The effect of river damming on vegetation: is it always unfavourable? A case study from the River Tiber (Italy).

River damming leads to strong hydromorphological alterations of the watercourse, consequently affecting river vegetation pattern. A multitemporal and spatial analysis of the dam effect on composition, structure and dynamic of the upstream vegetation was performed on Tiber River at Nazzano-dam (Rome). The main research questions were as follows: How does plant landscape vary over time and along the river? Where does the dam effect on vegetation end? How does naturalistic importance of the vegetation affected by damming change over time? Data collection was performed mapping the vegetation in aerial photos related to the period before (1944), during (1954) and after dam construction (1984, 2000).

Saponins from Tribulus terrestris L. protect human keratinocytes from UVB-induced damage.

Chronic exposure to solar UVB radiation damages skin, increasing the risk to develop cancer. Hence the identification of compounds with a photoprotective efficacy is essential. This study examined the role of saponins derived from Tribulus terrestris L.

Reed die-back in southern Europe? A case study from Central Italy.

Common reed die-back is a widely investigated phenomenon in Central Europe, not frequently recorded in S-European areas and almost unknown in the Mediterranean Basin. Symptoms of reed decline recently observed in the Italian Peninsula provided the starting point for a detailed investigation on a reed population in one of the largest freshwater ecosystems in Central Italy. The analyses were conducted over two vegetative seasons in 19 plots at seven locations.

Patterns of emblematic habitat types in Mediterranean temporary wetlands.

This article presents the floristic, structural, and syntaxonomical features of plant assemblages in temporary wetlands and the pattern of the corresponding habitat types; according to the Habitats Directive. Nine pristine temporary wetlands covering a wide range of shapes, elevations and substrates were monitored. The "within temporary wetlands" hydrological gradient was strong enough to drive the vegetation and habitat type patterns.