Roberto Toffoli

Chirosphera · Associazione per lo lo studio e la tutela dei Chirotteri e l'ambiente

Despite bats representing one fifth of all mammals, little is known about the ecology and the population status for many species belonging to this order. This is often a consequence of our poor knowledge of population densities and demographic parameters, bats being typically elusive subjects for ecological studies. Capture-mark-recapture provide i...

The relationship between humans and the environment is one of the most widely discussed and delicate topics facing contemporary society. The intricate balances inherent in certain environments are frequently challenged by human activities. This issue is particularly pronounced in ecologically sensitive locations with frequent human interaction. Hyp...

Caves play an important role in bat ecology, offering natural roosting and wintering sites. In the reproductive period, bats need to fi nd an effective foraging environment away from the cave entrance, but only few studies have considered the use of foraging habitats in the immediate proximity of the caves. We provide a list of 18 bat species and 5...

Weather conditions can influence the hibernation behaviour of temperate cave-dwelling bats that are tolerant to low temperatures, and their number can be correlated with weather variables. In this work a first assessment on the correlation between the number of individuals of three species of hibernating bats (Barbastella barbastellus, Myotis emarg...

Several species of bats have faced strong population declines in Europe during the last century. However, an increase in some bat populations has been recently found in some parts of western Europe. We monitored wintering bats in the underground caves of northwestern Italy (Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta and Liguria regions), with the aim of estimating lo...

We studied the distribution of an endangered species of bat strongly associated with woods in NW Italy. A species distribution model (SDM) was built on data collected in 2015–2016 using a presence-only technique (maximum entropy) incorporating environmental variables (19 habitat categories, and 4 topography variables). Barbastelle bat presence (132...

Rice fields may represent an important habitat for biodiversity conservation. Unfortunately, rice farming intensification reduced the value of rice crops as a surrogate habitat for many species. Currently, major threats for wildlife in rice fields derive from cultivation techniques in dry soils. In this paper, we aim to describe the effect of water...

Automated software for identification of bats echolocation signals are routinely used in monitoring programs, to save a large amount of work and time in manual identification. The reliability of bat identification through automated software is widely discussed and suggest that must be used with caution and its use evaluated in respect to the specif...

In the last decades, the rising pressure exerted by climate change on ecosystems is threatening the survival of most species. Despite the critical condition, the setting up of efficient conservation plans to counter this emergency is hindered by the lack of information on the ecology and biology of many threatened taxa. The Chiroptera order is one...

In the last decades, the rising pressure exerted by climate change on ecosystems is threatening the survival of most species. Despite the critical condition, the setting up of efficient conservation plans to counter this emergency is hindered by the lack of information on the ecology and biology of many threatened taxa. The Chiroptera order is one...

Bats are one of the most widespread and speciose orders of mammals. Despite their huge biodiversity, little is known about the natural behaviour and ecology of many species given the difficulty in monitoring and studying them. Pipistrellus kuhlii is one of the most common bats of the Mediterranean biome but its ecology remains ambiguous given the s...

We present the results of a monitoring of the hibernating bats (Mammalia Chiroptera) in the Rio Martino Cave (North West Italy) and a survey of swarming activity. In total, 13 species of cave-dwelling bats were detected. During winter monitoring, 12 species of bats were recorded. The most abundant bat was Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774) w...

Aim Geographical variations in endotherm body size (e.g. Bergmann's rule/James's rule and Allen's rule) have long been tested. However, the patterns and causes of geographical variation in body size within bat species, especially within widespread hibernating species, are little known. Here, we evaluated the possible causes of geographical size var...

Thirty three maternity roosts of Rhinolophus hipposideros were monitored from 2000 to 2018 in an area of north-western Italy, between the Piedmont (13 roosts) and Liguria regions (20 roosts), and data were analysed through a TRIM statistic to calculate a robust estimation of reproductive population trends. Throughout the 19-years-long monitoring pe...

