Search results for "Critically endangered"

2018

We present a taxonomic revision ofCremastosperma, a genus of Neotropical Annonaceae occurring in lowland to premontane wet forest, mostly in areas surrounding the Andean mountain chain. We recognise 34 species, describing five as new here: from east of the Andes,C.brachypodumPirie & Chatrou,sp. nov.andC.dolichopodumPirie & Maas,sp. nov., endemic to Peru;C.confusumPirie,sp. nov., from southern Peru and adjacent Bolivia and Brazil; andC.alticolaPirie & Chatrou,sp. nov., at higher elevations in northern Peru and Ecuador; and from west of the Andes,C.osicolaPirie & Chatrou,sp. nov.endemic to Costa Rica, the most northerly distributed species of the genus. We prov…

Positive demographic effects of nest surveillance campaigns to counter illegal harvest of the Bonelli's eagle in Sicily (Italy)

2017

Illegal trade in wildlife has been identified as one of the main challenges to wildlife conservation. In 2010, an illegal trade-ring trafficking in birds of prey was uncovered in Sicily (southern Italy). This illegal trade targeted the three most endangered species in Italy: Bonelli's eagle Aquila fasciata, Lanner falcon Falco biarmicus and Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, all of them long-lived territorial raptors threatened with extinction across their European distribution. Illegal harvest primarily involved young birds and eggs taken from nests. After the discovery of these activities, surveillance camps and camera traps connected to the mobile Global System for Mobile communicat…

Is in vitro micrografting a possible valid alternative to traditional micropropagation in Cactaceae? Pelecyphora aselliformis as a case study

2016

Several taxa of Cactaceae are endangered by overcollection for commercial purposes, and most of the family is included in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). Micropropagation may play a key role to keep the pressure off wild populations and contribute to ex situ conservation of endangered taxa. One of the limits of micropropagation is the species-specific requirement of plant regulators for each taxon and sometimes even for different genotypes. With the micrografting technique the rootstock directly provides the scion with the necessary hormonal requirements. In this paper we present data on in vitro grafting of Pelecyphora aselliformis Eh…

A new gypsophilous species ofChaenorhinum(Antirrhinaceae) from the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula

2014

A new strict gypsophilous species of Chaenorhinum, Ch. gamezii, is described. It is an annual to perennial species found in extremely arid locations upon Triassic gypsic habitats in the south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. This species has an eglandular heterotrichous indumentum, which is related to Ch. segoviense and Ch. flexuosum. However, Ch. gamezii has a characteristic combination of vegetative and micromorphological features (trichomes and ornamentation of the seeds) that are not present in any other taxon of the genus. Herein, the affinities and differences with related species are studied and discussed. For its differentiation, an original key is presented with comparative figures of in…

Fishery-induced selection for slow somatic growth in European eel

2012

International audience; Both theoretical and experimental studies have shown that fishing mortality can induce adaptive responses in body growth rates of fishes in the opposite direction of natural selection. We compared body growth rates in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from three Mediterranean stocks subject to different fishing pressure. Results are consistent with the hypotheses that i) fast-growing individuals are more likely to survive until sexual maturity than slow-growing ones under natural conditions (no fishing) and ii) fishing can select for slow-growing individuals by removing fast-growing ones. Although the possibility of human-induced evolution seems remote for a panmictic…

Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC.: An invaluable and constantly dwindling resource of the Himalayas

2020

International audience; The use of medicinal plant species for different therapeutic effects is well recognized around the globe. Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC. (Family: Caprifoliaceae Juss.), commonly known as Indian spikenard is a critically endangered medicinal plant which grows at high altitudes in the alpine and sub-alpine regions of the Himalayas. Its medicinal use is well-recognized in the Bhutanese, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Nepalese and Tibetan medicine. Moreover, its medicinal properties are well established in traditional medicines including Ayurveda, Ben-Cao- Shi-Yi, Homer's Iliad, the Old Testament, as in conventional systems. The increasing national and international dema…

Pactola kuschelisp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a potential cause for the decline of the threatened New Caledonian conifer,Agathis montanade La…

2016

Agathis montana is a conifer endemic to New Caledonia and one of the most threatened (Critically Endangered) plant species of this area. The exact causes of its decline are still unknown. The authors describe the characteristics of A. montana, the history and methodology of population monitoring, and possible factors causing the decline and habitat degradation. In 2014, some twigs showing symptoms suggesting attack by wood-boring insects were collected. From these, imagines of an unknown weevil species belonging to the genus Pactola Pascoe (Eugnomini) were reared. The new species is described as Pactola kuscheli Mazur sp. nov. Colour photographs of the dorsal habitus, line drawings of taxon…

Dianthus superbus as a critically endangered species in Latvia: evaluation of its growth conditions and conservation possibilities

2021

Abstract Dianthus superbus is one of the most endangered species in Latvia and is on the verge of local extinction. Therefore, the aim of this study was to inventory previously identified populations of D. superbus in Latvia and to develop activities to conserve this species in accordance with the results obtained in situ. Expeditions on 18 previously documented locations, according to the data of Nature Conservation Agency, revealed only three existing D. superbus localities in Latvia with a significant number of specimens located in the Latgale region near Silenieki. In 2020, for the first time, two more new D. superbus localities were found in the vicinity of these three approved locatio…

Distribution, ecology, vegetation and conservation survey on the relictual population ofCarex panormitanaGuss. (Cyperaceae) in Sicily (Italy)

2013

We report the results of research on the Carex panormitana Guss. (Cyperaceae) population in Sicily, carried out within its locus classicus at the Oreto River (Palermo). The survey led to a morphological, biological and autoecological characterization, to the definition of the current distribution in the site, to an estimate of the number of individuals and to an analysis of its conservation status. The risk status was also assessed and the species was ascribed to the category Critically Endangered (CR), in accordance with the CR B1ab (ii, iii, v) and EN C1 IUCN criteria. Moreover, the phytosociological survey carried out on the meso-hygrophilous vegetation in which the species is dominant a…

Conservation aspects for chasmophytic species: Phenological behavior and seed strategies of the Central Apennine threatened endemismMoehringia papulo…

2012

Abstract Chasmophytic vegetation growing on the cracks of cliffs in the Mediterranean and in the Euro-Siberian phytogeographic regions shows a great regional diversity, with a large number of endemic plant species, many of them endangered and at risk of extinction. Moehringia papulosa is an example of a threatened plant living in this kind of habitat. It is an endemism of the Marche region in central Italy, whose natural populations are considered as critically endangered (CR) under the IUCN criteria and the habitat is protected by the E.U. (Directive 92/43/EEC) with the habitat 8210 “calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation”. The phenology of natural populations was analyzed, s…