Irene Piccini

Mega‐projects are large‐scale developments that profoundly transform landscapes while delivering infrastructure and socio‐economic benefits. However, they are also major drivers of biodiversity loss through multiple direct and indirect impacts. Among these, artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasingly recognised as a threat to biodiversity, including nocturnal Lepidoptera, which play crucial ecological roles. While ALAN effects on adult moths are well documented, its influence on preimaginal stages, critical for fitness and population persistence, remains poorly understood. This study examined construction‐related factors, including ALAN effects, on Lepidoptera larvae in natural environments within mega‐projects context using an After‐Control‐Impact (ACI) design. Focusing on larvae is essential, as this longest and least mobile life stage is particularly vulnerable to local environmental alterations such as artificial lighting, and environmental complexity can either buffer or amplify ALAN effects. However, our findings indicate that larval presence, species richness and biomass were not consistently associated with ALAN intensity. Instead, other environmental factors, including habitat characteristics, plant species, exposure and vegetation management, emerged as more important determinants of larval assemblages. In two sites, at least one control area showed higher larval abundance than the impacted site, but this pattern appears linked more to local environmental conditions than to lighting. Species richness showed no consistent pattern, and biomass analyses were limited by sample size and developmental variability. Overall, the results highlight that mega‐project impacts on nocturnal Lepidoptera larvae are complex and context‐dependent. ALAN was not retained as a significant predictor relative to other environmental factors, though this may reflect limited statistical power rather than a true absence of effect. These findings emphasise the need for standardised approaches to mitigate multiple construction‐related impacts on nocturnal Lepidoptera.

Reconciling biodiversity conservation with agroecosystems is a challenge for sustainable food systems. Organic rice production is increasing in Italy, promoting natural and agro-biodiversity. Rice fields can be considered wetland surrogates, crucial as biodiversity hotspots, and thus represent natural or semi-natural habitats within intensively farmed districts. The ecological role and value of rice fields increase when combined with agroecological farming practices. The aim of the current research was to assess the role of paddy fields in biodiversity promotion at different spatial scales in organic and conventional farming conditions, from surrounding environmental matrices to the sustainability of single farming practices. We developed a pool of scalable ecological indicators to assess wetlands-associated biodiversity according to the reference agro-system. Butterflies and dragonfly taxa were used as the main biodiversity and ecosystem services proxy. All low-impact rice farming practices on field banks such as improved soil cover and water level, reduced grass cutting and weeding, and increased botanical diversity prove to be effective for promoting biodiversity. We argue that insect monitoring can be integrated into rice farm appraisal to quantify crop and natural diversification levels. These data, correlated with biodiversity-friendly practices on a scalable field, farm, or district/landscape level, could become a useful tool to weigh the measured benefits of biodiversity-friendly rice management practices and related ecosystem services. Agro-ecological low-input rice farming practices can improve food system resilience against abiotic and biotic stresses caused by climate change, and enhance biodiversity and resilience at both farm and landscape scales.

Mega-projects are large-scale developments that profoundly transform landscapes while delivering infrastructure and socio-economic benefits. However, they are also major drivers of biodiversity loss through multiple direct and indirect impacts. Among these, artificial light at night (ALAN) is increasingly recognised as a threat to biodiversity, including nocturnal Lepidoptera, which play crucial ecological roles. While ALAN effects on adult moths are well documented, its influence on preimaginal stages, critical for fitness and population persistence, remains poorly understood. This study examined construction-related factors, including ALAN effects, on Lepidoptera larvae in natural environments within mega-projects context using an After-Control-Impact (ACI) design. Focusing on larvae is essential, as this longest and least mobile life stage is particularly vulnerable to local environmental alterations such as artificial lighting, and environmental complexity can either buffer or amplify ALAN effects. However, our findings indicate that larval presence, species richness, and biomass were not consistently associated with ALAN intensity. Instead, other environmental factors, including habitat characteristics, plant species, exposure, and vegetation management, emerged as more important determinants of larval assemblages. In two sites, at least one control area showed higher larval abundance than the impacted site, but this pattern appears linked more to local environmental conditions than to lighting. Species richness showed no consistent pattern, and biomass analyses were limited by sample size and developmental variability. Overall, the results highlight that mega-project impacts on nocturnal Lepidoptera larvae are complex and context-dependent, and that ALAN may be less influential than other environmental factors at the larval stage. These findings emphasise the need for standardised approaches to mitigate multiple construction-related impacts on nocturnal Lepidoptera.

Aims: Mires are important habitats that provide fundamental ecosystem services. Although they have traditionally been considered stable ecosystems, exhibiting little to no change in floristic composition over several decades to millennia, the effect of contemporary climate change is largely unknown. This study aimed to assess (i) how the vegetation of Sphagnum ‐dominated mires changed over the last two decades in the Western Alps, where mires are fragmented and at the southern edge of their European distribution, and (ii) whether climate change was a primary driver of these changes. Location: Western Alps, Italy. Methods: We resurveyed 139 plots across 14 sites, comparing historical vegetation data from 1998 and 2011 with new surveys conducted in 2023, including vascular plants and bryophytes. We analysed the shifts in species composition and the changes in community diversity and ecological indicators. We also evaluated climate trends over the past three decades and their relationship with vegetation dynamics. Results: Climate data analyses confirmed increasing air temperatures, decreasing precipitation and increasing evaporation across the study sites. Both short‐term and long‐term resurveys showed an increase in species diversity, in particular woody and non‐specialist vascular plants, and a decrease in or local extinction of mire specialists, including Sphagnum species. These results suggest a lowering of the water table and a consequent drying. Longer term resurveys revealed signs of acidification and eutrophication, likely due to increased mineralisation. Attribution to climate change was supported by the higher increase in species richness in mires with a stronger decrease in precipitation. Conclusion: Our results revealed significant vegetation changes under the pressure of climate change, with mires at the southern edge of their European distribution exhibiting more rapid and pronounced vegetation dynamics than previous studies conducted at higher latitudes. Urgent conservation measures, including rewetting, are essential to preserve these mires and their ecosystem services.

