Papers by Monica Montefalcone
Chemistry and Ecology, 2006
Among the various types of human activities, the mechanical damages resulting from uncontrolled p... more Among the various types of human activities, the mechanical damages resulting from uncontrolled pleasure boats anchoring in shallow coastal waters would appear to be responsible for localized regressions of Posidonia oceanica meadows. This paper aims to describe and quantify the impacts of a large anchoring chains system on the structure of the P. oceanica meadow of Prelo cove (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean). In this study, we provide evidence that this chains system had a negative effect on the meadow cover, generating dead 'matte' areas within the meadow. Meadow structure mapping, combined with the use of an environmental index (Conservation Index), which is linked to the proportional abundance of dead matte relative to living P. oceanica, underpins significant differences in the cover and in the conservation status of the meadow between areas characterized by the presence of the chains and areas without the chains. We also show that the chains affected the meadow in different ways according to P. oceanica cover. The approach proposed here, based on thematic mapping and a simple environmental index, provides relevant information for management actions on the conservation of Posidonia oceanica meadows.
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2011
While coastal management activities have long been known to exert a strong influence on the healt... more While coastal management activities have long been known to exert a strong influence on the health of marine ecosystems, neither scientists nor administrators have realized that small interventions may lead to disproportionately larger impacts. This study investigated the broad and long-lasting environmental consequences of the construction of an ill-planned, although small (only 12 m long) jetty for pleasure crafts on the hydrodynamic conditions and on the meadow of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica of an embayed cove in the Ligurian Sea (NW Mediterranean). There, P. oceanica used to develop on a high (>1.5 m) matte (a lignified terrace causing seafloor elevation) in which the leaves reach the surface and form a compact natural barrier to waves in front of the beach. Such a so-called 'fringing reef' of P. oceanica is today recognized of high ecological value and specific conservation efforts are required. The construction of the jetty implied the cutting of the matte, which directly destroyed part of the fringing reef. In addition, meadow mapping and sedimentological analyses coupled with morphodynamic modelling showed that the ecosystem of the whole cove had been greatly altered by the jetty. We used the geometric planform approach, a proper tool in the study of headland-controlled embayment, both to characterise the present situation of Prelo cove and to simulate the original one, before the jetty was built. In the long term, such a small jetty completely altered the configuration and the hydrodynamic conditions of the whole cove, splitting the original pocket beach into two smaller ones and creating strong rip-currents flowing seaward along the jetty. These rip-currents enhanced erosion of residual shallow portions of the meadow and further modified the sedimentary fluxes in shallow waters. A century after the construction of the jetty, an irreversible environmental damage has occurred, as the slow growing rate of P. oceanica implies that the high matte terrace and the fringing reef will hardly form again, even after the removal of the jetty. The lesson learnt from this study is that even such small, and therefore reputed intrinsically 'innocent', interventions on the coastal zone require accurate planning based on interdisciplinary studies to understand and respect the delicate interplay among morphological, hydrodynamic and ecological components.
Ecological Indicators, 2015
A theoretical model of structure and functioning was constructed for the Mediterranean undersea c... more A theoretical model of structure and functioning was constructed for the Mediterranean undersea cave ecosystem. This model integrates almost all representative components of the cave ecosystem and gives an idea of their faunal compositions, characteristics and related interactions.
Diversity, 2012
An approach to the management of marine biodiversity was developed based on two levels of environ... more An approach to the management of marine biodiversity was developed based on two levels of environmental diagnostics: (1) the characterization (to identify types), and (2) the evaluation (to define status and values). Both levels involve the production of maps, namely: (i) morphobathymetry and sedimentology; (ii) habitats; (iii) natural emergencies; (iv) degradation and risk; (v) weighted vulnerability; (vi) environmental quality; and, (vii) susceptibility to use. A general methodological aspect that must be stated first is the need of dividing the mapped area in territorial units corresponding to submultiples of the UTM grid and having different sizes according to the scale adopted. Territorial units (grid cells) are assigned to one of five classes of evaluation, ranging from high necessity of conservation or protection to non-problematic, unimportant or already compromised (according to the specific map) situations. Depending on the scale, these maps are suited
PloS one, 2015
Understanding the effects of environmental change on ecosystems requires the identification of ba... more Understanding the effects of environmental change on ecosystems requires the identification of baselines that may act as reference conditions. However, the continuous change of these references challenges our ability to define the true natural status of ecosystems. The so-called sliding baseline syndrome can be overcome through the analysis of quantitative time series, which are, however, extremely rare. Here we show how combining historical quantitative data with descriptive 'naturalistic' information arranged in a chronological chain allows highlighting long-term trends and can be used to inform present conservation schemes. We analysed the long-term change of a coralligenous reef, a marine habitat endemic to the Mediterranean Sea. The coralligenous assemblages of Mesco Reef (Ligurian Sea, NW Mediterranean) have been studied, although discontinuously, since 1937 thus making available both detailed descriptive information and scanty quantitative data: while the former was u...
