Scrutinizing evolution A comparison of vegetation maps; on the left the vegetation bands of the protected coastal area of Porto Caleri; on the right the relict or transformed patches of the same vegetation in the inhabited area of Albarella. The codes on the maps correspond to survey points. When vegetation grows freely, it is arranged along natural gradients which indicate the dependence of living organisms on the environment in which they grow B high biodiversity is not synonymous with high functionality. In Porto Caleri, a natural area, there were fewer taxonomic units among soil microorganisms than in the equivalent neighbouring anthropized ecosystem of Albarella. When humans change the environment decisively, they trigger a new evolutionary dynamic. The problem is that we don’t know where this new dynamic will lead (with a thought to the ongoing global warming) C The two figures are produced in a few seconds by an online A.I. software (https://www.bing.com/images/create), using as prompt the words written under the pictures.