Search results for " CONSERVATION"
showing 10 items of 1644 documents
Charophytes for description and monitoring of inland waters in Sicily
2017
The island of Sicily, in the center of the Mediterranean basin, is a well-known biodiversity hotspot (Médail & Quézel, 1997). Unfortunately, the knowledge of its charophyte flora is absolutely unsatisfactory. The few available data derive from some scattered phytosociological works and some articles published more than 100 years ago. According to the last national synthesis (Bazzichelli & Abdelahad, 2009) a total of 19 Charophytes species should occur in the island, distributed in 4 genera: Chara L. (11), Nitella Agardh (5), Tolypella (A. Braun) A. Braun (2) and Lamprothamnium J. Groves (1). However an updated list of the species occurring in the island, together with their distribu…
The vegetation of a historic road system in the suburban area of Monte Pellegrino (Palermo, Sicily)
2020
Knowledge of the processes by which plants colonize old structures is a key element for nature-based design both in urban and suburban contexts. This paper analyses the natural vegetation on walls and in other microhabitats of the roadway structures of Monte Pellegrino (606 m a.s.l.) near Palermo (Sicily), built in the first half of the 1900s. The historical road has particular construction and architectural features, and its characteristics have been maintained to this day. The route, approximately 16 kilometers long, is well integrated within a site of high naturalistic value which has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (ITA020014) of the Natura 2000 network, and it is also…
Conservation Work on an Ancient Sicilian Processional Banner: Preliminary Analyses and in Situ Restoration
2013
Abstract Before carrying out the conservation work on the gilded wooden frame of the processional banner coming from Tusa, Sicily, some preliminary diagnostic analyses were conducted in order to identify materials that made up the wooden frame. After a micro-sampling phase, a thin section of the wooden support allowed to identify the timber as linden wood (basswood). The X-Ray Fluorescence analysis confirmed the presence of a thin layer of primer made of plaster and animal glue covered with a red bolus primer, used for the gilding process. The restoration was carried out during the opening hours of the museum, allowing visitors to be informed on the restoration phases.
Micro-analytical identification of the components of varnishes from South Italian historical musical instruments by PLM, ESEM-EDX, microFTIR, GC-MS, …
2014
Abstract A multi-analytical investigation was carried out to study varnish micro-samples from historical stringed musical instruments from the collection of the “Vincenzo Bellini” Conservatory in Palermo (Italy). This paper reports on the results of the application of five micro-destructive techniques: optical microscopy analysis of cross-sections, micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry, pyrolysis gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry with thermochemolysis, and environmental scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis. The study provides microchemical information about the composition of the varnishes of the ins…
Electroanalytical techniques in archaeological and art conservation
2017
[EN] The application of electrochemical techniques for obtaining analytical information of interest in the fields of archaeometry, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage goods is reviewed. Focused on voltammetry of immobilised particles and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques, electrochemical measurements offer valuable information for identifying and quantifying components, tracing provenances and manufacturing techniques and provide new tools for authentication and dating.
A methodology for sizing a trigeneration plant in mediterranean areas
2003
Combined heat and power production is an old and well-known technique for the rational use of energy and, thanks to more than fifty years of experience, the state of art can be considered very advanced from a technological point of view. Trigeneration, that is combined electric, heat and cooling energy production, is however a quite recent technology and is becoming economically viable thanks to the commercial spread of absorption chillers. In fact, a well-projected trigeneration plant can achieve better results than a cogenerative one. The CHCP plant benefits over CHP will be underlined, showing the effects of regularisation of annual thermal load curves generated by consumption for feedin…
Energy and economic assessment of desiccant cooling systems coupled with single glazed air and hybrid PV/thermal solar collectors for applications in…
2009
Abstract This paper presents a detailed analysis of the energy and economic performance of desiccant cooling systems (DEC) equipped with both single glazed standard air and hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/t) collectors for applications in hot and humid climates. The use of ‘solar cogeneration’ by means of PV/t hybrid collectors enables the simultaneous production of electricity and heat, which can be directly used by desiccant air handling units, thereby making it possible to achieve very energy savings. The present work shows the results of detailed simulations conducted for a set of desiccant cooling systems operating without any heat storage. System performance was investigated through h…
Analyzing Regional Geographic Challenges: The Resilience of Chinese Vineyards to Land Degradation Using a Societal and Biophysical Approach
2021
Land degradation, especially soil erosion, is a societal issue that affects vineyards worldwide, but there are no current investigations that inform specifically about soil erosion rates in Chinese vineyards. In this review, we analyze this problem and the need to avoid irreversible damage to soil and their use from a regional point of view. Information about soil erosion in vineyards has often failed to reach farmers, and we can affirm that to this time, soil erosion in Chinese vineyards has been more of a scientific hypothesis than an agronomic or environmental concern. Two hypotheses can be presented to justify this review: (i) there are no official and scientific investigations on viney…
Autumn migration of soaring birds through the Gebel El Zeit Important Bird Area (IBA), Egypt, threatened by wind farm projects
2011
SummarySystematic bird observations were performed during autumn 2006 in the migration bottleneck area of Zeit Bay, Egypt (27.73°N, 33.51°E), situated on the coast of the Gulf of Suez, opposite southern Sinai. Owing to the strong northerly winds in that area, considerable pressure exists to construct wind farms. A total of 145,432 soaring birds, including 134,599 storks and 9,376 raptors over a period of 453.6 hours were observed between 20 August and 29 October by two teams working daily in two shifts. White Stork Ciconia ciconia and European Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus were the most numerous species (91.4% and 5.7% respectively) of all soaring birds observed. As both species migrate ear…
Policies can help to apply successful strategies to control soil and water losses. The case of chipped pruned branches (CPB) in Mediterranean citrus …
2018
[EN] There is a need to devise management strategies that control soil and water losses in agriculture land to allow the design of proper policies to achieve sustainability. It is the responsibility of scientists to work with other actors to co-construct strategies that will lead to sustainable land-use policies. Using chipped pruned branches (CPB) as mulch can be a viable option because they represent local (in situ) organic material that can restore soil nutrient and organic matter. This research assesses: i) the perception of farmers towards different types of management strategies and CPB's costs; ii) the biomass yield of citrus branches and the impact of CPB on soil properties; iii) ho…