The use of conservation and sustainable practices could restore the abundance and richness of soil organisms in agroecosystems. Fitting in this context, this study aimed to highlight whether and how different soil living communities reacted to the conversion from an integrated to an organic orchard. The metataxonomic approach for fungi and bacteria and the determination of biological forms of diatoms and microarthropods were applied. Soil analyses were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of soil chemical features on four major soil living communities. Our results showed that the different taxa reacted with different speeds to the management changes. Fungi responded quickly to the changes, suggesting that modification in agricultural practices had a greater impact on fungal communities. Bacteria and microarthropods were more affected by abiotic parameters and less by the management. The diatom composition seemed to be affected by seasonality but the highest H’ (Shannon index) value was measured in the organic system. Fungi, but also diatoms, seemed to be promising for monitoring changes in the soil since they were sensitive to both the soil features and the anthropic impact. Our study showed that soil biodiversity could be affected by the conversion to sustainable management practices from the early years of an orchard onwards. Therefore, better ecological orchard management may strengthen soil sustainability and resilience in historically agricultural regions.

Olindiid freshwater jellyfishes of the genus Craspedacusta Lankester, 1880 are native to eastern Asia; however, some species within the genus have been introduced worldwide and are nowadays present in all continents except Antarctica. To date, there is no consensus regarding the taxonomy within the genus Craspedacusta due to the morphological plasticity of the medusa stages. The species Craspedacusta sowerbii Lankester, 1880 was first recorded in Italy in 1946, and until 2017, sightings of the jellyfish Craspedacusta were reported for 40 water bodies. Here, we shed new light on the presence of the freshwater jellyfishes belonging to the genus Craspedacusta across the Italian peninsula, Sardinia, and Sicily. First, we report 21 new observations of this non-native taxon, of which eighteen refer to medusae sightings, two to environmental DNA sequencing, and one to the finding of polyps. Then, we investigate the molecular diversity of collected Craspedacusta specimens, using a Bayesian analysis of sequences of the mitochondrial gene encoding for Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit I (mtDNA COI). Our molecular analysis shows the presence of two distinctive genetic lineages: (i) a group that comprises sequences obtained from populations ranging from central to northern Italy; (ii) a group that comprises three populations from northern Italy—i.e., those from the Lake Levico, the Lake Santo of Monte Terlago, and the Lake Endine—and the single known Sicilian population. We also report for the first time a mtDNA COI sequence obtained from a Craspedacusta medusa collected in Spain.

Addressing the challenges posed by Non Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. In this study, we used the Italian research network as a case study to identify and evaluate measures designed to enhance NIS research through a structured, interactive, and expert-driven strategy. The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies, and specific needs. This assessment informed the development of an initial set of proposals, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i) Tracking NIS in data collections; ii) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii) Active participation through citizen science and local ecological knowledge; iv) Collaboration in data sharing according to the FAIR principles; v) Knowledge Hub as centralized data repository for NIS data; vi) Strategic communication to raise public awareness and support public engagement. A SWOT framework was then applied to analyze the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats associated with each practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis was conducted with 90 NIS experts working in terrestrial, marine, and freshwater ecosystems. This approach provided valuable insights into differing perceptions and enabled a clear presentation of six good practices to be consistently applied across NIS research systems.

Mountain lakes, often regarded as sentinels of environmental degradation and climate change, are extreme environments. Diatoms are widely considered good indicators in freshwater ecosystems. Littoral diatoms in lakes are highly effective in detecting trophic and thermal conditions and point-source pollution and are considered early warning of potential changes in lake ecosystems. An extensive study of littoral diatoms of Upper Lake Balma (southern European Alps, Italy) was conducted in 2021. Sampling was carried out at seven littoral stations over two periods (July and October). The results revealed a high diversity of taxa, with a total of 116 identified. Plates with figures for 103 taxa and measures (length, width and striae/fibulae number) for 104 taxa are given. Iconographic studies significantly enhance the description of diatom biodiversity in these environments.

Over the past century, Lake Garda has been increasingly affected by the introduction of several non-indigenous species. In early 2022, the identification of Dreissena bugensis (quagga mussel) marked the first record of a naturalized population in lakes south of the Alps. To investigate the colonization patterns of this invader and its potential interaction with the established invader D. polymorpha (zebra mussel), a comprehensive field survey was conducted in 2022 across twelve stations, encompassing littoral, sublittoral, and profundal zones, during both spring and autumn. By spring 2022, quagga mussels had colonized the littoral and sublittoral zones of nearly all stations, with higher density in the northern part of the lake and a growth rate dependent on depth. Between spring and autumn, their population continued to grow, surpassing zebra mussels at all stations and expanding into the profundal zone as well. Analysis of population structure and veliger monitoring suggest that quagga mussels likely arrived in the lake in 2019. The evidence of D. bugensis already being firmly established in Lake Garda, as well as in nearby Lake Ledro, highlights the need for biosecurity protocols to prevent further invasions and the spread of established invaders to other Italian lakes.

Addressing the challenges posed by Non-Indigenous Species (NIS) demands coordinated efforts across terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. In this study, we engaged a diverse group of 90 Italian researchers operating within these three domains to identify and assess strategies for advancing NIS research, using a structured, interactive and expert-driven methodology. The process began with a comprehensive evaluation of ongoing activities, research methodologies and specific needs. This assessment provided information for the development of an initial set of suggestions to ameliorate NIS research, which were collectively discussed and refined, leading to the identification of six good practices identified by the acronym TRACKS and described as: i ) Tracking NIS in biodiversity data collection; ii ) Reference protocols for NIS data collection; iii ) Active participation; iv ) Collaboration and FAIR principles; v ) Knowledge hub for NIS data; vi ) Strategic communication. A SWOT framework was then applied to analyse the internal and external factors influencing the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats associated with each good practice. Consensus-building techniques were used throughout the evaluation process to ensure the robustness of outcomes. Finally, a quantitative assessment of the SWOT analysis revealed a strong consensus amongst experts regarding the various strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the different good practices, along with a general optimism about the opportunities and strengths associated with their implementation. Developed within the Italian research community, this approach offered valuable insights to researchers worldwide working on NIS and enabled the expert assessment of six best practices that may serve as a benchmark for advancing the science of biological invasions.