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Corrado Battisti
‘Torre Flavia’ LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Station, Città Metropolitana di Roma, Protected Areas Service, Via G. Ribotta 41, 00144 Roma, Italy

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Journal article
Published: 11 August 2021 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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We investigated the accumulation of litter along a transition gradient from the dunal beaches (B), to the backdunes (BD), to the channels of a coastal wetland (W), considering both the total litter and a sub-category represented by expanded polystyrene (EPS). Using a removal sampling technique carried out in spring (April and May), we hypothesized that: (i) the total accumulation of litter decreases progressively from the dunes to the backdunes to wet environments while (ii) the lighter polystyrene concentrates in the BD-W fringe where the Phragmites australis reedbeds can have a sink role for this polymer. The total litter density showed a significant decrease along the gradient B-BD-W in both months, with an evident collapse between BD and W. Analogously, EPS showed a significant difference in density along the B-BD-W gradient in both months, although with a different pattern: a maximum in the BD and a significant collapse between BD and W. The presence of backdune hygrophilous vegetation (Phragmites australis’ reedbeds) may act as a sink trapping all types of litter in both cases (total litter and EPS). The different accumulation pattern between total litter and the EPS is due to the lower specific weight of the latter polymer: while the generic litter tends to decrease quantitatively moving away from the sea, the lighter EPS is removed by the winds and pushed towards the land, beyond the dune, where it is trapped by the vegetation, thus showing a peak in density in the backdunes. No significant differences were observed between the litter density in the two months (before and after the removal) either considering the total litter and only EPS. This may suggest a continuous supply of litter from the sea, highlighting how clean-ups actions should be carried out with a higher frequency rather than monthly. This may be even more valid in the period of greater frequency of intense weather-marine events (autumn-winter) when a greater quantity of litter is deposited. These are the first data for the Mediterranean regarding a specific role of wetland hygrophilous vegetation as a sink for anthropogenic litter, mainly expanded polystyrene.

ACS Style

Eleonora Cresta; Corrado Battisti. Anthropogenic litter along a coastal-wetland gradient: Reed-bed vegetation in the backdunes may act as a sink for expanded polystyrene. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2021, 172, 112829 .

AMA Style

Eleonora Cresta, Corrado Battisti. Anthropogenic litter along a coastal-wetland gradient: Reed-bed vegetation in the backdunes may act as a sink for expanded polystyrene. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2021; 172 ():112829.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Eleonora Cresta; Corrado Battisti. 2021. "Anthropogenic litter along a coastal-wetland gradient: Reed-bed vegetation in the backdunes may act as a sink for expanded polystyrene." Marine Pollution Bulletin 172, no. : 112829.

Journal article
Published: 02 August 2021 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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This study analyzes the occurrence and distribution of plastic litter and the entrapment of plastic by wrack beached on a natural reserve. Large microplastics (2.5 - 5 mm) were the most abundant plastic size category detected. The main color and shape were white and fragment, respectively. The plastics entrapped by egagropiles were mainly transparent fibers. We analyzed the correlation between the weights of plastic litter and vegetal wrack in two transects, selected for their different environmental characteristics. The transect closer to a breakwater showed a significant positive correlation between the weights of plastics and wrack, while the other transect suggested a casual pattern of plastic deposition on the beach. Further research is suggested to focus on the role of breakwaters in altering marine currents and enhancing plastic beaching.

ACS Style

Giulia Cesarini; Alessandra Cera; Corrado Battisti; Davide Taurozzi; Massimiliano Scalici. Is the weight of plastic litter correlated with vegetal wrack? A case study from a Central Italian beach. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2021, 171, 112794 .

AMA Style

Giulia Cesarini, Alessandra Cera, Corrado Battisti, Davide Taurozzi, Massimiliano Scalici. Is the weight of plastic litter correlated with vegetal wrack? A case study from a Central Italian beach. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2021; 171 ():112794.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giulia Cesarini; Alessandra Cera; Corrado Battisti; Davide Taurozzi; Massimiliano Scalici. 2021. "Is the weight of plastic litter correlated with vegetal wrack? A case study from a Central Italian beach." Marine Pollution Bulletin 171, no. : 112794.

