Andrea Viviano

Italian National Research Council | CNR · Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems

After centuries of extinction due to human persecution, Eurasian beavers Castor fiber L. have been released to Southern Europe in the last decades. Being ecosystem engineers, beavers have attracted great attention regarding restoration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Nonetheless, the effects of the species on aquatic invertebrates known to d...

After centuries of widespread extinction, the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber has recolonised most of its former extent of occurrence, following international and national protection laws, reintroduction programmes, and unauthorized releases. Beavers provide valuable ecosystem services and multiple benefits to native biodiversity, though their activit...

Monitoring and management of alien coypu (Myocastor coypus) is a key issue in Europe since this species has been included in the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation 1143/2014. Thus, controlling the population of this rodent is considered as imperative by wildlife managers. Coypu management in urban areas is crucial considering potential conflicts...

Assessing the vocal repertoires of species is pivotal to understand their communication strategies and, in turn, their ecological roles. In this context, shrews (Eulypotyphla), despite exhibiting considerable vocalization variability, lack comprehensive scientific data on their vocal repertoires. In this study, conducted during October 2022, we col...

The history of human colonisation in the Mediterranean has long been recognised as a crucial factor influencing biodiversity patterns in southern Europe. Nonetheless, our understanding of how anthropogenic and natural dispersal events interacted in shaping wildlife distributions, particularly in small mammals, remains limited. The edible dormouse G...

Genetic techniques have allowed to identify a number of cryptic species of bats and to better define their distribution ranges and conservation status. Long-eared bats Plecotus spp. occur throughout Eurasia and Africa, with a high number of morphologically similar species, often occurring in sympatry. Therefore, disentangling the distribution of on...

As known “ecosystem engineers”, beavers influence river hydrology, geomorphology, biochemistry, and biological assemblages. However, there is a lack of research regarding the effects of beaver activities on freshwater meiofauna. In this study, we investigated the taxonomic and functional composition of the benthic copepod assemblage of a segment of...

‘Agricultural pests’ is a locution used to indicate those wild species considered as dangerous to crops. The crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is a semi–fossorial rodent considered as one of the main agricultural pests by farmers in Italy. Assessing the role of agriculture in shaping the porcupine’s space use is of great importance to develop prop...

Understanding a species' diet is of paramount importance to ecology as it provides vital insights into interactions between organisms and their environment. In this study, we report the first data on the diet of wintering Razorbills (Alca torda) in the Mediterranean Sea. Taking advantage of the irruption event that occurred in the Mediterranean in...

Hybridization between native and introduced species is one of the most important reasons underlying the impact on biodiversity exerted by biological invasions and also one of the hardest to be detected. The East-Asian sika deer Cervus nippon has been introduced to several European countries, where it is known to generate fertile offspring with the...

Global plant trade represents one of the main pathways of introduction for invertebrates, including insects, throughout the world. Non-native insects include some of the most important pests affecting cultivated and ornamental plants worldwide. Defining the origins and updating the distribution of non-native invasive species is pivotal to develop e...

BACKGROUND The Eurasian magpie Pica pica is a resident bird species able to colonize farmlands and anthropized environments. This corvid shows a wide trophic spectrum by including fruits, invertebrates, small vertebrates and carcasses in its diet. A camera‐trap experiment was carried out to test the effect of different ozone (O3) concentrations on...

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) represents an extraordinary example of demographic recovery after centuries of severe hunting and extirpation. Reintroduction programs and legal protection have triggered the recolonisation of Europe, with rapid expansion of beaver populations in the last 25 years. In northern Italy, the species reappeared in 2018...

Reintroduction and rewilding initiatives are key strategies to reverse human impacts on ecosystems and re‐establish natural processes. However, rewilding may involve complex management scenarios, because many expanding species can have economic impacts and cause human–wildlife conflicts. Conflicts can be particularly challenging when carnivores, la...

The Eurasian beaver Castor fiber L., 1758, absent in Italy for over 500 years, has established reproductive populations in Central Italy since 2019, most likely following unauthorized releases. Besides positive effects on local biodiversity, beavers may host a plethora of infective agents, including parasites. Therefore, an assessment of parasitic...

Several biotic and abiotic interactions will contribute to riparian ecosystem changes. The impact of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) on woody vegetation is still unknown for the Mediterranean biogeographical area. Through a replicable approach applied on a cluster of three rivers, we studied how the tree layer of Mediterranean riparian sites is impa...

The application of genetic techniques has allowed to identify a number of cryptic species of bats and to better define their distribution ranges and conservation status. Long-eared bats Plecotus spp. occur throughout Eurasia and Africa, with a high number of morphologically similar species, often occurring in sympatry. Therefore, disentangling the...

