Prediction of soil seed bank of piedmont and alluvial environments of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract The current focus is on the overall pattern of seed storage present in the fragments of the soil of piedmont and alluvial landscapes of the environment. The present study predicted the seed banks of both soils of alluvial and piedmont zones in different ecological conditions and evaluate the potential of seeds in the restoration of both environments. The composition of the seed bank of soil is mainly affected by the alluvial environment and the structure of cleared area shows that more species of germinating annual grasses and growable seeds with the higher total number. Extant vegetation structures have an important role in the diversity of soil seed reservoirs, whose composition corresponded with the openness of the site. When in situ soil seed bank is recruited, it helps to restore only some components of the plant community in an alluvial environment. In our current research, it was confirmed that seed richness was higher in number at lower elevation (alluvial) than that at high elevation (piedmont). Seed richness showed a significant negative correlation with anions, cations, while significantly positive with altitude that suggests the richness pattern of the overall seed bank of the area is influenced by various environmental factors.

Resumo O foco atual está no padrão geral de armazenamento de sementes presente nos fragmentos de solo do Piemonte e nas paisagens aluviais do meio ambiente. O presente estudo previu os bancos de sementes de ambos os solos das zonas aluvial e piemontesa em diferentes condições ecológicas e avaliou o potencial das sementes na restauração de ambos os ambientes. A composição do banco de sementes do solo é afetada principalmente pelo ambiente aluvial e a estrutura da área desmatada mostra que mais espécies de gramíneas anuais em germinação e sementes cultiváveis apresentam o maior número total. As estruturas da vegetação existente têm um papel importante na diversidade dos reservatórios de sementes do solo, cuja composição correspondeu à abertura do local. Quando o banco de sementes do solo in situ é recrutado, o mesmo ajuda a restaurar apenas alguns componentes da comunidade de plantas em um ambiente aluvial. Em nossa pesquisa atual, foi confirmado que a riqueza de sementes era maior em número em altitudes mais baixas (aluviais) do que em altitudes elevadas (Piemonte). A riqueza de sementes mostrou uma correlação negativa significativa com ânions, cátions, enquanto significativamente positiva com a altitude, o que sugere que o padrão de riqueza do banco geral de sementes da área é influenciado por vários fatores ambientais.

Prediction of soil seed bank of piedmont and alluvial environments of Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Pakistan / Predição do banco de sementes do solo do piemonte e ambientes aluviais de Dera Ghazi Khan, Punjab, Paquistão

Abstract The current focus is on the overall pattern of seed storage present in the fragments of the soil of piedmont and alluvial landscapes of the environment. The present study predicted the seed banks of both soils of alluvial and piedmont zones in different ecological conditions and evaluate the potential of seeds in the restoration of both environments. The composition of the seed bank of soil is mainly affected by the alluvial environment and the structure of cleared area shows that more species of germinating annual grasses and growable seeds with the higher total number. Extant vegetation structures have an important role in the diversity of soil seed reservoirs, whose composition corresponded with the openness of the site. When in situ soil seed bank is recruited, it helps to restore only some components of the plant community in an alluvial environment. In our current research, it was confirmed that seed richness was higher in number at lower elevation (alluvial) than that at high elevation (piedmont). Seed richness showed a significant negative correlation with anions, cations, while significantly positive with altitude that suggests the richness pattern of the overall seed bank of the area is influenced by various environmental factors.

Resumo O foco atual está no padrão geral de armazenamento de sementes presente nos fragmentos de solo do Piemonte e nas paisagens aluviais do meio ambiente. O presente estudo previu os bancos de sementes de ambos os solos das zonas aluvial e piemontesa em diferentes condições ecológicas e avaliou o potencial das sementes na restauração de ambos os ambientes. A composição do banco de sementes do solo é afetada principalmente pelo ambiente aluvial e a estrutura da área desmatada mostra que mais espécies de gramíneas anuais em germinação e sementes cultiváveis ​​apresentam o maior número total. As estruturas da vegetação existente têm um papel importante na diversidade dos reservatórios de sementes do solo, cuja composição correspondeu à abertura do local. Quando o banco de sementes do solo in situ é recrutado, o mesmo ajuda a restaurar apenas alguns componentes da comunidade de plantas em um ambiente aluvial. Em nossa pesquisa atual, foi confirmado que a riqueza de sementes era maior em número em altitudes mais baixas (aluviais) do que em altitudes elevadas (Piemonte). A riqueza de sementes mostrou uma correlação negativa significativa com ânions, cátions, enquanto significativamente positiva com a altitude, o que sugere que o padrão de riqueza do banco geral de sementes da área é influenciado por vários fatores ambientais.

Corylus avellana "Nocciola Piemonte": metabolomics focused on polar lipids and phenolic compounds in fresh and roasted hazelnuts.