During the Spring of 2011, we studied the bird community in an area of Val Borbera, in the province of Alessandria (NW Italy). In the study area, situated at an altitude between 655 and 1700 m a.s.l., we conducted 110 points count ten minutes each in four microhabitats (agricultural areas, shrubs, forests, and prairies). In total, we surveyed 72 sp...

Bats species richness (Mammalia Chiroptera) in Neotropical localities is generally higher than that of any other group of mammals. Surveys of local bat assemblages may provide useful data for conservation management plans. This paper presents bat records based on a chiropterological collection obtained during a preliminary multi-taxa survey (ECOMUS...

Five captures of Myotis daubentonii (Kühl, 1817) (Mammalia Chiroptera Vespertilionidae) are here reported at an altitudes between 1828 and 2050 meters on the Italian Western Alps in foraging and swarming sites. An immature male was captured at 2050 meters of altitude while looking for food on an alpine wetland, resulting in the altitude record for...

Background: Bat-borne virus surveillance is necessary for determining inter-species transmission risks and is important due to the wide-range of bat species which may harbour potential pathogens. This study aimed to monitor coronaviruses (CoVs) and paramyxoviruses (PMVs) in bats roosting in northwest Italian regions. Our investigation was focused...

Many bat species in Europe have suffered severe population declines during the 20th century, and the main drivers of this decline is likely the loss of foraging habitats at local and landscape levels due to farmland in-tensification, which also poses a serious threat to biodiversity and affects species interactions and ecosystem functions. Several...

La recente revisione sistematica della ‘sterpazzolina’, che da sottospecie ha elevato a rango di specie Sylvia subalpina (Brambilla et al. 2006; Baccetti et al. 2007; Brambilla et al. 2008a, 2008b, 2010), è stata oggetto di un lavoro di Svensson (2013); tale contributo, indicando l’esistenza di tre specie distinte - Sylvia inornata, S. subalpina e...

La recente revisione sistematica della ‘sterpazzolina’, che da sottospecie ha elevato a rango di specie Sylvia subalpina (Brambilla et al. 2006; Baccetti et al. 2007; Brambilla et al. 2008a, 2008b, 2010), è stata oggetto di un lavoro di Svensson (2013); tale contributo, indicando l’esistenza di tre specie distinte - Sylvia inornata, S. subalpina e...

We present the second confirmed record of the Alpine Long-eared Bat, Plecotus macrobullaris in Liguria, province of Imperia (NW Italy) on the basis of a male Plecotus found dead in Sanremo. The specific attribution of the specimen was based on the morphological characters and subsequently confirmed through genetic analysis of the mitochondrial COI...

We studied the diet of the lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros at seven breeding colonies in the south-western Italian Alps: three colonies in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont), and four in the province of Imperia (Ligury). The analysis was based on 210 bat droppings, which were collected during two field campaigns that took place in the p...

In the last century bat populations significantly declined mainly due to habitat fragmentation and degradation. As management-dependent species, bats need appropriate monitoring programs for the implementation of sound conservation strategies. However, bats' small size, high mobility, elusiveness and nocturnal lifestyle make them difficult to surve...

A survey of bats was carried out at Alpi Marittime Nature Park and more generally within Site of Community Importance (SIC) IT1160056 from April 1991 to January 2015, using different techniques such as: mist-netting, acoustic sampling and roost surveys. Twenty-one species of bats were detected (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros, M...

In the past 50 years, widespread removal of hedges and hedgerows in many European regions, with a consequent reduction in biodiversity, has occurred as a result of farming intensification. Acknowledging the ecological importance of linear farmland landscape elements, many agro-environmental schemes provide financial support for the management, cons...

Sintesi relativa ad andamenti di indicatori e specie target.

Parametri aggregati di riferimento per la gestione e valutazione del territorio. Le informazioni riportate possono servire, oltre che da supporto per individuare le aree di maggiore interesse ornitologico presenti in Liguria e definire le zone in cui concentrare eventuali misure finalizzate alla tutela della biodiversità, anche ad una prima e spedi...

