Capacity-based indicators of soil physical quality (SPQ) and pore distribution parameters were proposed to assess the effects of compost amendment but their determination was limited to desorption water retention experiments. This study also considered the pore size distribution obtained from adsorption experiments to establish the effectiveness of compost amendment in modifying the physical and hydrological attributes of a sandy loam soil. Repacked soil samples with different compost to soil ratios, r, were subjected to a wetting–drying cycle, and the water retention data were fit to the van Genuchten model to obtain the pore volume distribution functions. The soil bulk density was minimally affected by the wetting–drying cycle but a significant negative correlation with r was obtained. The sorption process involved larger and more heterogeneous pores than the desorption one thus resulting in an estimation of the air capacity SPQ indicators (Pmac and AC) that were higher for the wetting–water retention curve (WWRC) than the drying one (DWRC). The opposite result was found for the water storage SPQ indicators (PAWC and RFC). In general, SPQ indicators and pore distribution parameters were generally outside the optimal range but estimates from the DWRC were closer to the reference values. The water entry potential increased and the air entry potential decreased with an increase in the compost rate. Significant correlations were found between the SPQ indicators estimated from the DWRC and r but the same result was not obtained for the WWRC. It was concluded that compost addition could trigger positive effects on soil hydrological processes and agronomic service as both water infiltration during wetting and water storage during drying are favored. However, the effectiveness of the sorption process for evaluating the physical quality of soils needs further investigation.

The present study provides a critical review of the available historical data on the distribution of Abies nebrodensis, a fir tree endemic to Sicily. The only (somewhat ambiguous) references to its occurrence on Mount Etna date back to the 1st century bc and refer back to the 3rd century bc. Although the botanical and forestry literature and the very few surviving herbarium specimens do not prove that A. nebrodensis grew outside the Madonie mountain range, several indications suggest its past occurrence on other Sicilian mountain ranges such as the Erei, Nebrodi, and probably also Sicani mountains. The results of the most recent pollen investigations (still ongoing) point to the disappearance of Abies from most of Sicily by the 1st century bc, and at least since the Middle Ages A. nebrodensis had become extremely rare even on the Madonie mountains. Publications focused on the wooden artefacts from archaeological excavations and the restoration of architectural heritage have provided some information on the past use of fir wood in Sicily, but the species identity of the firs being used remain unresolved. The present review of the past occurrence and distribution of A. nebrodensis suggests that it may have previously occupied a wider ecological niche.

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