Search results for " Biogeography."
showing 10 items of 61 documents
Flora Mediterranea 22
2012
The microcrustacean fauna of Sicily and the Central Mediterranean Sea area - Current knowledge and gaps to be filled
2006
The current knowledge of freshwater entomostracans from Sicily and some neighbouring central-Mediterranean countries is briefly reviewed. Data concerning different countries and different taxonomical groups are markedly inhomogeneous and often far from being representative of the real biota of the corresponding countries. This gap prevents a sound biogeographical analysis of the freshwater microcrustacean fauna of the area. The major gaps that have to be filled are highlighted and the need for more surveys and monitoring is emphasised.
When an island matches a glacial refugium: the case of Sicilian mammals
2011
How do freshwater organisms cross the “dry ocean”? A review on passive dispersal and colonization processes with a special focus on temporary ponds
2014
Lakes and ponds are scattered on Earth’s surface as islands in the ocean. The organisms inhabiting these ecosystems have thus developed strategies to pass the barrier represented by the surrounding land, to disperse and to colonize new environments. The evidences of a high potential for passive long-range dispersal of organisms producing resting stages inspired the idea that there were no real barriers to their actual dispersal, and that their distribution was only limited by the ecological characteristics of the available habitats. The development of genetic techniques allowed to criticize this view and revealed the existence of a more complex and diverse biological scenario governed by an…
First record and morphological features of Hemidiaptomus (Occidodiaptomus) ingens (Gurney, 1909) (Copepoda Calanoida) in Italy
2004
During a survey, carried out to assess the consistency of microcrustacean fauna inhabiting temporary ponds in Sicily, Hemidiaptomus (Occidodiaptomus) ingens (Gurney, 1909), a large calanoid copepod up to now known only for North-African ponds, Camargue and Corse, was found in the north-western part of the island. Due to its central location in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily represents a transition zone where several chorological zones of the West Palearctic merge and converge. A brief summary of the existing literature regarding this taxon is given with some morphological considerations on the recently found population which represents the first record for Italy. In particular, the morpholog…
Cladocera (Branchiopoda, Anomopoda, Ctenopoda, and Onychopoda) from Sicilian inland waters: an updated inventory
2005
An extensive survey aimed at updating and increasing the knowledge on species richness and distribution of Cladocera (Branchiopoda) in Sicily has been carried out in the period 2000-2004. More than 250 water bodies, mainly temporary, have been sampled on the whole Sicilian territory and the circum-Sicilian islands. This sampling effort led to the discovery of several species new to the fauna of the island and, coupled with a careful bibliographic review, allowed the realization of an updated checklist that includes 57 species definitely present on the island (only 33 were formerly known), and two more, whose actual presence in Sicily is dubious and needs confirmation. The chorological spect…
Sicilian Temporary Ponds: An Overview of the Composition and Affinities of their Crustacean Biota
2009
Available data on Sicilian entomostracans allowed an initial characterization of the freshwater crustacean biota of the island and to formulate some hypotheses on its origin.The absence of supra-specific endemic taxa and the current regional distriburion of the investigated species suggest a late Pleistocene colonisation of the island by temperate taxa with a northern affinity, currently confined to the coolest areas of the island, followed by a Holocene arrival of thermophilous species coming from the Maghreb, which is still in progress. The importance of Sicily as a "crossroad" for the faunas of the circum-Mediterranean countries is thus confirmed.Unfortunately, and in spite of the EU dir…
What is a tree in the Mediterranean Basin hotspot? A critical analysis
2019
Background: Tree species represent 20% of the vascular plant species worldwide and they play a crucial role in the global functioning of the biosphere. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the 36 world biodiversity hotspots, and it is estimated that forests covered 82% of the landscape before the first human impacts, thousands of years ago. However, the spatial distribution of the Mediterranean biodiversity is still imperfectly known, and a focus on tree species constitutes a key issue for understanding forest functioning and develop conservation strategies. Methods: We provide the first comprehensive checklist of all native tree taxa (species and subspecies) present in the Mediterranean-Europ…
The use of insular vertebrates in palaeogeographic reconstructions.
2009
Su alcune piante nuove delle Isole Pelagie
2013
On some new plants to Pelagic islands (Straits of Sicily) – Fifteen vascular plants belonging to the families Aizoaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Myoporaceae, Orobanchaceae, Oxalidaceae, Portulacaceae and Solanaceae are reported as new to one or both the major Pelagic islands. With the exception of Narcissus serotinus and Orobanche minor, they are non-native plants, probably of recent human introduction, mostly in areas heavily modified by man. Myoporum insulare, widely used for reforestation and for ornament, occurs also in sub and semi-natural environments.