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Volume 14
Issue 2
10.3390/land14020423
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Article

Citizen Science to Investigate the Ecophysiological Responses of Mediterranean Shrubland Vegetation in an Urban Open-Air Laboratory

by
Valerio Lazzeri
1,
Francesca Bretzel
1,2,
Graziella Rossini
3,4,
Laura Pellegrino
3,4,
Laura Marchetti
5,
Rosella Panti
5,
Enrica Talà
5,
Antonio Martelli
4 and
Andrea Scartazza
1,2,*
1
Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
2
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), 90133 Palermo, Italy
3
Institute of Bioeconomy (IBE), National Research Council (CNR), Viale Italia 6, 57126 Livorno, Italy
4
Association World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Livorno, Via Don Bosco 7, 57124 Livorno, Italy
5
Istituto Comprensivo G. Bartolena, Plesso di Villa Corridi, Via del Vecchio Lazzeretto 10, 57124 Livorno, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Land 2025, 14(2), 423; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020423
Submission received: 20 December 2024 / Revised: 24 January 2025 / Accepted: 16 February 2025 / Published: 18 February 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban and Peri-Urban Forests—Status, Ecosystem Services, and Future Perspectives)
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Abstract

Urban biodiversity is essential for enhancing liveability for both humans and wildlife by providing a range of ecosystem services. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness among citizens, particularly schoolchildren, about the significance of biodiversity in urban environments. To this end, an Open-Air Laboratory was established in an urban park of an Italian Mediterranean city (Livorno), where natural vegetation flourishes. This initiative engaged schoolchildren in experimental campaigns to collect ecophysiological data on local wild woody species. Specifically, the students were tasked with identifying various wild woody species and, under the guidance of researchers, recording specific leaf ecophysiological traits, such as leaf mass per area, leaf pigments, and chlorophyll fluorescence. The results, which highlighted seasonal variations in leaf ecophysiological traits and interspecific differences, were analysed in relation to the environmental conditions documented by the schoolchildren. This analysis revealed distinct plant strategies for coping with winter and summer stressful periods. The methodology employed in this project, which involved schoolchildren in research activities, not only fostered environmental awareness among young participants but also serves as a pilot model for public engagement in scientific research.
Keywords: ecosystem services; informal green spaces; Mediterranean maquis; photosynthesis; plant biodiversity; schoolchildren biodiversity education ecosystem services; informal green spaces; Mediterranean maquis; photosynthesis; plant biodiversity; schoolchildren biodiversity education

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MDPI and ACS Style

Lazzeri, V.; Bretzel, F.; Rossini, G.; Pellegrino, L.; Marchetti, L.; Panti, R.; Talà, E.; Martelli, A.; Scartazza, A. Citizen Science to Investigate the Ecophysiological Responses of Mediterranean Shrubland Vegetation in an Urban Open-Air Laboratory. Land 2025, 14, 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020423

AMA Style

Lazzeri V, Bretzel F, Rossini G, Pellegrino L, Marchetti L, Panti R, Talà E, Martelli A, Scartazza A. Citizen Science to Investigate the Ecophysiological Responses of Mediterranean Shrubland Vegetation in an Urban Open-Air Laboratory. Land. 2025; 14(2):423. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020423

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lazzeri, Valerio, Francesca Bretzel, Graziella Rossini, Laura Pellegrino, Laura Marchetti, Rosella Panti, Enrica Talà, Antonio Martelli, and Andrea Scartazza. 2025. "Citizen Science to Investigate the Ecophysiological Responses of Mediterranean Shrubland Vegetation in an Urban Open-Air Laboratory" Land 14, no. 2: 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020423

APA Style

Lazzeri, V., Bretzel, F., Rossini, G., Pellegrino, L., Marchetti, L., Panti, R., Talà, E., Martelli, A., & Scartazza, A. (2025). Citizen Science to Investigate the Ecophysiological Responses of Mediterranean Shrubland Vegetation in an Urban Open-Air Laboratory. Land, 14(2), 423. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020423

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