Search results for "Mediterranean Basin"
showing 10 items of 210 documents
Lectotypifications of cerastium siculum, C. Densiflorum, and C. aggregatum, and taxonomic notes on C. siculum (Caryophyllaceae)
2017
Nomenclatural notes on Cerastium siculum Guss. (Caryophyllaceae), a species described from Sicily and occurring in the central western region of the Mediterranean basin, are discussed. The names C. aggregatum Durieu ex Brign., C. densiflorum Guss., and C. siculum are lectotypified here. The taxonomic independence of C. siculum from C. semidecandrum L. and the other taxa of Cerastium L. sect. Orthodon Ser. subsect. Fugacia Fenzl is confirmed, as well as the synonymy of C. aggregatum and C. densiflorum.
On the occurrence and distribution of Calanipeda aquaedulcis Kritschagin, 1873 (Copepoda, Calanoida, Pseudodiaptomidae) in Sicily, Italy, with some n…
2019
The only population of the pseudodiaptomid copepod Calanipeda aquaedulcis Kritschagin, 1873 to date reported to occur in Sicily disappeared at the beginning of the XXI century due to deep environmental changes which affected the single site (Lake Biviere di Gela) known for this species on the island. In that site C. aquaedulcis is now replaced by Copidodiaptomus numidicus (Gurney, 1909), a diaptomid copepod whose distribution has been greatly increasing since the second half of the last century. In the present note, the occurrence of C. aquaedulcis in 12 novel water bodies spread throughout Sicily is reported, and some environmental data on the sites where the species was collected are prov…
WATER MASSES EXCHANGE THROUGH THE STRAIT OF SICILY DURING THE LAST DEGLACIAL PERIOD AND THE HOLOCENE
2022
The main goal of this thesis is to explore the inter-basin connection between the eastern and the western Mediterranean (E- and W-Med, respectively) during the last deglacial and Holocene periods (last 15 kyr). The thesis is based on the study of a sediment core recovered at the west flank of Sicily channel (W-Sicily), strategically located under the current path of the surface Atlantic waters and directly below the present-day hydrographic boundary layer between the Eastern Mediterranean Sourced Water (EMSW) and the Western Mediterranean Deep Water (WMDW). This key location allow to explore past changes in both surface and deep water exchange between the E and the W-Med. In this thesis, a …
Ecological and economic indicators for the evaluation of almond (Prunus dulcis l.) orchard renewal in sicily
2020
Globally, almond production is experiencing a growing trend thanks to a strong interest in the health, gastronomic, and industrial properties that are linked to the fruits and their derivatives. After a constant and marked decline in the second half of the last century, the Mediterranean Basin is thoroughly reassessing this crop, which provides significant results with a modern orchard management. The opportunity determined by the transition from traditional to modern systems have increased the interest in evaluating the different environmental impacts of the two cultivation models that still coexist today. In this work, through the application of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and an econ…
Comparative analysis of biological and ecological differentiation of Anemone palmata L. (Ranunculaceae) in the western Mediterranean (France and Spai…
2002
The western Mediterranean geophyte Anemone palmata L. is one of the most endangered angiosperm taxa in France. The biological and ecological characteristics of French populations are contrasted with those of populations from near the centre of the species distribution in east Spain. A Correspondence Analysis discriminates the French and Spanish populations according to substrate and the composition of the plant communities where they grow. The karyological study reveals that east Spanish plants are autotetraploid, whilst the French are all diploid. In addition, morphological differences were registered, Spanish plants generally being more vigorous. French populations consist mostly of senil…
A multi-gene approach reveals a complex evolutionary history in the Cyanistes species group
2011
Quaternary climatic oscillations have been considered decisive in shaping much of the phylogeographic structure around the Mediterranean Basin. Within this paradigm, peripheral islands are usually considered as the endpoints of the colonization processes. Here, we use nuclear and mitochondrial markers to investigate the phylogeography of the blue tit complex (blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus, Canary blue tit C. teneriffae and azure tit C. cyanus), and assess the role of the Canary Islands for the geographic structuring of genetic variation. The Canary blue tit exhibits strong genetic differentiation within the Canary Islands and, in combination with other related continental species, provides a…
Documenting the light sensitivity of Spanish Levantine rock art paintings
2015
[EN] A case study to evaluate the use of microfading spectrometry (MFS) for the study of colored systems found in prehistoric rock art paintings was conducted in the Cova Remígia rock-shelter, Castellón (Spain). This rock shelter is part of the rock art sites of the Mediterranean basin on the Iberian Peninsula included in UNESCO s World Heritage List. Some of the paintings belonging to this group are exposed to environmental factors including natural daylight, wind and rain, depending on the time of the day and the season of the year. Therefore, their preservation is a major concern to stakeholders and researchers responsible for protecting and studying these prehistoric paintings. The expe…
Temperature variability in the Iberian Range since 1602 inferred from tree-ring records
2017
Abstract. Tree rings are an important proxy to understand the natural drivers of climate variability in the Mediterranean Basin and hence to improve future climate scenarios in a vulnerable region. Here, we compile 316 tree-ring width series from 11 conifer sites in the western Iberian Range. We apply a new standardization method based on the trunk basal area instead of the tree cambial age to develop a regional chronology which preserves high- to low-frequency variability. A new reconstruction for the 1602–2012 period correlates at −0.78 with observational September temperatures with a cumulative mean of the 21 previous months over the 1945–2012 calibration period. The new IR2Tmax reconstr…
Priorities and gaps in Mediterranean bat research evidence: a systematic review for the early twenty-first century
2022
Bat conservation is one of the top global concerns for research today; however, conservation efforts may still be limited and impotent due to inadequacy and scarcity of data. Hence, identifying research trends, threatening factors, species status, and geographical priorities is an essential tool for future conservation, protection and prioritization. Here we conduct a comprehensive systematic review to identify current research priorities, trends, general patterns and gaps regarding Mediterranean bat researches. A total of 97 studies were found in the years spanning between 2000 and 2021. There were 18 studies with sufficient data for qualitative statistical analysis to investigate the impa…
Red list of threatened vascular plants in Italy
2021
Italy has a rich natural heritage, which is dangerously under pressure. In recent years, there is an increased awareness of the crucial role of plants in ecosystem functioning and in providing ecosystem services. Consequently, an updated Red List of the Italian vascular flora was compiled in this work, at the request of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection, with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society. The IUCN Red List criteria were applied to 2,430 Italian native vascular plant taxa to assess their current extinction risk and to highlight the major threats affecting the Italian flora. Our results revealed that 54 taxa (2.2% of the assessed taxa) are extinc…