Search results for " shrubs"
showing 5 items of 5 documents
Characterization of a Cucumber mosaic virus isolate infecting Mandevilla sanderi (Hemsl.) Woodson
2005
In 2004, virus-like symptoms consisting of yellow rings in older leaves were observed in the foliage of Mandevilla sanderi grown from shoots in the province of Catania (Sicily, Italy). The plants were tested for virus presence using DAS-ELISA, mechanical inoculations to the host, RT-PCR and SSCP. Serological tests detected Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in all symptomatic leaf samples. The virus was mechanically transmitted to 11 of the 15 host species tested, including some of the Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae families; indicator plants showed symptoms typical of CMV subgroup I. RT-PCR, SSCP and cloning were employed to characterize this CMV isolate, and to make clear its genetic relationship…
The ecological role of Pyrus Spinosa Forssk. in the ecosystem recovery and land restoration of Mediterranean woodlands
2021
In the Mediterranean basin, large areas still call for active reforestation, having a very low woody cover, thus resulting less resistant and resilient to climate change and suffering from a higher risk of soil degradation processes. Knowing the effects on soil fertility and carbon sequestration of single woody species can be of great practical importance, although being rarely tested. We aimed to assess the effect of Pyrus spinosa on soil fertility (soil carbon and nitrogen), microbial biomass and carbon sequestration (in aboveground stems) of Mediterranean pasturelands. The research was carried out in Ficuzza Nature Reserve (NW Sicily), where large areas are composed of extensive pasturel…
Evolution of growth form in epiphytic Dissochaeteae (Melastomataceae)
2001
Abstract We trace the evolution of root climbing and scrambling in Dissochaeteae and Sonerileae, two closely related groups that comprise the majority of Old World climbing Melastomataceae. The morphological and anatomical adaptations of the different climbers are interpreted in the context of a phylogeny based on chloroplast (cp) DNA sequences of the ndhF gene, generated for 31 representatives of Dissochaeteae and Sonerileae/Oxysporeae plus nine outgroups. For 20 of these taxa, the ndhF sequences were combined with cpDNA rpl16 intron sequences to obtain higher statistical support. Parsimony, minimum evolution, and maximum likelihood approaches yield congruent topologies that imply that scr…
Productivity of an Atriplex halimus shrubbery and effects of grazing on lambs
2009
The objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate the productivity and forage quality of Atriplex halimus, 2) investigate modifications to shrub structure induced by grazing, and 3) assess live weight changes in lambs grazing on A. halimus with and without a feed supplement (wheat straw ± barley grain). The results showed that A. halimus had low productivity (approximately 1000 kg DM ha–1) but high tolerance to grazing by lambs, although minor modifications in plant structure due to grazing were observed. Lambs grazing A. halimus as a sole diet lost weight (about 60 g lamb−1 d–1; P < 0.01), probably as a consequence of the high salt content of the forage reducing bot…
Forest nurseries and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan: the case of Sicily and Apulia (Italy)
2023
In Italy, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) foresees the planting of ca. 6.6 million trees to establish urban and peri-urban forests in 14 metropolitan cities. This ambitious project requires a significant number of native trees and shrubs, currently unavailable in Italian public and private nurseries. This survey analyzes the state of forest nurseries in two administrative regions of southern Italy, i.e. the “Filici” forest nursery (province of Agrigento, Sicily) and the Gargano Mountain Reclamation Consortium (province of Foggia, Apulia), to evaluate the adequacy of Sicilian and Apulian forest nurseries as potential sources of plant material to meet the requirements of the …