This work introduces a new class of landscape metrics characterizing basic features of patch perimeters. Specific computation on patch perimeters was carried out on fine-grained land-use maps with the aim to characterize spatial patterns of neighbor patches, evidencing contact points and perimeter length between two (or more) land-use types. A detailed set of class and landscape metrics were derived from such analysis. This approach is complementary to classical landscape metrics and proved to be particularly useful to characterize complex, fragmented landscapes profiling metropolitan regions based on integrated evaluations of their structural (landscape) and functional (land-use) organization. A multivariate analysis was run to characterize distinctive spatial patterns of the selected metrics in four metropolitan regions of southern Europe reflecting different morphological configurations (Barcelona: compact, polycentric; Lisbon: dispersed, mono-centric; Rome: dispersed, polycentric; and Athens: compact, mono-centric). Perimeter metrics assumed different values for each investigated land-use type, with peculiar characteristics associated to each city. Land-use types assessing residential, discontinuous urban patches were associated to particularly high values of perimeter metrics, possibly indicating patch fragmentation, spatially-associated distribution of land-use types and landscape complexity. Multivariate analysis indicates substantial differences among cities, reflecting the range of morphological configurations described above (from compact mono-centric to dispersed polycentric) and suggesting that urban expansion is accompanied with multiple modifications in the use of the surrounding non-urban land. The computational approach proposed in this study and based on spatially-explicit metrics of landscape configuration and proximity may reflect latent changes in local socio-spatial structures. Our results demonstrate that scattered urban expansion determines a polarization in suburban areas with highly fragmented and more homogeneous landscapes, respectively, associated with mixed cropland and forest systems.

Landscape configuration and forest structure assume an increasing importance as determinants of animal communities. This paper focused on nocturnal Lepidoptera inhabiting alder patches in the Sila National Park, Italy. According to their shapes, patches were divided into linear and compact ones to disentangle the roles of forest structure and landscape configuration in determining the composition of nocturnal Lepidopteran communities at different observation scales. We used the Mann–Whitney test for medians and Shannon diversity, equitability, Fisher’s alpha, and nestedness to test differences among moth communities. We found that compact patches inhabited richer and more abundant communities. The abundance-based Correspondence Analysis showed moth communities clustered according to woodlot shape, except a compact woodlot with a linear-like moth community because it was entirely surrounded by grasslands. Percentage of forested area and abundance and composition of communities were positively correlated at 50 and 200 m buffers, while correlations were absent at smaller and larger buffers. Our results demonstrated that a width of 50 m may not be sufficient to give proper functionality to the wooded area, at least for moths. As a consequence, planning of forest restorations should consider the importance of increasing the structural habitat continuity at larger scales.

Aim of study: (1) to assess structural parameters of Giant pines; (2) to compare three several inventories and relative parameters; (3) to assess mechanical stability of Giant pines.Area of study: Sila National Park, Calabria, Italy.Material and methods: Mechanical stability assessment and full dendrometric analysis were used.Main results: 40 years after the first measurements on the Giant pines, the most emblematic trees of the population confirmed the peculiar ecological characteristics of Calabrian pines: their posture, rapidity of growth, productivity and longevity. The pine forest containing 46 healthy monumental trees. The Ht/DBH ratio slightly decreased from first to last inventory. The decrease of the Ht/DBH ratio correspond to the increase of mechanical stability of trees.Research highlights: the importance of preserving the Fallistro Biogenetic Natural Reserve as a source of biodiversity and to maintain the high ecological stability that characterize this important Italian forest area.Keywords: Old-growth forest; Biodiversity conservation; Sustainable forestry; Calabrian pine; Forest ecology; deadwood.

Landscape configuration and forest structure assume an increasing importance as determinants of animal communities. This paper focused on nocturnal lepidoptera inhabiting alder patches in the Sila National Park, Italy. According to their shape, patches were divided into linear and compact ones to disentangle the role of forest structure and landscape configuration in determining the composition of nocturnal lepidopteran communities at different observation scales. We used the Mann-Whitney test for medians to Shannon diversity, Equitability, Fisher’s alpha, and nestedness to test differences among moth communities. We found that compact patches inhabit richer and more abundant communities. The abundance-based Correspondence Analysis showed moth communities clustered according to woodlot shape, except a compact woodlot having a linear-like moth community because entirely surrounded by grasslands. Percentage of forested area and abundance and composition of communities are positively correlated at 50 and 200 m buffers, while correlations are absent at smaller and larger buffers. Our results demonstrated that a width of 50 m may not be sufficient to give proper functionality to the wooded area, at least for moths. As consequence, planning of forest restorations should consider the importance to increase structural habitat continuity at larger scales.