Sandro Bertolino

• PhD
• Associate Professor at University of Turin

Invasive alien species (IAS) are negatively impacting native species and ecosystems worldwide. Among them, the red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) has been extensively studied in Italy due to its detrimental effects on ecosystems and native crayfish species. While extensive data are reported on the diet of P. clarkii, less is known about its r...

Invasive alien species (IAS) are negatively impacting native species and ecosystems worldwide. Among them, the red swamp crayfish ( Procambarus clarkii ) has been extensively studied in Italy due to its detrimental effects on ecosystems and native crayfish species. While extensive data are reported on the diet of P. clarkii, less is known about its...

Early detection and rapid response are essential to deal effectively with new introductions of invasive alien species (IAS). Citizen science platforms for opportunistic recording of species are increasingly popular, and there is potential to harvest their data for early detection of IAS, but this has not been tested. We evaluated the potential of d...

Genomic resources are important for evaluating genetic diversity and supporting conservation efforts. The garden dormouse ( Eliomys quercinus ) is a small rodent that has experienced one of the most severe modern population declines in Europe. We present a high-quality haplotype-resolved reference genome for the garden dormouse, and combine compreh...

The genus Arvicola has a wide palearctic distribution and present two ecological forms – terrestrial and aquatic – characterizing the genus. In Europe two species are present: the most widespread, A. amphibius and A. italicus, endemic to Italy. The aim of the study was to describe the genetic structure and variability in A. italicus and the genetic...

The application of Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) approaches is often restricted in wildlife monitoring and conservation genetics, as those fields often rely on noninvasively collected samples with low DNA content. Here we selected a subset of informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide data for lineage discrimination of a l...

Conservation of small mammals such as rodents is often inhibited by lower research effort and subsequent lack of information on species’ phyletic relationships and demographics, even in well-characterized regions such as Central Europe. Genomics can provide baseline knowledge necessary for conservation planning but, as yet, remains a limited tool i...

Citizen Science (CS) or community science significantly contributes to the study and management of biological invasions. Public participation in research and management boosts awareness, engagement, scientific literacy and can reduce conflict in invasive species management. Technological developments such as social media, internet scraping, eDNA, a...

Five dormouse species are present in Europe. Three of them, Muscardinus avellanarius, Dryomys nitedula, Myomimus roachi, are listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive (HD). According to the European Red List, M. roachi is considered Endangered, while Eliomys quercinus is listed as Near threatened (Vulnerable in the 2024 assessment). The remainin...

Although many studies highlighted the potential of COVID-19 to reshape existing models of wildlife management, empirical research on this topic has been scarce, particularly in Europe. We investigated the potential of COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate the ongoing decline in an aging population of recreational hunters in Italy. Namely, we modelled spa...

ABSTRACT: This study aims to identify environmental variables that may influence the presence of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) and the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in a woodland where both species coexist. The area is near hazelnut plantations, where the fat dormouse produces significant damage. Our investigation aims to provide useful...

ABSTRACT: This study aims to analyze the composition of the nests built in artificial shelters by the fat dormouse (Glis glis) and the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), cohabiting in a coppice forest in Central Italy. The analysis investigated the species – specific selection of nest construction materials and other characteristics. The go...

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...

The presence of alien species represents a major cause of habitat degradation and biodiversity loss worldwide, constituting a critical environmental challenge of our time. Despite sometimes experiencing reduced propagule pressure, leading to a reduced genetic diversity and an increased chance of inbreeding depression, alien invaders are often able...

The Earth Hologenome Initiative (EHI) is a global collaboration to generate and analyse hologenomic data from wild animals and associated microorganisms using standardised methodologies underpinned by open and inclusive research principles. Initially focused on vertebrates, it aims to re-examine ecological and evolutionary questions by studying hos...