List and amount of roadkilled species in our fieldwork survey

List of retained studies from the literature review, and related variables

Table showing the AIC model selection focusing on the countries of Mediterranean biome

Figure depicting the relation between the percentage of introduced species (both on the total of roadkilled species and on the total of existing species) and the latitude of the country hosting the study areas

According to the IUCN guidelines, wildlife reintroduction should consider any impacts on humans within feasibility assessments. Eurasian beavers Castor fiber are recovering across their native range, due to protection laws and reintroductions. In Central Italy, a self-sustaining, naturalised population of Eurasian beavers has been identified in the...

Monitoring the presence and distribution of alien species is pivotal to assessing the risk of biological invasion. In our study, we carried out a worldwide review of roadkill data to investigate geographical patterns of biological invasions. We hypothesise that roadkill data from published literature can turn out to be a valuable resource for resea...

Assessing the nutritional needs and food preferences of animal species is important to design appropriate habitat improvement actions, in particular in agricultural environments. The European brown hare Lepus europaeus is a game species of European conservation interest, typical of open areas, and with declining populations in Eurasia. In this work...

Simple Summary Eurasian beavers have been released throughout Europe since the 1900s, with most introductions following the international reintroduction guidelines. Conversely, unauthorised releases have occurred in several countries, e.g., in Spain, Belgium, Scotland, and Central Italy (Tuscany and Umbria regions). In March 2023, other unequivocal...

Climate and land use changes reshape the distribution of species around the world, so understanding biogeographical patterns is key to protect and manage wildlife, particularly in the case of threatened or declining species. Species with wide ranges are usually considered as common, yet the occurrence of intraspecific variability and adaptation to...

With this communication during the first World Jackal Day on 19th April 2023 (https://www.goldschakal.at/gb/world-jackal-day/) we presented the preliminary results of our informal research project on the golden jackal behavioural ecology and reproductive biology in north-eastern Italy.

In the last decade, there has been a remarkable increase in the number of scientific publications on the ecology of the golden jackal Canis aureus , whereas information on its reproductive biology is still scanty, and the basic reproductive parameters of the species are not yet fully understood. In 2021, we began a research project in North-Eastern...

The raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is an Asian canid species which has been introduced to Europe for fur farming. Local escapes and the animal subsequent dispersal have triggered the establishment of self-sustaining populations, particularly in Eastern European countries, but with several populations in Southern Europe as well. Despite being...

Reporting on uncommon wide animal movements could help in depicting potential carry-over effects at the population level, particularly in an era of rapid climate and environmental changes. The razorbill (Alca torda, Linnaeus 1758) is a regular passage migrant and winter visitor to Italian seas, but with sporadic presences usually involving small nu...

Migratory organisms can be vectors of parasitic host organisms that can then be transported along seasonal migratory journeys and spread across continents. Ornithophilic nidicolous ticks (e.g. soft ticks) include species responsible for the transmission of pathogens and bacteria, thus representing a health problem not only for wild species that are...

Eurasian beavers Castor fiber are important ecosystem engineers, able to modify freshwater environments and influence local biodiversity. Beaver activity affects not only aquatic ecosystems but also terrestrial habitats and organisms. In recent times, beaver populations have been detected in Central Italy. In this work, we determined the use of bea...

In the last few decades, the crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata L., 1758) showed a remarkable range expansion in Italy, due to legal protection, climatic change and antropochorous releases. Particularly, porcupines have been released also in Sardinia, with first records of this large rodent in the wild dating back to 2005. Historical and social fa...

Purpose/Objective: For species listed in Annex V of Habitats Directive, EU Member States shall, if deemed necessary, take measures only because of surveillance work, to ensure that their exploitation is compatible with maintaining them in a favorable conservation status. However, game management plans are elaborated without specific data on local d...

The ongoing climatic change is forcing animal species to cope with global warming and to use different resources to improve their survival. Several species have been favoured by global warming, particularly the alien ones adapted to thrive in tropical and subtropical areas. As to Italian mammals, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata, a large rode...

Dietary selection is an important process for the maintenance of health homeostasis. From the potential food items available in one's environment, choices must be made to assure a proper balance of nutrients for energy, growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Sometimes, animals select plants also for their medicinal properties. This behaviour consti...

The ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri (Aves: Psittaciformes) is a widely distributed species of Asian and African origin, which occurs with over 40 alien populations in the rest of the world. Most established populations of this species are showing a clear trend of territorial expansion and numerical growth. Recent reviews highlighted that on...

The Italian peninsula represented one of the main glacial refugia during climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene, currently being a biodiversity hotspot. In this work, we analysed for the first time the genetic diversity of harvest mouse populations in Italy, and we compared them with those of the rest of Eurasia. Mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene w...

Analyses of temporal partitioning and overlaps in activity rhythms are pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence between similar species or prey and predators. In this work, we assessednthe overlap of activity rhythms between the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber and its potential competitors and predators through camera trapping in an area in...

The ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) is a widespread lizard, naturally distributed between the Maghreb and coastal Pakistan, with few insular populations in the Mediterranean coastal area. Some populations of this species have also been recorded in peninsular Italy, Campania and Southern Tuscany due to accidental introductions via touristic an...

The European brown hare Lepus europaeus is the most widely distributed hare species of the world, being naturally present throughout Eurasia and introduced as a game species in most continents. Despite the importance of this lagomorph for both management and conservation, a quantitative summary of its spatiotemporal behaviour is still lacking. Taki...

Wildlife abundance estimation is one of the key components in conservation biology. Bayesian frameworks are widely used to adjust the potential biases derived by data collected in the field, as they can increase the precision of model parameter as a consequence of the combination of previous pieces of knowledge (priors) combined with data collected...

Among large-sized mammals, the wild boar Sus scrofa is the main agricultural pest in Mediterranean countries. Despite being a widely studied species, its physiological adaptability requires a high number of research works assessing its ecology in different habitat types. Furthermore, little is known about ecology of the wild boar at the southernmos...

The American mink Neovison vison is a widespread alien carnivore in Europe due to escapes from fur farms through this continent. Impacts by naturalized mink include competition with native species and predation of crayfish and small vertebrates. Therefore, an updated monitoring of mink distribution is required to design management plans. The Americ...

Temporal partitioning is reported as one of the main strategies adopted by coexisting mammal species to limit interspecific competition and behavioural interference. In the last decades, camera-trapping surveys have provided valuable insights in assessing temporal niche and activity rhythms of medium and large-sized mammalian species. Conversely, t...

Biogeography and the occurrence of small mammals are usually hard to investigate due to the small size and secretive habits of these mammals. Available data are particularly insufficient on minor islands and at national borders, where research efforts are usually scarce. Here we briefly updated the knowledge on murid rodents on two remote Italian s...

This datasheet on Psittacula eupatria covers Identity, Overview, Distribution, Dispersal, Diagnosis, Biology & Ecology, Environmental Requirements, Natural Enemies, Impacts, Uses, Prevention/Control, Further Information.

Riassunto breve-Il castoro eurasiatico Castor fiber si è estinto in gran parte dell'Europa tra il Medioevo e il XIX se-colo. A partire dagli inizi del 1900, leggi di protezione e reintroduzioni autorizzate/non autorizzate hanno avuto luogo in gran parte degli stati europei e la popolazione di questa specie è ora diffusa tra la Spagna settentrionale...

An increase of nocturnal activity of ungulate species may represent a compensatory opportunity for energy intake, when activity in daylight is hindered by some disturbance events (e.g. hunting or predation). Therefore, mostly-diurnal and crepus-cular species may be active in bright moonlight nights whereas others may shift their diurnal activity to...

Adult specimens of Trichuris sp. collected from crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata) from Italy were characterized using an integrative taxonomic approach involving morphological and mo-lecular tools. The morphological features of this Trichuris sp. were compared to data already available for Trichuris spp. from Hystrix sp., revealing diagnostic t...

Distribution and genetic analysis of wild-living Eurasian beavers in Central Italy. The presence of the Eurasian beaver Castor fiber L. has been recently confirmed with two separated populations in Tuscany (Central Italy) and probably represents the result of an unofficial release. In late spring and summer 2021, seven reliable records of Eurasian...

The distribution of the Alpine marmot released in the Northern Apennines has been largely unstudied. In this note, we summarise the current distribution and the altitude range of the Alpine marmot in the Apennine ridge, 80 years after their first releases. We searched for marmot occurrence on the Apennines (i) on citizen-science platforms and (ii)...

Taxonomy is a mistreated matter, but its role in ecology, behaviour and conservation studies is pivotal. Disentangling amongst different subspecies is challenging given the high arbitrariness level in determining thresholds of genetic and morphological distances. Splitting frenzy trends have increased the number of animal taxa and for most of them...

In our paper, we reported the presence of two alien species in the city of Reggio Emilia, the ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri and the Alexandrine parakeet Psittacula eupatria. The ring-necked parakeet is widespread throughout Europe with many colonies known also for Italy, whereas the Alexandrine parakeet has been only recorded in the last...

Analysis of spatiotemporal partitioning is pivotal to shed light on interspecific coexistence. Most research effort has involved large-sized carnivores and their prey, whereas little attention has been devoted to lagomorphs. We assessed spatiotemporal overlap among the European brown hare Lepus europaeus and its potential competitors and predators...

The assessment of habitat selection and temporal patterns of activity rhythms is paramount for wildlife conservation. Studies on behavioural ecology of wild mammals are particularly challenging in tropical areas, mostly when involving rare or elusive species. Despite being a common species in Italy, the crested porcupine Hystrix cristata is threate...