The Laurisilva as a cultural heritage: proposal for the protection of the relict of laurel forest near Ponte Renaro

Pignatti, Erika; Pignatti, Sandro; D’Angeli, D.; Nicola, Cristina De; Maffei, Luca; Testi, Anna Maria; Tinelli, Aleandro

doi:10.1007/s12210-015-0389-2

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Strikingly, one of the most promising anti-COVID-19 candidates emerged by our literature analysis is Laurus nobilis L. oil, characterized by the presence of β -ocimene, 1,8-cineole, α -pinene and β -pinene as its main constituents, which exerted an interesting activity against SARS-CoV-1 with an IC 50 value of 120 μg/ml and a selectivity index (SI) of 4.16 (Loizzo et al 2008 ). Laurus nobilis L. is a typical Mediterranean plant, constituent of Laurisilva forests (Pignatti et al 2015 ), commonly used as a flavouring agent for food preparation, but also endowed with many biological activities. These antioxidant and antimicrobial properties are due to the chemical composition of the essential oil found within its leaf which varies depending on the latitude and climate of its cultivation site (Riabov et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower COVID-19 mortality in Italian forested areas suggests immunoprotection by Mediterranean plants

Roviello

2020

Environ Chem Lett

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The COVID-19 pandemic has induced dramatic effects on the population of the industrialized north of Italy, whereas it has not heavily affected inhabitants of the southern regions. This might be explained in part by human exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter (PM) in the air of northern Italy, thus exacerbating the mortality. Since trees mitigate air pollution by intercepting PM onto plant surfaces and bolster the human immune system by emitting bioactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs), we hypothesize a protective role of evergreen forested areas in southern Italy. We compared the mortality rate due to COVID-19, the death number, the positivity rate and the forest coverage per capita in various Italian regions. Hectares of forest per capita and prevalence of deciduous versus evergreen forestal species were also estimated. In silico docking studies of potentially protective compounds found in Laurus nobilis L., a typical Mediterranean plant, were performed to search for potential antivirals. We found that the pandemic's severity was generally lower in southern regions, especially those with more than 0.3 hectares of forest per capita. The lowest mortality rates were found in southern Italy, mainly in regions like Molise (0.007%) and Basilicata (0.005%) where the forest per capita ratio is higher than 0.5 Ha/person. Our findings suggest that evergreen Mediterranean forests and shrubland plants could have protected the southern population by emission of immunomodulating VOCs and provision of dietary sources of bioactive compounds. Moreover, in silico studies revealed a potential anti-COVID-19 activity in laurusides, which are unexplored glycosides from bay laurel. Overall, our results highlight the importance of nature conservation and applications to the search for natural antivirals.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower COVID-19 mortality in Italian forested areas suggests immunoprotection by Mediterranean plants

Roviello

2020

Environ Chem Lett

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“…Still today, laurel distribution is restricted to warm climates with low seasonality and reduced water deficit, and water stress is considered as the main climatic factor constraining the southern distributional range of the species (Rodríguez‐Sánchez & Arroyo, ). Accordingly, in Italy, natural populations of laurel occur only in humid and frequently shaded microhabitats (Filibeck, ; Pignatti et al ., ). Hence, the relatively high drought vulnerability of laurel emerging from our hydraulic and microCT analysis is consistent with the ecological requirements of the species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

X‐ray microtomography observations of xylem embolism in stems of Laurus nobilis are consistent with hydraulic measurements of percentage loss of conductance

et al. 2016

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Drought-induced xylem embolism is a serious threat to plant survival under future climate scenarios. Hence, accurate quantification of species-specific vulnerability to xylem embolism is a key to predict the impact of climate change on vegetation. Low-cost hydraulic measurements of embolism rate have been suggested to be prone to artefacts, thus requiring validation by direct visualization of the functional status of xylem conduits using nondestructive imaging techniques, such as X-ray microtomography (microCT). We measured the percentage loss of conductance (PLC) of excised stems of Laurus nobilis (laurel) dehydrated to different xylem pressures, and compared results with direct observation of gas-filled vs water-filled conduits at a synchrotron-based microCT facility using a phase contrast imaging modality. Theoretical PLC calculated on the basis of microCT observations in stems of laurel dehydrated to different xylem pressures overall were in agreement with hydraulic measurements, revealing that this species suffers a 50% loss of xylem hydraulic conductance at xylem pressures averaging -3.5 MPa. Our data support the validity of estimates of xylem vulnerability to embolism based on classical hydraulic techniques. We discuss possible causes of discrepancies between data gathered in this study and those of recent independent reports on laurel hydraulics.

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“…Among the most prominent pressures and threats, we can mention intensive farming, agricultural intensification and use of biocides and fertilizers; pollution, urbanization and infrastructure development; drainage, alteration of hydrologic systems and wetland reclamation; abandonment of traditional practices; invasion of alien plants and animals, and changes in land use; climate change. However, these pressures and threats act at different spatial and temporal scales and largely vary across the different habitat types (see, e.g., Bertacchi et al 2016;Pignatti et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussion Criticalities and Future Perspectives: Toward Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat conservation in Italy: the state of the art in the light of the first European Red List of Terrestrial and Freshwater Habitats

Gigante

Acosta²,

Agrillo

et al. 2018

Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei

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The importance of taking into account ecosystems, plant communities and habitats for the development of biodiversity conservation strategies is increasingly acknowledged. Recently, the first ever European Red List of Habitats was produced, which provided an evaluation of the extinction risk of EUNIS-based natural and semi-natural habitats in Europe. As assessment unit, it used the habitat intended as a plant community, thus representing a landmark for the role of vegetation science in nature conservation. In the present paper, the results of the European Red List of Habitats are analyzed at the national scale with specific reference to the terrestrial and freshwater habitat types occurring in Italy. More than three-quarters of the assessed European habitat types were recognized for the Italian territory. The distribution of the threat categories reflects approximately the situation at the EU28 level. About 35% of the assessed habitat types are referred to a threat category; no critically endangered habitat is present in Italy. The most frequently used criteria are those related to a reduction in quantity. Some critical issues arising from the analyses are discussed. In particular, the presence of knowledge gaps is pointed out, with remarkable reference to the poor availability of spatial and quantitative data, severely affecting the application of the criteria adopted for the assessment. Descriptions of habitat types from Italy are reported, some of which are representative, emblematic or even exclusive to the Italian territory. The outcomes of the analysis represent the starting point for the future development of a national-scale Red List of Habitats. Results also emphasized how habitat types with a too broad definition pose a limit to a proper evaluation of the regional biogeographic variability, often very high in Italy, with local floristic and phytocoenotic peculiarities which do not find room in the adopted European typology. This is the reason why the development of national subtypes stands as a necessary step for the development of a realistic and effective assessment at the national scale.

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The Laurisilva as a cultural heritage: proposal for the protection of the relict of laurel forest near Ponte Renaro

Cited by 8 publications

References 4 publications

Lower COVID-19 mortality in Italian forested areas suggests immunoprotection by Mediterranean plants

Lower COVID-19 mortality in Italian forested areas suggests immunoprotection by Mediterranean plants

X‐ray microtomography observations of xylem embolism in stems of Laurus nobilis are consistent with hydraulic measurements of percentage loss of conductance

Habitat conservation in Italy: the state of the art in the light of the first European Red List of Terrestrial and Freshwater Habitats

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