STEBICEF

Background Over the past 20 years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have raised enormous expectations, passionate political controversies and an ongoing debate on how these technologies should be assessed. Current risk assessment procedures generally assess GMOs in terms of their potential risk of negatively affecting human health and the environment. Can this risk-benefit approach deliver a robust assessment of GMOs? In this paper, we question the validity of current risk assessment from both a social and an ecological perspective, and we elaborate an alternative approach, namely in-context trajectory evaluation. This paper combines frame analysis, context analysis and ecosocial analysis to three different case studies. Results Applying frame analysis to Syngenta's recent campaign 'Bring plant potential to life', we first de-construct the technosocial imaginaries driving GMOs innovation, showing how the latter endorses the technological fix of socioeconomic problems whilst reinforcing the neoliberal sociopolitical paradigm. Applying context analysis to biopharming in New Zealand, we then explore local practices and knowledge, showing that particularities of context typically omitted from risk assessment processes play a key role in determining both the risks and the potential benefits of a technology. Finally, drawing from the Italian case, we outline through ecosocial analysis how the lack of long-term studies, further aggravated by current methodological deficiencies, prevent risk assessment from considering not only how GMOs affect the environmental context but also, and most importantly, the way people live in, and interact with, this context. Conclusion Incorporating frame analysis, context analysis and ecosocial analysis, in the form of in-context trajectory evaluation, into the assessment of GMOs can improve the social compatibility, political accountability and ecological sustainability of its outcomes.

A combined field experiment and modelling approach has been used to provide evidence that ants may be responsible for an observed lower patchiness and higher plant diversity in the neighbourhood of ant nests, within Mediterranean dry grasslands belonging to the phytosociological class Tuberarietea guttatae. The hypothesis was that seeds occurring in clumps may have a higher probability to be harvested than seeds having a scattered distribution. In order to test this hypothesis, four analysis steps were performed. First, pattern of seed production and dispersal of four species was recorded; two of them were more abundant next to ant nests (Tuberaria guttata, Euphorbia exigua), whereas the other two were more abundant away from ant nests (Bromus scoparius and Plantago bellardi). Second, a stochastic model was developed to simulate the observed dispersal patterns of each studied species. Third, 10 seed spatial arrangements in accordance to the distribution patterns created by the model were offered to ants and the location of predated seeds was recorded. Finally, the observed pattern of seed predation was matched to models performed by different distributions of probability. Results showed that the probability of being predated decreased as distance among seeds increased. This preference of ants for high concentration of food items holds down the dominant species sufficiently to allow the subordinates to survive, thus increasing diversity near nests. The observed higher frequency of small-seeded, small-sized, or creeping therophytes close to the ant nests can be therefore seen as an example of indirect myrmecophily.

The first mention on conceptualisation of what we now term “biodiversity” was given by Federico Cesi about 400 years ago. By the light of the first formulation of this concept, the historical changes in the human approach to “biodiversity” are discussed. The popularity of this term shifted from scientific to socio-political contexts and its significance became progressively blurred by eco-social implications. Biodiversity, today, is perceived by most as an ideal container of the remains of a vanishing traditional landscape, where man and nature lived together harmoniously. This is in contrast with the man’s desire for self-assertion, which has accompanied the civilisation process from its origins up to the birth of the ecology movements. While the present need to promote research on biodiversity arises from the desire to help organisms and ecosystems threatened by man, Federico Cesi and the first Linceans were inspired by the desire to “acquire knowledge and wisdom” in order to improve man’s condition. Between the Cesian view of diversitas and the modern perception of biodiversity, there is the same gap that marked the transition from a “traditional” world, longed for by modern man as an Edenic state, to a “modern” world, probably dreamt by the first Linceans as the point of arrival of a strongly innovative scientific ascent, which was taking its first steps during their time. The strong connecting element between diversitas and biodiversity is represented by a common epistemological approach, i.e. to delineate an exhaustive and shareable bulk of knowledge on living organisms, according to how they appear in the light of a collection of empirical data.

After a general outline on the syntaxonomical framework of the class Pegano harmalae-Salsoletea vermiculatae Br.-Bl. & O. Bolos 1958, the occurrence of this vegetation in the Italian territory is examined. In Italy, this vegetation is mostly found on clayish or marly substrata, particularly if slightly enriched with nitrates and chlorides. With reference to the Rivas-Martínez bioclimatic classification, the Italian stands have an infra- to thermo-Mediterranean thermotype (marginally up to the meso-Mediterranean one) with dry or arid ombrotype. In particular, this vegetation is well represented in Sicily, while in Sardinia and along the Italian Peninsula, it progressively becomes more rare and localized. Altogether, 21 associations are recognized, 11 of which are described here for the first time. The surveyed associations are ascribed to the following alliances: Salsolo oppositifoliae-Suaedionmollis (linked to less disturbed and more thermo-xeric habitats) and Artemision arborescentis (more disturbed and less thermo-xeric habitats). Finally, some conservation issues are discussed.

