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Dr. Paolo Vassallo
DiSTAV (Department of Earth, Environmental and Life Sciences), University of Genoa, Cosrso Europa 26, 16132 Genova, Italy

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0 ecological economics
0 Marine Ecology
0 ecosystem health assessment
0 Species and habitat distribution models
0 Natural capital evaluation

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Journal article
Published: 21 April 2021 in Sustainability
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Forest ecosystems are important providers of ecosystem functions and services belonging to four categories: supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services. Forest management, generally focused on timber production, has consequences on the ability of the system to keep providing services. Silviculture, in fact, may affect the ecological structures and processes from which services arise. In particular, the removal of biomass causes a radical change in the stocks and flows of energy characterizing the system. Aiming at the assessment of differences in stored natural capital and ecosystem functions and services provision, three differently managed temperate forests of common beech (Fagus sylvatica) were considered: (1) a forest in semi-natural condition, (2) a forest carefully managed to get timber in a sustainable way and (3) a forest exploited without management. Natural capital and ecosystem functions and services are here accounted in biophysical terms. Specifically, all the resources used up to create the biomass (stock) and maintain the production (flow) of the different components of the forest system were calculated. Both stored emergy and empower decrease with increasing human pressure on the forest, resulting in a loss of natural capital and a diminished ability of the natural system to contribute to human well-being in terms of ecosystem services provision.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Claudia Turcato; Ilaria Rigo; Claudia Scopesi; Andrea Costa; Matteo Barcella; Giulia Dapueto; Mauro Mariotti; Chiara Paoli. Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs. Exploitation. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4638 .

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Claudia Turcato, Ilaria Rigo, Claudia Scopesi, Andrea Costa, Matteo Barcella, Giulia Dapueto, Mauro Mariotti, Chiara Paoli. Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs. Exploitation. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):4638.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Claudia Turcato; Ilaria Rigo; Claudia Scopesi; Andrea Costa; Matteo Barcella; Giulia Dapueto; Mauro Mariotti; Chiara Paoli. 2021. "Biophysical Accounting of Forests’ Value under Different Management Regimes: Conservation vs. Exploitation." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 4638.

Research article
Published: 02 July 2020 in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
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Geospatial models are used to predict the distribution of terrestrial and marine species, according to their ecological and ethological habits. The bottlenose dolphin is a cosmopolitan marine top predator, inhabiting most of the ocean, with the exception of polar and subpolar waters. This wide distribution is associated with a remarkable plasticity in ecological and behavioural habits, which makes it difficult to model and predict its distribution. This study proposes a ‘multi‐type approach’ to predict the presence and distribution of the bottlenose dolphin in the Pelagos Sanctuary, a Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance located in the north‐west Mediterranean Sea. A multi‐type model based on random forest regression was developed, analysing the distribution habits of two geographical units living in the Pelagos area. When compared with a classical single‐type model, the multi‐type model performed much better in a prediction test (true skill statistics, TSS = 85% vs. 52%), confirming the value of this experimental approach. This work suggests that wild species should not be considered as one single‐type entity, as local specialization may change and shape their distribution habits.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Marini; Chiara Paoli; Michela Bellingeri; Frank Dhermain; Silvio Nuti; Sabina Airoldi; Patrizia Bonelli; Sophie Laran; Marie C. Santoni; Guido Gnone. Species‐specific distribution model may be not enough: The case study of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) habitat distribution in Pelagos Sanctuary. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 2020, 30, 1689 -1701.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Chiara Marini, Chiara Paoli, Michela Bellingeri, Frank Dhermain, Silvio Nuti, Sabina Airoldi, Patrizia Bonelli, Sophie Laran, Marie C. Santoni, Guido Gnone. Species‐specific distribution model may be not enough: The case study of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) habitat distribution in Pelagos Sanctuary. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2020; 30 (8):1689-1701.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Marini; Chiara Paoli; Michela Bellingeri; Frank Dhermain; Silvio Nuti; Sabina Airoldi; Patrizia Bonelli; Sophie Laran; Marie C. Santoni; Guido Gnone. 2020. "Species‐specific distribution model may be not enough: The case study of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) habitat distribution in Pelagos Sanctuary." Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 30, no. 8: 1689-1701.