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Invasive mosquitoes are an emerging public health issue, as many species are competent vectors for pathogens. We assessed how multiple environmental and socio-economic factors affected the engagement of municipalities in Italy ( n = 7679) in actions against Aedes albopictus , an invasive mosquito affecting human health and well-being, between 2000...

Citizen science has become a crucial tool in biodiversity monitoring, often facilitated by the diffusion of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. High costs of professional equipment often limit large-scale monitoring, particularly in bat monitoring programmes based on acoustic surveys. Here we present the potential of using mobile devic...

Scientific knowledge is produced in multiple languages but is predominantly published in English. This practice creates a language barrier to generate and transfer scientific knowledge between communities with diverse linguistic backgrounds, hindering the ability of scholars and communities to address global challenges and achieve diversity and equ...

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a major form of anthropogenic pollution, disrupting nocturnal wildlife behaviour and ecosystem function. Large construction sites are typically located at the intersection of urban and natural areas, introducing intense lighting into previously dark natural habitats. This study examines the responses of bats to i...

Managing invasive alien species (IAS) is a critical issue for many countries to preserve native biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well-being. In western France, we analyzed data of captures of aquatic invasive alien rodents (AIARs), the coypu and muskrat, by the local permanent control program from 2007 to 2022 across 26 municipalities enc...

Genomic resources are important for evaluating genetic diversity and supporting conservation efforts. The garden dormouse ( Eliomys quercinus ) is a small rodent that has experienced one of the most severe modern population declines in Europe. We present a high-quality haplotype-resolved reference genome for the garden dormouse, and combine compreh...

Behavioural responses are particularly important to quantify species-specific habitat influences on natural selection. Mountains, with their wide range of habitats, can be regarded as a valuable context where the environmental conditions influence animal behaviour. We studied the inter-specific variation in the escape tendency and the mobility beha...

Invasive alien species (IAS) adversely impact biodiversity, ecosystem functions and socio-economics. Citizen science can be an effective tool for IAS surveillance, management and research, providing large datasets over wide spatial extents and long time periods, with public participants generating knowledge that supports action. We demonstrate how...

Invasive alien species (IAS), including aquatic invasive alien rodents (AIAR), cause extensive damage to ecosystems with significant economic, human health, and environmental concerns. In France, AIAR populations are well established, and a permanent control programme has been set up in several areas to reduce their impact. While some studies have...

With the exponential increase in scientific publications, new conceptual and technological tools are needed to help scientists, students, managers and policy-makers to navigate and digest current scientific knowledge. Hi Knowledge is an initiative to synthesise and visualise scientific knowledge, with an initial focus on invasion biology that is cu...

The presence of alien species represents a major cause of habitat degradation and biodiversity loss worldwide, constituting a critical environmental challenge of our time. Despite sometimes experiencing reduced propagule pressure, leading to a reduced genetic diversity and an increased chance of inbreeding depression, alien invaders are often able...

Inbreeding is a common phenomenon in small, fragmented or isolated populations, typical conditions of many threatened species. In the present paper, we used a new non-invasive approach based on the buccal micronucleus assay to evaluate the possible relationships between inbreeding and genomic damage using the dog as model species. In particular, we...

Citizen science initiatives have been increasingly used by researchers as a source of occurrence data to model the distribution of alien species. Since citizen science presence-only data suffer from some fundamental issues, efforts have been made to combine these data with those provided by scientifically structured surveys. Surprisingly, only a fe...

In the European Alps, where the mountain hare Lepus timidus partly overlaps with the European hare (L. europaeus), climate change, hybridization and gene introgression are thought to interact, with synergic adverse effects on the mountain hare. However, to depict future scenarios for conserving the mountain hare is not feasible without knowledge of...

The application of Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) approaches is often restricted in wildlife monitoring and conservation genetics, as those fields often rely on noninvasively collected samples with low DNA content. Here we selected a subset of informative single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from genome-wide data for lineage discrimination of a l...

