Michele Innangi

University of Molise | Università del Molise · Department of Biosciences and Territory

The origin and fate of humus, a soil organic matter fraction that is most resistant to decomposition, are not yet completely understood. Humus derives mainly from plant structural components; that is, lignin and cellulose, together with several other primary and secondary compounds. There are several methods to estimate lignin and cellulose in plan...

The genus Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) consists of about 100 carnivorous species, also known as butterworts. Eleven taxa are endemic to Italy, which represents a biodiversity hotspot for butterworts in Europe. The aim of our study was to provide a phylogenetic framework for the Italian endemics, in order to: a) investigate the relationships betwee...

Climate change is forecasted to alter forest species distributions and the organic carbon cycle, particularly in the Mediterranean region. In this context, one of the most important carbon reservoirs, both in terms of living biomass and soil organic matter, is represented by beech forests, which are highly vulnerable to global warming. Accordingly,...

Urban settlements can support significant biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services. Remote sensing (RS) offers valuable tools for monitoring and conserving urban biodiversity. Our research, funded by the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan (National Biodiversity Future Centre—Urban Biodiversity), undertakes a systematic scientif...

Recent studies have explored the ecological relationship between native urban forests and self-sown non-native forests in large cities and metropolises but further research efforts dedicated to analyzing this relationship in small cities are still needed. To improve our understanding of the ecology of urban native and alien forests in Mediterranean...

Shorebirds play a crucial role in assessing the health of coastal ecosystems due to their life history, behaviour, migratory patterns, and feeding preferences. Many shorebird species are experiencing population declines worldwide, driven by habitat loss and climate change. Understanding these challenges requires extensive data on their distribution...

The "Nature Map of the Municipality of Campobasso: Habitat Map at 1:5,000 scale" is presented and described as part of the collaboration between the ISPRA-Carta della Natura group and researchers from the Department of Biosciences and Territory of the University of Molise, in the context of the National Biodiversity Future Center project. The map w...

Invasive alien species represent a major threat to global biodiversity and the sustenance of ecosystems. Globally, mountain ecosystems have shown a degree of resistance to invasive species due to their distinctive ecological features. However, in recent times, the construction of linear infrastructure, such as roads, might weaken this resistance, e...

Staphylea, also called bladdernuts, is a genus of plants belonging to the family Staphyleaceae, widespread in tropical or temperate climates of America, Europe, and the Far East. Staphylea spp. produce bioactive metabolites with antioxidant properties, including polyphenols which have not been completely investigated for their phytotherapeutic pote...

Results of the urban woods studies in Campobasso, a representative case of study of small inland city for Spoke 5 (Urban), were presented in the first annual report of NBFC (National Biodiversity Future Center) in Palermo, 20th-22th May 2024.

The Ansanto Valley's Mefite, one of the Earth's largest non‐volcanic CO2 gas emissions, is distinguished by its cold natural carbon dioxide springs. These emissions originate from the intricate tectonics and geodynamics of the southern Apennines in Italy. Known for over two millennia for its lethal concentration of CO2 and other harmful gases, the...

The plant Centaurea cineraria L. subsp. cineraria has been investigated as a potential source of inhibitors of broomrape radicle growth. The latter are weeds that pose a threat to agriculture and for which there are few methods available for the control of infestations. Four sesquiterpene lactones have been isolated from C. cineraria L. subsp. cine...

A systematic review to assess which RS techniques have been used in urban biodiversity monitoring over the last 15 years. This work is funded by the NBFC framework, Spoke 5 (Urban).

Coastal ecosystems, encompassing land and marine environments and hosting substantial biodiversity, are among the most threatened worldwide. The European Habitats Directive prioritises coastal habitats and species, requiring legislative, direct protection, monitoring, and informational measures. Accurate habitat and species monitoring is crucial to...

The ever-increasing of international trade and anthropogenic activity has led to the relocation of thousands of plant species worldwide. Many plants that are transported by anthropogenic means face difficulties in reproducing and finally establishing themselves successfully in their new location due to climatic or other environmental constraints. M...

