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I'm a Biologist at the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Umbria Region (Italy). I'm expert in environmental reporting, qualitative and quantitative monitoring of surface waters, knowledge and protection of plant and animal biodiversity, and taxonomy of phytoplankton and diatoms. I participated to several projects and published works in dealing climate change, biological monitoring, biodiversity conservation and alien species. I have a experience in Environmental Communication and Education. In recent years I have managed the Microscopy laboratory of the Center “Climate Change and Biodiversity in Lakes and Wetlands” in the Polvese Island (Trasimeno Lake, Italy).
Temporary high-elevation lakes represent vulnerable and unstable environments strongly threatened by tourism, hydrogeological transformations and climate changes. In-depth scientific knowledge on these peculiar habitats is needed, on which to base integrated and sustainable management plans. Freshwater diatoms, thanks to their high diversity and their particular sensitivity to the water chemistry, can be considered powerful ecological indicators, as they are able to reflect environmental changes over time. The aim of the present study was to analyze the diatomic diversity of the Pilato and Palazzo Borghese lakes, two small temporary high-mountain basins, falling in a protected area within the Apennine mountains chain (central Italy). Diatoms data were collected, at the same time as 12 physicochemical parameters, through six microhabitat samplings, from 17 June to 30 August 2019. In both lakes, a total of 111 diatomic species and varieties were identified. The most species-rich genera were Gomphonema, Navicula, and Nitzschia. The Pilato Lake showed a diatomic community dominated by few species, favored by more stable and predictable environmental conditions than the Palazzo Borghese Lake, which hosted a more diversified community, guaranteed by greater spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Both lakes were characterized by the presence of diatomic species typical of good quality waters. The occurrence of numerous aerial species reflected adaptation strategies adopted to colonize environments subjected to extended drought periods. Endangered diatomic species of particular conservational interest were recorded, confirming the need to preserve their habitats.
Rosalba Padula; Antonella Carosi; Alessandro Rossetti; Massimo Lorenzoni. The Diatomic Diversity of Two Mediterranean High-Elevation Lakes in the Sibillini Mountains National Park (Central Italy). Environments 2021, 8, 79 .
AMA StyleRosalba Padula, Antonella Carosi, Alessandro Rossetti, Massimo Lorenzoni. The Diatomic Diversity of Two Mediterranean High-Elevation Lakes in the Sibillini Mountains National Park (Central Italy). Environments. 2021; 8 (8):79.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRosalba Padula; Antonella Carosi; Alessandro Rossetti; Massimo Lorenzoni. 2021. "The Diatomic Diversity of Two Mediterranean High-Elevation Lakes in the Sibillini Mountains National Park (Central Italy)." Environments 8, no. 8: 79.
Lake water quality monitoring has the potential to be improved through integrating detailed spatial information from new generation remote sensing satellites with high frequency observations from in situ optical sensors (WISPstation). We applied this approach for Lake Trasimeno with the aim of increasing knowledge of phytoplankton dynamics at different temporal and spatial scales. High frequency chlorophyll-a data from the WISPstation was modeled using non-parametric multiplicative regression. The ‘day of year’ was the most important factor, reflecting the seasonal progression of a phytoplankton bloom from July to September. In addition, weather factors such as the east–west wind component were also significant in predicting phytoplankton seasonal and diurnal patterns. Sentinel 3-OLCI and Sentinel 2-MSI satellites delivered 42 images in 2018 that successfully mapped the spatial and seasonal change in chlorophyll-a. The potential influence of localized inflows in contributing to increased chlorophyll-a in mid-summer was visualized. The satellite data also allowed an estimation of quality status at a much finer scale than traditional manual methods. Good correspondence was found with manually collected field data but more significantly, the greatly increased spatial and temporal resolution provided by satellite and WISPstation sensors clearly offers an unprecedented resource in the research and management of aquatic resources.
Mariano Bresciani; Monica Pinardi; Gary Free; Giulia Luciani; Semhar Ghebrehiwot; Marnix Laanen; Steef Peters; Valentina Della Bella; Rosalba Padula; Claudia Giardino. The Use of Multisource Optical Sensors to Study Phytoplankton Spatio-Temporal Variation in a Shallow Turbid Lake. Water 2020, 12, 284 .
AMA StyleMariano Bresciani, Monica Pinardi, Gary Free, Giulia Luciani, Semhar Ghebrehiwot, Marnix Laanen, Steef Peters, Valentina Della Bella, Rosalba Padula, Claudia Giardino. The Use of Multisource Optical Sensors to Study Phytoplankton Spatio-Temporal Variation in a Shallow Turbid Lake. Water. 2020; 12 (1):284.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMariano Bresciani; Monica Pinardi; Gary Free; Giulia Luciani; Semhar Ghebrehiwot; Marnix Laanen; Steef Peters; Valentina Della Bella; Rosalba Padula; Claudia Giardino. 2020. "The Use of Multisource Optical Sensors to Study Phytoplankton Spatio-Temporal Variation in a Shallow Turbid Lake." Water 12, no. 1: 284.
Climate changes will lead to a worsening of the ecological conditions, in terms of hydrological instability and rising water temperatures, of the Mediterranean rivers. Freshwater fishes inhabiting this area can be threatened in the near future by accelerating drought and decreased ecological connectivity. The main aim of the research was to analyze changes in the distribution of the endemic freshwater fishes Padogobius nigricans, Squalius lucumonis and Telestes muticellus in the Tiber River basin (Italy), within a proven period of climate warming, in terms of increasing water temperature and droughts. A multivariate analysis was conducted using fish and environmental data collected in 117 sites over the years 1990–2017. For the three species, population abundance, age structure and body condition were analyzed. Detectability, occupancy, local extinction and colonization processes were also examined. We showed that S. lucumonis and T. muticellus have shifted their distributions upstream, likely in order to reach their thermal optimum. Padogobius nigricans did not move upstream significantly, since the species is characterized by limited vagility and thus a low dispersal capability in a context of high river fragmentation. In the study area, elevation and river barriers seem to play a key role in extirpation and colonization processes; for S. lucumonis and T. muticellus the extinction probability decreased with increasing altitude, while for P. nigricans the colonization probability decreased with an increasing degree of river fragmentation. These results highlight how species-specific dispersal ability can lead to varying adaptability to climate change.
Antonella Carosi; Rosalba Padula; Lucia Ghetti; Massimo Lorenzoni. Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area. Water 2019, 11, 2349 .
AMA StyleAntonella Carosi, Rosalba Padula, Lucia Ghetti, Massimo Lorenzoni. Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area. Water. 2019; 11 (11):2349.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonella Carosi; Rosalba Padula; Lucia Ghetti; Massimo Lorenzoni. 2019. "Endemic Freshwater Fish Range Shifts Related to Global Climate Changes: A Long-Term Study Provides Some Observational Evidence for the Mediterranean Area." Water 11, no. 11: 2349.