Journal article
Published: 06 July 2021 in Ethology Ecology & Evolution
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ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Andrea Di Giulio; Giuliano Fanelli; Fulvio Cerfolli. Anthills: stressor or opportunity for plant assemblage diversity? Evidence from Mediterranean Dasypyretum grasslands. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 2021, 1 -12.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Andrea Di Giulio, Giuliano Fanelli, Fulvio Cerfolli. Anthills: stressor or opportunity for plant assemblage diversity? Evidence from Mediterranean Dasypyretum grasslands. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 2021; ():1-12.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Andrea Di Giulio; Giuliano Fanelli; Fulvio Cerfolli. 2021. "Anthills: stressor or opportunity for plant assemblage diversity? Evidence from Mediterranean Dasypyretum grasslands." Ethology Ecology & Evolution , no. : 1-12.

Journal article
Published: 01 July 2021 in Ornithological Science
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We sampled 70 urban ponds (0.001 to >1 ha) in Rome, Italy, to obtain richness and abundance data for wintering wild birds and domestic birds in relation to pond size. The aim was to test the hypothesis that the species-area relationship differs between wild and domestic birds, with the presence of the latter linked with anthropogenic factors, not pond area. We detected eight domesticated avian taxa and 19 wild species at 26 sites. Whereas there was a significant relationship between the number of wild bird species and pond area, the diversity of domestic taxa appeared not to be correlated with area (power function; Levenberg-Marquardt approach). Species-area relationships showed a lower variance in domestic taxa when compared with wild species. As smaller ponds in urban landscapes can host a higher number of domestic taxa than wild species, there may be implications both for increasing risk of disease transmission and for biodiversity perception among urban citizens.

ACS Style

Maria Paola Di Santo; Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe M. Carpaneto. Species-Area Relationships in Urban Ponds Differ between Wild and Human-Fed Domesticated Birds. Ornithological Science 2021, 20, 263 -270.

AMA Style

Maria Paola Di Santo, Corrado Battisti, Giuseppe M. Carpaneto. Species-Area Relationships in Urban Ponds Differ between Wild and Human-Fed Domesticated Birds. Ornithological Science. 2021; 20 (2):263-270.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Maria Paola Di Santo; Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe M. Carpaneto. 2021. "Species-Area Relationships in Urban Ponds Differ between Wild and Human-Fed Domesticated Birds." Ornithological Science 20, no. 2: 263-270.

Article
Published: 14 May 2021 in Folia Geobotanica
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Carpobrotus is a genus of succulent Aizoaceae originating from South Africa that has become invasive in the Mediterranean and represents a serious threat in coastal ecosystems. On the small island of San Pietro (Sardinia), Carpobrotus sp. pl. is invading also habitats far from the sea. We surveyed the distribution of Carpobrotus on the island using the transect method and defined two models of potential suitability for this taxon based on a set of variables predicting its occurrence at local scale. Our data corroborate previous evidence about the ecological synanthropy of Carpobrotus sp. pl. Using a representative sample of transects (70,720 m in total length), we obtained evidence of 39 sites of occurrence with a higher linear density along paved roads (with high traffic levels) when compared to unpaved dirt roads (with low traffic levels). When compared to other sites, in sites of occurrence we observed a higher density of urbanization and road infrastructure, both at 100-m and 500-m scales. However, after performing a logistic regression analysis using a set of selected non-autocorrelated variables as covariates, and the occurrence of Carpobrotus sp. pl. as the dependent variable, we observed that distance from the coastline was the main predictor. Suitability models suggest that the actual rate of invasion is likely to increase if disturbance (along particular roads) is not effectively managed and that this island can be at risk from a future wider invasion of this taxon, caused by progressive urbanization.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Francesco Zullo; Giuliano Fanelli. The road to invasion: fine-grained distribution and suitability model for Carpobrotus sp. pl., a plant invader on a small Mediterranean island. Folia Geobotanica 2021, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Francesco Zullo, Giuliano Fanelli. The road to invasion: fine-grained distribution and suitability model for Carpobrotus sp. pl., a plant invader on a small Mediterranean island. Folia Geobotanica. 2021; ():1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Francesco Zullo; Giuliano Fanelli. 2021. "The road to invasion: fine-grained distribution and suitability model for Carpobrotus sp. pl., a plant invader on a small Mediterranean island." Folia Geobotanica , no. : 1-11.