Journal article
Published: 26 November 2019 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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Understanding which drivers cause diversity patterns is a key issue in conservation. Here we applied a spatially explicit model to predict marine benthic diversity patterns according to environmental factors in the NW Mediterranean Sea. While most conservation-oriented diversity studies consider species richness only and neglect equitability, we measured separately species richness, equitability, and ‘overall’ diversity (i.e., the Shannon-Wiener H′ function) on a dataset of 890 benthic species × 209 samples. Diversity values were predicted by means of Random Forest regression, on the basis of 10 factors: depth, distance from the coast, distance from the shelf break, latitude, sea-floor slope, sediment grain size, sediment sorting, distance from harbours and marinas, distance from rivers, and sampling gear. Predictions by Random Forests were accurate, the main predictors being latitude, sediment grain size, depth and distance from the coast. Based on predicted values, diversity hotspots were identified as those localities where indices were in the 15% top segment of ranked values. Only a minority of the diversity hotspots was included within the boundaries of the protection institutes established in the region. Marine protected areas are often created in sites harbouring important coastal habitats, which risks neglecting the diversity hidden in the sedimentary seafloor. We suggest that marine protected areas should accommodate portions of sedimentary habitat within their boundaries to improve diversity conservation.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Stefano Aliani; Silvia Cocito; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. Benthic diversity patterns and predictors: A study case with inferences for conservation. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2019, 150, 110748 .

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Chiara Paoli, Stefano Aliani, Silvia Cocito, Carla Morri, Carlo Nike Bianchi. Benthic diversity patterns and predictors: A study case with inferences for conservation. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2019; 150 ():110748.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Stefano Aliani; Silvia Cocito; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2019. "Benthic diversity patterns and predictors: A study case with inferences for conservation." Marine Pollution Bulletin 150, no. : 110748.

Journal article
Published: 26 August 2019 in Diversity
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Biotic homogenization is an expected effect of biological invasions. Invasive alien species typically show great adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions and may expand into different habitats, thus reducing the dissimilarity among the recipient communities. We tested this assumption by analyzing a comprehensive database (78 species × 229 samples) collected between 2012 and 2017 in the marine protected area of Portofino (NW Italy), where Caulerpa cylindracea, one of the worst invaders in the Mediterranean Sea, exhibits high substratum cover at depths between 1 m and 45 m in 14 different communities (identified according to the European Nature Information System EUNIS for habitat classification). Five samples for each of the eight depth zones (i.e., 5 m, 10 m, 15 m, 20 m, 25 m, 30 m, 35 m, and 40 m) were randomly re-sampled from the comprehensive database to produce a dataset of 67 species × 40 samples. Then, a second dataset of 66 species × 40 samples was simulated by excluding Caulerpa cylindracea. Both re-sampled datasets underwent multivariate analysis. In the presence of C. cylindracea, the overall similarity among samples was higher, thus indicating homogenization of the rocky reef communities of Portofino Marine Protected Area. Continued monitoring activity is needed to understand and assess the pattern and extent of C. cylindracea’s inclusion in the recipient ecosystems.

ACS Style

Carla Morri; Monica Montefalcone; Giulia Gatti; Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Carlo Nike Bianchi. An Alien Invader is the Cause of Homogenization in the Recipient Ecosystem: A Simulation-Like Approach. Diversity 2019, 11, 146 .

AMA Style

Carla Morri, Monica Montefalcone, Giulia Gatti, Paolo Vassallo, Chiara Paoli, Carlo Nike Bianchi. An Alien Invader is the Cause of Homogenization in the Recipient Ecosystem: A Simulation-Like Approach. Diversity. 2019; 11 (9):146.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Carla Morri; Monica Montefalcone; Giulia Gatti; Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2019. "An Alien Invader is the Cause of Homogenization in the Recipient Ecosystem: A Simulation-Like Approach." Diversity 11, no. 9: 146.

Journal article
Published: 10 May 2019 in Ecological Modelling
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There is a strong scientific consensus that coastal marine ecosystems, and in particular the midlittoral zone, at the interface between terrestrial and marine realms, are seriously threatened by anthropogenic impacts, along with the goods and services they provide. Along Mediterranean shallow rocky reefs, brown macroalgae belonging to the Cystoseira genus (e.g. Cystoseira amentacea and Cystoseira compressa) are ecosystem engineers, locally creating a continuous fringe in the midlittoral zone, supporting high biodiversity and productivity and providing ecosystem services. A growing interest in the quantification of ecosystem relevance through their economic value aims at raising public awareness and supporting policy-makers in the process of creating new legal instruments supporting the preservation of biodiversity. In this framework, a methodology for ecological and monetary evaluation of natural capital, based on biophysical accounting and on emergy theory, is applied to the habitats of the upper midlittoral zone located above continuous and non-continuous Cystoseira fringe. The proposed approach is a quantitative measure able to analyse the overall functioning of the system and its efficiency in exploiting available resources. The mean economic value of the habitats in the midlittoral zone assessed through the present study is 1.28 em€/m2. Higher values, but associated with a larger variability, were observed in presence of continuous C. compressa fringe. Conversely, in the presence of a continuous C. amentacea fringe, a noticeable habitat-forming species, lower natural capital values were recorded possibly due to the attractive potential of this species in its understorey rather than in the above habitats, concurrently with a lower variability of the natural capital values (lower scatter), suggesting a deterministic homogeneity effect on the above midlittoral habitats. From this study, emergy analysis is confirmed to represent an effective and operative tool to provide a synthetic monetary assessment of natural capital making complex information easily accessible to different stakeholders, from general public to territorial managers.