SUMMARY - During 2008-2012, the Liguria Region developed a project to monitor birds as part of an integrated system of surveys (breeding bird communitites in all sites, and a focus on target species in sample areas). The monitoring took place in several Natura 2000 sites as well as other areas. We compared breeding birds communities detected in 5.2...

1 Hanno variamente collaborato alla redazione e alla discussione del presente documento, condividendone i contenuti: Foto: Mara Calvini (copertina, pag. 18), Paolo Debernardi (copertina, pagg. 6 alto e basso dx, 11, 14 alto e basso dx, 23, 25 sn, 30, 35, 44), Gianna Dondini (pag. 28), Carlotta Fassina (pag. 39), Francesco Grazioli (14 basso sn, 24,...

In most mammals, reproductive cost differs between males and females in timing and duration because of the different sex-specific energy allocation strategies to maximize fitness. The differences in reproductive strategy adopted by sexes may result in differences in seasonal variation of body mass. Here seasonal variations in body mass are discusse...

Disused railways have made available to bats a large number of roosts represented by train tunnels. These can be used as reproductive sites, wintering or temporary roosts. In 2012 and 2013, inspections inside tunnels of two railway lines in the province of Cuneo, the Ceva – Bra line decommissioned in 1994 and the Castagnole Lanze (AT) – Alba line c...

Tra il 2008 ed il 2013 e stato condotto un progetto di “monitoraggio della comunita ornitica nelle ZPS e nelle aree liguri a maggiore vocazionalita avifaunistica ed agricola”. Il progetto, promosso e finanziato dalla Regione Liguria, e attuato dal Parco Naturale Regionale del Beigua, rientra in un piu vasto monitoraggio delle specie di interesse co...

During 2006-2012,the Liguria Region developed a project to monitor birds as part of an integrated system of surveys (breeding bird communitites in all sites, and a focus on target species in sample areas). The monitoring took place in several Natura 2000 sites as well as other areas. We compared breeding birds communities detected in 5274 point cou...

The demographic history of Rhinolophus hipposideros (lesser horseshoe bat) was reconstructed across its European, North African and Middle-Eastern distribution prior to, during and following the most recent glaciations by generating and analysing a multimarker data set. This data set consisted of an X-linked nuclear intron (Bgn; 543 bp), mitochondr...

Il modello di gestione del Parco naturale regionale del Beigua, scaturito nel biennio 2000-2001 nella complessa fase di redazione del piano dell'area protetta, era fondato sui concetti base della conoscenza, della divulgazione delle conoscenze acquisite e della conservazione-valorizzazione. Oltre dieci anni di costante presenza sul territorio, unit...

Texte bilingue italien-français. La guide représente une synthèse des résultats jusqu’à aujourd’hui obtenus par le vaste et complexe « projet biodiversité » commencé par le Parco del Beigua. Le but de chercher de rendre compréhensible au plus grand nombre de personnes l’importance des directives Habitat et Oiseaux est une des finalités qui se propo...

L’indagine è volta all'acquisizione di informazioni scientifiche relative alla distribuzione delle specie e degli habitat più significativi allo scopo di attivare efficaci canali di informazione e di comunicazione sia verso gli operatori della vigilanza (Corpo Forestale dello Stato e Polizia Provinciale), sia verso il più vasto pubblico di appassio...

The finding of a dead Vespertilio murinus in Bagnolo Piemonte is reported as the first certain confirm about the presence of the species in Piedmont (NW Italy), supporting previous ultrasound records. Its distribution in Piedmont and next regions is pointed out. I

Since 2008, the Liguria Region carried out a monitoring program of birds breeding in the Natura 2000 sites and other areas of agricultural and ornithological interest. We applied the bird monitoring approach used in the SPA IT1331578 Beigua - Turchino and in the Regional Natural Park of Beigua, in which data were available since 2006. In seven Natu...

Presenza, distribuzione e status di 19 specie di Chirotteri segnalate nel Parco Naturale delle Capanne di Marcarolo (Regione Piemonte, provincia di Alessandria) tra il 2000 e il 2010.

