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Journal ArticleDOI

Bioclimate of Italy: application of the worldwide bioclimatic classification system

29 May 2014-Journal of Maps (Taylor & Francis)-Vol. 10, Iss: 4, pp 538-553
TL;DR: In this paper, the WBCS of Rivas-Martinez was applied to the Italian territory and surrounding areas between latitudes 35°47′-46°60′ N and longitudes 5°92′-21°39′ E.
Abstract: The worldwide bioclimatic classification system (WBCS) of Rivas-Martinez was applied to the Italian territory and surrounding areas between latitudes 35°47′–46°60′ N and longitudes 5°92′–21°39′ E. The ‘WorldClim’ precipitation and temperature dataset was used as the source data. Application of the WBCS in a geographic information system allowed the production of macrobioclimates, bioclimates, ombrotypes, continentality, compensated thermicity index and ombro-evaporal index maps at a scale of 1:5,500,000, and a map of thermotypes at a scale of 1:2,250,000. Moreover, the isobioclimates of Italy are identified and quantified in terms of areas. These maps are available here as raster datasets (1 km spatial resolution) and are useful for: (i) rapid bioclimatic diagnosis of the Italian territories; and (ii) vegetation–environment relationship modeling at the national scale.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synthesis of the vegetation of Italy at the alliance syntaxonomic level and fulfils several needs, the main one being a unified and comprehensive national framework that may make an important contribution to the definition of the European Vegetationprodrome.
Abstract: The Vegetation Prodrome of Italy was promoted in 2012 by the Italian “Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection”, in collaboration with the “Italian Society of Botany”, to provide a comprehensive and systematic catalogue and description of Italian plant communities. The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synthesis of the vegetation of Italy at the alliance syntaxonomic level. It fulfils several needs, the main one being a unified and comprehensive national framework that may make an important contribution to the definition of the European Vegetation Prodrome. Syntaxonomy, as well as taxonomy, is sometimes based on considerations that may in part diverge: several authors tend to favour models that are divisive or aggregative to a greater or lesser extent in terms of flora, biogeography and ecology. These different points of view stimulate the scientific debate and allow the adoption of a framework that is more widely supported. The Prodrome includes 75 classes, 2 subc...

209 citations


Cites background from "Bioclimate of Italy: application of..."

  • ...…synthesis, we examined a vast number of vegetation studies encompassing: (i) Italian nationwide (e.g. Géhu et al. 1984; Landucci et al. 2013; Pesaresi et al. 2014), (ii) local geographic areas (e.g. Blasi et al. 2000, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2012a; Acosta et al. 2003; Di Pietro et al. 2010),…...

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  • ...To achieve this syntaxonomic synthesis, we examined a vast number of vegetation studies encompassing: (i) Italian nationwide (e.g. Géhu et al. 1984; Landucci et al. 2013; Pesaresi et al. 2014), (ii) local geographic areas (e....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors defined two major updates to the WBCS map of Italy: improvements to the surface spatial accuracy for the climate, especially for precipitation; and detailed mapping of the Submediterraneity Index and its levels, which mainly characterize the ecotone area between the Mediterranean and the Temperate macrobioclimates.
Abstract: The Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System according to Rivas-Martinez (WBCS) is a bioclimatic classification that is widely used in vegetation science, geobotany, and landscape ecology. To date, only one complete WBCS map has been produced for Italy at the national scale. Here, we define two major updates to the WBCS map of Italy: improvements to the surface spatial accuracy for the climate, especially for precipitation; and detailed mapping of the Submediterraneity Index and its levels, which mainly characterize the ecotone area between the Mediterranean and the Temperate macrobioclimates. Finally, all WBCS units (i.e. macrobioclimates, bioclimatic variants, bioclimates, continentality types, bioclimatic belts) and the Submediterraneity Index are mapped on a scale of 1:2,500,000. These maps and the bioclimatic indices and monthly climatic surfaces are available here as raster data-sets (resolution, 900 m) and are useful for accurate bioclimatic diagnosis for the entire Italian territory. Th...

