Impact of the "Flavescence Dorée" Phytoplasma on Xylem Growth and Anatomical Characteristics in Trunks of 'Chardonnay' Grapevines ().

Flavescence dorée (FD) is a grapevine disease caused by ' Phytoplasma vitis' (FDp), which is epidemically transmitted by the Nearctic leafhopper . In this study, we applied dendrochronological techniques to analyse the response to FDp infections in terms of wood ring widths and anatomical structures of the xylem and phloem tissues of the trunk of the susceptible grapevine cultivar 'Chardonnay.' As a rule, grapevines are susceptible to water shortage and reduce their growth in diameter in case of summer drought.

Iconic but Invasive: The Public Perception of the Chinese Windmill Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) in Switzerland.

Biological invasions strongly increased during the last centuries and are challenging environmental managers worldwide. In this context, public acceptance of management measures is a key factor determining the long-term success of the control of invasive species. However, in the case of charismatic and iconic invasive species, the public has often been unwilling to accept strict management measures.

Modelling the meteorological forest fire niche in heterogeneous pyrologic conditions.

Fire regimes are strongly related to weather conditions that directly and indirectly influence fire ignition and propagation. Identifying the most important meteorological fire drivers is thus fundamental for daily fire risk forecasting. In this context, several fire weather indices have been developed focussing mainly on fire-related local weather conditions and fuel characteristics.

Wildfire seasonality and land use: when do wildfires prefer to burn?

Because of the increasing anthropogenic fire activity, understanding the role of land-use in shaping wildfire regimes has become a major concern. In the last decade, an increasing number of studies have been carried out on the relationship between land-use and wildfire patterns, in order to identify land-use types where fire behaves selectively, showing a marked preference (or avoidance) in terms of fire incidence. By contrast, the temporal aspects of the relationship between landuse types and wildfire occurrence have received far less attention.

Extending the temporal context of ethnobotanical databases: the case study of the Campania region (southern Italy).

Background: Ethnobotanical studies generally describe the traditional knowledge of a territory according to a "hic et nunc" principle. The need of approaching this field also embedding historical data has been frequently acknowledged. With their long history of civilization some regions of the Mediterranean basin seem to be particularly suited for an historical approach to be adopted.