Search results for " Ruppia"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Differences in the growth cycle ofRuppia cirrhosa(Petagna) Grande in a Mediterranean shallow system
2014
Ruppia cirrhosa growth cycle was analysed in a southern Mediterranean shallow system throughout 1 year. We examined the temporal variation in R. cirrhosa cover percentage, shoot density, biomass, leaf length, no. flowers m-2 and no. fruits m-2 in two groups of pond characterized by differences in some environmental parameters. Ponds were comparable for salinity and temperature but they differed for other environmental parameters such as water depth, level of suspended organic matter and chlorophyll a (CHL a). Biological parameter values were higher in B ponds, characterized by lower values of water depth, suspended organic matter and CHL a. A seasonal trend for all considered biological par…
The effect of Ruppia cirrhosa features on macroalgae and suspended matter in a Mediterranean shallow system
2006
Relationships among chemical–physical features, total gross suspended organic matter, coverage of the seagrass Ruppia cirrhosa and its associated algal community in eight ponds of a saltworks system of western Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) were investigated in spring and summer 2004. All biological features varied both at different levels of seagrass coverage and between seasons. A low algal diversity (46 taxa, 14.75 ± 1.41 on average) was highlighted; algal coverage and species richness showed to be negatively correlated. Ruppia cirrhosa coverage was negatively correlated with algal coverage, but positively correlated with species richness. Moreover, a significant correlation among R. cirrhos…
A contribution to the characterization of Ruppia drepanensis (Ruppiaceae), a key species of threatened Mediterranean wetlands
2021
To elucidate the taxonomic status of Ruppia drepanensis Tineo ex Guss. (Alismatales, Ruppiaceae), we performed morphological analysis and DNA barcoding of historical materials (including the lectotype) and fresh samples (including those from a recently discovered population near the locus classicus in Sicily, Italy). We conclude that R. drepanensis is a separate species, closely related to R. spiralis L. ex Dumort., that occurs in temporary inland waters from the western to central sectors of the Mediterranean region. We also highlight the importance of vouchers and the need to link molecular investigations to field, ecological, and morphological investigations.
Temporal and spatial variation of the algal community in a southern Mediterranean shallow system
2010
The algal community of a shallow system located in Western Sicily (Mediterranean Sea) has been investigated over 1 year in eight ponds (fredde). The spatio-temporal variation in total algal coverage, species richness and coverage in relation to environmental variables has been analysed. The algal community was very species-poor. A total of 50 taxa, mainly detached algae, were identified. A dominance of filamentous and foliose taxa was observed. Significant spatio-temporal differences in total algal coverage, species richness and coverage between the ponds of group A and those of group B were found. The separation into groups A and B was made a priori on the basis of different levels of prox…
The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview
2015
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…
The shallow seagrass system in Southern Mediterranean (Sicily, Italy): a large sink of organic matter available to upper consumers.
2006
The effects of human activities related to salt production on the global complexity of a shallow hyperhaline system (Sicily, Italy) were investigated. This through monitoring dynamics of some physical, chemical and trophic factors recognised as main constraints for the origin of organic matter and its availability to apex consumers. The system was dominated by seagrass Ruppia cirrhosa and large stands of macroalga Chaetomorpha linum; isopods and gasteropods were the most abundant taxa among benthic organisms, while Aphanius fasciatus and Atherina boyeri represented up to 90% of all catch among the small resident fishes. Ruppia could function as a multidimensional framework able to increase …