Previous genetic analyses have demonstrated that two divergent lineages of Pipistrellus kuhlii are spread over Europe and North Africa, and it has been proposed that Pipistrellus maderensis, a taxon endemic to the Canary Archipelago and Madeira, was its sister species. In this study, we used mitochondrial DNA sequences to investigate the level of e...

E' stata studiata, attraverso l'analisi di 210 escrementi, la dieta nel periodo giugno-luglio del Rhinolophus hipposideros in sette colonie riproduttive sulle Alpi sud occidentali italiane, di cui tre in provincia di Cuneo e quattro in quella di Imperia. Sono stati identificati otto ordini di artropodi (Acarina, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, N...

Dieta di Rhinolophus Rhinolophus hipposideros hipposideros ((Bechstein Bechstein, 1800) in , 1800) in periodo riproduttivo periodo riproduttivo nelle Alpi sud occidentali italiane nelle Alpi sud occidentali italiane Lo studio della dieta di Lo studio della dieta di R. R. hipposideros hipposideros è è stato affrontato fino ad oggi da 5 nazioni dell...

Use of underground sites by bats in autumn in Piedmont and defini-tion of their ecological role (Mammalia, Chiroptera). Bat conservation depends on actions which consider the ecological request during every season. In the last years more attention was paid to new elements, not known before, such as swarming sites, stop-over areas and flying paths....

Characterization and comparison of peculiar Natura 2000 sites in Liguria. During 2008, Liguria Region developed a project to monitor birds in Natura 2000 areas, as part of an integrated system of surveys. We compared and characterized breeding birds communities in seven SPAs currently identified in Liguria and in four relevant SIC, using point coun...

Monitoring of Natura 2000 in Liguria. During 2008, Liguria Region, monitored birds in several sites comprehending Natura 2000 sites and other of agricultural and ornithological interest. We applied the bird monitoring approach used in the SPA IT1331578 Beigua - Turchino and the associated Regional Natural Park of Beigua since 2006. This approach wa...

L'ibernazione durante il periodo invernale è un adattamento fisiologico molto importante per la sopravvivenza dei chirotteri insettivori nelle aree temperate, durante condizioni climatiche sfavorevoli. Il risveglio durante il torpore invernale e l'attività di volo all'ingresso dei siti di svernamento è conosciuto per il Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, m...

Habitat use for the Hypsugo savii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pi- pistrellus and Pipistrellus nathusii in the Capanne di Marcarolo Natural Park (NW, Italy, AL) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae). Point count for 60 minutes at each whith bat detectors (heterodyne/time expansion) have been performed during 10 nights between June and September 2005...

Nel seguente contributo si è presa in considerazione l’avifauna caratterizzante 12 Siti di Importanza Comunitaria delle Alpi Occidentali italiane ricadenti fra la Val Varaita a Sud e la Valle Susa a Nord, con particolare attenzione alle comunità ornitiche nidificantinei vari ambienti. I dati sono stati raccolti con rilevamenti semi-quantitativi (pu...

Viene riportata la cattura con mist-net di 5 maschi adulti di Vespertilio di Brandt Myotis brandtii, nell’agosto 2005, nei pressi dell’abitato di Devero (Baceno, VB), a 1827 metri d’altitudine, nel Parco Naturale Alpe Veglia e Alpe Devero. Tale dato rappresenta la prima segnalazione certa della specie in Piemonte. L’identificazione è stata effettua...

strong>Riassunto Ritrovamento del Vespertilio di Brandt Myotis brandtii (Eversmann, 1845) in Piemonte (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) Viene riportata la cattura con mist-net di 5 maschi adulti di Vespertilio di Brandt Myotis brandtii , nell’agosto 2005, nei pressi dell’abitato di Devero (Baceno, VB), a 1827 metri d’altitudine, nel Parco Naturale A...

In Italia, I'astore Accipiter gentilis e un nidificante regolare sui rilievi alpini ed appenninici in prev alenza in un a fascia altitudinale compresa tra i 1200 e 1500 m s.l.m.; casi di ri-produzion e a quote meno elevate (300-350 m s .l.m.) son o note per il Car so triestino, la Liguria e, piu recent emente, per la Pianura Padana (Benuss i 1993,...

