Search results for " biodiversity."
showing 10 items of 313 documents
DETECTING INVASION HOTSPOTS OF AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA WITH REMOTE SENSING
2014
Le piante vascolari del litorale trapanese: da Ronciglio a Capo San Vito
2013
Vascular flora of the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily). – The list of the vascular plants observed and collected in the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily) during the last 20 years is presented here and commented. In total, 541 specific and infraspecific taxa were recorded. This flora has marked Mediterranean characteristics as shown by the absolute prevalence of therophytes as well as Mediterranean chorotypes. Among the most interesting taxa belonging to this flora are some halophytes and rare endemics such as Biscutella maritima, Calendula maritima, Cynomorium coccineum, Erica sicula, Galium litorale, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Li…
Marine caves of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea: a First Census of Benthic Biodiversity
2017
This is the first paper documenting research on a selection of marine caves located along the coast of Capo Milazzo in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Three submarine and one semi-submerged caves were surveyed and sampled using underwater photo sampling. Surveys have only taken into account the sessile species belonging to the main taxa: Porifera, Anthozoa, Bryozoa and Polychaeta. Diversity indices and abundances were calculated for three sections within each explored cave: the Entrance Zone, Intermediate Zone and Bottom Zone. The richest group was Porifera with 21 taxa, followed by cnidarians, (Anthozoa), with 8 taxa, Polychaeta (5 taxa), and Bryozoa (5 taxa). Among Porifera, the presence of …
DO INVASIVE MACROALGAE INFLUENCE ASSOCIATED MOLLUSC DIVERSITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA ?
2013
The benthic molluscs associated to the non-indigenous red algae Asparagopsis taxiformis invading the Mediterranean rocky subtidal were compared with those associated to a native brown alga. The results showed a marked difference in species richness and abundance between native and non-native algal species.
International Environmental Conventions: the conservation of biodiversity and Moringa stenopetala
2012
Macroalgal forest vs sea urchin barren: Patterns of macro-zoobenthic diversity in a large-scale Mediterranean study: Macro-zoobenthos of barren and m…
2020
The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the differences of mobile and sessile macro-zoobenthic assemblages between sea urchin barrens and macroalgal forests in coastal Mediterranean systems considering a large spatial scale. Six sites (100 s km apart) were selected: Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily (Italy), Sardinia (Italy), Tuscany (Italy), and Balearic Islands (Spain). A total of 531 taxa, 404 mobile and 127 sessile macro-invertebrates were recorded. Overall, 496 and 201 taxa were found in macroalgal forests and in barrens, respectively. The results of this large-scale descriptive study have met the expectation of lower macrofauna complexity …
A review on the animal xenodiversity in Sicilian inland waters (Italy)
2015
This paper reviews the available knowledge about faunal xenodiversity in Sicilian inland waters (Italy). The aim is to provide an updated checklist and bibliography of those non-indigenous species (NIS) which occur in the island, and to identify possible threats to its native biological diversity. Data were collected through an extensive literature search which encompassed also local journals, books, congress abstracts, and other grey literature. All the collected data were critically revised and, when possible, verified by consulting available collections or through dedicated sampling surveys. Only those data contained in reports indicating precise occurrence localities, which were confirm…
Linking the effects of the Global Change to biodiversity and ecosystem services in shallow waters
2010
Structure and biodiversity of a Maltese maerl bed : new insight into the associated assemblage 24 years after the first investigation
2022
Maerl beds are biogenic benthic habitats distributed worldwide and known to sustain high productivity and biodiversity levels. In the Mediterranean, the number of studies that have been carried out is limited, and little is known on its real distribution, mostly due to the difficulties of exploring such habitats — Due to the high transparency of Mediterranean waters, maerl can be found at depths of over 50 m making mandatory the use of benthic grabs and ROVs. The last published data from Maltese waters were taken two decades ago. In this present study, we provide new insights on this poorly known habitat, in particular regarding the north western bank, designated as a NATURA 2000 protected …
Special Issue "Historical and Current Diversity Patterns of Mediterranean Marine Species"
2021
The Mediterranean Sea is a semi-enclosed basin that experienced different natural and anthropogenic phenomena, which produced biological diversity changes over time. The Mediterranean Sea has been through dramatic changes in its biota over the last 6 million years, and more rapidly in the past century. All the events left a footprint on the gene pool of marine species, on their morpho-physiological traits, and on the loss or expansion of the geographical range extent. Nowadays, the Mediterranean is changing its physical and ecological features. The changes in its environmental conditions are followed by changes in species composition, of which most of the heritage has been stored and preser…