Four specimens of Caranx crysos (blue runner) were spotted on 15th October 2022 in the waters of Ospedaletti (province of Imperia, Italy). This record is the first documented sighting of the species in the Ligurian Sea, and the northernmost in the western Mediterranean. Therefore, it could indicate a further expansion northwards of the species, wit...

This work presents the first data on the occurrence of the fat dormouse (Glis glis) and the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) in nest boxes located in the Lago di Vico Natural Reserve (VT).

Animal species living in highly seasonal environments developed different strategies to cope with the periodical drastic change of environmental conditions. Hibernating mammals survive the winter season by reducing their activity and metabolism, and by centring their activities during the favourable season. Thus, the demography of these species dep...

Bertolino, S., Brown, D.E., Cerri, J., Koprowski, J.L. (2022). Eastern Cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus (J.A. Allen, 1890). In: Hackländer, K., Zachos, F.E. (eds) Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65038-8_14-1

Community science (also often referred to as citizen science) provides a unique opportunity to address questions beyond the scope of other research methods whilst simultaneously engaging communities in the scientific process. This leads to broad educational benefits, empowers people, and can increase public awareness of societally relevant issues s...

Species introduced through human-related activities beyond their native range, termed alien species, have various impacts worldwide. The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a global standard to assess negative impacts of alien species on native biodiversity. Alien species can also positively affect biodiversity (for i...

Fire is an integral component of ecosystems globally and a tool that humans have harnessed for millennia. Altered fire regimes are a fundamental cause and consequence of global change, impacting people and the biophysical systems on which they depend. As part of the newly emerging Anthropocene, marked by human-caused climate change and radical chan...

Fire is an integral component of ecosystems globally and a tool that humans have harnessed for millennia. Altered fire regimes are a fundamental cause and consequence of global change, impacting people and the biophysical systems on which they depend. As part of the newly emerging Anthropocene, marked by human-caused climate change and radical chan...

Invasive alien species could generate a multitude of impacts towards native species. The introduction and spread of Vespa velutina in Europe is raising concern for the conservation of insect’s biodiversity, including wasps due to predation, competition or a combination of these two mechanisms. Nevertheless, most evidence for negative effects on oth...

There are differences regarding distribution, conservation status and protection according to national and European laws and directives between the four dormouse species (Gliridae) native to Central Europe. We question the coherence between scientific knowledge and conservation status of dormice in Europe and hypothesize that the species included i...

At least 29% of the world’s terrestrial ecosystems have been significantly modified by human activity (Ellis 2011). Total livestock biomass is 15 times greater than that of wild mammals (Bar-On et al. 2018). Crops such as maize, soybean, rice, and wheat cover 23% of available agricultural land (Ritchie and Roser 2013). Even where land is not farmed...

Understanding the physiological adaptations of animals living in mountain landscapes is a key to predicting the responses of individuals to environmental changes, especially those imposed by climate. In this regard, the mechanism of body temperature regulation is particularly important in determining the physiological limits for activity under hypo...

Despite the negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems and human wellbeing, biological invasions also offer a unique opportunity to investigate population evolution in a timescale compatible with human life. Indeed, many mechanisms are known to be involved in the ability of non-indigenous species (NIS) to survive, establish and spread in the habi...

The hazel dormouse Muscardinus avellanarius presents an exemplary non-model species that is both locally threatened and whose genetic status is not fully understood owing to insufficient resolution of the currently available molecular tools. We performed normalized Genotyping-by-Sequencing (nGBS) on 48 hazel dormouse samples collected across the sp...

The Asian yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) has been invading Italy since 2013, and it was subjected to management programs to counter its spread and raise awareness about its impacts. We administered a questionnaire to a sample of 358 beekeepers in Italy, asking them about their sources of information on V. velutina and their perception of its...