Orophilous plant communities of the Pino-Juniperetea class, occurring in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean area, are examined. This vegetation is characterized by the dominance of trees and shrubs, mostly represented by conifers belonging to the genera Juniperus, Abies and Pinus. These communities are nowadays relegated to the supra- and oromediterranean belt, and show a fragmentary distribution, which is an evident proof of their relict connotation. The comparison among these communities, based on original and literature data, has highlighted a remarkable floristic and structural homogeneity, together with a series of geographical vicariances. From the phytosociological point of view, this justifies the arrangement of the aforesaid communities in the class Pino-Juniperetea RIVAS-MARTÍNEZ 1964, whose range is therefore extended to the whole Mediterranean basin. In the Central and Eastern Mediterranean area, the class is represented by the order Juniperetalia hemisphaericae, which comprises two new alliances: Berberidion aetnensis, restricted to the Central Mediterranean area, and Berberido creticae-Juniperion foetidissimae, distributed in the Eastern Mediterranean area. Both of them have been on its turn split up in some suballiances, to emphasize the floristic autonomy of some well-defined phytogeographical districts. The identified associations, many of them new to science, are examined from the nomenclatural, floristical, ecological, structural and chorological point of view. New groups described pp. 265 ff.

The vegetation of mining dumps of SW-Sardinia includes several endemic or rare species, that have been confined to such artificial habitats by a millennial mining activity. The extreme edaphic specialization of these species reflects with unusual fidelity the heterogeneity of substrata, therefore creating a system of plant communities that largely contributes to the environmental diversity of this part of the island. The phytosociological study presented in this paper recognized eight associations, distinguished by the cluster analysis in two main groups, the first including hemicrypto-chamaephytic vegetation, the second including nanophanerophytic garigues.Six associations are belonging to the first group, five of which newly described: Helichrysotyrrhenici-Dianthetum sardoi ass. nova occurring on gross-grained, hard-sloping dumps deriving from the geologic unit of Gonnesa; Coincyo recurvatae-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici ass. nova colonizing dumps made of metamorphitic flakes and finer particles; Resedo luteolae-Limonietummerxmuelleri ass. nova colonizing small-grained mining dumps with high concentrations in sulphides and heavy metals; Ptilostemono casabonae-Iberidetum integerrimae ass. nova replacing the previous one on older and more consolidated dumps, where the concentration of phytotoxic elements was reduced by the meteoric agents; Epipactidetum tremolsii ass. nova colonizing muddy deposits originating from ferrous clay; Euphorbio cupanii-Santolinetum insularis Angiolini & Bacchetta 2003, occurring on very old, stabilized dumps. All these associations can be ascribed to the class Scrophulario-Helichrysetea Brullo, Scelsi & Spampinato 1998. Within this class, a new Sardo-Corsican alliance, Ptilostemono casabonae-Euphorbion cupanii all. nov. is here proposed, differentiated by a pool of rare or endemic species. In addition to the above-mentioned associations, it is proposed, as well, to include into the new alliance the Polygono scoparii-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici Biondi, Vagge, Fogu & Mossa 1996 corr., that was described for the gravelly riverbeds of Central-Southern Sardinia.As concerns the second group, two new association have been recognized: Dorycniosuffruticosi-Genistetum corsicae ass. nova, found on abandoned, well consolidated mining dumps, with an upper layer altered by pedogenetic processes; Polygalo sardoae-Linetum muelleri ass. nova, occurring in the vicinities of the mines on steep rocky slopes made of Paleozoic metalliferous limestones. Both of them can be ascribed to the alliance Teucrion mari Gamisans & Muracciole 1985, grouping the Sardo-Corsican aspects of Cisto-Lavanduletea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Molinier & Wagner 1940.Two taxa are new for science: Dianthus sardousBacchetta, Brullo, Casti & Giusso, sp. nova and Helichrysum microphyllum (Willd.) Camb. subsp. tyrrhenicumBacchetta, Brullo & Giusso, subsp. nova. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)Die Vegetation auf Bergbauhalden in Südwestsar- dinien beheimatet einige endemische oder seltene Pflanzenarten, die sich auf diesen künstlichen Lebensräumen, geschaffen durch einen tausendjährigen Bergbau, spezialisiert haben. Bedingt durch die Anpassung an die extremen Bodenverhältnisse, reflektieren diese Arten mit außergewöhnlicher Konstanz die heterogenen Bodentypen, welche ein System von Pflanzengesellschaften hervorbringen, die wesentlich zu der Vielfalt der Lebensräume dieser Region beitragen. Die hier präsentierte pflanzensoziologische Studie beschreibt acht Pflanzengesellschaften, die sich mittels „Cluster Analysis” in zwei Hauptgruppen aufspalten lassen. Die erste Gruppe umfasst die hemikryptophytische Vegetation, während die zweite Gruppe die nanophanerophytischen Garigues zusammenführt.In der ersten Gruppe lassen sich sechs Pflanzengesellschaften abgrenzen, fünf davon werden neu beschrieben: Helichryso tyrrhenici-Dianthetum sardoi ass. nova auf grobkörnigen und steil abfallenden Halden des Gonnesa-Abraums; Coincyo recurvatae-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici ass. nova kolonisiert die Abraumhalden aus grobkörnigen metamorphen Gesteinen und feineren Partikeln; Resedo luteolae-Limonietum merxmuelleri ass. nova bewächst feinkörnigen Abraum mit hoher Konzentration an Sulfiden und Schwermetallen; Ptilostemono casabonae-Iberidetumintegerrimae ass. nova ersetzt die vorhergehende Gesellschaft auf älteren und verfestigteren Abraumhalden, in denen die phytotoxischen Substanzen stärker ausgewaschen sind; Epipactidetumtremolsii ass. nova wächst auf schlammigen Sedimenten, die von eisenhaltigen Lehmen abstammen; Euphorbio cupanii-Santolinetum insularis Angiolini & Bacchetta 2003 kommt auf alten, stabilisierten Abraumhalden vor.Alle diese Pflanzengesellschaften können in die Klasse der Scrophulario-Helichrysetea Brullo, Scelsi & Spampinato 1998 eingeordnet werden. Innerhalb dieser Klasse wird hier eine neue sardo-korsische Allianz, das Ptilostemono casabonae-Euphorbion cupanii all. nov., benannt, welche sich durch eine Vielzahl von endemischen Pflanzenarten auszeichnet. Neben den oben genannten Pflanzengesellschaften wird hier vorgeschlagen, das Polygono scoparii-Helichrysetum tyrrhenici Biondi, Vagge, Fogu & Mossa 1996 corr., das auf Geröll-Flussbetten im zentralen Südsardinien beschrieben wurde, in die neue Allianz mit einzugliedern.In der zweiten Gruppe konnten zwei neue Pflanzengesellschaften abgetrennt werden: das Dorycnio suffruticosi-Genistetum corsicae ass. nova, welche auf aufgelassenen, gut verfestigten Abraumhalden mit beginnender Bodenbildung zu finden ist, und das Polygalo sardoae-Linetum muelleri ass. nova, das auf steilen Felsabhängen aus paläozoischen metallhaltigen Kalken in der direkten Nachbarschaft der Abraumhalden vorkommt. Beide Pflanzengesellschaften können in den Verband Teucrion mari Gamisans & Muracciole 1985 eingegliedert werden, welcher die sardo-korsischen Elemente der Cisto-Lavanduletea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl., Molinier & Wagner 1940 umfasst.Es werden zwei neue Sippen beschrieben: Dianthus sardousBacchetta, Brullo, Casti & Giusso, sp. nova und Helichrysum microphyllum (Willd.) Camb. subsp. tyrrhenicumBacchetta, Brullo & Giusso, subsp. nova.

