Search results for "Habitat conservation"
showing 10 items of 13 documents
The long history of rich fens supports persistence of plant and snail habitat specialists
2021
Increasing evidence for the effects of Holocene history on modern biotic communities suggests that current explanations of community patterns and conservation strategies require revisiting. Here we focused on Central European rich fens that are at high risk among mire habitats because of their relatively low environmental stability, and hence sensitivity to successional shifts. At each of 57 study sites, inventory of specialist species of bryophytes, vascular plants and land snails, measurements of local environmental conditions, area, and radiocarbon dating were conducted. We used Moran’s I spatial autocorrelation, multiple linear regression models, MDS, db-RDA, and null models to identify…
Do environmental diversity approaches lead to improved site selection? A comparison with the multi-species approach
2008
This paper suggests a new approach to select conservation areas cost-effectively according to the concept of complementarity and representation of focal natural features. The suggested environmental diversity (ED) site selection model maximizes ecological diversity, measured via ordination of the chosen taxa communities. Given their fundamental role in ecosystem functioning, vascular plants are chosen as the indicator taxa. We test the ED indicator model by contrasting it to the conventional site selection indicator (MS model), which maximizes the representation of species number in the indicator taxa. We demonstrate that the ED model is more cost-effective than the MS model. More important…
Adianto-Pinguiculetum saetabensis (Pinguiculion longifoliae): a new rupicolous Saetabensian plant association
2019
Se describe una nueva asociación vegetal, Adianto capilli-veneris-Pinguiculetum saetabensis (All. Pinguiculion longifoliae), dominada por Pinguicula saetabensis, Adiantum capillus-veneris y Erica terminalis, que resulta endémica de las áreas termomediterráneas de la Sierra de Enguera (C-S de la provincia de Valencia). Es una comunidad rara y muy frágil, propia de grietas y oquedades de balmas y roquedos calizos donde se depositan tobas calcáreas, que permanecen húmedas y rezumantes durante buena parte del año. Se aportan asimismo datos sobre la composición florística, comportamiento ecológico, distribución y estado de conservación de este hábitat. A new plant association, Adianto capilli-ve…
The new “Vegetation map of Sicily (Italy)”: a synthetic overview of the distribution of European habitats on the territory.
2016
The new "Vegetation map of Sicily (Italy)", recently published (Gianguzzi, Papini & Cusimano, 2015), shows also a synthetic overview of the distribution of European habitats in the territory; the study area has been extended to small islands circum-Sicilian (archipelago of the Aeolian; Aegadian, Pelagie Ustica and Pantelleria islands), for a total area of 25,703 km2. Our work allowed to resume the knowledge status of the phytosociological studies on vegetation carried out and to identify the actual plant landscape of the region; the map was compiled in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment, in order to produce a cartographic representation in 1:10,000 scale (reduced to a 1:25…
Limited Stress Response to Transplantation in the Mediterranean Macroalga Ericaria amentacea, a Key Species for Marine Forest Restoration
2022
In the Mediterranean Sea, brown macroalgae represent the dominant species in intertidal and subtidal habitats. Despite conservation efforts, these canopy-forming species showed a dramatic decline, highlighting the urge for active intervention to regenerate self-sustaining populations. For this reason, the restoration of macroalgae forests through transplantation has been recognized as a promising approach. However, the potential stress caused by the handling of thalli has never been assessed. Here, we used a manipulative approach to assess the transplant-induced stress in the Mediterranean Ericaria amentacea, through the analysis of biochemical proxies, i.e., phenolic compounds, lipids, and…
Conservation of forest biodiversity using temporal conservation contracts
2012
Abstract Temporal conservation contracts are used to protect biodiversity in privately owned lands worldwide. We examine how stand characteristics and habitat requirements of target species affect the contract length in a boreal forest context. We develop an integrated optimization model and apply the model with data on endangered species occurring in spruce forests in Finland. The results suggest that a cost-effective conservation policy for protecting privately owned forest land involves both short- and long-term contracts between landowners and environmental agencies. The higher the conservation objective, the more intensively long-term contracts should be assigned. Managed stands should…
Evolutionary conservation advice for despotic populations: habitat heterogeneity favours conflict and reduces productivity in Seychelles magpie robins
2010
Individual preferences for good habitat are often thought to have a beneficial stabilizing effect for populations. However, if individuals preferentially compete for better-quality territories, these may become hotspots of conflict. We show that, in an endangered species, this process decreases the productivity of favoured territories to the extent that differences in productivity between territories disappear. Unlike predictions from current demographic theory on site-dependent population regulation (ideal despotic distribution), we show that population productivity is reduced if resources are distributed unevenly in space. Competition for high-quality habitat can thus have detrimental con…
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 …
Biodiversity of wood-decay fungi in Italy
2011
Abstract Current knowledge about Italian wood-decay fungi (Basidiomycota and Ascomycota) is surveyed: 1582 taxa belonging to Ascomycota (341) and Basidiomycota (1241) have been reported, including 23 species new to science of Basidiomycota described from Italy within the last five years. Evaluating diversity of wood-decay fungi can provide a more accurate estimation of species richness for fungi which are an important functional component of ecosystems. Aphyllophoroid and Ascomycota species play an important role in habitat conservation and management. Sardinia, Sicily, the Alps and the Apennines are “hot spots” for wood-decay Basidiomycota in Italy.