A multidiversity approach to investigate the impact of mining exploitation on spider diversity in the abandoned mine district of Montevecchio-Ingurtosu (Sardinia, Italy)

Mannu, Roberto; Pantini, Paolo; Sassu, Antonio; Verdinelli, Marcello

doi:10.1007/s11356-020-09553-y

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…Mountain grazing abandonment in alpine areas can promote the establishment of vegetation characterised by few species and negatively affect biodiversity (Cislaghi et al 2019). However, grazing involves different trophic levels (Filazzola et al 2020), organisms and ecosystems (Maghniaa et al 2017;Mannu et al 2018Mannu et al , 2020, and the impact of grazing on biodiversity can be negative or positive. For example, grazing decreased the ant species richness in American and Australian rangelands (Woinarski et al 2002;Boulton et al 2005).…”

Section: Cross-taxon Congruencementioning

confidence: 99%

Congruent responses of vascular plant and ant communities to pastoral land-use abandonment in mountain areas throughout different biogeographic regions

et al. 2022

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Background There is a long-term trend towards the abandonment of agro-pastoral activities in the mountain areas of Europe: the following encroachment process of semi-natural grasslands by shrubs is one of the main severe threats to the conservation of biodiversity in mountain environments. To better understand the impact of land abandonment, we analysed the reliability of plant functional groups, ant traits, and ant functional groups as indicators of land use changes. We carried out the research in Italy at four sites along a latitudinal/altitudinal gradient in three biogeographic regions (Mediterranean, Continental, Alpine). We identified three stages of a chronosequence at each site as representative of the plant succession in response to pastoral land-use abandonment. Results As expected, both the plant and ant assemblages considerably differed across sites at the species level and, within each site, among the three stages. This trend was found also using ant traits, functional groups of ants, and plant functional groups. Ant and plant communities were related in terms of composition and functionality. Harvester ants and ants with collective foraging strategy were associated with annual legumes and grasses (Therophytes); ants with a strictly individual foraging strategy with Phanerophytes. Ant traits and plant functional groups indicated significant differences among the three stages of the chronosequence. However, ant functional groups could not discriminate between the stages represented by secondary grasslands currently grazed and shrub-encroached grasslands ungrazed. Conclusion Despite some limitations of ant functional groups in explaining the succession stages of land abandonment, our results suggest that ants are a good surrogate taxon and might be used as bioindicators of land-use changes and ecosystem functioning. Furthermore, our findings indicate that the functional group approach should be applied to other European ecosystems. Finally, reducing the taxonomic complexity could contribute to developing predictive models to detect early environmental changes and biodiversity loss in mountain habitats.

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Section: Cross-taxon Congruencementioning

confidence: 99%

Congruent responses of vascular plant and ant communities to pastoral land-use abandonment in mountain areas throughout different biogeographic regions

et al. 2022

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“…Mining has been considered one of the principal sources of environmental pollution worldwide [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Besides the impact mines have on local and regional environments during the production phase, they may continue to degrade surrounding land, water bodies and air even after their closure and abandonment [ 4 ]. The management of abandoned mines is challenging yet urgent, representing an unresolved environmental problem [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Besides the impact mines have on local and regional environments during the production phase, they may continue to degrade surrounding land, water bodies and air even after their closure and abandonment [ 4 ]. The management of abandoned mines is challenging yet urgent, representing an unresolved environmental problem [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. The reclamation of abandoned mines could, however, endanger the conservation of peculiar and rare metallicolous flora settling there.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed Bank Conservation and Incipient Seed Development in Orchids Colonizing Mining Wastes: Results of a Field Pilot Experiment

Agostini

Cogoni

et al. 2022

Plants

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As they represent actual or potential risks to human and environmental safety and health, abandoned mines are a major global problem. The heavy metal-polluted tailings dump of Barraxiutta (Domusnovas, southwestern Sardinia, Italy) is home to a metallicolous population of Epipactis tremolsii (Orchidaceae). A reclamation of the abandoned mine area seems to be approaching, and such an intervention may pose a serious risk for the maintenance of the unique orchid population colonizing the mine wastes. In the present work, the seed packet technique was implemented for the first time to observe orchid seed development in mine wastes. This approach allowed us to explore different seed-based conservation options for the metallicolous orchid population and to gain a deeper grasp of population dynamics and ecology. Four different sowing treatments were set up in the tailing dump and in a near unpolluted site (control site). The field phase of the experiment lasted for 10 months, a period in which the experimental seed bank preservation and incipient seed development were observed and statistically approached. Our findings observed no significant seed loss happening during the experiment, demonstrating the suitability of the seed packet technique to also explore seed bank conservation and development in extreme environmental conditions (i.e., polluted mine wastes). This field method will be a useful tool to further explore the more effective translocation and quasi in situ conservation alternatives for the E. tremolsii metallicolous population. Incipient and site-specific seed development (non-mycorrhizal stage) was observed during the experiment. A plant–soil fungus interaction at the seed level was also observed, the nature of which remains to be ascertained in further studies providing a longer duration for the field phases.

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The abandoned underground mine as a semi-natural ecosystem: The story of Flaschar's Mine (Czechia)

Lenart

Schuchová

Kašing

et al. 2022

CATENA

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A multidiversity approach to investigate the impact of mining exploitation on spider diversity in the abandoned mine district of Montevecchio-Ingurtosu (Sardinia, Italy)

Cited by 5 publications

References 62 publications

Congruent responses of vascular plant and ant communities to pastoral land-use abandonment in mountain areas throughout different biogeographic regions

Congruent responses of vascular plant and ant communities to pastoral land-use abandonment in mountain areas throughout different biogeographic regions

Seed Bank Conservation and Incipient Seed Development in Orchids Colonizing Mining Wastes: Results of a Field Pilot Experiment

The abandoned underground mine as a semi-natural ecosystem: The story of Flaschar's Mine (Czechia)

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