Summary
Competitor, stress‐tolerator, ruderal (CSR) theory is a prominent plant functional strategy scheme previously applied to local floras. Globally, the wide geographic and phylogenetic coverage ...of available values of leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and specific leaf area (SLA) (representing, respectively, interspecific variation in plant size and conservative vs. acquisitive resource economics) promises the general application of CSR strategies across biomes, including the tropical forests hosting a large proportion of Earth's diversity.
We used trait variation for 3068 tracheophytes (representing 198 families, six continents and 14 biomes) to create a globally calibrated CSR strategy calculator tool and investigate strategy–environment relationships across biomes world‐wide.
Due to disparity in trait availability globally, co‐inertia analysis was used to check correspondence between a ‘wide geographic coverage, few traits’ data set and a ‘restricted coverage, many traits’ subset of 371 species for which 14 whole‐plant, flowering, seed and leaf traits (including leaf nitrogen content) were available. CSR strategy/environment relationships within biomes were investigated using fourth‐corner and RLQ analyses to determine strategy/climate specializations.
Strong, significant concordance (RV = 0·597; P < 0·0001) was evident between the 14 trait multivariate space and when only LA, LDMC and SLA were used.
Biomes such as tropical moist broadleaf forests exhibited strategy convergence (i.e. clustered around a CS/CSR median; C:S:R = 43:42:15%), with CS‐selection associated with warm, stable situations (lesser temperature seasonality), with greater annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. Other biomes were characterized by strategy divergence: for example, deserts varied between xeromorphic perennials such as Larrea divaricata, classified as S‐selected (C:S:R = 1:99:0%) and broadly R‐selected annual herbs (e.g. Claytonia perfoliata; R/CR‐selected; C:S:R = 21:0:79%). Strategy convergence was evident for several growth habits (e.g. trees) but not others (forbs).
The CSR strategies of vascular plants can now be compared quantitatively within and between biomes at the global scale. Through known linkages between underlying leaf traits and growth rates, herbivory and decomposition rates, this method and the strategy–environment relationships it elucidates will help to predict which kinds of species may assemble in response to changes in biogeochemical cycles, climate and land use.
Lay Summary
When dealing with complex crimes such as rape and assault, every trace takes on an essential role. The hands are often the only means of defence and offence for the victim as well as a frequent area ...of contact with the environment; fingernails of a victim are a well-known possible source of DNA of the aggressor; nevertheless, they are more rarely treated as an area of interest for non-genetic material, particularly on living victims. The hyponychium, because of its physiological protective function, lends itself ideally to retaining different kinds of traces representative of an environment or various products and substrates that could shed light on the environment and objects involved in the event. We therefore tested how far this capability of the hyponychium could go by simulating the dynamics of contamination of the nail through scratching on different substrates (brick and mortar, painted wood, ivy leaves, cotton and woollen fabric, soil) and persistence of any contaminant at different time intervals. We have thus shown how these traces may remain in the living for up to 24 h after the event using inexpensive and non-destructive techniques such as the episcopic and optical microscope.
It is commonly accepted that crime scene recovery and recording are key moments of any judicial inspection in which investigators must decide on the correct strategies to put into place. Complex ...outdoor scenarios, presenting partially or entirely skeletonised remains, can benefit more than others by the intervention of environmental specialists (forensic anthropologists, archaeologists, entomologists and botanists). These experts are capable of singling out, correctly recording and recovering environmental evidence that can lead to a more comprehensive reconstruction of a given criminal episode. If human remains are discovered in an outdoor scenario, the on-site presence of a botanist will guarantee a correct approach to the identification, recording and recovery of any botanical evidence. If an on-site botanist is not available, the operators must be capable of both the botanical evaluation of a scene and the implementation of correct botanical sampling protocols.
The following collection of unusual case histories that aim at underlining the efficacy of forensic botany will examine the determination of post mortem or the post depositional interval, evidence for a victim’s post mortem transfer, evidence for the identification of a primary crime scene and evidence for the identification of a victim’s dismemberment site. In another two cases, one, we will illustrate the important role that forensic botany played in the discrimination between botanical material used to voluntarily conceal a victim and vegetation that had grown naturally above a disposal site, whereas the other will highlight the protocols implemented for the identification of a murder weapon.