The common hazel plant (Corylus avellana L., Betulaceae) is one of the most popular tree nuts widespread in Europe and Asia. In Italy, there are different cultivars among which the cultivar affording the valuable hazelnut "Tonda Gentile Trilobata," also known as "Tonda Gentile delle Langhe," covered by the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) label "Nocciola Piemonte" (NP), known for its sweetness, cooked-bread aroma, and the low intensity of the burnt aroma. In order to obtain a detailed and in-depth characterization of the polar fraction of fresh (NPF) and roasted (NPR) kernels of NP the analysis of the n-butanol extracts by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization and high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI/HRMS) was carried out. Moreover, to evaluate the quantitative distribution of the most representative polar lipids in NPF and NPR, the analysis by liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed. To unambiguously identify the phenolic compounds highlighted by the LC-ESI/HRMS profiles, they were isolated from the n-butanol extract and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) experiments. Finally, the ability of the isolated compounds to exert radical scavenging activity and to inhibit the lipid peroxidation induced by H2O2 or H2O2/Fe2+ was tested by Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays, respectively. The LC-ESI/HRMS allowed to ascertain the presence of phenolic compounds and multiple classes of polar lipids including phospholipids, glycolipids, sphingolipids, and oxylipins. The quantitative analysis highlighted in NPR fraction a lipid content three times higher than in NPF, evidencing lyso-phospholipids and phospholipids as the most represented lipid classes in both NPF and NPR, together accounting for 94 and 97% of the considered lipids, respectively. Furthermore, phytochemical analysis permitted to identify flavonoid and diarylheptanoid derivatives. In particular, quercetin 3-O-ß-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside and myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside showed the highest antioxidant activity, exhibiting TEAC values similar to that of quercetin, used as reference compound (2.00 ± 0.03 and 2.06 ± 0.03 mM vs 2.03 ± 0.03 mM, respectively). Moreover, most of the tested compounds were found to reduce lipid peroxidation induced by H2O2 and H2O2/Fe2+ more than curcumin used as positive control, with myricetin-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside determining 44.4 % and 34.1 % inhibition percentage, respectively.

Ticks and bacterial tick-borne pathogens in Piemonte region, Northwest Italy.

A molecular screening for tick-borne pathogens was carried out in engorged and in questing ticks collected in Verbano Cusio Ossola county, Piemonte region, Italy. Engorged ticks were removed from wild and domestic animal hosts. The most abundant and common tick species in the area was Ixodes ricinus (192 adults, 907 nymphs). Few individuals of Ixodes hexagonus (15) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (7) were found among the ticks removed from domestic animals (46 examined ticks). The presence of Rickettsia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu, Francisella tularensis and Coxiella burnetii was evaluated by PCR and sequencing in 392 individuals of I. ricinus (adult and nymphal stages) and 22 individuals of the two other tick species. Five Borrelia species (i.e. B. burgdorferi sensu stricto, B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. valaisiana and B. lusitaniae), proved or suspected to cause clinical manifestations of Lyme disease in humans, showed 10.5 and 2.2% combined prevalence in questing and engorged I. ricinus, respectively. In addition, two species of rickettsiae (R. helvetica and R. monacensis) were identified and reported with 14.5 and 24.8% overall prevalence in questing and in engorged ticks. The prevalence of F. tularensis in the ticks collected on two wild ungulate species (Capreolus capreolus and Cervus elaphus) was 5.7%. This work provided further data and broadened our knowledge on bacterial pathogens present in ticks in Northwest Italy.

Energy input in conventional and organic paddy rice production in Missouri and Italy: A comparative case study.

The expected decline in availability of fossil fuels over the next several decades, either because of resource depletion or because of limits on carbon emissions, is leading to a keen interest in finding more sustainable energy sources. For this reason, it is useful to assess the energy footprint of alternative agricultural systems for crops and animal production and to identify potential transition scenarios to systems largely based on renewable energy. The present work aims to assess for the first time a comparative analysis of energy inputs in rice production systems in Southern Europe (Piemonte, Italy) and in North America (Missouri, USA). A total of twelve rice farms, either conventional or organic, were selected, collecting detailed data on direct (fuel and electricity) and indirect (machinery, fertilizers, pesticides, and seeds) energy inputs. While energy input of conventional farms ranged from 3.5 to 7 MJ/kg paddy rice, organic farming could reduce inputs by more than 50% with only 8% yield decrease. A significant reduction in fuel or electricity use can be achieved also with no till and surface irrigation. The use of renewable energy sources, as already practiced by some farms, could more than cover their electrical energy requirements.

Three new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Bahia, Brazil.

The taxonomic treatment of Begoniaceae for the state of Bahia, Brazil, led to the recognition of three new species of Begonia with narrow distributions, which are described and illustrated here: Begoniadelicata Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a herb restricted to the region of the Recôncavo; Begoniaelianeae Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a shrub endemic to the Atlantic forest of the southern part of the state; and Begoniapaganuccii Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a subshrub known only from the type material, collected in the Piedmont of Paraguaçu. Notes on morphology, comparisons with morphologically similar species, etymology, geographic distribution, habitat and phenological data for each species are also presented. Furthermore, keys are provided as an aid to separating the new species from congeneric species that occur in their surroundings. Due to the sparse knowledge of the new species, there is as yet insufficient data to accurately assess their conservation status.

ResumoO tratamento taxonômico das Begoniaceae do estado da Bahia, Brasil, resultou no reconhecimento de três espécies novas de Begonia com distribuição restrita, as quais são descritas e ilustradas aqui: Begoniadelicata Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. é uma erva restrita ao Recôncavo; Begoniaelianeae Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. é um arbusto endêmico da Mata Atlântica do sul do estado; e Begoniapaganuccii Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. é um subarbusto, conhecido apenas pelo espécime-tipo, coletado no Piemonte do Paraguaçu. São apresentados comentários morfológicos, comparações com espécies semelhantes, etimologia, distribuição geográfica, hábitat e dados fenológicos para cada espécie. Além disso, são fornecidas chaves de identificação para separá-las de espécies congenéricas que ocorrem na circunvizinhança dessas espécies. Devido ao conhecimento esparso das novas espécies, os dados ainda são insuficientes para classificá-las acuradamente quanto ao estado de conservação.

Geological Interpretation of PSInSAR Data at Regional Scale.

Results of a PSInSAR™ project carried out by the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection (ARPA) in Piemonte Region (Northern Italy) are presented and discussed. A methodology is proposed for the interpretation of the PSInSARTM data at the regional scale, easy to use by the public administrations and by civil protection authorities. Potential and limitations of the PSInSARTM technique for ground movement detection on a regional scale and monitoring are then estimated in relationship with different geological processes and various geological environments.