Search results for "Climate"
showing 10 items of 4934 documents
Estimation of dynamic energy budget parameters for the Mediterranean toothcarp (Aphanius fasciatus)
2014
Organisms adopt different sets of physiological, behavioural and morphological trade-offs in order to cope with natural environmental fluctuations. This has consequential rebounds on ecological processes and population dynamics. Such aspects become crucial for sex-dimorphic species, where sex-specific growth variation could mirror different tactics both in energy acquisition and investment between maximum female and male body size with cascading effects on population demography. To date, different approaches have been used in order to understand the causes of individual growth rate changes in ectotherm indeterminate growers, most of which failed. Here, we propose the use of a mechanistic mo…
An account on the non-malacostracan crustacean fauna from the inland waters of Crete, Greece, with the synonymization of Arctodiaptomus piliger Brehm…
2019
The Mediterranean bioregion is widely recognised as a biodiversity hotspot and its inland waters are among the species richest ecosystems of the northern hemisphere. However, the extent of such biodiversity has not been totally unravelled, especially in the Mediterranean islands. Here we present a first account of the crustaceans inhabiting 21 permanent and temporary ponds in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The ponds, sampled between 2009 and 2018, cover all the island surface even though their number cannot be considered exhaustive to represent the entire non-malacostracan fauna of the island. Nevertheless, 46 taxa were identif…
The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview
2015
Abstract This paper reviews the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Ruppia L. in the Mediterranean region. The genus Ruppia, a cosmopolitan aquatic plant complex, is generally restricted to shallow waters such as coastal lagoons and brackish habitats characterized by fine sediments and high salinity fluctuations. In these habitats Ruppia meadows play an important structural and functional role. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of 16 haplotypes in the Mediterranean region, one corresponding to Ruppia maritima L., and the others to various morphological forms of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, all together referred to as the “R. cirrhosa s.l. co…
Predictive mechanistic bioenergetics to model habitat suitability of shellfish culture in coastal lakes
2014
Quantitative tools based on mechanistic modelling of functional traits able to enhance the sustainability of aquaculture and most other human activities (i.e. reducing the likelihood of detrimental impacts optimising productions), are especially important factors in the decision to site aquaculture facilities in coastal lakes, ponds and lagoons and, in the case of detrimental impact, to adopt mitigation measures. We tested the ability of mechanistic functional trait based models to predict life history traits of cultivable shellfish in shallow coastal lakes. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) models were run to generate spatially explicit predictions of Mytilus galloprovincialis life history (LH) …
The cork oak in the Mountains of Palermo (Italy): ecological insights from the south-eastern edge of its distribution range
2020
Abstract: The uneven presence of the cork oak (Quercus suber L.) within its distribution range is not only determined by its climatic requirements but also by specific edaphic needs. Although most of the natural populations thrive in acidic soils deriving from metamorphic or volcanic rock outcrops, some cork oak populations are found growing in soils deriving from calcareous bedrock, which are considered less suitable. We carried out a multidisciplinary investigation at the south eastern edge of the Q. suber distribution range (Mountains of Palermo, NW Sicily), including soil, floristic, and vegetation surveys, aimed at: (i) assessing the native or introduced origin of some peculiar cork oa…
Geological development of a gypsum lake formed at the beginning of the 2oth century in central Sicily, Italy: Integration of historical data with mod…
2006
A limnological investigation was carried out on the small, endorheic lake, called Lake Sfondato, located in central Sicily (Italy). All the aquatic environments in the central part of the island are rich in salt, with conductivity values above 5 mS cm−1, and are characterized by high alkalinity values and hard waters. In addition, due to intensive agriculture, many of these ecosystems have experienced a strong anthropogenic eutrophication over the last decades. In order to better understand the functioning of these peculiar environments, the morphology, hydrology, and geochemistry, as well as several selected physical and biological characteristics of Lake Sfondato, were studied in the year…
Trace element bias in the use of CO2 vents as analogues for low pH environments: Implications for contamination levels in acidified oceans
2013
Abstract Research into the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems has increasingly focused on natural CO 2 vents, although their intrinsic environmental complexity means observations from these areas may not relate exclusively to pH gradients. In order to assess trace element levels and distribution in the Levante Bay (Vulcano Island, NE Sicily, Italy) and its suitability for studying biological effects of pH decline, Ba, Fe and trace elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) in sediment were analysed from 7 transects. Where present, Cymodocea nodosa leaves and epiphytes were also analysed. At the spatial scale of the bay, trace element concentrations in sedim…
Highly contaminated areas as sources of pollution for adjoining ecosystems: The case of Augusta Bay (Central Mediterranean).
2014
An assessment of trace element and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) contamination based on surface sediments collected in summer 2012 was carried out in Priolo Bay adjoining one of the most polluted areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the industrial Augusta harbour (Italy, Central Mediterranean). Inorganic and organic contaminants were generally not remarkable. Occasional elevated concentrations of Hg, Cd, Ni and PAHs exceeding sediment quality guidelines were detected in the northern sector of Priolo Bay, close to Augusta harbour, possibly as a result of water drainage of industrialised and urbanised areas and/or potential direct export of contaminated material from Augusta harbour, whose…
Neglected fishery data sources as indicators of pre‐industrial ecological properties of Mediterranean swordfish ( Xiphias gladius , Xiphiidae)
2022
Management of fish populations and ecosystems suffers from data and knowledge gaps, particularly with respect to how humans and nature affect dynamics at multi-decadal and longer time scales. However, collection of new data which indicates population or ecosystem status is slow and expensive. Here we analyse c. 110 years of neglected fishery data for an overexploited top predator, swordfish, in the Mediterranean Sea. These data are available at scales of high time–space–biological resolution (i.e., sub-weekly, sub-regional sea; individual weights) and allow different ecological questions to be addressed than is possible with coarsely scaled data (e.g., annually resolved total catches aggreg…
Mussels as a model system for integrative ecomechanics.
2015
Copyright © 2015 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved. Mussels form dense aggregations that dominate temperate rocky shores, and they are key aquaculture species worldwide. Coastal environments are dynamic across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales, and their changing abiotic conditions affect mussel populations in a variety of ways, including altering their investments in structures, physiological processes, growth, and reproduction. Here, we describe four categories of ecomechanical models (biochemical, mechanical, energetic, and population) that we have developed to describe specific aspects of mussel biology, ranging from byssal attachment to energetics, population growth, an…