The Invasive Alien Plants (IAPs) are a growing threat to biodiversity, causing significant ecological losses, especially in Mediterranean mountain regions where it is a poorly known issue. In this context, in summer season 2022, the first monitoring site of the MIREN project (Haider et al., 2022) was established in Italy. The main objective is to i...

The Mefite in the Ansanto Valley is one of the largest and oldest cold natural carbon dioxide springs (CNCDS) known in the world. This site is characterized by toxic concentrations of CO2 and other harmful gases, and few plant species can survive in this environment. Among these plants, there is an aberrant Genista tinctoria population previously d...

Citation: Villalobos Perna, P.; Di Febbraro, M.; Carranza, M.L.; Marzialetti, F.; Innangi, M. Remote Sensing and Invasive Plants in Coastal Ecosystems: What We Know So Far and Future Prospects. Land 2023, 12, 341. https://doi. Abstract: Coastal environments are highly threatened by invasive alien plants (IAP), and Remote Sensing (RS) may offer a so...

Coastal dune ecosystems are highly threatened, and one of the strongest pressures is invasive alien plants (IAPs). Mitigating the negative effects of IAPs requires development of optimal identification and mapping protocols. Remote sensing offers innovative tools that have proven to be very valuable for studying IAPs. In particular, unmanned aerial...

Invasive alien plants (IAP) pose a major threat to biodiversity and have a negative impact on the integrity and conservation status of plant communities. Mediterranean dunes are widely exposed to IAP, due to their environmental heterogeneity and the anthropogenic pressures to which they are subjected. The current study explored the possible existen...

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages have been studied at 11 sediment surface samples located in the Neretva Channel covering the delta habitat and the adjacent open sea areas. The major objective of the investigation was to explore the main environmental parameters affecting the benthic foraminifera compositional changes. To this end, a statistical a...

Forest soils harbour a vast array of organisms that govern the processing of organic matter. Through their trophic interactions, they give rise to carbon flows that sustain soil ecosystem functioning. Understanding how soil food webs shape carbon flows may enhance our knowledge about the role of biodiversity on soil processes. In this work, we asse...

In 2019, in southern Italy (Campania) there was an outbreak of a sap beetle infesting stored walnut fruits. A monitoring activity started to assess the spread and impact of the pest in walnut orchards and in warehouses, and an integrative characterization led to identify the beetle as Carpophilus truncatus. This species has been in Europe for a lon...

Forests are known to play a key role in the ecosystem health. In fact, they provide a wide range of ecosystem services, such as carbon sequestration for climate change mitigation, nutrient cycle regulation, and biodiversity conservation. For these reasons, the reforestation of degraded sites is listed as a nature based solution. On the other hand,...

The issue of exploited soils that become unproductive after extended agriculture use is constantly growing and it is considered of great interest on a global level. Soil degradation induces loss of important ecosystem services and biodiversity, which is aggravated by the on-going climate change. Here, we investigated the chances of reforestation of...

Seafloor topography and grain size distribution are pivotal features in marine and coastal environments, able to influence benthic community structure and ecological processes at many spatial scales. Accordingly, there is a strong interest in multiple research disciplines to obtain seafloor geological and/or habitat maps. The aim of this study was...

Species interactions in mixed plantations can influence tree growth, resources capture and soil fertility of the stands. A combined approach of tree-ring analyses and carbon stable isotope was used to check tree growth and water use efficiency of two species, Populus alba L. and Juglans regia L., intercropped with each other and with N-fixing or co...

The use of biowaste compost as soil organic amendment is of great interest for soil recovery. However, there is little knowledge of detailed effects on chemical, microbial, and biochemical properties in different soil compartments (aggregate classes) following long-term amendment with biowaste compost. We studied the distribution of soil organic ca...

The growing need for biomass recovery suggests forest waste leaf material for technological applications in a circular economy scenario. In this context, white poplar (Populus alba L.) foliar material was recovered in a forest site planted on a former agricultural land was identified in Tuscany (Italy), and intercropping eventually occurred was als...

Tree planting on abandoned agricultural land could both restore the soil quality and increase the productivity of economically valuable woody species. Here, we assess the impact of mixed-species tree plantations on soil quality at a site in Central Italy where tree intercropping systems were established 20 years ago on a former agricultural land. T...