Journal article
Published: 21 April 2021 in Natural History Sciences
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Here we present the checklist of the vertebrates of the “Palude di Torre Flavia”, a protected area in Tyrrhenian central Italy (Special Protection Area according to the Directive 2009/147/EC). To draw up the checklist, we collated all the records found in the literature, in private collections, and in the Ornitho.it website database, as well as sporadic historical observations. We obtained evidence documented between 1981 and 2020 for 291 taxa of which 259 native, 26 allochthonous and 6 domesticated species in 5 classes: 5 actinopterygians (4 native species and 1 allochtonous), 2 amphibians, 20 reptiles (11 native species and 9 allochthonous; the last being all freshwater terrapins), 244 birds (including 14 non-native taxa and 6 domestic forms) and 20 mammals (including 2 allochthonous). Forty-three species are listed as of conservation concern on a national scale. The area has shown to be an important biodiversity hotspot, and a major stopover site for migrating birds. Further research should be focused on some still poorly investigated taxonomic groups, in particular: Actinopterygii, Amphibia Salamandridae, Carnivora Mustelidae, and Chiroptera.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Michele Cento; Fulvio Fraticelli; Steven Hueting; Sergio Muratore. Vertebrates in the “Palude di Torre Flavia” Special Protection Area (Lazio, central Italy): an updated checklist. Natural History Sciences 2021, 8, 3 -28.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Michele Cento, Fulvio Fraticelli, Steven Hueting, Sergio Muratore. Vertebrates in the “Palude di Torre Flavia” Special Protection Area (Lazio, central Italy): an updated checklist. Natural History Sciences. 2021; 8 (1):3-28.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Michele Cento; Fulvio Fraticelli; Steven Hueting; Sergio Muratore. 2021. "Vertebrates in the “Palude di Torre Flavia” Special Protection Area (Lazio, central Italy): an updated checklist." Natural History Sciences 8, no. 1: 3-28.

Brief report
Published: 26 January 2021 in Ethology Ecology & Evolution
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In a small Mediterranean island (South Sardinia), we compared two non-native plant communities (respectively dominated by Malephora crocea and Mesembrianthemum cristallinum), located on an insular rocky cliff syntopic with a nesting gull’s colony, with a native one (with Limonium sardoum dominant) used as a “control” (without nesting colony). Uni-variate metrics of diversity, Whittaker plot and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMMS) with Morisita distance, evidenced a clear pattern with non-native communities less rich, less even and less diverse, when compared to native assemblage. Limonium native community is probably competitive toward the Malephora community in the absence of gulls but tends to be outcompeted by Malephora in the presence of these seabirds. In this regard, our data suggest a hypothesis that should be tested in future: i.e. those non-native Malephora- and Mesembrynathemum-dominated plant assemblages are favored in those sites where the dropping of gulls creates a nitrophytic environment. Differences in exposition could appear also important to explain the occurrence of the two non-native communities (with Mesembryanthemum crystallinum located along the sea-exposed cliff and Malephora in the internal side, toward the inland).

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli. Alien-dominated plant communities’ syntopic with seabird’s nests: evidence and possible implication from a Mediterranean insular ecosystem. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 2021, 1 -10.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuliano Fanelli. Alien-dominated plant communities’ syntopic with seabird’s nests: evidence and possible implication from a Mediterranean insular ecosystem. Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 2021; ():1-10.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli. 2021. "Alien-dominated plant communities’ syntopic with seabird’s nests: evidence and possible implication from a Mediterranean insular ecosystem." Ethology Ecology & Evolution , no. : 1-10.

Journal article
Published: 04 December 2020 in Mammalia
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Peninsular effect is an anomalous gradient in plant and animal species richness from base to tip of a given peninsula. This pattern has been studied intensely on various taxonomic groups, but with scarce attention for using standardized data. Here, using presence-absence data normalized by the field effort, the peninsular effect on the species richness of some mammalian groups (Eulipotyphla [i.e. Soricomorpha + Erinaceomorpha], Rodentia, and Chiroptera) was analyzed along the Italian peninsula. Specifically, species richness at each 30′-wide latitudinal band and the normalized species richness were compared, and generalized linear models (GLM) were used to assess whether habitat diversity, altitudinal range and area of each latitudinal band were the main predictors in explaining the peninsular effects in each of the three mammalian orders. In both Rodentia and Chiroptera, species richness was better predicted by habitat heterogeneity and by the interaction term habitat heterogeneity × field effort. For Eulipotyphla, GLM models gave no significant results. Our study highlighted the importance of taking into account the sampling effort in order to proper evaluate the peninsular effects on species richness in animals.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Silvio Marta; Paolo Agnelli; Luca Luiselli; Fabio Stoch; Giovanni Amori. Peninsular effect on species richness in Italian small mammals and bats. Mammalia 2020, 85, 248 -255.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Silvio Marta, Paolo Agnelli, Luca Luiselli, Fabio Stoch, Giovanni Amori. Peninsular effect on species richness in Italian small mammals and bats. Mammalia. 2020; 85 (3):248-255.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Silvio Marta; Paolo Agnelli; Luca Luiselli; Fabio Stoch; Giovanni Amori. 2020. "Peninsular effect on species richness in Italian small mammals and bats." Mammalia 85, no. 3: 248-255.