92 citations


Cites background or methods or result from "Bioclimate of Italy: application of..."

  • ...The MAEs were from 5.45 to 16.12, and all were better than those of the bioclimatic map of Pesaresi et al. (2014) (Table 1)....

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  • ...These limits mainly concern the precipitation surfaces, and they have resulted in minor inaccuracies in Ombrotypes mapping (see Table 11 in Pesaresi et al., 2014)....

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  • ...The Steppic variant was recently mapped by Pesaresi et al. (2014), and it is mainly located in areas of the Po Valley (as a Temperate macrobioclimate)....

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  • ...To date, for Italy, the map of Pesaresi et al. (2014) is the only full implementation of the WBCS at this national scale....

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  • ...Finally, in terms of the MAE, we compared these new calibrated climatic surfaces with those produced with different methods at national scales for the same territory (Brunetti, Maugeri, Nanni, Simolo, & Spinoni, 2014; Pesaresi et al., 2014)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The negative effects of reintroduced red deer Cervus elaphus on grassland, on foraging behavior of female Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata and on winter survival of Chamois kids are assessed, across 3 study sites with different deer densities.
Abstract: Coevolved species should avoid competition through resource partitioning, but human-induced alteration of plant/animal communities may facilitate the onset of competitive interactions. In herbivores, access to high-quality forage in the warm months, that is, during nursing and weaning, influences growth and survival of offspring. In turn, resource exploitation by a reintroduced, superior competitor should affect offspring survival of the inferior one, by decreasing foraging efficiency and diet quality of mothers and young. We assessed the negative effects of reintroduced red deer Cervus elaphus on grassland, on foraging behavior of female Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata (July–October 2012–2013) and on winter survival of chamois kids, across 3 study sites with different deer densities (great/intermediate/extremely low). The size of bare soil patches was positively associated with deer density and, in areas with deer, it increased throughout July–October. The volume of nutritious plants (i.e., legumes) in the diet of female chamois was lower and decreased faster between summer and autumn, in areas with deer than in that with an extremely low deer density. Feeding intensity (bite rate) of female chamois was significantly lower and their food searching (step rate) was greater in areas with deer. Chamois kids showed a significantly greater winter mortality, with a lower proportion of younger individuals, in areas with deer than in that with an extremely low deer density. In human-altered ecosystems, unpredictable consequences can follow interspecific interactions within restored animal communities. In turn, patterns of ecological relationships among ecosystem components may be modified, with an increase of the potential for competitive interactions.

56 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that males enhance their energy and mass gain by increasing their food intake rate during the warm season, to face the costs of the mating season (November), while females seem to prioritize a fine-scale selection of vegetation and the protection of offspring.
Abstract: Availability of food resources and individual characteristics can influence foraging behaviour, which can differ between males and females, leading to different patterns of food/habitat selection. In dimorphic species, females are usually more selective in food choice, show greater bite rates and spend more time foraging than males. We evaluated sexual differences in foraging behaviour in Apennine chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata, during the warm season, before the rut. Both sexes selected nutritious vegetation patches and spent a comparable amount of time feeding. However, males had a significantly greater feeding intensity (bite rate) and a lower search effort for feeding (step rate), as well as they spent more time lying down than females. Females selected foraging sites closer to refuge areas than males. In chamois, sexual size dimorphism is seasonal, being negligible in winter–spring, but increasing to 30–40 % in autumn. Our results suggest that males enhance their energy and mass gain by increasing their food intake rate during the warm season, to face the costs of the mating season (November). Conversely, females seem to prioritize a fine-scale selection of vegetation and the protection of offspring. A great food intake rate of males in the warm season could have developed as a behavioural adaptation leading herbivores to the evolutionary transition from year-round monomorphism to permanent dimorphism, through seasonal dimorphism.