ACS Style

Gina De La Fuente; V. Asnaghi; M. Chiantore; S. Thrush; P. Povero; P. Vassallo; M. Petrillo; C. Paoli. The effect of Cystoseira canopy on the value of midlittoral habitats in NW Mediterranean, an emergy assessment. Ecological Modelling 2019, 404, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Gina De La Fuente, V. Asnaghi, M. Chiantore, S. Thrush, P. Povero, P. Vassallo, M. Petrillo, C. Paoli. The effect of Cystoseira canopy on the value of midlittoral habitats in NW Mediterranean, an emergy assessment. Ecological Modelling. 2019; 404 ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gina De La Fuente; V. Asnaghi; M. Chiantore; S. Thrush; P. Povero; P. Vassallo; M. Petrillo; C. Paoli. 2019. "The effect of Cystoseira canopy on the value of midlittoral habitats in NW Mediterranean, an emergy assessment." Ecological Modelling 404, no. : 1-11.

Journal article
Published: 09 July 2018 in Mediterranean Marine Science
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The distribution of four top predators in the Tyrrhenian Sea, a sub-basin of the Mediterranean Sea, was investigated by means of random forest regression considering depth, distance from the coast, seafloor slope, and distance from seamounts as habitat descriptors on a 2x2–nautical mile regular grid. RF results are processed to estimate variable importance and model performance. Random forest architecture reached optimal sensitivity and specificity, thus providing a consistent support tool for identifying suitable habitats. The considered species are characterized as having patched suitable habitats with a number of hot-spot areas where the different species’ habitats overlap. These hot-spot areas’ locations correspond to those of specific seamounts identifying the attraction effect of these topographic structures. The mean features typifying the most attractive seamounts are investigated and found to be shallow peak and base depths but wide base area and high relative elevation.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Jessica Alessi; Alberta Mandich; Maurizio Würtz; Cristina Fiori. Seamounts as hot-spots of large pelagic aggregations. Mediterranean Marine Science 2018, 19, 444 -458.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Chiara Paoli, Jessica Alessi, Alberta Mandich, Maurizio Würtz, Cristina Fiori. Seamounts as hot-spots of large pelagic aggregations. Mediterranean Marine Science. 2018; 19 (3):444-458.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Jessica Alessi; Alberta Mandich; Maurizio Würtz; Cristina Fiori. 2018. "Seamounts as hot-spots of large pelagic aggregations." Mediterranean Marine Science 19, no. 3: 444-458.