Journal article
Published: 11 October 2020 in Environments
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Clean-ups can be considered real conservation actions since beach litter may impact many ecosystem components. However, although these actions are quite easy to carry out, we think that they need to follow specific criteria and clear planning. Contrariwise, an unplanned clean-up could lead to counter-productive—or even harmful—consequences to the fragile dune ecosystem; e.g., excessive trampling and/or extreme sand removal. Here, we defined a road map for implementing beach clean-ups according to the logic of problem solving and project management, also adding a flow chart. More particularly, we subdivided the clean-up project into different steps as follows: context analysis, input and planning, process, monitoring (outputs and outcomes) and adaptation.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Gianluca Poeta; Federico Romiti; Lorenzo Picciolo. Small Environmental Actions Need of Problem-Solving Approach: Applying Project Management Tools to Beach Litter Clean-Ups. Environments 2020, 7, 87 .

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Gianluca Poeta, Federico Romiti, Lorenzo Picciolo. Small Environmental Actions Need of Problem-Solving Approach: Applying Project Management Tools to Beach Litter Clean-Ups. Environments. 2020; 7 (10):87.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Gianluca Poeta; Federico Romiti; Lorenzo Picciolo. 2020. "Small Environmental Actions Need of Problem-Solving Approach: Applying Project Management Tools to Beach Litter Clean-Ups." Environments 7, no. 10: 87.

Journal article
Published: 07 October 2020 in Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia
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During the 2019 breeding period we carried out a bird atlas for a small coastal natural reserve (Torre Flavia wetland, Special Protection Area IT6030020, central Italy), comparing quantitative data of spatial occurrences with records from an analogous study carried out in 2005. From 2005 to 2019 some water-related species increased their frequency of occurrence (Fulica atra, significantly). Among the reed and rush-bed species, Acrocephalus scirpaceus spatially increased and Cisticola juncidis decreased significantly. Among ecotonal, synanthropic and open habitat species, we registered a significant increase of Chloris chloris. A decreasing trend of Passer italiae, Saxicola torquatus, Emberiza calandra, although not significant, may be probably linked to regional or continental factors. Both causes at local (reedbed expansion, rushbed reduction, water-level management) and at larger scale (decline in their continental range) can explain the observed changes in spatial occurrences during this medium-long temporal range. Local atlases can be quick tools useful to drive management strategies in remnant wetlands.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Mario Vannuccini. A fine-grained bird Atlas as tool for spatial monitoring: a case study from a remnant wetland during the breeding period (Torre Flavia, central Italy). Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia 2020, 90, 1 .

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuseppe Dodaro, Mario Vannuccini. A fine-grained bird Atlas as tool for spatial monitoring: a case study from a remnant wetland during the breeding period (Torre Flavia, central Italy). Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia. 2020; 90 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Mario Vannuccini. 2020. "A fine-grained bird Atlas as tool for spatial monitoring: a case study from a remnant wetland during the breeding period (Torre Flavia, central Italy)." Rivista Italiana di Ornitologia 90, no. 1: 1.

