Ricerc@Sapienza

A mycological survey from Monti della Tolfa, a volcanic region of central Italy that originated during the Early
Pleistocene and remained isolated from themainland for at least one million years, shows that a thermophilous
shrubland dominated by Arbutus unedo preserves fungal species typically associated with conifers. Pinaceae are
currently absent from the study area. Palynological data from the same region show a decline of Abies and Picea
around 70 ka BP and their complete disappearance during the Holocene. Pinus disappeared during the postglacial.

Inventories of species recently extinct or threatened with extinction may be found in global databases. However, despite the large number of published fossil based-studies, specific databases on the vulnerability of species in the past are not available. We compiled a worldwide database of published fossil records of plant range losses over the last 30 ka across all continents. Widespread range losses of plant taxa across all latitudes were identified, with the majority representing gymnosperms.