In this long-term study, we evaluated the distribution of three species of Glirids: Hazel Dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius ), Garden Dormouse ( Eliomys quercinus ) and Edible Dormouse ( Glis glis ) in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Western Italian Alps). The aim was to investigate the ecology, adaptation strategies, and distribution of these d...

The Hazel Dormouse ( Muscardinus avellanarius) is commonly considered a typical lowland species, occasionally observed at higher elevations in mountain habitats. This study began with preliminary investigations in the Gran Paradiso National Park in the Western Alps, where nests of Hazel Dormice were observed at around 2000 m a.s.l. In 2019, a mark-...

Megaprojects radically change the landscape due to their large-scale and high investments. Forests are often one of the most affected habitats, as they are frequently included in megaproject construction sites. These habitats support rich animal communities that the new settlement may threaten. Among all species present in any construction site, th...

English is widely recognized as the language of science, and English‐language publications (ELPs) are rapidly increasing. It is often assumed that the number of non‐ELPs is decreasing. This assumption contributes to the underuse of non‐ELPs in conservation science, practice, and policy, especially at the international level. However, the number of...

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors may influence the activity budget of wild animals, resulting in a variation in the time spent in different activities among populations or individuals of the same species. In this study, we examined how extrinsic and intrinsic factors affect the behaviour of the alpine marmot (Marmota marmota), a hibernating social r...

Blacklists of invasive alien species (IAS) are a popular tool for managing and preventing biological invasions. Moreover, blacklists also have the potential to make the general public more curious about biological invasions, usually by benefiting from media coverage and providing accessible examples of IAS. We have tested if the implementation of t...

Taxonomic monographs synthesize biodiversity knowledge and document biodiversity change through recent and geological time for a particular organismal group, sometimes also incorporating cultural and place-based knowledge. They are a vehicle through which broader questions about ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes can be generated an...

Invasive mosquitoes are an emerging ecological and sanitary issue. Many factors have been suggested as drivers or barriers to their control, still no study quantified their influence over mosquito management by local authorities, nor their interplay with local economic conditions.We assessed how multiple environmental, sanitary, and socio-economic...

Age‐specific survival trajectories can vary significantly among wild populations. Identifying the environmental conditions associated with such variability is of primary importance to understand the dynamics of free‐ranging populations. In this study, we investigated survival variations among alpine marmot ( Marmota marmota ) families living in are...

Biological invasions are one of the major drivers of global environmental change and there is a need to develop integrated strategies to counteract this phenomenon. Eradication is an effective management option to mitigate the deleterious impacts of invasive alien species (IAS). Eradication can be achieved if all reproductive individuals are remove...

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent...

Connecting basic data about bats and other potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2 with their ecological context is crucial to the understanding of the emergence and spread of the virus. However, when lockdowns in many countries started in March, 2020, the world's bat experts were locked out of their research laboratories, which in turn impeded access to lar...

SARS-­CoV-­2, the virus that caused the COVID-­19 pandemic, is genomically similar to a SARS-­like beta-­ coronavirus found in Asian rhinolophid bats. This evolutionary relationship impressed the global media, which then em phasised bats as key actors in the spillover that resulted in the pandemic. In this study, we highlight changes in the traditi...

Domestic and captive animals and cultivated plants should be recognised as integral components in contemporary ecosystems. They interact with wild organisms through such mechanisms as hybridization, predation, herbivory, competition and disease transmission and, in many cases, define ecosystem properties. Nevertheless, it is widespread practice for...

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent...

1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence-based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis. 2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an...

In this work a mathematical model is built in order to validate on theoretical grounds field study results on a three-species system made of two prey, of which one is native and another one invasive, together with a native predator. Specifically, our results mathematically describe the negative effect on the native European hare after the introduct...

Animal space use is affected by spatio-temporal variation in food availability and/or population density and varies among individuals. This inter-individual variation in spacing behaviour can be further influenced by sex, body condition, social dominance, and by the animal’s personality. We used capture-mark-recapture and radio-tracking to examine...