Wetlands conservation
Published: 17 June 2020 in Wetlands
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Reed bed ecosystems are crucial for the survival of complex animal communities in Europe and Western Asia, but have been subjected to considerable decline, especially in beds in eutrophic shallow lakes, throughout Europe during the last decades. In Western Asia, however, these ecosystems are still wide and ecologically intact, and support highly biodiverse communities of species, including some highly threatened taxa. Here, we studied the spatio-temporal community dynamics of semi-aquatic reptiles in a wide reed bed biotope in Azerbaijan, and present conservation considerations for its optimal management for the survival of the authochtonous reptile species. Three reptile species (two snakes, Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellata, and one turtle Emys orbicularis persica) were found in the study area. Activity intensity was not even throughout the years, and was significantly more related to ambient temperatures in 2016 than in 2017. Interestingly, amphipod abundance was also significantly different between years, and correlated well with the differences in activity patterns observed in a turtle species. There were complex spatio-temporal patterns exhibited by the reptile species at the study area, with an excess of reptile individuals in the high density reed bed habitat during summertime whereas there was an excess of individuals in the open reed bed habitat in spring and autumn. This evidence suggests that there should be seasonal interhabitat movements of reptiles at the study area, and that the reed beds are not perceived as a homogeneous habitat by reptiles. Several hypotheses are presented to explain these unexpected spatio-temporal patterns by reptiles in reed beds. Our study clearly shows that, in order to enhance the conservation of reptiles, it is important to keep a mosaic of areas with dense reed stands (high density of young stems) and of open reed stands (lower density of older stems), thus increasing habitat heterogeneity and favouring small-scale ecological key-structures.

ACS Style

Luca Luiselli; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Corrado Battisti; Stephanie Nwanefulu Ajong. Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of a Semi-Aquatic Reptile Community in Caspian Reed Bed Ecosystems. Wetlands 2020, 40, 2527 -2537.

AMA Style

Luca Luiselli, Massimiliano Di Vittorio, Corrado Battisti, Stephanie Nwanefulu Ajong. Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of a Semi-Aquatic Reptile Community in Caspian Reed Bed Ecosystems. Wetlands. 2020; 40 (6):2527-2537.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Luiselli; Massimiliano Di Vittorio; Corrado Battisti; Stephanie Nwanefulu Ajong. 2020. "Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of a Semi-Aquatic Reptile Community in Caspian Reed Bed Ecosystems." Wetlands 40, no. 6: 2527-2537.

Article
Published: 05 May 2020 in Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali
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We explored whether leaf detritus of an exotic species, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, affects the structural and functional processes of macrozoobenthic assemblages in four increased salt stress conditions of a transitional aquatic ecosystem (central Italy). We compared the dynamics of the weight loss of leaves of E. camaldulensis by leaching and feeding activities on palatable fraction, measuring the relative breakdown rates, with the weight loss of native Phragmites australis detritus. Highest values of abundance (481 and 245 individuals) were observed on native and exotic resources in 52.64 ± 6.01 psu due to Hydrobia complex acuta on the detritus leaves of Phragmites and Eucalyptus. While the two leaf detritus resources showed low breakdown rates by leaching, the donor-controlled community responded in terms of palatable fraction consumption better on native resources than on exotic plant detritus. Comparing the responses of macrozoobenthic assemblages to the different salt stress conditions and resources, we obtained two complex patterns, one denoting changes in structuring metrics (abundance and biomass) and another denoting a change in donor functionality (reduction of palatable fraction, increase of recalcitrant/leaching fractions). The macrozoobenthic assemblages responded simplifying their structure in stressed conditions of high salinity. Our results indicate that, when estimating the impact of exotic plant detritus on structuring processes of macrozoobenthic assemblages, we should include the breakdown rates of their trophic leaf resources, as well as the relevance of the relative fraction types (leaching, recalcitrant and palatable) influencing those processes. Eucalyptus trees, considered a foreign element in the Mediterranean landscapes, can play a paradoxically role in the detritus food webs.

ACS Style

Fulvio Cerfolli; Corrado Battisti. Impact of exotic plant detritus on macrozoobenthic assemblages: evidence from a transitional aquatic ecosystem. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 2020, 31, 419 -429.

AMA Style

Fulvio Cerfolli, Corrado Battisti. Impact of exotic plant detritus on macrozoobenthic assemblages: evidence from a transitional aquatic ecosystem. Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali. 2020; 31 (2):419-429.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fulvio Cerfolli; Corrado Battisti. 2020. "Impact of exotic plant detritus on macrozoobenthic assemblages: evidence from a transitional aquatic ecosystem." Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e Naturali 31, no. 2: 419-429.

