Facebook groups as citizen science tools for plant species monitoring

I social network sono canali di comunicazione utilizzati per condividere enormi quantità di dati, che possono essere utilizzati per la ricerca scientifica, anche nel campo della biodiversità. Per sapere quanto i dati ricavati dai social network possono integrare quelli raccolti per scopi scientifici, è necessario individuarne i bias. Utilizzando i dati estratti da un gruppo Facebook specializzato nella flora vascolare siciliana, abbiamo analizzato quali sono i caratteri che aumentano la probabilità che una pianta spontanea venga fotografata e postata su un social network. A tal fine, abbiamo confrontato frequenze e attributi delle specie fotografate dai membri del gruppo Facebook con quelli…

Plant hunting: exploring the behaviour of amateur botanists in the field

We asked what are the behavioural and logistic preferences of professional and amateur botanists when exploring flora in the field. We extracted temporal and spatial data on vas- cular plant species occurrences from three datasets of Sicilian flora: a subset of iNaturalist, a dataset collected by a Facebook group focused on the flora of Sicily and a subset of the professional database European Vegetation Archive. We used the time span of individual contributor’s activity as a proxy of their commitment to collecting information about the flora of Sicily. Climate and landscape data were used to better characterize the spatial and temporal activity of data contributors. Finally, we assessed wh…

In vitro propagation of the relict laperinne’s olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. laperrinei)

Olea europaea L. subsp. laperrinei (Oleaceae) is an endemic taxon of the mountainous regions of central Sahara, consisting of currently fragmented and small relict populations. The tree can propagate vegetatively or by seed, but no recent natural regeneration was observed in the Algerian massive populations, some of which are considered threatened with extinction. Sterile triploid individuals were also identified in some populations showing increasing vigour. As a result of its long persistence and despite its rarity, the Laperrine's olive is an iconic component of Saharan mountain ecosystems. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for both diploid and tr…

Conservation of Ptilostemon greuteri (Asteraceae), an endemic climate relict from Sicily (Italy): state of knowledge after the discovery of a second population

Ptilostemon greuteri is one of the most endangered and poorly studied woody vascular plant species of the Mediterranean Basin, endemic to Sicily (Italy). Several peculiar traits confer to P. greuteri a character of uniqueness and an enigmatic attractiveness. In fact, at first glimpse the largest individuals of this species remind the most remarkable and peculiar cases of herbaceous genera (e.g., Echium, Senecio) turned woody on insular or insular-like mountain ecosystems. Following the discovery of a second population of this rare species, a project aiming at the study and conservation of P. greuteri was set up. We present here updated information on the distribution, conservation status, b…

From glacial refugia to hydrological microrefugia: Factors and processes driving the persistence of the climate relict tree Zelkova sicula

Abstract With only two tiny populations, the climate relict Zelkova sicula (Sicily, Italy) is one of the rarest trees in the world. It also represents the most marginal member of genus Zelkova that was widespread in the broadleaved forests thriving in warm–temperate climates throughout Eurasia until the Last Glacial Age. Occurring at the westernmost range of the genus under typical Mediterranean climate, the micro‐topographic settings have always appeared crucial for the survival of this relict. However, the factors and processes actually involved in its persistence in the current refugia, as well as the response of similar relict trees in arid environments, are poorly understood worldwide.…

Urgent need for preservation of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. Subsp. vinifera) germplasm from small circum-Sicilian islands as revealed by SSR markers and traditional use investigations

Since the last decades grapevine germplasm is undergoing a process of rapid genetic erosion. This process is of particular concern in minor circum-Sicilian islands, because of the sharp reduction of the cultivated surfaces and the shift of their economy from agriculture to tourism. Aiming at valorising and preserving the surviving varieties we collected 185 accessions during several surveys since 2007. Six nuclear microsatellite markers were used for germplasm characterization, yielding 75 different genetic profiles. We found out that most genetic profiles (39) were not listed in national and international grapevine databases, confirming that the Sicilian minor islands represent underexplor…

Phylogenetic Relationship Among Wild and Cultivated Grapevine in Sicily: A Hotspot in the Middle of the Mediterranean Basin

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sativa) is a perennial crop especially important for wine and fruit production. The species is highly polymorphic with thousands of different varieties selected by farmers and clonally propagated. However, it is still debated whether grapevine domestication from its wild ancestor (V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris) has been a single event or rather it occurred on multiple occasions during the diffusion of its cultivation across the Mediterranean. Located in the center of the Basin, Sicily is its largest island and has served as a hotspot for all civilizations that have crossed the Mediterranean throughout history. Hundreds of unique grapevine cultivars are still cul…

An Updated Checklist of the Sicilian Native Edible Plants: Preserving the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Century-Old Agro-Pastoral Landscapes

The traditional use of native wild food plants (NWFP) may represent a valuable supplementary food source for the present and future generations. In Sicily, the use of wild plants in the human diet dates back to very ancient times and still plays an important role in some rural communities. Moreover, in this regard, the natural and cultural inheritance of this island is wealthy and diversified for several reasons. First, Sicily hosts a rich vascular flora, with 3,000 native and 350 endemic plants. Second, due to its central position in the Mediterranean, the island has acted as a veritable melting pot for the ethnobotanical knowledge of the rural communities of the entire basin. We reviewed …

