Cultivable Fungal Endophytes in Roots, Rhizomes and Leaves of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile along the Coast of Sicily, Italy

The presence of endophytic fungi in the roots, rhizomes, and leaves of Posidonia oceanica was evaluated in different localities of the Sicilian coast. Samples of roots, rhizomes, and leaves were submitted to isolation techniques, and the obtained fungal colonies were identified by morphological and molecular (rRNA sequencing) analysis. Fungal endophytes occurred mainly in roots and occasionally in rhizomes and leaves. Lulwoana sp. was the most frequent of the isolated taxa, suggesting a strong interaction with the host. In addition, eight other fungal taxa were isolated. In particular, fungi of the genus Ochroconis and family Xylariaceae were identified as endophytes in healthy plants at al…

Naturalistic Hydroseeding

The applications usually want to restore an adequate level of vegetation cover, to contrast effectively erosion and slope instability, however, often neglecting the naturalistic appearance. Really we should combine the technical aspect with the naturalistic, aiming to eliminate non-native species from vegetation context and to guide the choice of usable herbaceous species. The study, carried out in a dump of a southern Italian town (Termini Imerese - Sicily), provided for the reconstitution of plant cover of 7.4 hectares through hydroseeding applied directly on the soil of the final covering, with waste often exposed. The aim of this study was the use of alternative hydroseeding with the us…

Processi di infiltrazione in un mezzo altamente poroso: misure sperimentali e impiego di un modello semplificato a base fisica

Nel lavoro viene applicato un modello semplificato del processo di infiltrazio-ne, recentemente introdotto, valido per ammassi porosi altamente permeabili, in cui il gradiente di potenziale matriciale può essere assunto trascurabile rispetto a quello gravitazionale. Lo schema descritto si presta per interpretare il processo di infiltrazione che si attua nei residui di Posidonia oceanica (Linneo) Delile, accumulata nei siti di stoccaggio, per l’abbattimento della salinità a mezzo di dilavamento na-turale. Nel lavoro, vengono presentati i primi risultati ottenuti dal monitoraggio di alcune caratteristiche fisiche di interesse dei residui di P. oceanica, per il processo in esame e, in particol…

ESTIMATES OF C/N STOICHIOMETRY AND N RETENTION OF FOUR MEDITERRANEAN WETLAND SPECIES SUBJECTED TO WATER INPUTS FROM AN EFFLUENT OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.

Metodo per la realizzazione di un’opera costruttiva modulare per la protezione del territorio e detta opera

The patent consists of an advanced technique for the modular elements construction, made with organic waste materials. These elements are used for land protection within the Soil and Water Bioengineering works. The linear work with anti-erosion function, consolidating and stabilizing of slopes, consists of modules (Roll Modular Fascine, RFM) made with the residues of vine pruning and with the residues of a marine plant, Posidonia oceanica beached. The work is made with waste materials. The material to make the module consists of vine prunings, collected with specialized agricultural machines. The fascines have a diameter of 40 cm and a length of 60 cm. Their density can be varied by acting …

Structural characterization of polysaccharides of a productive strain of the culinary-medicinal king oyster mushroom, pleurotus eryngii (Agaricomycetes), from Italy

A preliminary biological investigation of the dry basidiomata of strain C-142-c of Pleurotus eryngii has shown significant antioxidant activity. Two different polysaccharides (PEPS-A1 and PEPS-A2) were isolated from the cultivated edible mushroom, P. eryngii C-142-c strain. Based on acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance experiments (1H, 13C, distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer, double quantum filtered correlation spectroscopy, total correlation spectroscopy, nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, heteronuclear singlequantum correlation spectroscopy, and heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectroscopy), the structures of the repeating uni…

A revision of Tamarix specimens (Tamaricaceae) kept in the BCN herbarium of Barcelona (Spain)

The taxonomy of genus Tamarix L. is notoriously controversial and many taxa are still not or wrongly identified. A huge number of tamarisk specimens are kept in the most important herbaria of Spanish universities but many labels needs a deep nomenclatural revision. The Tamarix collection in Universitat de Barcelona (BCN) is composed by 158 samples, collected in different Comunidades Autónomas de España, and corresponding to 14 taxa.