39 citations


Cites background from "Bioclimate of Italy: application of..."

  • ...Bioclimatically, the area lies in the temperate oceanic bioclimate, lower orotemperate thermotype, lower/upper humid ombrotype (Pesaresi et al. 2014)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors defined the summer rainfall values leading to a decrease of semi-extensive farming system sustainability in sub-Mediterranean regions, where the grassland aboveground phytomass production peaks in late spring and drops in summer, when the decrease of the pasture feed value may lead to the worsening of animal welfare.
Abstract: In sub-Mediterranean climate the grassland aboveground phytomass production peaks in late spring and drops in summer, when the decrease of the pasture feed value may lead to the worsening of the animal welfare. Our goal was to define the summer rainfall values leading to a decrease of semi-extensive farming system sustainability in sub-Mediterranean regions. Summer rainfall variations reflect in the aboveground phytomass production and on the sheep body state. Differences of body condition score (BCS) among years were significant in late summer, which is the mating period for sheep. In the driest year the BCS of end August drops down to 2.1, largely below the value considered sufficient to ensure the animal breeding/milking performances (2.5). Reduction of summer rainfall greater than 15–20% compared to the normal average value (thus less than expected by the scenario of climate change) might be detrimental for semi-extensive rearing sustainability in sub-Mediterranean climate.

32 citations


Cites background from "Bioclimate of Italy: application of..."

  • ...Mean annual precipitation from 1950 to 2000 was 1,100 mm, while mean summer rainfall (June, July and August) was 205 mm, with a short period of summer water deficit usually lasting from mid-July to mid-end August; average annual temperature was 11 °C (Pesaresi et al., 2014)....

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References
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Journal Article
TL;DR: Copyright (©) 1999–2012 R Foundation for Statistical Computing; permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and permission notice are preserved on all copies.
Abstract: Copyright (©) 1999–2012 R Foundation for Statistical Computing. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a permission notice identical to this one. Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions, except that this permission notice may be stated in a translation approved by the R Core Team.

272,030 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A general statistical methodology for the analysis of multivariate categorical data arising from observer reliability studies is presented and tests for interobserver bias are presented in terms of first-order marginal homogeneity and measures of interob server agreement are developed as generalized kappa-type statistics.
Abstract: This paper presents a general statistical methodology for the analysis of multivariate categorical data arising from observer reliability studies. The procedure essentially involves the construction of functions of the observed proportions which are directed at the extent to which the observers agree among themselves and the construction of test statistics for hypotheses involving these functions. Tests for interobserver bias are presented in terms of first-order marginal homogeneity and measures of interobserver agreement are developed as generalized kappa-type statistics. These procedures are illustrated with a clinical diagnosis example from the epidemiological literature.

64,109 citations


"Bioclimate of Italy: application of..." refers methods in this paper

  • ...These K values have been interpreted as follows (Landis & Koch, 1977): ,0.2, slight agreement; 0.2–0.4, fair agreement; 0.4–0.6, moderate agreement; 0.6–0.8, substantial agreement; 0.8–1.0, almost perfect agreement....

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  • ...The judgment follows (Landis & Koch, 1977)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
Jacob Cohen1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a procedure for having two or more judges independently categorize a sample of units and determine the degree, significance, and significance of the units. But they do not discuss the extent to which these judgments are reproducible, i.e., reliable.
Abstract: CONSIDER Table 1. It represents in its formal characteristics a situation which arises in the clinical-social-personality areas of psychology, where it frequently occurs that the only useful level of measurement obtainable is nominal scaling (Stevens, 1951, pp. 2526), i.e. placement in a set of k unordered categories. Because the categorizing of the units is a consequence of some complex judgment process performed by a &dquo;two-legged meter&dquo; (Stevens, 1958), it becomes important to determine the extent to which these judgments are reproducible, i.e., reliable. The procedure which suggests itself is that of having two (or more) judges independently categorize a sample of units and determine the degree, significance, and