Propagation of Calendula maritima Guss. (Asteraceae) through Biotechnological Techniques for Possible Usage in Phytotherapy

The genus Calendula (Asteraceae) includes several species that are renowned for their therapeutic properties and/or use as ingredients in the preparation of cosmetics. The rare and critically endangered sea marigold, Calendula maritima Guss., an endemic species from Western Sicily, has also been recognized as a potential “farm plant species” for several important compounds used in cosmetics. However, the few remnant populations of this species are currently threatened with extinction because of several factors, such as hybridization with the congeneric species Calendula suffruticosa subsp. fulgida (Raf.) Guadagno and anthropogenic disturbance of its habitat. Therefore, in order to preserve …

CARATTERIZZAZIONE MORFOLOGICA E GENETICA DI POPOLAZIONI DI CAPPARIS SPINOSA L. IN SICILIA.

Molecular Analysis of the Official Algerian Olive Collection Highlighted a Hotspot of Biodiversity in the Central Mediterranean Basin

Genetic diversity and population structure studies of local olive germplasm are important to safeguard biodiversity, for genetic resources management and to improve the knowledge on the distribution and evolution patterns of this species. In the present study Algerian olive germplasm was characterized using 16 nuclear (nuSSR) and six chloroplast (cpSSR) microsatellites. Algerian varieties, collected from the National Olive Germplasm Repository (ITAFV), 10 of which had never been genotyped before, were analyzed. Our results highlighted the presence of an exclusive genetic core represented by 13 cultivars located in a mountainous area in the North-East of Algeria, named Little Kabylie. Compar…

IDPlanT: the Italian database of plant translocation

IDPlanT is the Italian Database of Plant Translocation, an initiative of the Nature Conservation Working Group of the Italian Botanical Society. IDPlanT currently includes 185 plant translocations. The establishment of a national database on plant translocation is a key step forward in data sharing and techniques improvement in this field of plant conservation. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1985004.

Relevant habitats neglected by the Directive 92/43 EEC: the contribution of Vegetation Science for their reappraisal in Sicily

Field investigation carried out by the Sicilian botanists in the last 20 years enabled them to identify eight habitat types of high biogeographic and conservation interest, neglected by the Directive 92/43, which deservead hocconservation measures. For each of these habitats, a syntaxonomic interpretation of the corresponding plant communities, their main ecological, physiognomic and syndynamic traits and a list of diagnostic species are provided. Their classification into the macrotypes listed in the Annex I of the Directive 92/43 and the respective correspondence in EUNIS habitat classification are proposed. The habitats here described integrate those already proposed by the Italian Botan…

Hybridization in Capparis spinosa L.: Molecular and morphological evidence from a Mediterranean island complex

Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) molecular markers and morphological analysis were used in order to characterize wild populations and cultivated forms of orphan crop species Capparis spinosa L. in a Mediterranean island complex. Nineteen wild populations belonging to two different subspecies, C. spinosa subsp. spinosa and subsp. rupestris, were sampled in different environments in Sicily and the surrounding islets Lampedusa, Pantelleria and Salina. Different biotypes cultivated in Pantelleria and Salina were analyzed. Six ISSR primers were selected for genetic characterization, and all clear and reproducible bands were scored and analyzed. Among the 47 ISSR bands obtained, 97.5% were pol…

Transcriptome analysis and codominant markers development in caper, a drought tolerant orphan crop with medicinal value.

AbstractCaper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a xerophytic shrub cultivated for its flower buds and fruits, used as food and for their medicinal properties. Breeding programs and even proper taxonomic classification of the genus Capparis has been hampered so far by the lack of reliable genetic information and molecular markers. Here, we present the first genomic resource for C. spinosa, generated by transcriptomic approach and de novo assembly. The sequencing effort produced nearly 80 million clean reads assembled into 124,723 unitranscripts. Careful annotation and comparison with public databases revealed homologs to genes with a key role in important metabolic pathways linked to abiotic stress t…

A multifaceted field sampling approach for the management of extremely narrow endemic vascular plant species

Extremely narrow endemic plant species (ENEs) are generally connected with micro- refugia characterized by particular environmental conditions. In-depth knowledge of the ecological requirements of ENEs is fundamental to plan appropriate conservation measures. Using cross-cutting technology, this paper gives a multifaceted approach to collect on-site data on the ecology of ENEs, defines the protocols for a correct sampling design and describes the type of equipment, the time and expenditure needed. Our sampling approach is based on two orthogonal transects, long enough to extrapolate the whole ecological gradient across the area of occupancy of the target species. Microclimatic data are reco…

IDPlanT: the Italian database of plant translocation

IDPlanT is the Italian Database of Plant Translocation, an initiative of the Nature Conservation Working Group of the Italian Botanical Society. IDPlanT currently includes 185 plant translocations. The establishment of a national database on plant translocation is a key step forward in data sharing and techniques improvement in this field of plant conservation. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1985004 .