Morfometria degli apparati radicali

Gravity-Driven Infiltration and Subsidence Phenomena in Posidonia oceanica Residues

A simplified infiltration model for highly permeable porous media was introduced, assuming the matric potential gradient as negligible compared to the gravitational gradient. This model enabled us to determine the delay time, i.e., the time that the water front takes (from the beginning of rainfall) to reach the bottom of the highly permeable layer. Posidonia oceanica (Linnaeus) Delile residues were used as a porous media, in order to study the infiltration process that provides salt leaching under natural rainfall when these residues are arranged in a storage area, before reusing. By using a laboratory rainfall simulator, delay times were measured to verify the applicability of the aforeme…

Soil Bioengineering in peri-urban Mediterranean areas, an international educational project developed by AIPIN Sicily, APENA, University of Palermo and University of Lisbon

Soil Bioengineering applied to landscape architecture in urban and periurban areas characterized by mediterranean climate is a project funded by Italian MIUR within the program Messaggeri della Conoscenza. It aims to promote experimental initiatives in teaching and research in academic centers of excellence. The project is divided into 3 phases: didactic activity at the University of Palermo, internship at the Institute Superior de Agronomia of the University of Lisbon; dissemination activities of take home messages learned during the exchange period. During the first phase, more than 20 participants made three project proposals to achieve a practice construction exercises. The best five pa…

Calongea prieguensis (Pezizaceae), a rare hypogeous ascomycetes in Europe

Calongea prieguensis is a rare hypogeous ascomycetes with fragmented distribution in Europe. The taxonomy, ecology and distribution of this species are reported in this short note. The new locality from northen Sicily widens the area of distribution of C. prieguensis in Europe.

Updated checklist of macromycetes of Tunisia

A preliminary checklist of macromycetes has been previously published with reference to six governorates located in northern Tunisia. This paper provides an updated version of the inventory of macromycetes in Tunisia, which includes 268 species, of which seven are worldwide recognized as rare. The investigation was carried out from September 2015 to December 2018 in 13 governorates of the Tunisian territory. This updated checklist reports 145 new national species records (139 basidiomycetes and six ascomycetes) belonging to 57 genera and 13 families. Data related to distribution, ecology and preferential hosts of each recorded taxon are also provided.

Ecological role and exploitation of Posidonia oceanica in the Mediterranean area

The paleoendemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (Posidoniaceae) represents a key species of the most important and productive ecosystem in subtidal habitats of the Mediterranean Sea. This species is the most common seagrass in Sicily where it forms dense and extensive beds, which are characterized by high coverage and primary production values, along the Western coasts. According to phenological processes, the beaching of P. oceanica residues (banquette) represents a great environmental, economic, social and, hygienic problem, conflicting with a number of activities (tourism, bathing establishments, etc.). Even though seagrasses play a fundamental ecological role in limiting coasta…

Biotechnical characteristics of root systems in erect and prostrate habit rosmarinus officinalis L. accessions grown in a mediterranean climate

Rosmarinus officinalis L. is a shrub species typically found in the Mediterranean Basin area. Studies carried out in Sicily on the biodiversity of the genus Rosmarinus found only one species (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with varying morphology (erect habit and prostrate habit). The species does not require high input, managing to thrive even in marginal areas, and is a medicinal and aromatic species of great agronomic and economic interest, being one of the top 20 species most-used in Italy and with highest wholesale revenues. Studies carried out on the species in Italy are recent, as is the whole medicinal and aromatic plants sector, and have mostly regarded agrotechniques. This study shows…

REUTILIZACIÓN DE RESIDUOS DE PODA DE VID Y DE POSIDONIA OCEANICA EN LAS OBRAS DE BIOINGENIERÍA DEL PAISAJE

La popolazione mondiale è in continua espansione e la crescita demografica ed economica inducono allo sfruttamento progressivo dell’ambiente ed al depauperamento delle risorse naturali (acqua ed energia in particolare), con conseguenti impatti potenzialmente importanti sul cambiamento globale. Si rende, pertanto, necessaria ed urgente una più efficiente gestione delle risorse basata sulla rielaborazione di obiettivi sostenibili di politiche e strategie ambientali e sulla riduzione del consumo delle risorse, promuovendo la transizione da un modello di economia lineare ad uno circolare, costituito da un ciclo continuo di sviluppo positivo che preserva e migliora il capitale naturale, ottimizz…

Medicinal Mushrooms as Part of the "Third Mission" Activities of Univesities - A Science to Business Initiative Related to Mycotherapy

In Italy, the National Agency for the Evaluation of the University System and Research (ANVUR) carries out a systematic evaluation of the "Third Mission" activities of universities and research bodies. In this perspective, universities already engaged in research on medicinal mushrooms and on their potential applications in the industrial sector set the frame for collaboration with large, well-reputed private companies. In Italy, one of the major problems of mycotherapy is related to lack of certification and the dubious origin/identity of mushroom extracts used by the industry. Hence, products deriving from medicinal mushrooms that are in trade do not often meet the required quality criter…

