The residualisation of social housing sectors requires housing managers to intensify social management activities aimed at promoting tenants’ wellbeing and social cohesion. This paper discusses the implementation of such activities in the Italian public housing sector. It juxtaposes the vision conceptualised at the policy level with the daily activities of housing managers in practice on the ground and highlights the gaps between policy goals and realities of tenants’ involvement. While social management activities are expected to contribute to breaking the vicious circle of financial, technical, and social decline that has long affected public housing estates, the short timeframe of the planned interventions raises the question of the potential for structural change.
Light trapping is the most widely used tool for determining the diversity of nocturnal Lepidoptera, but UV LEDs have yet to be used as light sources for the large-scale monitoring of Lepidoptera. We assessed the efficiency of this novel light source for sampling moths using a Heath type moth equipped with a strip of 150 high brightness UV LEDs (emission peak 398 nm, ~ 15 W) powered by a 12 V battery. We compared the number of individuals, the number of species and the Geometridae / Noctuidae ratio recorded for the samples collected using UV LED traps with those collected in two monitoring programs carried out in the same geographic region using two different light sources: a 200 W incandescent lamp (Rothamsted trap) and a 160 W mercury vapour lamp (manual catch). The total catch consisted of 61,120 individuals belonging to 699 species. The species richness rarefaction curves revealed that the Rothamsted trap collected fewer species and individuals than UV LED traps. Furthermore, the median numbers of species and individuals caught by UV LED traps fell within the range of those caught by mercury vapour lamp traps. In addition, the community composition recorded using incandescent lamps and UV LEDs was similar. The data obtained using UV LED traps, in absolute terms and in comparison with the other light sources and different sampling methods, clearly reveal that this light source is suitable for sampling macro-moth communities. For field work UV LEDs have many advantages, as they are resistant to mechanical damage, easily protected from heavy rain and energy efficient., Marco Infusino, Gunnar Brehm, Carlo Di Marco, Stefano Scalercio., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The development of a B-biotype Bemisia tabaci Italian colony was studied on bean at 9 constant temperatures (15, 16, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 35°C). The developmental time from egg-to-adult varied from 70 days at 16°C to 22 at 26°C and higher temperatures. A thermal requirement for egg-to-adult development of 307 day-degrees was calculated, based on a lower developmental threshold of 11.53°C. The survival of egg, nymph and adult whiteflies was investigated at 0, 2, 4, and 6°C on broad bean for periods of 1-8 days. The adult was the most cold-sensitive stage, while the egg and nymph showed a similar level of cold resistance. The effect of sub-lethal cold stress of 4-8 days at 4°C on eggs and nymphs was studied. After exposure to low temperatures, whiteflies needed longer developmental times, from 5 to 8 days more. The presence of B. tabaci under outdoor conditions in Italy was investigated with field surveys and correlated with climatic data; the whitefly species was found in open field conditions only south of the 41° parallel, in areas characterised by less than 5 frost days per winter and by annual mean temperatures >16°C.
Chromosome numbers (ploidy levels) were recorded in the following 25 taxa of Hieracium subgen. Pilosella: H. arvicola Nägeli et Peter (2n = 45), H. aurantiacum L. (2n = 36, 45), H. bauhini Besser (2n = 36, 45), H. bifurcum M. Bieb. (2n = 45), H. brachiatum Bertol. ex DC. (2n = 36, 45), H. caespitosum Dumort. (2n = 36), H. cymosum L. (2n ~ 4x), H. densiflorum Tausch (2n = 36, ~ 4x), H. echioides Lumn. (2n = 18, 45), H. fallacinum F. W. Schultz (2n = 36, 45), H. floribundum Wimm. et Grab. (2n = 36, ~ 4x, 45,), H. glomeratum Froel. in DC. (2n = 45), H. iseranum Uechtr. (2n = 36), H. kalksburgense Wiesb. (2n ~ 5x), H. lactucella Wallr. (2n = 18), H. macranthum (Ten.) Ten. (2n = 18), H. onegense (Norrl.) Norrl. (2n = 18), H. pilosella L. (2n = 36, 45, 54), H. piloselliflorum Nägeli et Peter (2n = 45), H. pilosellinum F. W. Schultz (2n = 36, 45), H. piloselloides Vill. (2n = 27, 36, ~ 4x, 45, ~ 5x), H. pistoriense Nägeli et Peter (2n = 27), H. rothianum Wallr. (2n ~ 3x), H. schultesii F. W. Schultz (2n = 36, 45, ~ 5x), H. zizianum Tausch (2n = 27, 36, 54), and one hybrid, H. onegense × H. pilosella (2n = 36). Besides chromosome counts in root-tip meristems, flow cytometry was used to determine the DNA ploidy level in 83 samples of 9 species. The presence of a long marker chromosome was confirmed in tetraploid H. caespitosum and H. iseranum, in pentaploid H. glomeratum, and in both tetraploid and pentaploid H. floribundum. The documented mode of reproduction is sexual (H. densiflorum, H. echioides, H. piloselloides) and apomictic (H. brachiatum, H. floribundum, H. pilosellinum, H. piloselloides, H. rothianum, H. zizianum). Hieracium bifurcum and H. pistoriense are sterile. The chromosome number and/or mode of reproduction of H. bifurcum (almost sterile pentaploid), H. pilosellinum (apomictic pentaploid), H. piloselloides (apomictic triploid), H. pistoriense (sterile triploid), H. rothianum (apomictic triploid) and H. zizianum (apomictic triploid) are presented here for the first time. The sexual reproduction recorded in the pentaploid H. echioides is the second recorded case of this mode of reproduction in a pentaploid cytotype of Hieracium subgenus Pilosella. A previously unknown occurrence of H. pistoriense (H. macranthum – H. bauhini) in Slovakia is reported.