Abstract
Landscapes nearby glaciers are disproportionally affected by climate change, but we lack detailed information on microclimate variations that can modulate the impacts of global warming on ...proglacial ecosystems and their biodiversity. Here, we use near-subsurface soil temperatures in 175 stations from polar, equatorial and alpine glacier forelands to generate high-resolution temperature reconstructions, assess spatial variability in microclimate change from 2001 to 2020, and estimate whether microclimate heterogeneity might buffer the severity of warming trends. Temporal changes in microclimate are tightly linked to broad-scale conditions, but the rate of local warming shows great spatial heterogeneity, with faster warming nearby glaciers and during the warm season, and an extension of the snow-free season. Still, most of the fine-scale spatial variability of microclimate is one-to-ten times larger than the temporal change experienced during the past 20 years, indicating the potential for microclimate to buffer climate change, possibly allowing organisms to withstand, at least temporarily, the effects of warming.
In this study we provide a quantification of the main patterns of change of a subarctic peatland caused by permafrost decay monitored between 1957 and 2003. Up‐thrusting of the peatland surface due ...to permafrost aggradation during the Little Ice Age resulted in the formation of an extensive peat plateau that gradually fragmented into residual palsas from the 19th century to the present. Only about 18% of the original surface occupied by permafrost was thawed in 1957, whereas only 13% was still surviving in 2003. Rapid permafrost melting over the last 50 years caused the concurrent formation of thermokarst ponds and fen‐bog vegetation with rapid peat accumulation through natural successional processes of terrestrialization. The main climatic driver for accelerated permafrost thawing was snow precipitation which increased from 1957 to present while annual and seasonal temperatures remained relatively stable until about the mid‐1990s when annual temperature rose well above the mean. Contrary to current expectations, the melting of permafrost caused by recent climate change does not transform the peatland to a carbon‐source ecosystem as rapid terrestrialization exacerbates carbon‐sink conditions and tends to balance the local carbon budget.
Centipedes (Chilopoda) are widespread and abundant predators in several kind of habitats, from forests to caves. Very few quantitative data are currently available for alpine habitats, specifically ...those located at high-altitudes. In this paper, we analysed data on centipedes collected by pitfall traps on different high-altitude landforms of the Central-Eastern Italian Alps, specifically on rock glaciers, debris-covered glaciers, glacier forelands, stable slopes, and scree slopes. We investigated the species richness and abundance (activity density) of individuals in each landform and the relationships between species occurrence and environmental variables in the investigated landforms. The obtained results highlighted non-significant differences in species richness between the landforms, but significant differences in individual abundance and species distribution. Soil organic matter, soil gravel percentage and altitude resulted the main variables affecting the species distribution; a clear preference for landforms located near the treeline was highlighted.
Lithobius lucifugus
resulted the dominant and most common species as well as the only species able to colonise debris-covered glaciers.
A detailed assessment of a pasture's functioning based on soil properties characterization, floristic composition, and 'functional summary' by evaluating competitor-stress tolerator-ruderal (CSR) ...strategies is provided for a doline in Central Italian Alps. A floristic survey was carried out at 35 sampling points, representative of the main topographic features, soil and vegetation types; the functional profile at the community level was evaluated by assessing for each species its Grime's CSR strategy; each point was characterized through soil profiles and topsoil (0-10 cm) sampling; pH, soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, available P, soil humus fraction, root density, bulk density, water content, and available water capacity were determined. Our study showed i) a strong relationship between vegetation, soil properties, topography, and grazing; ii) a prevalence of stress-tolerant strategies; iii) the ability of plant strategy variation to reflect the ecological parameters; and iv) the vegetation potentiality to be an indicator of environmental spatial variability.