Journal article
Published: 05 May 2020 in Web Ecology
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In an era of environmental crises, conservation and management strategies need a new generation of applied ecologists. Here, we stimulate the next-generation applied ecologists to acquire a pragmatic mentality of problems solvers in real contexts, using the wide arsenal of concepts, approaches and techniques available in the project management (PM) arena using a road map based on the main steps of conservation project cycle. The acquisition of the conceptual and operational framework of PM can allow the next-generation applied ecologists to take on a more important role in nature conservation strategies: from data samplers, analyzers and interpreters to suppliers of solutions and decisions driving changes in species' targets inhabiting real contexts. Since the high number of applied ecologists, this change in approach (from analytical to operational) could make the difference in conservation science. We also provided, as a conceptual framework, a set of suggestions and approaches useful to facilitate this change.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. Toward a new generation of effective problem solvers and project-oriented applied ecologists. Web Ecology 2020, 20, 11 -17.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giovanni Amori, Luca Luiselli. Toward a new generation of effective problem solvers and project-oriented applied ecologists. Web Ecology. 2020; 20 (1):11-17.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. 2020. "Toward a new generation of effective problem solvers and project-oriented applied ecologists." Web Ecology 20, no. 1: 11-17.

Journal article
Published: 01 May 2020 in Folia Oecologica
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Urbanization is a form of pervasive human-induced disturbance. We tested the effectiveness of Abundance/Biomass Comparisons (ABC) as an approach in detecting stress due to landscape urbanization in large small mammal assemblages obtained from pellets of Barn Owl (Tyto alba; Strigiformes). We compared three assemblages sampled in not urbanized contexts (agro-mosaic landscapes) with three assemblages preyed in highly urbanized contexts. In all assemblages, the role of strictly synanthropic species (in our case: rodents) emerged since almost all of total biomass was assigned to these species: indeed, everywhere (both in agro-mosaic and urbanized sites) species of low trophic level (i.e. omnivorous/herbivorous rodents) significantly prevail in biomass when compared to insectivorous species (i.e. shrews, Soricomorpha) linked to less anthropized habitats. This biomass dominance in rodent species is highlighted by the data on evenness, showing lower values in biomass when compared to abundance. This pattern did not match with the classic assumption expressed by the ABC model (i.e., species with higher biomass are typical of undisturbed assemblage) and could be wrongly interpreted. Our study evidenced as ABC approach is a not reliable tool to detect the effect of urbanization as landscape disturbance acting on small mammal assemblages. Therefore we suggest that the ABC assumptions are not universal but limited only to assemblages where high body mass species coincide to species of a higher trophic level.

ACS Style

Ermellina di Bagno; Corrado Battisti; Francesco Zullo; Giovanni Amori. Applying abundance/biomass comparison curves to small mammals: a weak tool for detect urbanization-related stress in the assemblages? Folia Oecologica 2020, 47, 10 -15.

AMA Style

Ermellina di Bagno, Corrado Battisti, Francesco Zullo, Giovanni Amori. Applying abundance/biomass comparison curves to small mammals: a weak tool for detect urbanization-related stress in the assemblages? Folia Oecologica. 2020; 47 (1):10-15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ermellina di Bagno; Corrado Battisti; Francesco Zullo; Giovanni Amori. 2020. "Applying abundance/biomass comparison curves to small mammals: a weak tool for detect urbanization-related stress in the assemblages?" Folia Oecologica 47, no. 1: 10-15.

Journal article
Published: 25 April 2020 in Marine Pollution Bulletin
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In order to maintain the hydraulic outflow in land reclaimed canalizations, the competent agencies provide to mechanically mow the Giant Reed (Arundo donax, L. 1753) along the aquatic ecosystem banks. Nevertheless, the reeds mowed can be transported away from the waters following storm surges and can be deposited in large quantities along the sandy beaches. We carried out a stratified study in a Mediterranean sandy beach to test the hypothesis that Giant Reed wrack may act as a sink and barrier for plastic beach litter. We observed a large amount of plastic litter entrapped in the Arundo donax wrack (density of 0.868 items/m2), with a higher density when compared to both the inner and the shoreline belts. Density of litter is significantly higher considering the categories of meso- and micro-plastics. Organic macrophyte wrack is useful for dunal macrodetritivorous invertebrates and generally for fauna communities, which use this litter as refuge and trophic pabulum. Significant accumulations of organic wrack can mitigate coastal erosion; nevertheless, for its structural characteristics, Arundo wrack can also act as a barrier for litter towards the inner vegetated dunes, so entrapping a large amount of anthropogenic litter. In this regard, Arundo wrack can represent a sink habitat, first attracting (due to large availability of detritus with a relative high rate of decomposition) and then, entrapping many organisms in anthropogenic litter. We suggest that, once mechanically mowed, the land reclaimed agencies should periodically remove from the channel banks the Arundo donax reeds, impeding the accumulation of incoherent vegetated matter along the aquatic ecosystem banks.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli; Andrea Filpa; Fulvio Cerfolli. Giant Reed (Arundo donax) wrack as sink for plastic beach litter: First evidence and implication. Marine Pollution Bulletin 2020, 155, 111179 .

