Italy. The importance of carefully targeted conservation strategies for these invaluable organisms is reaffirmed.
NATURALISTA SICILIANO, 2015
Some species of animals related to forest habitats have disappeared or greatly decreased in the f... more Some species of animals related to forest habitats have disappeared or greatly decreased in the first half of the last century. However, during the second half of the last century the forest areas have increased and many forests have been protected. This produced conditions for a re-colonization or reintroduction of extinct forest animal species. The present study is a complete overview of records of extinct and still living Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, European green Woodpecker Picus viridis, Middle spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius and Lesser spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos minor in Sicily and Calabria (Southern Italy). This study was carried out to show that these woodpeckers, or at least some of them, may have existed in Sicily and are possible candidate for reintroduction projects in the island. This explains the reasons of a historical and contemporary survey on the presence of the above mentioned species in Calabria, that could be the place where these birds could be recovered for possible reintroduction projects in Sicily.
Italian Journal of Agronomy, May 3, 2023
Groves with ancient olive trees (Olea europaea L.) could be considered remnants of old agroforest... more Groves with ancient olive trees (Olea europaea L.) could be considered remnants of old agroforestry systems. Anything but static, these agro-ecosystems have undergone drastic transformational processes in Mediterranean countries, where abandonment or intensification have been observed far more than continuity, expansion or renaissance, leading to environmental degradation of rural areas. Starting from this assumption and inspired by historical ecology and historical geography, we consider centuries-old olive trees as living archives of human-nature interactions and are thus proxies of past agroforestry. Our aim is to better understand what has driven dynamics of change and persistence, happening today as well as in the past. We first travel backward in time, looking at the ecology of land management systems during the Roman period (ca 200 BC-400 AD) and late Antiquity (ca AD 400-700). The special focus is the island of Sicily, the granary of the Empire, well known as a region where cereal production increased around the latifundia economy. We reconstruct the diversity of land tenure and the ecology of such complex systems, by combining records from Roman agriculturalists and palaeoenvironmental evidence of the past. We then zoom out, to look at today's management practices in olive groves, thus drawing a parallel between Antiquity and today. Our work provides valuable insights into the correlation between certain organisation models, ecological strategies and adaptation capacity over the long term, clearly showing that human and nature dimensions are interconnected. Such entanglement may be a key element for ensuring these agroecosystems resilience. All elements that may contribute to the re-invention of sustainable forms of their management, for the present and the future.
Soil is a key component of ecosystems as it provides fundamental ecosystem functions and services... more Soil is a key component of ecosystems as it provides fundamental ecosystem functions and services, first of all supporting primary productivity, by physical, chemical and biological interaction with plants. However, soil loss and degradation are at present two of the most critical environmental issues. This phenomenon is particularly critical in Mediterranean areas, where inappropriate land management, in combination with the increasingly harshening of climatic conditions due to Climate Change, is leading to significant land degradation and desertification and is expected to worsen in the future, leading to economic and social crisis. In such areas, it is of fundamental importance to apply sustainable management practices, as conservation/restoration measures, to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality. This approach is at the core of the LIFE project Desert-Adapt "Preparing desertification areas for increased climate change" which is testing a new framework of sustainable land management strategies based on the key concept that the maintenance of ecosystems quality is necessarily connected to economic and social security in these fragile areas. The project will test adaptation strategies and measures in 10 sites of three Mediterranean areas under strong desertification risk, Alentejo in Portugal, Extremadura in Spain and Sicily in Italy. We present the baseline data of soil quality analysis from 32 sites in the 10 study areas of the project. Key drivers of soil quality and quantity were identified and used as basis to select sustainable management strategies focused on the maintenance, improvement and/or recovery of soil-based ecosystem services, with particular attention to climate change adaptation and land productivity. The final objective of the project is to demonstrate, according to the LDN approach, the best adaptation strategies to recover degraded areas from low-productive systems into resource-efficient and low-carbon economies to preserve ecosystem quality and booster economy and social security
Plant Ecology, Jan 31, 2020
Vegetation natural regeneration after agri-9 cultural abandonment is changing the landscape 10 pa... more Vegetation natural regeneration after agri-9 cultural abandonment is changing the landscape 10 patterns in many areas worldwide. However, the 11 expansion rate, spatio-temporal dynamics, and the role 12 of past vegetation cover in shaping such patterns are 13 still barely quantified in fine and meso scales. Here, we 14 aim to quantify the expansion rate and assess the 15 spatio-temporal patterns and the effects of past cover 16 on natural woody vegetation cover increase. We 17 sampled woodland and shrubland cover from 1992 18 to 2016 in 30 ha in a formerly managed pastureland in 19 Sicily, Italy. We combined field sampling, GIS tools, 20 and spatial analysis to assess the spatial structure dynamics and test the effects of past cover amount and type and distance from forest or nearest woody patch on the proportional expansion of natural regeneration. After 24 years, woody cover increased 68%, despite the aggregated spatial structure in 1992 remaining almost unchanged in 2016. The past vegetation cover was the best predictor of woody vegetation expansion in two out of three plots. Distance to continuous forest and to the nearest woody patch, as well as cover type, was not relevant. Our study highlights the importance of fine-and meso-scale studies to reveal both the deterministic and stochastic facet of woody vegetation dynamics. Natural regeneration may strongly change landscape patterns even under constant herbivory pressure and long-term deforestation. The detection of cold and hotspots of regeneration provide an important prompt for the design of restoration programs and landscape management.