A survey about the orophilous shrubby vegetation of the Teide volcano (Tenerife) is provided, based on literature and unpublished data. The investigated communities are dominated by broom-shaped nanophanerophytes, chamaephytes and hemicryptophytes, well adapted to the climatic continentality characterizing their growing-sites, due to the localization above the cloud layer. From the syntaxonomical point of view, in this paper is proposed to refer this vegetation to the class Cytiso-Pinetea canariensis Rivas Goday & Esteve ex Sunding 1972, to the order Spartocytisetalia supranubii Schönfelder & Voggenreiter 1994 and to three alliances: Spartocytision supranubii Oberd. ex Esteve 1973, grouping the broom-shrublands occurring on relatively developed andosoils; Juniperion cedri all. nova, regarding the juniper communities colonizing steep rocky slopes; Violion cheiranthifoliae all. nova, grouping the hemicryptophytic communities of screes and unstable substrata. To support the syntaxonomic proposal, a multivariate numerical analysis, considering literature and personal data, has been performed. Moreover, considerations on the role that bioclimate plays on these plant-communities are given too. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)Wir geben einen Überblick der orophytischen Buschvegetation des Vulkans Teide (Teneriffa), auf der Basis von Literatur und unveröffentlichten Daten. In den untersuchten Pflanzengesellschaften dominieren besenförmige Nanophanerophyten, Chamaephyten und Hemikryptophyten, die dank ihrer Lage oberhalb der Wolken gut an das kontinentale Klima ihrer Heimat angepasst sind. Vom syntaxonomischen Standpunkt aus betrachtet schlagen wir vor, diese Vegetation der Klasse Cytiso-Pinetea canariensis Rivas Goday & Esteve ex Sunding 1972, der Ordnung Spartocytisetalia supranubii Schönfelder & Voggenreiter 1994 und drei Verbänden zuzuordnen (Spartocytision supranubii Oberd. ex Esteve 1973, die die besenförmige Buschvegetation auf relativ gut entwickelten Andosols umfassen; Juniperion cedri all. nova für die Wacholdergesellschaften, die steile, felsige Abhänge kolonisieren; Violion cheiranthifoliae all. nova, welches die hemikryptophytischen Gesellschaften auf steilen Schutthängen und instabilem Untergrund einschließt). Zur Unterstützung dieses syntaxonomischen Vorschlags haben wir eine multivariate numerische Analyse auf der Grundlage von veröffentlichten und unveröffentlichten Daten durchgeführt. Wir diskutieren weiterhin den Einfluss des Bioklimas auf diese Pflanzengesellschaften.