Journal article
Published: 17 April 2018 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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The availability of marine habitats maps remains limited due to difficulty and cost of working at sea. Reduced light penetration in the water hampers the use of optical imagery, and acoustic methods require extensive sea-truth activities. Predictive spatial modelling may offer an alternative to produce benthic habitat maps based on complete acoustic coverage of the seafloor together with a comparatively low number of sea truths. This approach was applied to the coralligenous reefs of the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo (NE Sardinia, Italy). Fuzzy clustering, applied to a set of observations made by scuba diving and used as sea truth, allowed recognising five coralligenous habitats, all but one existing within EUNIS (European Nature Information System) types. Variable importance plots showed that the distribution of habitats was driven by distance from coast, depth, and lithotype, and allowed mapping their distribution over the MPA. Congruence between observed and predicted distributions and accuracy of the classification was high. Results allowed calculating the occurrence of the distinct coralligenous habitats in zones with different protection level. The five habitats are unequally protected since the protection regime was established when detailed marine habitat maps were not available. A SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analysis was performed to identify critical points and potentialities of the method. The method developed proved to be reliable and the results obtained will be useful when modulating on-going and future management actions in the studied area and in other Mediterranean MPAs to develop conservation efforts at basin scale.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Carlo Nike Bianchi; Chiara Paoli; Florian Holon; Augusto Navone; Giorgio Bavestrello; Riccardo Cattaneo Vietti; Carla Morri. A predictive approach to benthic marine habitat mapping: Efficacy and management implications. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2018, 131, 218 -232.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Carlo Nike Bianchi, Chiara Paoli, Florian Holon, Augusto Navone, Giorgio Bavestrello, Riccardo Cattaneo Vietti, Carla Morri. A predictive approach to benthic marine habitat mapping: Efficacy and management implications. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2018; 131 ():218-232.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Carlo Nike Bianchi; Chiara Paoli; Florian Holon; Augusto Navone; Giorgio Bavestrello; Riccardo Cattaneo Vietti; Carla Morri. 2018. "A predictive approach to benthic marine habitat mapping: Efficacy and management implications." Marine Pollution Bulletin 131, no. : 218-232.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Increasing anthropogenic pressure on coastal regions, coupled with a conflicting relationship between ecosystem health and economic growth, has resulted in a worldwide deterioration of marine ecosystems and loss of ecosystem services. The seagrass Posidonia oceanica is an emblematic example, constituting extensive and highly valuable meadows whose extent largely declined in the last decades. In this paper, more than one century of history of P. oceanica meadows has been reconstructed in a NW Mediterranean region combining models and historical information. The equivalent economic value of P. oceanica ecosystem functions was evaluated according to a donor-side approach and compared with the main economic sector of the region. A loss of more than 50% of the original surface of P. oceanica meadow extent has been documented between 1850 and around 1980, followed by stabilization in the last decades. Decline of P. oceanica has often been coupled with its replacement by the more tolerant seagrass species Cymodocea nodosa, only partially compensating for the loss of P. oceanica. The loss of the value of ecosystem functions between 1861 and 2009 was computed in 1106.8 billion emergy-euros (em€), a figure greater than the value added in the same period by tourism-related activities. Protection measures undertaken in the last decades slowed down the decline of P. oceanica meadows, while no concomitant decrease of the regional economic growth occurred. This study illustrates the tradeoffs between ecosystem conservation and economy growth, underlining the importance of long-term monitoring for environmental management and preservation of the natural capital

ACS Style

Elena Burgos; Monica Montefalcone; Marco Ferrari; Chiara Paoli; Paolo Vassallo; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. Ecosystem functions and economic wealth: Trajectories of change in seagrass meadows. Journal of Cleaner Production 2017, 168, 1108 -1119.

AMA Style

Elena Burgos, Monica Montefalcone, Marco Ferrari, Chiara Paoli, Paolo Vassallo, Carla Morri, Carlo Nike Bianchi. Ecosystem functions and economic wealth: Trajectories of change in seagrass meadows. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2017; 168 ():1108-1119.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elena Burgos; Monica Montefalcone; Marco Ferrari; Chiara Paoli; Paolo Vassallo; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2017. "Ecosystem functions and economic wealth: Trajectories of change in seagrass meadows." Journal of Cleaner Production 168, no. : 1108-1119.

Book chapter
Published: 01 August 2017 in Marine Animal Forests
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Marine animal forests supply several services based on a multiplicity of ecological functions, thus generating a set of benefits to humans. Services have been studied in coral reefs, whereas less is known about the role of other animal forests. Actual estimates of economic value of the ecosystem services provided by reefs highlighted their ability to generate benefits for humankind, but these approaches cannot be considered complete. The fulfillment of sectorial valuations, adopting an anthropocentric approach, hindered an effective quantification, even economic, of total value and consequently of potential damages imposed to habitats. The adoption of a system view, based on the understanding of the entire habitat functioning generating services, is then required. Only from the assessment of functions, and then of natural capital disposition together with its present exploitation level, managers and scientists will be able to perform long-run plans for conservation. System methodologies, and in particular emergy analysis, can fulfill these needs by reversing the traditional approach to the valuation issue. System methodologies adopt a donor-side approach, which evaluates the ecosystem services as the amount of resources invested by nature independently from the presence of users and the value that humans assign to a service. The fulfillment of donor-side evaluations, free from subjective preferences, can be crucial for those ecosystem functions that are essential for the existence of marine animal forests but are not perceived by humans or scarcely evaluated by the market.

ACS Style

Chiara Paoli; Monica Montefalcone; Carla Morri; Paolo Vassallo; Carlo Nike Bianchi. Ecosystem Functions and Services of the Marine Animal Forests. Marine Animal Forests 2017, 1271 -1312.

AMA Style

Chiara Paoli, Monica Montefalcone, Carla Morri, Paolo Vassallo, Carlo Nike Bianchi. Ecosystem Functions and Services of the Marine Animal Forests. Marine Animal Forests. 2017; ():1271-1312.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chiara Paoli; Monica Montefalcone; Carla Morri; Paolo Vassallo; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2017. "Ecosystem Functions and Services of the Marine Animal Forests." Marine Animal Forests , no. : 1271-1312.

