Search results for " biological invasions"
showing 10 items of 11 documents
Plant invasions on small Mediterranean islands. An overview
2016
Biological invasions have become one of the main drivers of habitat degradation and a leading cause of biodiversity loss in island ecosystems worldwide. The spread of invasive species poses a particular environmental threat on the islands of the Mediterranean Basin, which are hot spots of biodiversity and contain rare habitats and endemic species, especially on small islands, which are highly vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Following a recent survey, in this paper we aim to provide an overview of the present-day non-native vascular flora of small Mediterranean islands based on a sample of 37 islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Italy. By comparing the cu…
The impact of Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis (L.) L. Bolus on soil nutrients, microbial communities structure and native plant communities in Mediter…
2016
Background and aims: Carpobrotus spp. are amongst the most impactful and widespread plant invaders of Mediterranean habitats. Despite the negative ecological impacts on soil and vegetation that have been documented, information is still limited about the effect by Carpobrotus on soil microbial communities. We aimed to assess the changes in the floristic, soil and microbial parameters following the invasion by Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis within an insular Mediterranean ecosystem. Methods: Within three study areas a paired-site approach, comparing an invaded vs. a non-invaded plot, was established. Within each plot biodiversity indexes, C and N soil content, pH and microbial biomass and st…
The Inland Water Copepod Fauna of a Traditional Rural Landscape in a Mediterranean Island (Crustacea, Copepoda)
2022
Although the Mediterranean area is a well-known hotspot of biological diversity, the crustacean assemblages inhabiting inland waters of the Mediterranean islands are to date unevenly known, and detailed information is missing for most taxa and areas. In the frame of this paper, we provide a checklist and a characterization of the copepod fauna of the lentic water bodies occurring in a traditional rural landscape of Sicily, where the co-existence of agriculture, woodlands, and pastoral activities lead to the presence of a wide range of different aquatic habitats. Overall, 22 copepod species belonging to the orders Calanoida, Cyclopoida, and Harpacticoida have been found in the 92 surveyed si…
First successful eradication of invasive Norway rats Rattus norvegicus from a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Femmine, Italy)
2019
Invasive alien species, once introduced, may affect local biodiversity, both directly (e.g. by predation) and indirectly (e.g. by reducing the vegetation cover). Among those, rats (Rodentia, Muridae) are listed among the most invasive species, exerting strong impacts particularly when introduced to island ecosystems. Accordingly, black rats Rattus rattus have been eradicated from a number of islands in the Mediterranean basin to protect breeding seabirds. Where the larger Norway rat Rattus norvegicus is present, extent of damage may be even higher. In our work, we present the results of the first eradication program dealing with Norway rats in a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Femmi…
Cryptic invasion in Southern Europe: The case of Ferrissia fragilis (Pulmonata: Ancylidae) Mediterranean populations
2011
Four populations of the North American ancylid gastropod Ferrissia fragilis have been found in Southern Italy, thus expanding the known Eurasian distribution range of this invasive gastropod to the Mediterranean area. Both mitochondrial markers used for the molecular identification of the sampled specimens (16S and COI) showed a modest to absent haplotypic diversity in the studied Ferrissia populations from Europe and Asia, and their perfect identity with some of the haplotypes observed in North American F. fragilis populations. In the light of the scarce molecular diversity observed in the whole Palaearctic area and of the growing evidences for the ongoing spreading of the species in Europ…
First record of Aplysia dactylomela (Opisthobranchia: Aplysiidae) from the Egadi Islands (western Sicily)
2014
The alien mollusc Aplysia dactylomela is recorded for the first time from the Egadi Islands marine protected area (western Sicily). This species has been widely reported in the Mediterranean and has established populations in Sicily. The presence of a few specimens let us suppose that its occurrence in this area is a recent event and that soon new populations will be sighted in the whole Egadi Islands and on the western and southern coasts of Sicily.
The recent spread of the invasive woody alien plant Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae) in Sicily
2013
This paper aims at reporting the ongoing process of naturalization of Melia azedarach L. in Sicily. In fact, over half a century after the first detection of spontaneous self-sown seedlings, an abrupt increase of naturalization cases has been recorded by the authors during the last twenty years. More in detail, M. azedarach successfully colonized many suburban lowland areas along the coasts of the island which are characterised by thermo-Mediterranean bioclimate. According to both field and literature data, a gradual spread of M. azedarach in the island can be expected, although it is not possible to predict the speed with which this will occur. Historical information on its introduction at…
Tracking the invasion of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (Decapoda Cambaridae) in Sicily: a “citizen science” approach
2017
Author(s): Faraone, Francesco Paolo; Giacalone, Gabriele; Canale, Domenica Emanuela; D'Angelo, Stefania; Favaccio, Giorgio; Garozzo, Vincenzo; Giancontieri, Giacoma Lidia; Isgro, Carmelo; Melfi, Raffaella; Morello, Bruno; Navarria, Federica; Russo, Giuseppe; Tinnirello, Viviana; Torre, Antonio; Torre, Daniele; Torre, Giancarlo; Urso, Giuseppe; Vinci, Pierluigi; Zizzo, Maria Grazia; Marrone, Federico | Abstract: The first record of the red swamp crayfish in Sicily dates back to 2003 and, since then, the species seemed to be confined to a few localities in western Sicily. A small “citizen science” project carried out from November 2016 onwards led to the creation of the “Sicilian Procambarus …
Siguiendo el ejemplo fenicio: colonización del Mediterráneo occidental por Spirobranchus cf. tetraceros (Annelida: Serpulidae)
2020
A newly established population of the fouling polychaete Spirobranchus cf. tetraceros is reported from the western Mediterranean (Valencia Port). Despite previous intensive surveys, this is the first record for the taxon in the Iberian Peninsula. Molecular analyses revealed that S. cf. tetraceros from Valencia are genetically identical to specimens from Heraklion, Crete, but different from those collected in the Red Sea and S. tetraceros sensu stricto from the type locality in Australia. Mediterranean and Red Sea S. cf. tetraceros form a well-supported monophyletic clade but are clearly distinct from New South Wales specimens of S. tetraceros. Our new molecular evidence supports the hypothe…
New Data on Native and Alien Vascular Flora of Sicily (Italy): New Findings and Updates
2023
In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria surveys, new data concerning the presence of 32 native and alien vascular species for Sicily (Italy) are provided. Among the native species, the occurrence of the following taxa is reported for the first time or confirmed after many decades of non-observation: Aira multiculmis, Arum maculatum, Carex flacca subsp. flacca, Mentha longifolia, Oxybasis chenopodioides, Najas minor and Xiphion junceum. Furthermore, we document the presence of three native species (Cornus mas, Juncus foliosus and Limonium avei) that, despite being repeatedly observed in Sicily and reported in the literature, are inexplicably omitted by the most recent authoritative ch…