Both climate and land-use changes, including the introduction and spread of allochthonous species, are forecast to affect forest ecosystems. Accordingly, forests will be affected in terms of species composition as well as their soil chemical and biological characteristics. The possible changes in both tree cover and soil system might impact the amo...

The relationships between structural complexity, deadwood abundance, microhabitat type and species-diversity indicators are excellent tools to monitor biodiversity in forest ecosystems. In spite of their importance, correlations between structural traits and Coleoptera communities in Mediterranean mountain forests have only rarely been investigated...

Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) is a bulbous geophyte growing on coastal sands. In this study, we investigated changes in concentrations of metabolites in the root and leaf tissue of P. maritimum in response to mild salt stress. Changes in concentrations of osmolytes, glutathione, sodium, mineral nutrients, enzymes, and other compounds in the...

Given the ongoing climate change, estimating the amount of less degradable plant compounds that can be stored in the soil, such as lignin, is a topic of primary importance. There are few methods applicable to soils for the determination of lignin, such as the copper oxide (CuO) oxidation method (CuOL). Acetyl bromide spectrophotometric lignin (ABSL...

The Mediterranean Basin can be considered as a natural laboratory with which to study the effects of sea currents in the dispersal of coastal plant species that use hydrochory. Pancratium maritimum is a perennial geophyte, with a wide distribution along Mediterranean coasts. We aim to provide a timeframe for the origin of the diversification of thi...

This study investigated the impacts of environmental (e.g., climate and CO2 level) and ecological (e.g., stand density) factors on the long-term growth and physiology of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in a semi-arid north American grassland. We hypothesized that ponderosa pine long-term growth patterns were positively influenced by an increase in...

Benthic foraminiferal assemblages from marine sediments of some selected areas off the Linosa Island (central Mediterranean) were investigated with the aim to examine their relationships with seafloor topography. Sediments were collected during different geophysical and biological surveys carried out in 2016 and 2017 around the Pelagie Islands. An...

The Mediterranean Basin can be considered as a natural laboratory with which to study the effects of sea currents in the dispersal of coastal plant species that use hydrochory. Pancratium maritimum is a perennial geophyte, with a wide distribution along Mediterranean coasts. We aim to provide a timeframe for the origin of the diversification of thi...

The authors briefly discuss about the list of the taxa endemic to Campania (southern Italy) and the typification of their names. The names Santolina neapolitana and Seseli polyphyllum (and other linked names) are lectotypified on herbarium specimens kept at LY and BOLO. A new combination at subspecific rank is proposed for Globularia neapolitana, v...

Truffles contribute both directly and indirectly to important dynamics in the soil web, being involved in a large number of ecological functions that are crucial for terrestrial ecosystems. Despite this, the interrelationships between true truffles, i.e. hypogeous ectomycorrhizal fungi producing valuable fruiting bodies, and other elements of the s...

Globularia is a genus of small evergreen and perennial shrubs that are widespread in Europe. Globularia section Empetron includes a group of three species, G. cordifolia, G. meridionalis, and G. neapolitana, that have been taxonomically disputed for more than 150 years. Many morphological features have been proposed to discriminate these species. N...

Galdieria maxima is a polyextremophilic alga capable of diverse metabolic processes. Ammonia is widely used in culture media typical of laboratory growth. Recent reports that this species can grow on wastes promote the concept that G. maxima might have biotechnological utility. Accordingly, there is a need to know the range of pH levels that can su...

Galdieria maxima is a polyextremophilic alga capable of diverse metabolic processes. Ammonia is widely used in culture media typical of laboratory growth. Recent reports that this species can grow on wastes promote the concept that G. maxima might have biotechnological utility. Accordingly, there is a need to know the range of pH levels that can su...

Trace elements have been acknowledged as some of the subtlest environmental hazards. In this study, we measured the concentration of 11 trace elements in flight feathers of Italian sparrows (Passer italiae). Samples, from 184 birds, were collected in the WWF Conza Oasis, an agricultural area near Conza Lake (AV), during three sampling years. Some e...