Original article
Published: 09 December 2016 in Energy, Ecology and Environment
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The benthopelagic fauna distributed in and around the Santa Maria di Leuca (SML) cold-water coral (CWC) province (Northern Ionian Sea–Central Mediterranean Sea) was analyzed through the development of a mass-balanced ecosystem model. A total of nine balanced simulations were provided taking into account the biomass data collected during several experimental bottom trawl surveys carried out from 2005 to 2010 in a depth range between 101 and 541 m. A total of 100 species were included in the analysis corresponding to 15 cephalopods, 25 crustaceans, 7 chondrichthyes and 54 osteichthyes. Simulations were developed maintaining the species-level detail. The total system throughput estimated in the SML CWC province trophic web resulted mainly due to consumption and about 80% of it was maintained by species with trophic level between 2 and 4. Results highlighted important features in terms of the structure and functioning of the system, such as the high level of activity maintained by intermediate trophic levels and the important role of top-down control in the faunal assemblage due to both vertebrate and invertebrate species.

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; G. D’Onghia; M. Fabiano; P. Maiorano; A. Lionetti; C. Paoli; L. Sion; R. Carlucci. A trophic model of the benthopelagic fauna distributed in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea). Energy, Ecology and Environment 2016, 2, 114 -124.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, G. D’Onghia, M. Fabiano, P. Maiorano, A. Lionetti, C. Paoli, L. Sion, R. Carlucci. A trophic model of the benthopelagic fauna distributed in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea). Energy, Ecology and Environment. 2016; 2 (2):114-124.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; G. D’Onghia; M. Fabiano; P. Maiorano; A. Lionetti; C. Paoli; L. Sion; R. Carlucci. 2016. "A trophic model of the benthopelagic fauna distributed in the Santa Maria di Leuca cold-water coral province (Mediterranean Sea)." Energy, Ecology and Environment 2, no. 2: 114-124.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2016 in Ecological Indicators
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Although the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) is largely based on the establishment of environmental targets and associated proxies to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES), a full suite of ecological indicators for all the ecosystem components is not currently available for ongoing assess- ment and regular update of GES targets. This is because effective indicators and management actions aimed at preserving/rebuilding marine biodiversity should be found from the knowledge of the spatial distribution of target species and extension of critical habitats as well as their overlapping with human activities, pressure and impacts. In this regard, the spatial distributions of the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba and the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea) were investigated by means of a generalized additive model (GAM) and a Random Forest (RF) based on sighting data collected during standardized vessel- based surveys carried out from 2009 to 2015. Eight predictive variables were considered, taking into account both the local physiographic features and human activities existing in the investigated area, suggesting an innovative approach to habitat modeling. In particular, the explanatory variables depth, distance from industrial areas and distance from the coast proved to significantly influence the distri- bution of both dolphin species. In addition, the distribution of S. coeruleoalba and T. truncatus were also significantly shaped by the distance from the navy exercise areas and the fishing areas, respectively. On the contrary, the slope and the distance from the main commercial routes never provided any significant influence. The reliability of GAM and RF models in predicting the spatial distribution of both dolphins was tested by applying the Youden Index method to the ROC curves. The RF model allowed the projection of the expected presence/absence pattern of S. coeruleoalba and T. truncatus to produce the preference habitat versus non habitat map. In particular, the RF model predicted that the striped dolphin is widely present in the central and deeper part of the Gulf of Taranto. In contrast, the common bottlenose dolphin seems to be mainly distributed along the coasts in both the eastern and western sector of the basin. A clear overlapping of the preference habitats estimated for S. coeruleoalba and T. truncatus is shown north of Punta Alice and in front of Policoro as well as offshore from Ugento in the eastern and western parts of the investigated area, respectively. Finally, the critical habitats of S. coeruleoalba and T. truncatus are the outcome of both the influence of environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures presently occurring in the Gulf of Taranto, basically indicating the need for conservation measures, especially con- sidering that the area is expected to be considered for hydrocarbon prospecting. These results contribute to setting up a baseline reference for future assessment of environmental marine disturbances using cetaceans, which are considered a key group in the MSFD, as an ecological indicator

ACS Style

Roberto Carlucci; Carmelo Fanizza; Giulia Cipriano; Chiara Paoli; Tommaso Russo; Paolo Vassallo. Modeling the spatial distribution of the striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) and common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea). Ecological Indicators 2016, 69, 707 -721.

