Are optical indices good proxies of seasonal changes in carbon fluxes and stress-related physiological status in a beech forest?

This study investigates the functionality of a Mediterranean-mountain beech forest in Central Italy using simultaneous determinations of optical measurements, carbon (C) fluxes, leaf eco-physiological and biochemical traits during two growing seasons (2014-2015). Meteorological variables showed significant differences between the two growing seasons, highlighting a heat stress coupled with a reduced water availability in mid-summer 2015. As a result, a different C sink capacity of the forest was observed between the two years of study, due to the differences in stressful conditions and the related plant physiological status.

Seaweed Extract Alleviates Drought Stress in by Affecting Photosynthetic Performance and Related Gene Expression.

Drought represents one of the most relevant abiotic stress affecting growth and yield of crop plants. In order to improve the agricultural productivity within the limited water and land resources, it is mandatory to increase crop yields in presence of unfavorable environmental stresses. The use of biostimulants, often containing seaweed extracts, represents one of the options for farmers willing to alleviate abiotic stress consequences on crops.

First records in Italy of the red-listed shore bug (Reuter, 1891) (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Saldidae).

Salda henschii (Reuter, 1891) is a boreo-montane species of Saldidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) restricted to mountain bogs and streams in central Europe (e.g., Western Carpathians, Alps) and to freshwater wetlands in lowland coastal areas in northern Europe (Fennoscandia); it is a vicariant of the arctic (Holarctic) element S.

Investigation on metal tolerance and phytoremoval activity in the poplar hybrid clone "Monviso" under Cu-spiked water: Potential use for wastewater treatment.

A serious concern for the environmental and human health is represented by the increasing copper (Cu) occurrence in agricultural soils and waters, because of the possible food contamination and bioaugmentation along the trophic chain. The request for the decontamination of different matrices with an environmentally sustainable technology as the phytoremediation should be addressed by selecting plant materials with improved pollutant tolerance and removal capability. With this purpose, plants of the hybrid poplar clone "Monviso" (Populus×generosa A.

Response of Lemna gibba L. to high and environmentally relevant concentrations of ibuprofen: Removal, metabolism and morpho-physiological traits for biomonitoring of emerging contaminants.

The increasing worldwide consumption of pharmaceuticals and personal care products such as ibuprofen (IBU) is leading to the widespread and persistent occurrence of these chemicals and their transformation products in soils and waters. Although at low concentrations, the continuous discharge of these micropollutants and the incomplete removal by the actual wastewater treatments can provoke accumulation in the environment with risks for the trophic chain. Non-target organisms as duckweed can be used for the environmental monitoring of pharmaceutical emerging contaminants.

Warning: potential problems for taxonomy on the horizon?

Whether or not a species might reasonably be described without the preservation of a type specimen is a matter of ongoing discussion among taxonomists (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Minteer et al. 2014; Krell & Wheeler 2014; Löbl et al. 2016; Marshall & Evenhuis 2016; Santos et al.

The "Italian hebrid", Hebrus franzi (Wagner, 1957): disentangling a half-century dilemma (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Gerromorpha).

Hebrus franzi (Wagner, 1957) was described from the Apuan Alps (Tuscany, Italy) and not found again for several decades despite intensive search. We report on new collections that expand the known distribution area considerably, provide a redescription, and give first insights regarding the ecology of this remarkable flightless species.

WITHDRAWN: Wet effluent diffusion denuder: The tool for determination of monoterpenes in forest.

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, 10.1016/j.talanta.

Elevated CO2 maintains grassland net carbon uptake under a future heat and drought extreme.

Extreme climatic events (ECEs) such as droughts and heat waves are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency and impact the terrestrial carbon balance. However, we lack direct experimental evidence of how the net carbon uptake of ecosystems is affected by ECEs under future elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2). Taking advantage of an advanced controlled environment facility for ecosystem research (Ecotron), we simulated eCO2 and extreme cooccurring heat and drought events as projected for the 2050s and analyzed their effects on the ecosystem-level carbon and water fluxes in a C3 grassland.

Wet effluent diffusion denuder: The tool for determination of monoterpenes in forest.

Three methods, i.e., the cylindrical wet effluent diffusion denuder (CWEDD)-GCMS, Tenax tubes-GCMS and Proton-Transfer-Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS) were compared for the determination of monoterpenes in forest.

Development of multi-functional streetscape green infrastructure using a performance index approach.