Two aquatic invasive alien rodents, the coypu (Myocastor coypus) and muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus), have taken over a significant amount of wetlands in France. Pays de la Loire is an administrative region of about 32 000 km² in the Western France with 6.3% of its area in wetlands (excluding the Loire River). Populations of coypus and muskrats are es...

1. To be effective, the next generation of conservation practitioners and managers need to be critical thinkers with a deep understanding of how to make evidence‐based decisions and of the value of evidence synthesis. 2. If, as educators, we do not make these priorities a core part of what we teach, we are failing to prepare our students to make an...

Connecting basic data about bats and other potential mammal hosts of SARS-CoV-2 with their ecological context is now critical for understanding the emergence and spread of COVID-19. However, when global lockdown started in March 2020, the world’s bat experts were locked out of their research laboratories, which, in turn, locked up large volumes of...

The Eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus is a lagomorph native to North America, introduced in Italy since the 1960s. In Central and Northern Italy, the cottontail overlaps its range with the native European hare Lepus europaeus and affects the predator-prey dynamics of native hares and foxes. Field data indicate that the cottontail is suscepti...

For an efficient allocation of the limited resources to alien species management, the most damaging species should be prioritized. Comparing alien species based on their impacts is not straightforward, as the same species can cause different types and magnitudes of impacts when introduced to different contexts, making it difficult to summarize its...

The Asian yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina) has been invading Italy since 2013, and it was subjected to management projects aimed at counteracting its spread and raising awareness about its impacts.In autumn 2019, we administered an on-line questionnaire to a convenience sample of 358 beekeepers in Italy. The questionnaire asked them about thei...

Alien species invasion could lead to the replacement of native species with similar ecological requirements. Vespa velutina is an invasive hornet recently established in Europe, that is raising concern due to the associated economic and ecological impacts toward managed and wild pollinators besides to the potential competition and replacement of na...

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) classifies the impacts caused by alien species in their introduced range in standardised terms across taxa and recipient environments. Impacts are classified into one of five levels of severity, from Minimal Concern to Massive, via one of 12 impact mechanisms. Here, we explain revisions...

The European Union (EU) has recently adopted a regulation on invasive alien species that foresees the possibility of developing lists of species of National Concern. We developed a prioritisation process for alien mammals already established in Italy, but not yet included in the EU list (n = 6 species) and a systematic horizon-scanning procedure to...

The Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) can be used to classify alien taxa according to the magnitude and type of their environmental impacts. The EICAT protocol, classifications of alien taxa using the protocol (EICAT classification) and the data underpinning classifications (EICAT data) are increasingly used by scientists a...

This document presents the IUCN Standard for classifying alien species in terms of their environmental impact; the IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) Categories and Criteria: First edition (the same as Version 3.3 adopted by IUCN Council). To ensure full understanding of the application of EICAT, it is very important to...

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is becoming widespread in Europe, where it can transmit some major arboviruses, including Chikungunya and Dengue. While surveillance initiatives are being implemented and harmonized between states, the spread of A.albopictus is outrunning them and cost-effective surveillance tools are needed. In this stud...

The seasonal survival pattern of a garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus population was studied in a Mediterranean agricultural field area from East Spain, a geographical location in which this species does exhibit no hibernation. Individuals were captured from nest—boxes checked monthly during a 4-year period. Data were analysed using an open populati...

Blacklists of invasive alien species are a popular tool to manage and prevent biological invasions. Furthermore, by providing accessible examples of invasive alien species and by having a certain media resonance, they can in principle raise the awareness and make laypeople curious towards this topic. However, no study ever tested for this side-effe...

Biological invasions are a major driver of global change and the target of many public policies. However, we still do not know whether they attract the interest of laypeople. We modeled the temporal evolution of on-line searches about general terms regarding invasive alien species in Italy, on Wikipedia and Google. Wikipedia pages about biological...