34,965 citations


Additional excerpts

  • ...Finally we assessed the degree of agreement between the WBCS map of Italy presented here (Main Map) and the WBCS applied to the observed meteorological data using Cohen’s K statistic (Cohen, 1960) implemented in the ‘fmsb’ package (Nakazawa, 2013) within R (R Core Team, 2012)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors developed interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas (excluding Antarctica) at a spatial resolution of 30 arc s (often referred to as 1-km spatial resolution).
Abstract: We developed interpolated climate surfaces for global land areas (excluding Antarctica) at a spatial resolution of 30 arc s (often referred to as 1-km spatial resolution). The climate elements considered were monthly precipitation and mean, minimum, and maximum temperature. Input data were gathered from a variety of sources and, where possible, were restricted to records from the 1950–2000 period. We used the thin-plate smoothing spline algorithm implemented in the ANUSPLIN package for interpolation, using latitude, longitude, and elevation as independent variables. We quantified uncertainty arising from the input data and the interpolation by mapping weather station density, elevation bias in the weather stations, and elevation variation within grid cells and through data partitioning and cross validation. Elevation bias tended to be negative (stations lower than expected) at high latitudes but positive in the tropics. Uncertainty is highest in mountainous and in poorly sampled areas. Data partitioning showed high uncertainty of the surfaces on isolated islands, e.g. in the Pacific. Aggregating the elevation and climate data to 10 arc min resolution showed an enormous variation within grid cells, illustrating the value of high-resolution surfaces. A comparison with an existing data set at 10 arc min resolution showed overall agreement, but with significant variation in some regions. A comparison with two high-resolution data sets for the United States also identified areas with large local differences, particularly in mountainous areas. Compared to previous global climatologies, ours has the following advantages: the data are at a higher spatial resolution (400 times greater or more); more weather station records were used; improved elevation data were used; and more information about spatial patterns of uncertainty in the data is available. Owing to the overall low density of available climate stations, our surfaces do not capture of all variation that may occur at a resolution of 1 km, particularly of precipitation in mountainous areas. In future work, such variation might be captured through knowledgebased methods and inclusion of additional co-variates, particularly layers obtained through remote sensing. Copyright  2005 Royal Meteorological Society.

17,977 citations


"Bioclimate of Italy: application of..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ...These differences were not captured by WorldClim, because of the sparse density of meteorological stations, and they are probably due to locally important climate drivers, such as those caused by local barrier effects (Hijmans et al., 2005; Metzger et al., 2013)....

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  • ...In the present study, we have applied the WBCS to the Italian territory, using ‘WorldClim’ (Hijmans et al., 2005) precipitation and temperature data to: (i) produce maps that will be useful for bioclimatic diagnosis of the Italian territories; and (ii) provide geographic datasets (as raster format,…...

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  • ...Hijmans et al. (2005) indicated some limitations of the WorldClim spatial dataset accuracy at regional and national scales, and in particular concerning precipitation in mountain areas....

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  • ...As source data, we used the WorldClim spatial climatic data (30 arc-seconds for about 1 km of resolution; Hijmans et al., 2005): the average monthly minimum temperatures (8C ×10), the average 544 S. Pesaresi et al. monthly mean temperatures (8C ×10), the average monthly maximum temperatures (8C…...

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A review of predictive habitat distribution modeling is presented, which shows that a wide array of models has been developed to cover aspects as diverse as biogeography, conservation biology, climate change research, and habitat or species management.

6,748 citations


"Bioclimate of Italy: application of..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…and in particular they allow species distribution modeling and habitat modeling to be performed (Austin, 1999; Baselga & Araújo, 2009; Ferrier & Guisan, 2006; Franklin, 1995; Guisan & Zimmermann, 2000), as the climate data are probably the most important abiotic factors for plant distribution....

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