AMA Style

Roberto Carlucci, Carmelo Fanizza, Giulia Cipriano, Chiara Paoli, Tommaso Russo, Paolo Vassallo. Modeling the spatial distribution of the striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) and common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea). Ecological Indicators. 2016; 69 ():707-721.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Roberto Carlucci; Carmelo Fanizza; Giulia Cipriano; Chiara Paoli; Tommaso Russo; Paolo Vassallo. 2016. "Modeling the spatial distribution of the striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba ) and common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) in the Gulf of Taranto (Northern Ionian Sea, Central-eastern Mediterranean Sea)." Ecological Indicators 69, no. : 707-721.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2015 in Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management
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ACS Style

Pier Paolo Franzese; Elvira Buonocore; Chiara Paoli; Francesco Massa; Donati Stefano; Giorgio Fanciulli; Antonino Miccio; Emanuele Mollica; Augusto Navone; Giovanni F. Russo; Paolo Povero; Paolo Vassallo. Environmental Accounting in Marine Protected Areas: the EAMPA Project. Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management 2015, 3, 323 -331.

AMA Style

Pier Paolo Franzese, Elvira Buonocore, Chiara Paoli, Francesco Massa, Donati Stefano, Giorgio Fanciulli, Antonino Miccio, Emanuele Mollica, Augusto Navone, Giovanni F. Russo, Paolo Povero, Paolo Vassallo. Environmental Accounting in Marine Protected Areas: the EAMPA Project. Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management. 2015; 3 (4):323-331.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pier Paolo Franzese; Elvira Buonocore; Chiara Paoli; Francesco Massa; Donati Stefano; Giorgio Fanciulli; Antonino Miccio; Emanuele Mollica; Augusto Navone; Giovanni F. Russo; Paolo Povero; Paolo Vassallo. 2015. "Environmental Accounting in Marine Protected Areas: the EAMPA Project." Journal of Environmental Accounting and Management 3, no. 4: 323-331.

Journal article
Published: 01 April 2015 in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
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International audienceSustained functioning of ecosystems is predicted to depend upon the maintenance of their biodiversity, structure and integrity. The large consensus achieved in this regard, however, faces to the objective difficulty of finding appropriate metrics to measure ecosystem functioning. Here, we aim at evaluating functional consequence of the phase shift occurring in meadows of the Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica, a priority habitat that is undergoing regression in many coastal areas due to multiple human pressures. Structural degradation of the P. oceanica ecosystem, consequent to increasing coastal exploitation and climate change, may result in the progressive replacement of this seagrass by opportunistic macrophytes, either native or alien. Reviewing published information and our personal records, we measured changes in biological habitat provisioning, species richness and biomass associated to each of the alternative states characterizing the phase shift. Then, ecosystem functioning was assessed by computing the exergy associated to each state, exergy being a state variable that measures the ecosystem capacity to produce work. Phase shift was consistently shown to imply loss in habitat provision, species richness, and biomass; structural and compositional loss was parallelled by a reduction of exergy content, thus providing for the first time an objective and integrative measure of the loss of ecosystem functioning following the degradation of healthy seagrass meadows

ACS Style

Monica Montefalcone; Paolo Vassallo; Giulia Gatti; Valeriano Parravicini; Chiara Paoli; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. The exergy of a phase shift: Ecosystem functioning loss in seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 2015, 156, 186 -194.

AMA Style

Monica Montefalcone, Paolo Vassallo, Giulia Gatti, Valeriano Parravicini, Chiara Paoli, Carla Morri, Carlo Nike Bianchi. The exergy of a phase shift: Ecosystem functioning loss in seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean Sea. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 2015; 156 ():186-194.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Monica Montefalcone; Paolo Vassallo; Giulia Gatti; Valeriano Parravicini; Chiara Paoli; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2015. "The exergy of a phase shift: Ecosystem functioning loss in seagrass meadows of the Mediterranean Sea." Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 156, no. : 186-194.

Evaluation study
Published: 01 March 2015 in Journal of Environmental Management
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Habitat modeling is an important tool to investigate the quality of the habitat for a species within a certain area, to predict species distribution and to understand the ecological processes behind it. Many species have been investigated by means of habitat modeling techniques mainly to address effective management and protection policies and cetaceans play an important role in this context. The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) has been investigated with habitat modeling techniques since 1997. The objectives of this work were to predict the distribution of bottlenose dolphin in a coastal area through the use of static morphological features and to compare the prediction performances of three different modeling techniques: Generalized Linear Model (GLM), Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Random Forest (RF). Four static variables were tested: depth, bottom slope, distance from 100m bathymetric contour and distance from coast. RF revealed itself both the most accurate and the most precise modeling technique with very high distribution probabilities predicted in presence cells (90.4% of mean predicted probabilities) and with 66.7% of presence cells with a predicted probability comprised between 90% and 100%. The bottlenose distribution obtained with RF allowed the identification of specific areas with particularly high presence probability along the coastal zone; the recognition of these core areas may be the starting point to develop effective management practices to improve T.truncatus protection

ACS Style

C. Marini; F. Fossa; C. Paoli; M. Bellingeri; G. Gnone; P. Vassallo. Predicting bottlenose dolphin distribution along Liguria coast (northwestern Mediterranean Sea) through different modeling techniques and indirect predictors. Journal of Environmental Management 2015, 150, 9 -20.

