Search results for "Botanica"

Notes on the karyology, genetics and ecology of Genista sect. Voglera in Sicily

2012

To investigate the biosystematic and genetic relationships among Sicilian species of Genista sect. Voglera, four populations of three species, Genista aristata C. Presl, Genista cupanii Guss., and Genista madoniensis Raimondo, have been studied. Genista madoniensis is tetraploid, with a chromosome number of 2n = 48, as are the other two species. An isozyme study showed that G. madoniensis is taxonomically closer to G. aristata than to G. cupanii, the latter possessing four unique alleles. The results are discussed in the context of the ecological characteristics of each species.

The genusThymus(Lamiaceae) in Sicily

2015

An update on the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the genus Thymus in Sicily is given. This study is based on literature, herbarium and field investigations. In total, five taxa belonging to Thymus sect. Serpyllum (Th. richardii subsp. nitidus, Th. longicaulis and Th. praecox subsp. parvulus) and Th. sect. Hyphodromi (Th. spinulosus and Th. paronychioides) occur in Sicily. For each one, information about taxonomy, habitat, phenology, chromosome number and distribution are provided. Furthermore, the name Thymus pedicillatus Lojac. is here typified. Finally, an analytical key for the identification of the studied taxa is proposed.

CITES, wild plants, and opportunities for crime

2017

The illegal trade in endangered plants damages both the environment and localcommunities by threatening and destroying numerous species and important natural resources. There is very little research which systematically addresses this issue by identifying specific opportunities for crime. This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study which brings together criminological and conservation science expertise to identify criminal opportunities in the illegal wild plant trade and suggest strategies in order to prevent and mitigate the problem. Methodologically, the study adapts a crime proofing of legislation approach to the UN Convention on the International Trade in Endangered…

Citizen science projects for monitoring alien macrophytes

2016

To understand the invasive potential and the spread dynamics of an alien species, any newly colonized area needs to be quickly detected. Therefore, regular monitoring programs and public awareness campaigns are essential. Since intensive monitoring activities involving scientists are expensive, the occurrence and spread of marine species could remain undetected or could be detected only years after the initial colonization. Citizen Science initiatives, a potential solution to this problem providing supplemental information that would otherwise be lost, are able to involve different groups of volunteers: students, tourists, divers, underwater photographers, amateurs and fishermen. Volunteers…

The Project “Caulerpa cylindracea in the Egadi Islands”: citizens and scientists working together to monitor marine alien species

2016

The creation of early-warning systems is crucial for preventing and reducing the risk of invasive species introduction. In this respect, the contribution of citizen-scientists (tourists, students, teachers, divers and fishermen) in providing information and data (validated by taxonomic experts) on the occurrence of marine invasive species that would otherwise be impossible to collect, is crucial in understanding the phenomenon of biological invasions. The Citizen Science Project “Caulerpa cylindracea - Egadi Islands”, launched in 2014 and ended in 2016, aimed at creating a database on the spread dynamics and the levels of threat of the invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea within the Ega…

Influence of climate on phytoplankton dynamics in Mediterranean water bodies

2011

Climate is among the factors that influence the hydrology of water bodies and their mixing/stratification patterns. As a consequence, it may affect the ecomorphological selection of phytoplankton. Global climatic patterns, driven by Sun’s magnetic field, were shown to promote cyclic cyanobacteria bloom during the years of drought caused by El Niño. Cyclic droughts, with a periodicity of about 11 years, also occur in the Mediterranean Basin where they produce analogous responses in phytoplankton composition. Some evidences exist that climate change can promote pseudo-eutrophication events and, by altering the hydraulic balance in shallow lakes, cause a shift between a clear macrophyte-domina…

PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION

2012

Capparis spinosa (Capparaceae); A Survey on Morpho-ecologic Variation for Different Populations of Iran

2021

Capparis spinosa grows naturally from the Atlantic coast of the Canary Islands and Morocco to the Black Sea, in Crimea and Armenia, and to the east side of the Caspian Sea in Iran. Capparis species are valuable as a resource for medicine, food, improving soil fertility, stabilizing dunes, fuel, timber, and livestock feed. In this research, sixteen populations of Capparis spinosa were collected from different locations in Iran and quantitative and qualitative data of morphological characters were revised. A multivariable statistical analysis was performed for the morphological characters of Capparis populations. The populations were classified into two main groups using a Ward's hierarchical…

A reappraisal of the Pleurotus eryngii complex – New species and taxonomic combinations based on the application of a polyphasic approach, and an ide…

2014

The Pleurotus eryngii species-complex comprises choice edible mushrooms growing on roots and lower stem residues of Apiaceae (umbellifers) plants. Material deriving from extensive sampling was studied by mating compatibility, morphological and ecological criteria, and through analysis of ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and IGS1 rRNA sequences. Results revealed that P. eryngii sensu stricto forms a diverse and widely distributed aggregate composed of varieties elaeoselini, eryngii, ferulae, thapsiae, and tingitanus. Pleurotus eryngii subsp. tuoliensis comb. nov. is a phylogenetically sister group to the former growing only on various Ferula species in Asia. The existence of Pleurotus nebrodensis outside of S…

Phytoplankton dynamics in permanent and temporary Mediterranean waters: is the game hard to play because of hydrological disturbance?

2012

Only few scientific investigations have been carried out, to our knowledge, on phytoplankton in Mediterranean temporary ponds. To test the hypothesis that climate forcing is the main factor affecting dynamics and structure of planktic algae in these peculiar ecosystems, and to assess the importance of human impacts on this basic component of the aquatic biota, phytoplankton structure and dynamics were analysed in two temporary, long lasting (9 months), ponds, and in a permanent one. The three studied water bodies can be classified as mesoeutrophic, which show extended macrophyte beds and are subjected to one or more human impacts, such as eutrophication, fish and plant introduction, and gar…