0000000001070690
AUTHOR
Ludwig Triest
Spatial genetic structure reveals migration directionality in Mediterranean Ruppia spiralis (Western Sicily)
Mediterranean salinas, originally built for salt production, function as alternative wetlands. A variety of accompanying lagoon, ditch, and marsh systems are suitable habitats for salt-tolerant submerged macrophytes and often characterized by monospecific beds of Ruppia. Traditionally, birds are considered the main dispersal vector of submerged macrophytes. However, Ruppia spiralis habitats are under marine influence and therefore interference of coastal currents in their connectivity might be expected. In this study, we aim to infer connectivity and spatial patterns from population genetic structures. Using nuclear microsatellite loci, the nuclear ribosomal cistron and chloroplast sequence…
The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview
Abstract This paper reviews the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Ruppia L. in the Mediterranean region. The genus Ruppia, a cosmopolitan aquatic plant complex, is generally restricted to shallow waters such as coastal lagoons and brackish habitats characterized by fine sediments and high salinity fluctuations. In these habitats Ruppia meadows play an important structural and functional role. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of 16 haplotypes in the Mediterranean region, one corresponding to Ruppia maritima L., and the others to various morphological forms of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, all together referred to as the “R. cirrhosa s.l. co…