AMA Style

C. Marini, F. Fossa, C. Paoli, M. Bellingeri, G. Gnone, P. Vassallo. Predicting bottlenose dolphin distribution along Liguria coast (northwestern Mediterranean Sea) through different modeling techniques and indirect predictors. Journal of Environmental Management. 2015; 150 ():9-20.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. Marini; F. Fossa; C. Paoli; M. Bellingeri; G. Gnone; P. Vassallo. 2015. "Predicting bottlenose dolphin distribution along Liguria coast (northwestern Mediterranean Sea) through different modeling techniques and indirect predictors." Journal of Environmental Management 150, no. : 9-20.

Journal article
Published: 20 June 2014 in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
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Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ACS Style

Cristina Fiori; Luca Giancardo; Mehdi Aïssi; Jessica Alessi; Paolo Vassallo. Geostatistical modelling of spatial distribution of sperm whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary based on sparse count data and heterogeneous observations. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 2014, 24, 41 -49.

AMA Style

Cristina Fiori, Luca Giancardo, Mehdi Aïssi, Jessica Alessi, Paolo Vassallo. Geostatistical modelling of spatial distribution of sperm whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary based on sparse count data and heterogeneous observations. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 2014; 24 (S1):41-49.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cristina Fiori; Luca Giancardo; Mehdi Aïssi; Jessica Alessi; Paolo Vassallo. 2014. "Geostatistical modelling of spatial distribution of sperm whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary based on sparse count data and heterogeneous observations." Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 24, no. S1: 41-49.

Journal article
Published: 14 February 2014 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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The bast scale (Matsucoccus feytaudi) is responsible for the destruction of most of the Pinus pinaster forests in the Mediterranean area, causing resination, defoliation and subsequent death of the trees. This study was carried out in Cinque Terre National Park (Italy), in which pinewood are partially affected by the bast scale M. feytaudi. A whole system evaluation is here proposed aiming at the assessment of the impacts, both on the environmental and economic side, arising from the P. pinaster losses in a certain territory. To this aim we compared a pinewood without visible damages from bast scale with a clearly damaged pinewood by means of emergy analysis. Bast scale reduced the arboreal composition of the stand favouring understorey species sprouting, which benefitted of increasing sunlight level caused by affected tree crowns reduction or trees fall. As a consequence of the changed forest's condition the system suffered an ecosystem services provision loss equal to 2250 Em€ ha−1 year−1 that, if extended to the entire surface of the Cinque Terre National Park lead to a total loss of a million of Euro per year.

ACS Style

C. Turcato; C. Paoli; C. Scopesi; C. Montagnani; Mauro Mariotti; P. Vassallo. Matsucoccus bast scale in Pinus pinaster forests: a comparison of two systems by means of emergy analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production 2014, 96, 539 -548.

AMA Style

C. Turcato, C. Paoli, C. Scopesi, C. Montagnani, Mauro Mariotti, P. Vassallo. Matsucoccus bast scale in Pinus pinaster forests: a comparison of two systems by means of emergy analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2014; 96 ():539-548.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. Turcato; C. Paoli; C. Scopesi; C. Montagnani; Mauro Mariotti; P. Vassallo. 2014. "Matsucoccus bast scale in Pinus pinaster forests: a comparison of two systems by means of emergy analysis." Journal of Cleaner Production 96, no. : 539-548.

Review
Published: 04 November 2013 in Mediterranean Marine Science
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Spatial modelling is an emerging approach to the management of coastal marine habitats, as it helps understanding and predicting the results of global change. This paper reviews critically two recent examples developed in Liguria, an administrative region of NW Italy. The first example, aiming at predicting habitat status depending on pressures, provides managers with the opportunity of envisaging different scenarios for the consequences of coastal development choices. The second example defines the status of an important Mediterranean coastal marine habitat (Posidonia oceanica meadows) under natural conditions, allowing for quantifying human impacts on regressed meadows. Both modelling approaches are useful to define the targets of coastal management, and may help choosing the best management option. Well-planned and sustained monitoring is essential to model validation and improvement.

ACS Style

Matteo Vacchi; M. Montefalcone; V. Parravicini; Alessio Rovere; Paolo Vassallo; Marco Ferrari; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. Spatial models to support the management of coastal marine ecosystems: a short review of the best practices in Liguria, Italy. Mediterranean Marine Science 2013, 15, 189 .