Estimating species extinction risk is crucial to reverse biodiversity loss and to adopt proper conservation measures. Different sources may play a pivotal role in prioritising species conservation. Recently, citizen science demonstrated a substantial role, especially when it comes to butterflies. This study examines species records and richness in Aosta Valley, which represents one of the highest mountain areas in Europe. Through 30,351 data points from 1825 to 2022, the impact and efficiency of three groups of data sources were investigated: literature (i.e., publications and collections), sampling (butterfly experts' recording), and citizen science (open‐source databases). The study also aims to assess the extinction potential of the butterflies in relation to functional traits. The results showed that even if there were significant differences in the number of records between the three sources, there were no significant differences for species recorded. Moreover, 2.9% of the butterfly community risks extinction, and it is related to some response traits. Indeed, extinction risks increase when the altitudinal range decreases and for multivoltines. In conclusion, citizen science has a strong impact on the amount of data and could be exploited to fill data gaps at low/medium altitudes. However, professional sampling is needed to focus on species no longer reported, and in particular on species that are difficult to identify, have specific distributions or particular traits (e.g., limited altitudinal range). Using different data sources, extinction risk estimation, and trait analysis, it is possible to prioritise studies on some species using different efforts (sampling and/or citizen sciences).

Insects and plants share a close relationship; plants provide feeding opportunities, ecological niches, and shelters for insects, while insects, in turn, facilitate pollination for plants. Management actions might positively or negatively affect insect species richness and/or abundance, in particular, forest practices can significantly influence insect communities. In this study, we investigated the effects on plant and moth communities following the realization of an ecological corridor (composed of 10 clearings) in forest in NW of Italy. Specifically, through plant surveys and moth light traps, we investigated plant and moth communities and their relationship in newly shaped clearings and their surrounding forest. We found that plants responded quickly to clearing formation, presenting differentiated plant communities between xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. These differences reflected on moth communities as well, allowing to find indicator species for each ecosystem. Structural variables (i.e. openness) and topography (i.e. elevation) were key factors affecting the differentiation of moth communities. On the other hand, plants explained most of the variance in moth communities, so, through plants, we differentiated moth communities into those typical of xero-thermophile clearings, mesophile clearings and forest. In conclusion, forest management significantly affects plant and moth communities. Newly shaped clearings support higher species richness (including specialist species) and abundance than closed canopy forest. To increase species richness and abundance for both plants and moths, we suggest conservation measures that include creating open habitats within forests at medium elevation (650–950 m a.s.l.).

Beetles are one of the most diverse and often highly specialized groups among saproxylic organisms and play a key role in forest dynamics. To develop conservation plans in forests threatened by human activities, such as construction sites, it is crucial to identify key parameters characterizing forest structure in turn influencing saproxylic beetle diversity and abundance. Here, we investigate the difference in forest structure parameters and their cascading effect on saproxylic beetle communities between a forest site affected by the construction site expansion of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway Line and a nearby second forest site. Our study showed differences in forest structure parameters between the two sites, in particular in the overall volume and diameter of coarse woody debris and in standing dead tree abundance. Even saproxylic beetle community structure was different between the two sites and this difference was linked to the different abundance and species richness of standing dead trees. Our findings provide information for the development of a local conservation plan for the saproxylic beetle community within forest habitats. Increasing the volume of deadwood and enriching tree diversity can locally sustain abundant and diverse communities and, eventually, support those species that are threatened by the building site expansion.

Atmospheric pollution poses a serious threat to environment and human health, and particulate matter (PM) is one of the major contributors. Biological effects induced by PM are investigated through in vitro assays using cells and by in vivo tests with laboratory model animals. However, also the estimation of adverse effects of pollutants, including airborne ones, on wild animals, such as insects, is an essential component of environmental risk assessment. Among insects, butterflies are sensitive to environmental changes and are important wild pollinators, so they might be suitable as environmental bioindicator species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a wild cabbage butterfly species (Pieris brassicae) as a bioindicator organism to assess the genotoxic effects of PM₁₀ collected in different sites. PM₁₀ was collected from April to September in urban, suburban, and rural sites. P. brassicae larvae were reared in laboratory under controlled conditions on cabbage plants and exposed to PM₁₀ organic extracts or dimethyl sulfoxide (controls) through vaporization. After exposure, larvae were dissected, and cells were used for comet assay. All PM extracts induced significant DNA damage in exposed larvae compared to controls and the extract collected in the most polluted site caused the highest genotoxic effect. In conclusion, the study suggested that butterflies, such as P. brassicae, could be applied as sensitive and promising bioindicators to investigate air quality and PM genotoxicity. Indeed, the use of these organisms allows the detection of genotoxic effects induced by PM sampled also in low-polluted areas. Graphical Abstract