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Climate Detectives Projects 2023-2024

Project title: “Come i pini di Roma
” (Chronicle of a Death foretold … and silent )

Liceo scientifico E. Majorana   Roma   Italy

Research question

How does climate change impact the spreading of the Toumeyella parvicornis on Pinus pinea L., 1753? The case of Tenuta di Castelporziano (RM).

Summary of the project

How does climate change impact the spreading of Toumeyella parvicornis on Pinus pinea L., 1753? The case of Estate of Castelporziano (Rome) –

Autumn 2014, Neaples: First report of the presence of Toumeyella parvicornis, a North American native insect that represents a dangerous threat to pines’ survival, particularly to Pinus pinea L.

2018, Rome: Toumeyella parvicornis apparently strikes pines, especially the ones located in the South area of the city.

Which climate conditions ease the spread of the parasite and how do they settle the areas or the number of the infesting generations? The research area of the Roman pinewood of Castelporziano is located inside the Estate of the Italian President of the Republic. The goal is to describe the current situation and identify effective methods for the recovery of the ecological balance.

Planning of activities related to the research:
●Websites and bibliography search; study of scientific articles.
●Satellite images to evaluate the distribution of Pinus pinea L., before and after the spread of the parasite, both in the study area and in the national and European territories.
●Research and analysis of data related to climate change in the study area.
●Field research: visit to the Castelporziano’s Estate, with the possibility of collecting photo and video materials.
●Advice from the technicians of the protected area, with the possibility of sharing the research data

Earth Observation data type:
Measurements
Satellite Images

Main results and Conclusions

How does climate change impact the spreading of the Toumeyella parvicornis on Pinus pinea L., 1753? The case of Tenuta di Castelporziano (RM).

How does climate change impact the spreading of Toumeyella parvicornis on Pinus pinea L., 1753? The case of Estate of Castelporziano (Rome) – The research carried out and the data processed make it possible to clearly clarify the close connection between climate changes (rise in temperature, drought phenomena, violent rainfall phenomena) and the rapid, destructive spread of Toumeyella parvicornis on the population of Pinus pinea L. in the metropolitan area of Rome and in the Castelporziano Estate in particular. The rise in temperatures favors an increase in the number of generations of the parasite and therefore in the number of parasites. In addition to the rise in temperatures, it is the whole phenomenon of climate change – also influenced by anthropic factors – that affects the spread of the parasite: even before the parasite spreads, the pines are already stressed by the heat, by the absence of water, from the action of the wind and from aquifers dried up not only by the absence of regular rainfall but also by the excessive demand for water in the new highly urbanized centers. The satellite images studied give clear evidence of this whole phenomenon. Finally, man’s choice to create semi-natural habitats, such as pine forests, characterized by poor biodiversity, lowers the probability of resilience to the parasite. For the future, it will therefore be necessary to rethink green spaces, seeing them as reserves of biodiversity, because only biodiversity guarantees the vegetation’s successful response to parasite attacks. The spread of the parasite from the American continent to Europe was certainly favored, if not actually triggered, by trade, increasingly linked to globalization and the dense exchange of goods and the movement of people. Even on a small scale, much more than the wind, it is the human factor that favors the spread of the parasite.

What’s Next? Actions to make a difference and help lessen the problem

https://coccinigliabusters.carrd.co

It is possible to view the website only via PC.

The Climate detectives of the Coccinigliabusters group therefore offer their reflection to those – young or adult, student or worker, artist or politician
 – who wish, like them, to offer, thanks to their commitment and strong awareness, a chance to our Planet which suffers. After much study, now is the time for responsible choices and serene work in favor of the Planet. So that the errors of yesterday’s citizens are replaced by the balanced – and no longer postponable – remedies of today’s and tomorrow’s citizens.

Project link:

https://coccinigliabusters.carrd.co

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