Springtails can occur in large populations on the snow surface. This peculiar habitat hosts specialized winter-active springtails living in colonies and using this seasonal habitat for feeding, ...effective dispersal and migration. Snow-active species have never been studied in Southern European Alps: the aim of this work is to study snow-active springtails of Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (“PNAB”; Italy), a peripheral mountain range of relevant biogeographic interest using integrative taxonomy. Springtail “bloomings” were sampled for 17 months by an environmental assistant of the park. Nine assemblages of springtails were found when temperatures were higher than 0 °C; eight were monospecific, with a total of five species found. The snow-active springtail fauna found includes both common Central-Northern European nival species like
Desoria hiemalis
(first record for Italy, although genetically differentiated from Northern Alps populations),
Ceratophysella sigillata
(known in Italy mainly from caves) and three species likely new to science (
Hypogastrura
cf
. kelmendica
sp1,
Hypogastrura
cf
. kelmendica
sp2,
H
. cf.
peloponnesica,
all belonging to the
Hypogastrura socialis
group). Snow is an important ephemeral habitat for springtails, for the biodiversity hosted and for its importance as an ecological corridor. We could hypothesize that snow, especially in peripheral mountain chains, acts as a fragmentary ephemeral habitat for those cold-adapted springtails. This could constitute a relevant aspect to take into consideration for conservation biology, especially in the context of the ongoing climate change. On the other hand, the Alpine chain probably acts as an ecological barrier for nival species, since isolated species and populations were found in PNAB.
Graphical Abstract
Mountain regions are hotspots of biodiversity, and are particularly sensitive to human activities and global changes. Characterizing biodiversity using trait‐based approaches may improve the ...understanding of the evolutionary and mechanistic basis of ecological patterns in species distribution. The investigation of trait–environment relationships, however, is challenging, especially when a hierarchical sampling design is used, as this may lead to misidentification of associations. Here, we investigate how functional traits in ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), a taxon often used as a bioindicator of climate and environmental changes, vary with environmental features in a mountainous landscape. The study was conducted in the Stelvio National Park (Central Italian Alps), collecting individuals with pitfall traps deployed within plots (small spatial scale), located along altitudinal transects (large spatial scale). To investigate the trait–environment association, we used double constrained correspondence analysis, which permits the selection of important traits and environmental variables while accounting for the hierarchical structure of the sampling design. The trait–environment association was largely one‐dimensional, with hay meadow acting as main environmental driver, negatively related to brachypterous wing‐form (indicator of poor dispersal ability) and, to a lesser extent, to specialized diet and (only for the large scale) body length. Secondarily, these traits were related negatively to soil pH and, for the larger spatial scale, positively to canopy cover and elevation. Double constrained correspondence analysis with specialized permutation schemes for statistical testing was effective and robust to analyze the data of the hierarchical sampling.
We applied a multi-taxa approach integrating the co-occurrence of plants, ground beetles, spiders and springtails with soil parameters (temperatures and chemical characteristics) in order to describe ...the primary succession along two glacier forelands in the Maritime Alps (Italy), a hotspot of Mediterranean biodiversity. We compared these successions to those from Central Alps: Maritime glacier forelands markedly differ for their higher values of species richness and species turnover. Contrary to our expectation, Maritime glacier forelands follow a ‘replacement change model’, like continental succession of Inner Alps and differently from other peripheral successions. We propose that the temperatures along these Mediterranean glacier forelands are warmer than those along other Alpine glacier forelands, which promote the faster species turnover. Furthermore, we found that early and mid successional stages of the investigated glaciers are richer in cold-adapted and endemic species than the later ones: we confirmed that the ‘replacement change’ model disadvantages pioneer, cold-adapted species. Given the overall correspondence among cold-adapted and endemic species, the most threatened in this climate phase, our results raise new concerns about the extinction risk of these species. We also describe supraglacial habitat of Maritime glaciers demonstrating that supraglacial debris represents an environment decoupled from the regional climate and may have an important role as refugium for coldadapted and hygrophilous plant and animal species, whose survival can be threatened by climate change and by a rapid ecological succession in the adjacent forelands.
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