AMA Style

Matteo Vacchi, M. Montefalcone, V. Parravicini, Alessio Rovere, Paolo Vassallo, Marco Ferrari, Carla Morri, Carlo Nike Bianchi. Spatial models to support the management of coastal marine ecosystems: a short review of the best practices in Liguria, Italy. Mediterranean Marine Science. 2013; 15 (1):189.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Vacchi; M. Montefalcone; V. Parravicini; Alessio Rovere; Paolo Vassallo; Marco Ferrari; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2013. "Spatial models to support the management of coastal marine ecosystems: a short review of the best practices in Liguria, Italy." Mediterranean Marine Science 15, no. 1: 189.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2013 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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Making nature’s value visible to humans is a key issue for the XXI century and it is crucial to identify and\ud measure natural capital to incorporate benefits or costs of changes in ecosystem services into policy.\ud Emergy analysis, a method able to analyze the overall functioning of a system, was applied to reckon\ud the value of main ecosystem services provided by Posidonia oceanica, a fragile and precious Mediterranean\ud seagrass ecosystem. Estimates, based on calculation of resources employed by nature, resulted in\ud a value of 172 € m2 a1. Sediment retained by meadow is most relevant input, composing almost the\ud whole P. oceanica value. Remarks about economic losses arising from meadow regression have been made\ud through a time-comparison of meadow maps. Suggested procedure represents an operative tool to provide\ud a synthetic monetary measure of ecosystem services to be employed when comparing natural capital\ud to human and financial capitals in a substitutability perspective

ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Alessio Rovere; Monica Montefalcone; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. The value of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: A natural capital assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2013, 75, 157 -167.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, Chiara Paoli, Alessio Rovere, Monica Montefalcone, Carla Morri, Carlo Nike Bianchi. The value of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: A natural capital assessment. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2013; 75 (1-2):157-167.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; Chiara Paoli; Alessio Rovere; Monica Montefalcone; Carla Morri; Carlo Nike Bianchi. 2013. "The value of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica: A natural capital assessment." Marine Pollution Bulletin 75, no. 1-2: 157-167.

Journal article
Published: 29 January 2013 in Ecological Engineering
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Authors analyzed a beach restoration project performed in Liguria region, NW of Italy. Main purpose was to evaluate the environmental cost associated with project fulfillment to (1) evaluate if they are correctly estimated by economy and (2) provide a valid tool to managers to consider them in cost benefits analysis or in overall evaluation of environmental projects. To this aim authors applied to case study Emergy analysis, a system evaluation method able to convert all employed items in a sole unit of measure. Results proved that environmental cost is largely greater than economic cost (two orders of magnitude). This cost, limited, in the specific case, by an effective good planning of the intervention, is principally ascribable to material (riverine removed, material from other existing hard structures destroyed and re-employed and quarry material) used to replenish beach. This testifies that, humans are imposing a double pressure to the environment: first by worsening, with their activities, littoral erosion, that implies the loss of natural habitat and the decay of beach ecosystem; second when, to manage negative outcomes caused by erosion to nature and human settlements, humans draw natural materials subtracting them to other possible uses by ecosystems. As a consequence a particular attention should be devoted to ecosystem preserving rather than to ecosystem restoring.

ACS Style

C. Paoli; I. Gastaudo; Paolo Vassallo. The environmental cost to restore beach ecoservices. Ecological Engineering 2013, 52, 182 -190.

AMA Style

C. Paoli, I. Gastaudo, Paolo Vassallo. The environmental cost to restore beach ecoservices. Ecological Engineering. 2013; 52 ():182-190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

C. Paoli; I. Gastaudo; Paolo Vassallo. 2013. "The environmental cost to restore beach ecoservices." Ecological Engineering 52, no. : 182-190.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2013 in Ecological Indicators
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ACS Style

Paolo Vassallo; C. Paoli; G. Schiavon; G. Albertelli; M. Fabiano. How ecosystems adapt to face disruptive impact? The case of a commercial harbor benthic community. Ecological Indicators 2013, 24, 431 -438.

AMA Style

Paolo Vassallo, C. Paoli, G. Schiavon, G. Albertelli, M. Fabiano. How ecosystems adapt to face disruptive impact? The case of a commercial harbor benthic community. Ecological Indicators. 2013; 24 ():431-438.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Paolo Vassallo; C. Paoli; G. Schiavon; G. Albertelli; M. Fabiano. 2013. "How ecosystems adapt to face disruptive impact? The case of a commercial harbor benthic community." Ecological Indicators 24, no. : 431-438.