Search results for "Mediterranean islands"
showing 10 items of 56 documents
The loss of dispersal on islands hypothesis revisited: Implementing phylogeography to investigate evolution of dispersal traits in Periploca (Apocyna…
2017
Aim: The loss of dispersal on islands hypothesis (LDIH) posits that wind-dispersed plants should exhibit reduced dispersal potential, particularly if island populations are old. In this study, we tested this hypothesis using a detailed phylogeographical framework across different geographical scales. Location: Mainland and island areas of the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, including Macaronesia (Canary Islands and Cape Verde) and Mediterranean islands in the strait of Sicily. Methods: Forty-five populations of Periploca laevigata, a wind-dispersed shrub, were sampled. Plastid and nuclear microsatellite data were used to reconstruct spatio-temporal patterns of island colonization, and e…
Plant invasions on small Mediterranean islands. An overview
2016
Biological invasions have become one of the main drivers of habitat degradation and a leading cause of biodiversity loss in island ecosystems worldwide. The spread of invasive species poses a particular environmental threat on the islands of the Mediterranean Basin, which are hot spots of biodiversity and contain rare habitats and endemic species, especially on small islands, which are highly vulnerable to biodiversity loss. Following a recent survey, in this paper we aim to provide an overview of the present-day non-native vascular flora of small Mediterranean islands based on a sample of 37 islands located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Italy. By comparing the cu…
High Prevalence and Fast Rising Incidence of Multiple Sclerosis in Caltanissetta, Sicily, Southern Italy
2006
<i>Background:</i> Epidemiological studies conducted in Sicily and Sardinia, the two major Mediterranean islands, showed elevated incidence and prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS)and a recent increase in disease frequency. <i>Objective:</i> To confirm the central highlands of Sicily as areas of increasing MS prevalence and elevated incidence, we performed a follow-up study based on the town of Caltanissetta (Sicily), southern Italy. <i>Methods:</i> We made a formal diagnostic reappraisal of all living patients found in the previous study performed in 1981. All possible information sources were used to search for patients affected by MS diagnosed accordi…
Valantia deltoidea (Rubiaceae) sulle Madonie (Sicilia)
2011
Valantia deltoidea, a therophyte endemic to Sicily, so far known only from its locus classicus on the Rocca Busambra (Palermo, Province) has recently been found at the foot of the Serre di Quacella (Madonie, on dolomite rock, about 1300 m altitude. Besides outlines of taxonomical characteristics of such species, the data on the new locality and the updated distribution are provided here.
The impact of Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis (L.) L. Bolus on soil nutrients, microbial communities structure and native plant communities in Mediter…
2016
Background and aims: Carpobrotus spp. are amongst the most impactful and widespread plant invaders of Mediterranean habitats. Despite the negative ecological impacts on soil and vegetation that have been documented, information is still limited about the effect by Carpobrotus on soil microbial communities. We aimed to assess the changes in the floristic, soil and microbial parameters following the invasion by Carpobrotus cfr. acinaciformis within an insular Mediterranean ecosystem. Methods: Within three study areas a paired-site approach, comparing an invaded vs. a non-invaded plot, was established. Within each plot biodiversity indexes, C and N soil content, pH and microbial biomass and st…
Conservation genetics of insular **Podarcis** lizards using partial cytochrome b sequences
1998
Sequence data derived from a 306 bp fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome b and molecular variance estimates were used to investigate the genetic population structure of the endangered and endemic lizard Podarcis atrata of the Columbretes archipelago (Mediterranean, Spain). Our results show a very high and significant among-population genetic differentiation. FST values and phylogenetic analyses confirm the evolutionary distinctiveness of P. atrata populations, suggesting that the populations of these islands deserve special protection measures. The populations of the two islands Columbrete Grande and Mancolibre are less differentiated than those of Foradada and Lobo, and seem to have retain…
Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review
2021
The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place…
Seasonal variation of air kerma in the "Vulcano Porto" area (Aeolian Islands, Italy).
2001
Abstract Air kerma was measured in the “Vulcano Porto” area of the Vulcano Island, belonging to the Aeolian Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea. Measurements were carried out using thermoluminescence dosimeters. The relationship between observed dose values and source lithology has been assessed. Data show a seasonal variation due to weather conditions but also probably related to features of the soils, making the variation more evident.
A comparison of the structure of helminth communities in the woodmouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, on islands of the western Mediterranean and continental …
2003
We investigated the pattern of helminth species diversity in woodmouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, on western Mediterranean islands. We first performed a survey of the helminth fauna of A. sylvaticus in Sicily. Despite the small sampling effort, parasite species richness in Sicily is large in comparison with parasite species richness on other Mediterranean islands. We tested the nestedness of helminth parasite species from a number of Mediterranean localities using data compiled from epidemiological surveys of the helminth species of A. sylvaticus. We showed a nested pattern for woodmouse helminth species on western Mediterranean islands which suggests that the distribution of parasites on these …
Assessment of the environmental quality of the Sicilian coast through a phytoecological and biogeographic analysis
2017
Large-scale habitat measurements have been aided greatly by advances in remote sensing and GIS software. However, the degree of resolution of this technique is still inadequate for many purposes, such as detail monitoring of many habitats that occur on the coast (e.g. temporary Mediterranean pools or ephemeral therophytic grasslands). Lists and distribution mapping of taxa are probably the most commonly used surrogate for overall biodiversity at both local and broader scales. For the Sicilian coasts a complete study, dating back more than 25 years ago and based on a multidisciplinary approach of flora, vegetation and fauna, exists (Raimondo & al. 1990. Quad. Bot. Amb. Appl. 1: 131-182).…