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuliano Fanelli, Andrea Filpa, Fulvio Cerfolli. Giant Reed (Arundo donax) wrack as sink for plastic beach litter: First evidence and implication. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 2020; 155 ():111179.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli; Andrea Filpa; Fulvio Cerfolli. 2020. "Giant Reed (Arundo donax) wrack as sink for plastic beach litter: First evidence and implication." Marine Pollution Bulletin 155, no. : 111179.

Communication
Published: 06 April 2020 in Diversity
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In this note, we suggest the adoption of expert-based approaches for threat analysis to allow an assessment of the magnitude of efforts of wildlife management actions. Similar to what is proposed for expert-based quantification of threat events, in wildlife management this approach can be applied by assigning a score to the extent of the areas affected by management, their frequency and intensity of action, supporting the decision-making process and optimizing the management strategies, both ordinary (for example, in the operational management of nature reserves) and extraordinary (for example, within specific target-oriented conservation projects). Quantifying and defining priority ranks among management events can be useful: (i) to compare managed areas with each other or the same areas in different times; (ii) to adjust the allocation of resources among alternative management actions (assigning more or less resources in terms of time, budget, operators, and technology). Finally, similar to what is done in the threat analysis approach, managers could compare the effort (magnitude) of management at different times. We report, as an example, a first quantification for a case study carried out in a coastal nature reserve.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli; Francesca Marini; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. Assessing the Nature Reserve Management Effort Using an Expert-Based Threat Analysis Approach. Diversity 2020, 12, 145 .

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuliano Fanelli, Francesca Marini, Giovanni Amori, Luca Luiselli. Assessing the Nature Reserve Management Effort Using an Expert-Based Threat Analysis Approach. Diversity. 2020; 12 (4):145.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuliano Fanelli; Francesca Marini; Giovanni Amori; Luca Luiselli. 2020. "Assessing the Nature Reserve Management Effort Using an Expert-Based Threat Analysis Approach." Diversity 12, no. 4: 145.

Research note
Published: 15 March 2020 in Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management
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ACS Style

Vincenzo Ferri; Corrado Battisti; Christiana Soccini; Riccardo Santoro. A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non-native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management 2020, 25, 250 -257.

AMA Style

Vincenzo Ferri, Corrado Battisti, Christiana Soccini, Riccardo Santoro. A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non-native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy. Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management. 2020; 25 (2):250-257.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vincenzo Ferri; Corrado Battisti; Christiana Soccini; Riccardo Santoro. 2020. "A hotspot of xenodiversity: First evidence of an assemblage of non-native freshwater turtles in a suburban wetland in Central Italy." Lakes & Reservoirs: Research & Management 25, no. 2: 250-257.

Journal article
Published: 13 January 2020 in Belgian Journal of Zoology
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Introduced species may compete with indigenous ones, e.g. for space resources, but evidence for syntopic cavity-nester birds is limited, at least for Mediterranean urban parks. In this work we report data on nest-site habitat use, availability and selection in two species: the introduced rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and the autochthonous starling (Sturnus vulgaris) nesting in ornamental tree (Cedrus libanotica) patches occurring in an historical urban park (Rome, central Italy). In particular, in our study we hypothesize that parakeets negatively affect starling nest-site selection. On 55 trees, we detected 73 available holes for nesting (38.4 % of which hosted nests: 9 of rose-ringed parakeet, 16 of starling, 3 of house sparrow). Birds utilized for nesting only a limited number ( 20%) of the ornamental trees (all larger than 80 cm in diameter). Compared to the total number of available trees, nesting trees had a significantly larger diameter at breast height. We observed a shift in the frequency distribution of nest hole height classes between starlings and parakeets suggesting competition for nesting sites between these two species. Starlings located their nests significantly lower than did rose-ringed parakeets, resulting in a higher specialization for starlings (as measured by the Feinsinger index) than for rose-ringed parakeets. The analysis of co-occurrence highlights a spatial segregation in nest holes. We argue that these differences in preferred nest height are indicative of parakeet dominance over starlings in cavity selection for nesting.