This paper presents a performance evaluation framework for streetscape vegetation. A performance index (PI) is conceived using the following seven traits, specific to the street environments - Pollution Flux Potential (PFP), Carbon Sequestration Potential (CSP), Thermal Comfort Potential (TCP), Noise Attenuation Potential (NAP), Biomass Energy Potential (BEP), Environmental Stress Tolerance (EST) and Crown Projection Factor (CPF). Its application is demonstrated through a case study using fifteen street vegetation species from the UK, utilising a combination of direct field measurements and inventoried literature data.

Review of Hydrometra gracilenta Horváth, 1899 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Hydrometridae) in Italy, with notes on its general distribution.

An annotated review of the known Italian distribution of Hydrometra gracilenta Horváth, 1899 is provided, plus unpublished data including a new record which increases the previously known range of the species in Italy. An updated map shows the currently known distribution of the taxon in Italy. An overlooked nomenclatural change is discussed, and the date of description for the genus Hydrometra Lateille is corrected from 1796 to 1797.

Fauna Europaea: Coleoptera 2 (excl. series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and superfamily Curculionoidea).

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education.

First report of Ricania speculum (Walker, 1851) in Europe (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae).

Ricania speculum (Walker, 1851) (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Ricaniidae) is reported for the first time in Europe. Both nymphs and adults were observed from 2009 in several municipalities of Liguria (Italy). Since the species is extremely polyphagous and is a real pest for several crops in tropical and subtropical areas, the presence of this alien insect is noteworthy, representing a new possible threat for native species and human activities.

Isoprene emission aids recovery of photosynthetic performance in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum following high intensity acute UV-B exposure.

Isoprene emission by terrestrial plants is believed to play a role in mitigating the effects of abiotic stress on photosynthesis. Ultraviolet-B light (UV-B) induces damage to the photosynthetic apparatus of plants, but the role of isoprene in UV-B tolerance is poorly understood. To investigate this putative protective role, we exposed non-emitting (NE) control and transgenic isoprene emitting (IE) Nicotiana tabacum (tobacco) plants to high intensity UV-B exposure.

A new record for Limnobatodes paradoxus Hussey, 1925 from Guyana (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Hydrometridae: Limnobatodinae).

Limnobatodes paradoxus Hussey, 1925 is a primitive hydrometrid, described from a single female specimen collected in 1923 at Tela, Honduras (Hussey 1925). Following the original description, very few records of this species have been reported in literature, and locality indications are not detailed: Brazil (Cobben 1968), Peru (Andersen 1977), and French Guiana (Polhemus & Polhemus 1995). Andersen (1977, 1982) quoted "British Honduras" [= Belize] instead of Honduras, and this mistake was subsequently repeated by Schuh and Slater (1995) (see Moreira, 2014).

BVOC emission from Populus × canadensis saplings in response to acute UV-A radiation.

Hybrid poplar (Populus × canadensis) saplings were subjected to acute ultraviolet-A (UV-A) irradiation (30 W m(-2) , ambient treatment, 60, 90 and 120 W m(-2) of UV-A irradiance) to determine the effects on photosynthesis and biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions in two different short-term experiments (i.e. sequential increase in UV-A irradiance and UV-A intensity-response relationships).

Thermal optimality of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide and underlying mechanisms.

• It is well established that individual organisms can acclimate and adapt to temperature to optimize their functioning. However, thermal optimization of ecosystems, as an assemblage of organisms, has not been examined at broad spatial and temporal scales. • Here, we compiled data from 169 globally distributed sites of eddy covariance and quantified the temperature response functions of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), an ecosystem-level property, to determine whether NEE shows thermal optimality and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Rha1, a new mutant of Arabidopsis disturbed in root slanting, gravitropism and auxin physiology.

A new Arabidopsis mutant is characterized (rha1) that shows, in the roots, reduced right-handed slanting, reduced gravitropism and resistance to 2,4-D, TIBA, NPA and ethylene. It also shows reduced length in the shoot and root, reduced number of lateral roots and shorter siliques. The gene was cloned through TAIL-PCR and resulted in a HSF.

A new mutant of Arabidopsis disturbed in its roots, right-handed slanting, and gravitropism defines a gene that encodes a heat-shock factor.

A new mutant of Arabidopsis named rha1 is characterized and the gene involved cloned. In roots, the mutant shows minimal right-handed slanting, reduced gravitropic response, notable resistance to 2,4-D, but scarce resistance to IAA and NAA. The roots also show a clear resistance to the auxin transport inhibitors TIBA and NPA, and to ethylene.