Biodiversity Journal
The authors provide an updated overview of the past and present regional distribution of the two-... more The authors provide an updated overview of the past and present regional distribution of the two-tailed Pasha Charaxes jasius jasius (Linnaeus, 1767) (Lepidoptera Nymphalidae) and its host plant, the strawberry tree Arbutus unedo L. Most of the occurrence data reported in the entomological literature was confirmed, and several new populations have been recently discovered. The distribution pattern of the insect and its host plant overlap almost perfectly. C. jasius jasius is more abundant and forms large and stable populations on the Peloritani Mts. and in some areas of the Madonie Mountains. The high number of new records of C. jasius jasius suggests that the species is experiencing a spreading phase, but the reasons behind this trend are still unexplained and need further field research and monitoring activities. The recent increase of its populations may depend on the current protection of many forest and pre-forest communities hosting the strawberry trees.
Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology
XII Convegno Nazionale Biodiversità, Ambienti, Salute., Jul 9, 2021
Long-living trees are witnesses of environmental changes and human interventions; these extraordi... more Long-living trees are witnesses of environmental changes and human interventions; these extraordinary organisms not only represent a historical, landscape and environmental heritage of inestimable value, but they also are a reserve of genetic variability which can considered as a great resource for management programs of forest species. This is the first genetic study on Italian
Many traditional agricultural systems show different limits both in ecological and economic terms... more Many traditional agricultural systems show different limits both in ecological and economic terms. These limits are exacerbated by the increasingly extreme climatic conditions which in the southern regions are manifested essentially in a concentration of rainfall and in increasingly intense dry periods. As part of the LIFE (Desert Adapt) project, some companies involved in the project are modifying their cultivation systems without changing the land use destination. This appears possible by introducing elements of diversification which make the system more resilient as a whole but which guarantees safer economic resources. In particular, in the case of a "classic" agricultural company Caltagirone (Sicily, Ct) (prickly pear and fruit orchard), the farmer accepted spread of woody forest species for the production of firewood. Furthermore, the spread of brambles and asparagus allows you to have supplementary productions of great commercial value because the fruits are collected and sold. Generally these plants are eliminated during the normal operations of managing the prickly pear. The company is also spreading Bamboo, which is increasingly appreciated today as a \u201cwood\u201d. More complex are the interventions to be implemented in the cereal-zootechnical farms where the practice of burning stubble has led to the total elimination of arboreal and shrub vegetation (Fig. 1). In this case there is also a cultural problem related to the fact that shepherds do not adequately consider the advantages deriving from the presence of wood species. The projects, which will be implemented within the Rural Development Plan of the Sicilian Region but with the support of the LIFE Desert Adapt in the dissemination phase, foresee a total paradigm shift. In fact, the creation of arboreal bands presupposes that these are defended from the action of the animals in the early stages of growth and subsequently actively from fires. The latter, as already mentioned, are hanged to eliminate residual straw and this guarantees an immediate but ephemeral advantage in terms of soil fertility. The adequate management of the residues allows, in the long run, to increase the content of organic substance in the soil and therefore to achieve lasting advantages in terms of fertility. Also for these companies one of the main objectives remains to diversify production. This goal is not easy to achieve because often these companies have soils with pedological limits (excess clay) which reduces the possibility of choice. However, choices are being made that are already determining advantages including, for example, the breeding of bees and the creation of multifunctional riparian vegetation. The presence of riparian vegetation or lines of vegetation or small woods also reduces the effects of erosion and loss of surface soil. In the future, the possibility of using the trees (Popolus, Salix) for the production of wood will be evaluated
Edizioni Danaus, 2020