ACS Style

Giuseppe Dodaro; Corrado Battisti. Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and starling (Sturnus vulgaris) syntopics in a Mediterranean urban park: evidence for competition in nest-site selection? Belgian Journal of Zoology 2020, 144, 1 .

AMA Style

Giuseppe Dodaro, Corrado Battisti. Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and starling (Sturnus vulgaris) syntopics in a Mediterranean urban park: evidence for competition in nest-site selection? Belgian Journal of Zoology. 2020; 144 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Giuseppe Dodaro; Corrado Battisti. 2020. "Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) and starling (Sturnus vulgaris) syntopics in a Mediterranean urban park: evidence for competition in nest-site selection?" Belgian Journal of Zoology 144, no. 1: 1.

Short research and discussion article
Published: 21 December 2019 in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
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Among polymers, expanded polystyrene (EPS) is increasingly abundant as a form of anthropogenic litter in natural environments, particularly along waterways. Nevertheless, there is still no research focusing on the interaction between this type of litter and biodiversity components. In this note, we reported the first evidence of an interaction between EPS and living native plants along an artificial drainage channel in a land reclaimed area of Tyrrhenian central Italy. We sampled a number of EPS seedling trays, deriving from agricultural activities, obtaining evidence for an interaction between this polymer and plants: on a total of 231 available seedling holes, 16.88% have been occupied from six species (Lycopus europaeus, Poa cfr. trivialis, Stachys palustris, Silene sp., Phragmites australis, Parietariajudaica). The set of species occurring on floating polystyrene trays appears comparable to that occurring on the sides of the land reclaimed channels (locally, L. europaeus and S. palustris are among the most common species of the riverine vegetation). Therefore, it is very probable that floating trays are a random sample of the seed rain of the vegetation of the sides of the channels. However, more research is needed to assess if the plant assemblage growing on EPS is random process or if peculiar substrate exerts some sort of selection on the plant community.

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Giuliano Fanelli. Polystyrene seedling trays used as substrate by native plants. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2019, 27, 6690 -6694.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuseppe Dodaro, Giuliano Fanelli. Polystyrene seedling trays used as substrate by native plants. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2019; 27 (6):6690-6694.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Giuliano Fanelli. 2019. "Polystyrene seedling trays used as substrate by native plants." Environmental Science and Pollution Research 27, no. 6: 6690-6694.

Short communications
Published: 28 November 2019 in Ethology Ecology & Evolution
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We report a case of structural oversimplification in a small mammal assemblage, indirectly obtained by owl pellets (central Italy), where mice (Rodentia Muridae) largely dominated both in abundance and biomass (about 95%). We hypothesise that this fact could be due to: (i) recent anthropisation, which induced both an expected increase of synanthropic generalist species (mice, Muridae) and a sharp reduction in high trophic level species (shrews, Soricomorpha), and, (ii) historical land reclamation occurred in the 19th century, which changed the edaphic characteristics, and consequently inducing an unexpected local absence of common digging species (yet reported by literature for the Maremma plain) everywhere diffused along Italian peninsula: the ubiquitous Microtus savii (Microtidae), and the moles (Talpa spp., Talpidae). These two causal processes, acting at different temporal scales, could strongly affect the structure of the small mammal assemblage, dominated by a single taxonomic guild (Muridae), therefore similar to neighbouring insular assemblages (Tuscan Archipelago).

ACS Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Ermellina Di Bagno; Giovanni Amori. Small mammal assemblages in land-reclaimed areas: do historical soil use changes and recent anthropisation affect their dominance structure? Ethology Ecology & Evolution 2019, 32, 282 -288.

AMA Style

Corrado Battisti, Giuseppe Dodaro, Ermellina Di Bagno, Giovanni Amori. Small mammal assemblages in land-reclaimed areas: do historical soil use changes and recent anthropisation affect their dominance structure? Ethology Ecology & Evolution. 2019; 32 (3):282-288.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Corrado Battisti; Giuseppe Dodaro; Ermellina Di Bagno; Giovanni Amori. 2019. "Small mammal assemblages in land-reclaimed areas: do historical soil use changes and recent anthropisation affect their dominance structure?" Ethology Ecology & Evolution 32, no. 3: 282-288.