Ornithological report for the years 2002 in Piedmont and Aosta Valley (NW Italy). This is the nineteenth of the G.P.S.O. ornithological report that, all together, span over 20 years. Selected data concerning migrating, wintering and breeding birds, collected by G.P.S.O. members, are given in systematic order. The most prominent data include: Sterna...

A survey of Little Owl Athene noctua distribution and density in the Province of Cuneo was undertaken. A playback method was used to study the density of the Little owl in three different areas (measuring overall 49 Kmq ) in the province of Cuneo (Piedmont, NW Italy). During 2000-2003, 39 territories were censured. The mean distance within territor...

Secondo la metodologia del Progetto Roost Chirotteri Italia, coordinato a livello nazionale dal GIRC, sono stati archiviati tutti i dati disponibili (pubblicati o inediti, raccolti da 24 rilevatori) circa i siti di rifugio utilizzati da Chirotteri in Piemonte e Valle d'Aosta a partire dal 1990. Risultano segnalati 193 roost, complessivamente u...

Introduzione -Da12001 ein corso un'indagine sulla distribuzione e consistenza dell' Assiolo Otus scops in tre zone della provincia di Cuneo allo scopo di valu-tame la densita riproduttiva e l'andamento demogra-fico. Area di studio e metodi -Sono state individuate tre aree di studio situate in diverse zone della provincia di Cuneo. La prima di 12 Km...

The Alpi Marittime Natural Park manages Progetto Migrans which studies the post-breeding migration of diurn al raptors. As part of this project the numbers, cl imatic conditions and phenol ogy o f the Black Kite' s Milvus migrans passage in this part of the Alps were observed. The data analy sed is relevant to the period between the 25th of July an...

The raptor population wintering in lowland farmland of northwestern Italy was monitored during the winters of 1998-99 and 1999-2000 by means of a roadside vehicle survey. To estimate the density of wintering raptors, we recorded perpendicular distances of the birds from transect lines. Seven species of raptors were recorded, but a sufficient number...

This is the seventeenth of the G.P.S.O. ornithological reports that, all together, span over 20 years. Selected data concerning migrating, wintering and breeding birds, collected by G.P.S.O. members, are given in systematic order. The most prominent data of the year include the first national observation of Ring-necked duck Aythya collaris, accepte...

In the past the Lesser horseshoe bat Rhinolophus hipposideros was known to be widespread and common in Piedmont (NW, Italy). Elsewhere obser-vations are sporadic and related to single individuals, limited to the pre-alpine (Biella district) and Apennine reliefs (Alessandria district). In 1991-2002 the evaluation of the present status in Piedmont re...

Area di studio e metodi-Il presente studio è stato condotto dal dicembre 1999 al gennaio 2000 nel territorio dell' ATC CN1 (provincia di Cuneo), che ha sponsorizzato la ricerca. L'area, inserita nei settori eco-geografici della Pianura cuneese sud-occidentale e Pianura cuneese sud-orientale (De Biaggi et al. 1990) è interessata da coltivi in rotazi...

Distribution, breeding success and conservation of Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus in northwestern Italy. From 1986 to 1995 the distribution of Montagu's Harrier breeding in North West Italy was studied. In this study area the population has been estimated of 10-20 pairs and have been found 40 nest located in meadows or cereal fields (70%) and un...

The work summarizes the recent data on bats in the Alpi Marittime Natural Park. (NW, Italy). The data were collected in the period 1990-1997 visiting potential roost site (caves, mines, churches) and capturing animals during their nocturnal activity. The following II speci es were recorded: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , Rhinolophus hipposideros, Myot...

The behavioural development in young Bearded Vultures released at the Argentera-Mercantour site prior to and immediately after departure from the artificial nest was analysed to provide a detailed description of the development of the main behavioural activities and to check for the occurrence of anomalies. Six individuals released from 1994 to 199...