Over the last 40 years, we have been regularly conducting observations in a typical hinterland ar... more Over the last 40 years, we have been regularly conducting observations in a typical hinterland area of Sicily around the inhabited centre of Roccapalumba. The heterogeneity of the territory made up of strips of natural woods, reforestation, cultivated areas (especially arable lands and small orchards), pastures, bushy areas, isolated rocks, a river and many small artificial lakes has created suitable habitats for almost all species of hilly environments in Sicily. During the study period, no substantial changes have occurred in the landscape at the level of land\u2010use macro\u2010categories, with the exception of new pine afforestation. Major changes have been observed, however, within agro\u2010ecosystems (with the disappearance of almond groves) and in the management of agro\u2010ecosystems and marginal areas. Changes in birdlife are due either to changes in the status of a given species at local or global level, or to the above\u2010mentioned reasons
The fallow deer extends far beyond its original range due to recurrent extinctions and reintroduc... more The fallow deer extends far beyond its original range due to recurrent extinctions and reintroductions. In Sicily, the species became extinct in the 19th century and reintroduced at the beginning of 1980. Individuals were initially restricted to fenced areas, however, many escaped and began rapid colonization. Here we report fallow deer population estimations in two areas comprising the bulk of individuals in Sicily: the Madonie mountains and the Ficuzza Nature Reserve, and we discuss the potential impacts and solutions. The data we collected confirm that fallow deer populations are in marked expansion in both areas, particularly in the Madonie. Compared to their initial range, fallow deer have now been recorded in several localities and an increasing number of conflicts have been reported, particularly regarding competition with domestic animals and damage to agricultural crops. The fallow deer\u2019s natural predator, the wolf, is no longer present, and hunting is forbidden inside these protected areas. Preliminary results of the effects of feral dogs in the control or repellence of fallow deer seem interesting, although further studies are needed to fully understand their potential impact on the ecosystem. Surprisingly, Europe has no common ungulate management policy within national parks, making a comparison of results between countries difficult. Furthermore, the lack of studies assessing fallow deer population dynamics and their ecological role impose a number of constraints in defining the best strategy to pursue and extant Italian guidelines for ungulate management seem to be seldom applied in Sicily to date
1° Convegno Nazionale sugli Alberi Monumentali, 2016
Journal of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, 2009
Abstract: Reforestation projects to combat desertification require specific and updated knowledge... more Abstract: Reforestation projects to combat desertification require specific and updated knowledge to better identify and define the best and most efficient intervention plans. This book presents a comprehensive reference of all issues relating to afforestation measures to combat desertification in Italy.
WEBB SUBSP. TROJANA (Fagaceae) NEL BOSCO DELLA FICUZZA (PALERMO, SICILIA) RIASSUNTO Viene segnala... more WEBB SUBSP. TROJANA (Fagaceae) NEL BOSCO DELLA FICUZZA (PALERMO, SICILIA) RIASSUNTO Viene segnalata per la prima volta la presenza del fragno in Sicilia. Il popolamento rinvenuto consta di 73 adulti e 4 giovani, di cui sono state annotate le caratteristiche fitosanitarie e morfometriche. Essi crescono tra 700 e 850 m di quota su un'area di ca. 2,30 ha e partecipano ad un mosaico di vegetazione pre-forestale e forestale. Nonostante due anni di ricerche, non è stato possibile giungere ad alcuna certezza circa lo status della specie. A tal proposito vengono presentate diverse ipotesi alterative e vengono discussi i punti deboli ed i dati a supporto di ciascuna di esse. Considerando che le caratteristiche ambientali di Ficuzza si conciliano molto bene con le esigenze ecologiche di Quercus trojana, persino il suo indigenato non può essere escluso del tutto. Tuttavia, diversi dati sembrano supportare una sua recente introduzione. Infatti, sulla base delle testimonianze raccolte tra gli anziani operai forestali locali, e sulla base dei documenti d'archivio e delle foto aeree, gran parte degli alberi dell'area di rinvenimento risultano impiantati nell'immediato Secondo Dopoguerra e anche le indagini dendrocronologiche hanno rivelato un'età compresa tra 50-60 anni per gli individui di maggiori dimensioni. Qualunque sia l'origine del locale popolamento di fragno, la presenza di rinnovazione spontanea ratifica la sua compiuta naturalizzazione sul territorio siciliano.
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Papers by Tommaso La Mantia