Conservation Biology, 2015
Effective ecosystem-based management requires understanding ecosystem responses to multiple human... more Effective ecosystem-based management requires understanding ecosystem responses to multiple human threats, rather than focusing on single threats. To understand ecosystem responses to anthropogenic threats holistically, it is necessary to know how threats affect different components within ecosystems and ultimately alter ecosystem functioning. We used a case study of a Mediterranean seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) food web and expert knowledge elicitation in an application of the initial steps of a framework for assessment of cumulative human impacts on food webs. We produced a conceptual seagrass food web model, determined the main trophic relationships, identified the main threats to the food web components, and assessed the components' vulnerability to those threats. Some threats had high (e.g., coastal infrastructure) or low impacts (e.g., agricultural runoff) on all food web components, whereas others (e.g., introduced carnivores) had very different impacts on each component. Partitioning the ecosystem into its components enabled us to identify threats previously overlooked and to reevaluate the importance of threats commonly perceived as major. By incorporating this understanding of system vulnerability with data on changes in the state of each threat (e.g.,
Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science, 2011
Marine caves are priority coastal habitats according to the EU Habitat Directive, but they have r... more Marine caves are priority coastal habitats according to the EU Habitat Directive, but they have received a comparatively lower attention with respect to other Mediterranean key coastal habitats, such as seagrass meadows and coralligenous reefs. This paper reviews and updates the existing knowledge on the underwater marine caves of Liguria, an administrative region in NW Italy. The available bibliographic information, retrieved from regional archives, grey literature and scientific publications, has been implemented with records by divers to build a database on the distribution and typology (both geological and biological) of marine underwater caves of Liguria. The database has been implemented on a GIS platform. Out of the 76 marine caves recorded along the coast, only 20 are submerged, reaching a maximum depth of 40 m. 21 caves are distributed in the Western Ligurian Riviera and 56 in the Eastern Riviera. Major caves are located in karst areas. Geological and morphological information is available for virtually all caves, whereas biological data are limited to 13 caves, and are rarely accompanied by historical series. This first attempt provides useful indications to focus future investigations, and could become a potential management tool for local administrations to protect these habitats.
This paper aims at evaluating the effectiveness of some descriptors obtained from photographic me... more This paper aims at evaluating the effectiveness of some descriptors obtained from photographic methods and visual assessment techniques to detect changes in ecological quality of coralligenous habitat. From the photographic methods we obtained the following descriptors: i) mean number of the main taxa/morphological groups, ii) beta-diversity of assemblages, iii) mean cover of the main taxa/groups. From the visual techniques we measured and estimated the following descriptors: i) mean thickness of the calcareous layer, ii) maximum height of gorgonians, iii) mean cover of the species characterizing the coralligenous upper layer, iv) percentage of epibiosis and/or necrosis in the upper layer. Surveys were carried out in sites subjected to different human-induced pressures in three areas of the north-western Mediterranean Sea, in order to evaluate effectiveness of the selected descriptors at large spatial scale. Results showed that sensitive taxa obtained from the photographic method decreased in sites subjected to high human pressure, while encrusting bryozoans and filamentous algae increased their abundance. From the visual technique, in the high human pressure sites, the mean thickness of the calcareous layer was lower, the abundance of some sensitive gorgonian species decreased, and some taxa/groups appeared, e.g. the erect and massive sponges. Coupling data obtained through different sampling techniques, such as photographic and visual methods, provides a more complete information about alteration of ecological quality of coralligenous habitat.
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Papers by Monica Montefalcone