An Innovative Soil Bioengineering Technique by Waste Materials: The RiVite Project

This paper describes the RiVite project granted by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development according to the JUMP (Joint Universities Program for PoC) program for patents enhancement, proposed by Sant’Anna School, Scuola Normale and the University of Palermo. The patent (Calvo, R., D’Asaro, F., Baiamonte, G.: Metodo per la realizzazione di un’opera costruttiva modulare per la protezione del territorio e detta opera. Attestato di Brevetto per Invenzione Industriale, n° 102,017,000,141,369, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Roma, 27/02/2020.) consists of an advanced soil bioengineering work providing anti-erosion function, consolidating and stabilizing of slopes, thus for land protectio…

Idrosemina Naturalistica

Le applicazioni di idrosemina generalmente tendono a ricostituire un adeguato livello di copertura vegetale, per migliorare l’efficacia contro fenomeni erosivi e di instabilità dei versanti, ma spesso trascurano l’aspetto naturalistico. Si utilizzano cioè miscele di specie erbacee che spesso pongono scarsa attenzione all’ecologia del sito di intervento. All’approccio tecnico occorre quindi affiancare quello naturalistico, che, dal contesto vegetazionale, scarti le specie alloctone e condizioni la scelta delle specie erbacee da utilizzare. Il caso studio della discarica di Termini Imerese (Palermo), prevedeva un ricoprimento vegetale di 7,4 ha mediante idrosemina direttamente sul terreno di …

Ecology, Phylogeny, and Potential Nutritional and Medicinal Value of a Rare White “Maitake” Collected in a Mediterranean Forest

Albino Grifola frondosa (Dicks.) Gray &ldquo

Performance Assessment of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile Restoration Experiment on Dead matte Twelve Years after Planting—Structural and Functional Meadow Features

Following the restoration of natural conditions by reducing human pressures, reforestation is currently considered a possible option to accelerate the recovery of seagrass habitats. Long-term monitoring programs theoretically represent an ideal solution to assess whether a reforestation plan has produced the desired results. Here, we report on the performance of a 20 m2 patch of Posidonia oceanica transplanted on dead matte twelve years after transplantation in the Gulf of Palermo, northwestern Sicily. Photo mosaic performed in the area allowed us to detect 23 transplanted patches of both regular and irregular shape, ranging from 0.1 to 2.7 m2 and an overall surface close to 19 m2. Meadow d…

Truffle gathering and trade in the Monti Sicani Regional Park (Sicily, Italy), a new perspective for the local economy and for employment in economically depressed areas

Italy is one of the most important countries in Europe for truffles gathering and trade. The socioeconomic potential of truffles has been recently investigated in Sicily, an unexplored region for hypogeous fungi until 1990. This paper provides an updated report on the distribution of truffles in a regional park, located in the inner part of Sicily. Topics covered include the methods of collection of Tuber aestivum and T. borchii, the periods of collection of truffles, the procedure for preservation before marketing and the percentage of truffle buyers in Sicily. Besides, a map of the investigated area integrating the presence of the truffle with all other ecological elements is provided. Th…

Vegetative propagation of Ruta chalepensis L., pioneer species in stony soils and limestone.

Two uncommon fungal species from Italy

Mediterranean forests continue to be an inexhaustible reservoir of fungi of considerable ecological and biogeographical interest. In this paper two rare and/or infrequent species are reported. Boletopsis grisea is a threatened species in Europe while H. subtortum is infrequent.

Organic waste materials for Bioengineering works

Bioengineering uses plant and biodegradable materials of natural origin, stones, steel, additives and synthetic products in various combinations and as support for the growth of plants. The lack of available resources and progressive increasing of desertification in Sicily, led to the search for alternative materials. Objective of the work is testing organic waste materials for the realization of bioengineering works in the several areas of application: terrestrial, fluvial and coastline. To this aim, is proposed the use of innovative techniques that involve the construction of low-cost brushwood, environmentally friendly materials made: the pruning of vines and the oceanic Posidonia oceani…

The urban vascular flora of Palermo (Sicily, Italy)

This article presents a comprehensive inventory of the urban vascular flora of the town of Palermo. The data were gathered from extensive field collections, from specimens kept in different herbaria, and publications of the last 30 years. The floristic catalogue includes all the vascular plants that occur spontaneously within the urban area. Thirteen taxa are endemic to Sicily and one of these, Clinopodium raimondoi, is exclusive to Palermo’s area. The inventory comprises 1052 taxa belonging to 119 families and 225 genera, and contains 170 taxa non-native to the Italian flora.