Search results for "Protected area"
showing 10 items of 180 documents
First record of Aplysia dactylomela (Opisthobranchia: Aplysiidae) from the Egadi Islands (western Sicily)
2014
The alien mollusc Aplysia dactylomela is recorded for the first time from the Egadi Islands marine protected area (western Sicily). This species has been widely reported in the Mediterranean and has established populations in Sicily. The presence of a few specimens let us suppose that its occurrence in this area is a recent event and that soon new populations will be sighted in the whole Egadi Islands and on the western and southern coasts of Sicily.
Hotspots of species richness, threat and endemism for terrestrial vertebrates in SW Europe
2011
The Mediterranean basin, and the Iberian Peninsula in particular, represent an outstanding “hotspot” of biological diversity with a long history of integration between natural ecosystems and human activities. Using deductive distribution models, and considering both Spain and Portugal, we downscaled traditional range maps for terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, breeding birds, mammals and reptiles) to the finest possible resolution with the data at hand, and we identified hotspots based on three criteria: i) species richness; ii) vulnerability, and iii) endemism. We also provided a first evaluation of the conservation status of biodiversity hotspots based on these three criteria considerin…
Evaluating the ecological effects of Mediterranean marine protected areas: habitat, scale and the natural variability of ecosystems
2000
The capability to detect and predict the responses of marine populations and communities to the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) depends on the ability to distinguish between the influences of management and natural variability due to the effects of factors other than protection. Thus, it is important to understand and quantify the magnitude and range of this natural variability at each scale of observation. Here we review the scale of responses of target populations and communities to protection within Mediterranean MPAs, against their ‘normal’ spatio-temporal heterogeneity, and compare those with documented cases from other temperate and tropical marine ecosystems. Additiona…
Influence of environmental factors on small cetacean distribution in the Spanish Mediterranean
2008
Habitat distribution models are one of the most up to date methods to study the habitat usage of wildlife populations. They allow animal distribution to be related to environmental features and also the prediction of the distribution of animals based on this relationship. Seasonal aerial surveys were conducted in central Spanish Mediterranean waters from June 2000 to March 2003 to obtain information on the distribution of cetacean species. Data from the three most common cetacean species (striped dolphin,Stenella coeruleoalba, bottlenose dolphin,Tursiops truncatus, and Risso's dolphin,Grampus griseus) were related, using generalized linear models, to local environmental features: depth, slo…
Summer aggregation of common eagle ray, Myliobatis aquila (Chondrichthyes: Myliobatidae), in the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands (southwes…
2021
Author(s): Grancagnolo, Desiree; Arculeo, Marco | Abstract: We report for the first time in Italian waters a periodic and frequent presence of a summer aggregation of common eagle ray Myliobatis aquila in the island of Marettimo (southwestern Tyrrhenian Sea), which is part of the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands. These aggregation could be related to different phenomena such as reproduction, feeding or simply as a transit zone.
Ecological Network, Application of a Model in Sicily
2017
Since the Tertiary period, Sicily (Italy) has been major reservoir of biodiversity. The abundance of these resources, however, is not reflected by developing an effective system of planning and management of wilderness areas. This work analyzes the regional territorial features, referring to the fragmentation process of natural systems, closely related to the phenomenon of soil consumption on wilderness areas that, since the sixties, has strongly contributed to shape the regional territory both from the physical and from the functional point of view. For these characteristics Sicily is particularly suitable for becoming a reflection field where the new perspectives on ecological networks co…
Application of a model for the evaluation of the “Visitor Satisfaction” in a nature reserve of South Italy
2017
The protected natural area represents an important resource because from it sustainable and long-lasting social and economic development processes can start. In fact, the conservation of biodiversity can help create economic values by using natural capital which, if properly valorised, can help the momentum of local sustainable development and create diffuse welfare in terms of employment and income. To such a purpose, the evaluation both of the demand by those who enjoy the services of a protected area and of the level of satisfaction that visitors draw from their experience becomes a priority. The present study aims at investigating the behaviour and the preferences of the visitors to a p…
Impact of land-use type and harvesting on population structure of a non-timber forest product-providing tree in a semi-arid savanna, West Africa
2011
Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) strongly contribute to livelihood security in the semi-arid tropics. Main factors determining the populations of NTFP-providing species are human activities. This study examined the impact of land-use, combined with rates and patterns of debarking and chopping on a NTFP-providing tree (Anogeissus leiocarpa) in Burkina Faso. We compared stands in a protected area (W National Park) with those of its surrounding communal area (fallows, croplands) in order to (i) obtain an indication on the status of the population, (ii) assess its harvesting tolerance, (iii) estimate the sustainability of present management, and (iv) derive which additional management strateg…
The comparative biological effects of spatial management measures in protecting marine biodiversity: a systematic review protocol
2015
Background: The global decline of marine biodiversity and the perceived need to protect marine ecosystems from irreparable alterations to ecosystem functioning and ecosystem service provision have produced an extensive range of spatial management measures (SMMs). The design of SMMs is a complex process often involving the integration of both conservation objectives and socio-economic priorities and the resultant trade-offs are highly dependent on the management regime in place. Future marine management is likely to involve greater use of different forms of protected areas with differing levels of protection, particularly for sites where there are multiple competing demands. Consequently, ev…
Evidence for spatiotemporal shift in demersal fishery management priority areas in the western Mediterranean
2022
14 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, 1 appendix