Search results for "Systematic"
showing 10 items of 7608 documents
Phylogenetic relationships among tetraploid species of Bellevalia (Asparagaceae) endemic to south-central Mediterranean
2017
AbstractIn the south-central Mediterranean four tetraploid species of Bellevalia occur: B. dolichophylla, B. galitensis, B. mauritanica, and B. pelagica. Another group of plants, morphologically similar to B. dolichophylla, has been recently recovered in Zembra Island (Tunisia). A phylogenetic reconstruction involving all these tetraploid taxa was performed using both plastidial and nuclear markers (trnL-trnF and ITS, respectively). For all these taxa, an allopolyploid origin involving B. romana and B. dubia is supported. Regarding plants from Zembra, they may fall within the variability of B. dolichophylla.
Species–area relationship and small-island effect of vascular plant diversity in a young volcanic archipelago
2021
International audience; Aims: Aeolian islands form an active volcanic archipelago. By using updated vascular plant checklists for islands and islets, we tested four hypotheses: (i) Island speciesarea relationship (ISAR) of alien species has lower c-and higher z-values than native species, (ii) islands with active volcanoes have lower species richness than expected for native and alien species, (iii) ISAR of native species shows lower c-and higher z-values than ISARs of Mediterranean land bridge archipelagos and (iv) species richness of smaller islets is independent of area.Location: Aeolian Archipelago, Mediterranean Basin.Taxon: Vascular plants, identified and named according to the Flora …
New distribution and taxonomic information on Callitriche (Plantaginaceae) in the Mediterranean region
2017
This article presents new records of water-starworts (Callitriche sp. pl.) from the Mediterranean basin, resulting from review of herbarium specimens and field work. Callitriche brutia var. naftolskyi is stated as a new combination and confirmed from Greece (Lesvos and Milos), Israel, Italy (Sardinia and Sicily), Libya, Morocco and Syria; C. lusitanica from Greece (Lesvos), Israel and Italy (Sardinia and Sicily); C. brutia var. brutia has been known from Greece for some time but is confirmed from Lesvos and Milos; C. obtusangula and C. truncata subsp. truncata are both confirmed from Sardinia and Sicily, while the latter is also confirmed from Syria. Callitriche lenisulca and C. stagnalis a…
Aggressive interactions between juvenile swordfishes and blue sharks in the Western Mediterranean: a widespread phenomenon?
2019
There are numerous reports of billfishes spearing objects, marine organisms, and even humans. Whether or not this behaviour is intentional and, if so, what is its functional meaning, are open questions. In 2016, an adult blue shark (Prionace glauca) was found to be killed by a juvenile swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the western Mediterranean. Here we report on three more recent cases involving both species in the same area. In February 2017, an adult male blue shark was found stranded in Garrucha (Spain) with a fragment of a juvenile swordfish’s rostrum (18cm long x 2cm wide at proximal end) inserted in its cranium. In March 2017, an adult pregnant female blue shark was stranded alive on th…
Ultra- and microplankton assemblages as indicators of trophic status in a Mediterranean lagoon
2016
International audience; The seasonal abundance distribution of heterotrophic prokaryotes, pico-and nanophytoplankton, was investigated in connection with environmental variables and microplankton abundance at five stations in Ghar El Melh Lagoon (northeastern Tunisia). Flow cytometry analysis of ultraplankton resolved (i) five heterotrophic prokaryote groups labelled LNA1, LNA2 (low nucleic acid content), HNA1, HNA2 and HNA3 (high nucleic acid content) and (ii) at least 14 ultraphytoplankton groups assigned to picoeukaryotes, picoprokaryotes, nanoeukaryotes, cryptophyte-like cells and some unknown communities. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed (i) autumn-summer outbreaks of heterotrophic p…
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…
Boat anchoring on Posidonia oceanica beds in a marine protected area (Italy, western Mediterranean): effect of anchor types in different anchoring st…
2004
Seagrasses worldwide are noted for suffering from mechanical damage caused by boat anchoring. This is particularly so in sites highly frequented by boaters (marine protected areas or coastal urbanised areas). In the last decades, different strategies have been put into practice to reduce such impacts on seagrasses (i.e. by anchoring bans or by deploying boat moorings), More recently, in consideration that few marine protected area (MPA) management bodies or local administrations have the resources to enforce their anchorage regulations, the self-regulatory approach based on education and information of boaters has been preferred in several cases. At present, however, very little is known on…
The increasing temperature as driving force for spatial distribution patterns of Parapenaeus longirostris (Lucas 1846) in the Strait of Sicily (Centr…
2020
Abstract The deep-water rose shrimp Parapenaeus longirostris (DPS), a demersal decapod representing the most important component of crustacean landings in the Mediterranean Sea, has been suggested as a species that may exhibit temperature-driven changes in the spatio-temporal dynamics. Considering that Mediterranean waters are warming up faster than oceans, understanding the relationships of DPS populations with temperature variations and the related changes in spatial patterns is absolutely key for its management. Using a long-term dataset covering 13-years from scientific surveys (International Bottom Trawl-Surveys in the Mediterranean, MEDITS; Italian national trawl surveys, GRUND) in th…
First successful eradication of invasive Norway rats Rattus norvegicus from a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Femmine, Italy)
2019
Invasive alien species, once introduced, may affect local biodiversity, both directly (e.g. by predation) and indirectly (e.g. by reducing the vegetation cover). Among those, rats (Rodentia, Muridae) are listed among the most invasive species, exerting strong impacts particularly when introduced to island ecosystems. Accordingly, black rats Rattus rattus have been eradicated from a number of islands in the Mediterranean basin to protect breeding seabirds. Where the larger Norway rat Rattus norvegicus is present, extent of damage may be even higher. In our work, we present the results of the first eradication program dealing with Norway rats in a small Mediterranean island (Isola delle Femmi…
Fruit Growth Stage Transitions in Two Mango Cultivars Grown in a Mediterranean Environment
2021
Studying mango (Mangifera