Morphological, anatomical, and physiological leaf traits of Corylus avellana plants growing in different light conditions within the natural reserve "Siro Negri" (Italy) were analyzed. The results highlighted the capability of C. avellana to grow both in sun and shade conditions throughout several adaptations at leaf level. In particular, the more than 100% higher specific leaf area in shade is associated to a 44% lower palisade to spongy parenchyma thickness ratio compared with that in sun. Moreover, the chlorophyll (Chl) a to Chl b ratio decreased in response to the 97% decrease in photosynthetic photon flux density. The results highlighted the decrease in the ratio of Chl to carotenoid content, the maximum PSII photochemical efficiency, and the actual PSII photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) associated with the increase in the ratio of photorespiration to net photosynthesis (PN) in sun. Chl a/b ratio was the most significant variable explaining PN variations in shade. In sun, PN was most influenced by the ratio between the fraction of electron transport rate (ETR) used for CO2 assimilation and ETR used for photorespiration, by ΦPSII, nitrogen content per leaf area, and by total Chl content per leaf area. The high phenotypic plasticity of C. avellana (PI = 0.33) shows its responsiveness to light variations. In particular, a greater plasticity of morphological (PIm = 0.41) than of physiological (PIp = 0.36) and anatomical traits (PIa = 0.24) attests to the shade tolerance of the species., R. Catoni, M.U. Granata, F. Sartori, L. Varone, L. Gratani., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Barn owl pellets were analyzed for comparing the small mammal fauna among three islands of Tuscan archipelago, Italy. Rarefaction analyses and diversity analyses were used on barn owl pellet samples at a total of 18 sites. Apodemus sylvaticus appeared the most abundant species in Elba and Capraia, and Mus musculus in Pianosa. Diversity profiles showed that Pianosa and Elba were very similar in terms of dominance and evenness profiles, whereas Capraia had higher dominance and lower evenness. Using our original data and literature review, we found that 5 species are found in Pianosa, 1 in Giannutri, 0 in Montecristo, 5 in Giglio, 7 in Elba, 6 in Capraia, and 1 in Gorgona. There was no effect of island area, human population size, or linear distance from mainland on species richness.
This paper presents the preliminary results of the study of the Early Neolithic pottery production in the Marche region, Italy (VI mill. BC). The main goal of this research is to expand the knowledge of pottery manufacturing processes associated to the typical Central Adriatic Impressed Ware, at present poorly understood. All sites under analysis are located in the piedmont hills of the Apennine Mountains, except one which is on the coast. This study aims to highlight synchronic and diachronic variability in pottery technology, to identify common traits and to investigate the raw materials selection and exploitation strategies. The pottery assemblages are examined by means of an integrated approach which include techno-typological and archaeometric analyses. The environmental factors, the distribution of resources, the technology solutions taken by these early Neolithic communities are considered. and Článek předkládá předběžné výsledky studia časně neolitické výroby keramiky v oblasti Marche, Itálie (6. tisíciletí př. Kr.). Hlavním cílem tohoto výzkumu bylo rozšířit dosud sporé znalosti o keramických výrobních postupech spojených s typickou středojadranskou keramikou impresso. Všechny zkoumané lokality se nacházejí v předhůří Apenin, kromě jedné, která leží na pobřeží. Cílem studia je upozornit na synchronní a diachronní variabilitu keramické technologie, určit společné prvky a zkoumat výběr surovin a těžební strategie. Keramické soubory byly zkoumány jednotným postupem zahrnujícím techno-typologické a archeometrické analýzy. V potaz byly brány i přírodní prostředí, rozmístění zdrojů a technologická řešení, která sledované časně neolitické komunity volily.
The dietary habits of a population of the sand lizard Lacerta agilis
were studied in the Alpine valley Stura di Demonte, North-western Italy. The faecal contents of 33 adults (16 females and 17 males) and 8 juveniles were analysed. There were negligible sexual differences in terms of trophic diversity and of the overall diet based on taxonomic prey categories. Juveniles had a lower prey diversity value in comparison with females but not with males. There was a positive relationship between the total number of prey items found in individual faecal contents and lizard body size, and this result may explain the more diverse diet of adults in comparison to juveniles. When the adult trophic strategy was analysed by means of the
relativized electivity index, that takes into account prey availability, it was
observed that the main taxonomic prey groups were eaten according to their proportion in the environment, with the only exception of ants (Formicidae) that were highly avoided by lizards.
The first record of the Azalea rough bollworm, Earias roseifera Butler, 1881 in Europe is reported. Larvae were collected on twigs, sprouts and buds of several azalea hybrids growing in a botanical garden in the province of Como (Northern Italy). The larvae fed mainly on the flower and vegetative buds, which resulted in a significant reduction in the amount of blossom. Specimens were identified using both morphological characters and a molecular analysis of the DNA barcode (COX1 sequence).