Galdieria maxima is a polyextremophilic alga capable of diverse metabolic processes. Ammonia is widely used in culture media typical of laboratory growth. Recent reports that this species can grow on wastes promote the concept that G. maxima might have biotechnological utility. Accordingly, there is a need to know the range of pH levels that can su...

In this paper we present the seabed maps of the shallow-water areas of Lampedusa and Linosa, belonging to the Pelagie Islands Marine Protected Area. Two surveys were carried out (“Lampedusa 2015” and “Linosa 2016”) to collect bathymetric and acoustic backscatter data through the use of a Reson SeaBat 7125 high-resolution multibeam system. Ground-tr...

Mixed-species plantation containing N-fixing species can increase stand productivity maintaining also soil fertility. However, scanty information is related to the best forest management strategies able to guarantee both the enrichment of tree growth and the increase of soil fertility. In this context, our work aim to evaluate the productivity of a...

Forests are among the most important land ecosystems both in term of their contribution to the global carbon cycle and for their prominence in hosting large biodiversity. Under a changing world, both in terms of land use and climate scenarios, it is pivotal to understand the matter and energy flows in complex ecosystems such as forests, in order to...

Trace elements have been acknowledged as one of the subtlest environmental hazards in all compartments of the total environment. Enhanced by activities in the anthroposphere, they accumulate in the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. Eventually, trace elements can bioaccumulate or biomagnifiy in the biosphere, with harmful effects on animals...

Litter decomposition is an ecosystem process that is regulated by a multitude of factors and by their complex interactions. Current decomposition paradigms do not always offer a coherent view of the process because it can be hardly understood without a thorough analysis of interacting factors. Thus, there is a need to further understand the mechani...

Enzymes play a key-role in organic matter dynamics and strong scientific attention has been given to them lately, especially to their response to climate and substrate chemical composition. Accordingly, in this study, we investigated the effects of chemical composition and seasons on extracellular enzyme activities (laccase, peroxidase, cellulase,...

Main conclusion Different levels of salt stress affected the OAS-TL expression levels in Pancratium maritimum organs (bulb, leaf and root). A detailed method has been described for the identification of the conserved domain of the OAS-TL cDNA in sea daffodil given the scarce data available for the Amaryllidaceae family. Abstract Pancratium mariti...

INTRODUZIONE La predazione influenza in maniera consistente il successo riproduttivo. Gli obiettivi preferiti dai predatori sono quasi sempre individui più deboli che nella comunità ornitica sono rappresentati principalmente dai pulli o dalle uova. La predazione dei nidi è molto comune, ancor di più per le specie che nidificano al suolo, che non po...

Agricultural soils generally have a low content of organic matter, which affects soil fertility and hence crop yields. The use of olive pomace as an organic amendment could enhance soil properties due to its high content of organic matter and exchangeable cations as well as its extensive availability. However, little is known about the potentially...

Forests are the most important land ecosystems that can mitigate the earth's ongoing climate change through their ability to sequester CO 2 as C stock in forest biomass and soil. Short-rotation deciduous hardwoods or N 2-fixing species are ideal candidates for afforestation and reforestation, given that most of the carbon accumulates in the first 3...

The genus Fritillaria Linnaeus (1753: 303) (Liliaceae) is the largest within Liliaceae tribe Lilieae Lam. & DC. (Peruzzi et al. 2009a, Carta & Peruzzi 2016). The latter tribe is composed by bulbous, herbaceous plants, with a bulb composed by 2–3 to many scales, anthers dorsifixed, fruit a loculicide capsule with seeds usually winged (Peruzzi 2016)....

Climate change is forecasted to alter both forest species distributions and organic carbon cycle, particularly in the Mediterranean region (1). One of the forest species that is most threatened by climate change is the European Beech Fagus sylvatica L., which grows in Italy, between altitudes of 800 and 1800 m along the Apennines (2), covering 9.4%...

Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon pool, of which about 20% is stored in forest soils. The dominant species of each forest typology strongly influence structure, function and activity of soil microbial communities. There is a substantial lack of studies integrating analyses on soil chemical-physical features and biological activities in soil de...