Search results for "mediterranean region"

Filamentous fungi transported by birds during migration across the mediterranean sea.

2013

The potential for the transport and diffusion of some pathogenic microorganisms by migratory birds is of concern. Migratory birds may be involved in the dispersal of microorganisms and may play a role of mechanical and biological vectors. The efficiency of dispersal of pathogenic microorganisms depends on a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors that influence the survival or disappearance of a given agent in a geographical area. In the present study, 349 migratory birds were captured in four sites (Mazara del Vallo, Lampedusa, Ustica and Linosa), representing the main stop-over points during spring and autumnal migration, and analyzed for the presence of filamentous fungi. A total of 2,3…

Case Study of Potential Production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from Livestock Wastes in Mediterranean Islands

2017

The aim of this work is to evaluate the potential production of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) from livestock wastes that are commonly found on Mediterranean islands, by using the island of Malta as a case study. Organic wastes in the form of livestock manure and slurry, as well as other by-products originating from the food transformation industry in the making of alcoholic beverages and the processing of olives, tomatoes and other streams, if mixed in such a way to achieve a correct C/N ratio, can be subjected to anaerobic co-digestion for the production of biogas and digestate. Biogas can be further transformed into biomethane, a fuel that can be used to power surface transportation and …

Quantifying unpredictability: A multiple-model approach based on satellite imagery data from Mediterranean ponds.

2017

Fluctuations in environmental parameters are increasingly being recognized as essential features of any habitat. The quantification of whether environmental fluctuations are prevalently predictable or unpredictable is remarkably relevant to understanding the evolutionary responses of organisms. However, when characterizing the relevant features of natural habitats, ecologists typically face two problems: (1) gathering long-term data and (2) handling the hard-won data. This paper takes advantage of the free access to long-term recordings of remote sensing data (27 years, Landsat TM/ETM+) to assess a set of environmental models for estimating environmental predictability. The case study inclu…

Paesaggio culturale dei sistemi tradizionali: l'olivo in Italia

2005

We used a new sedimentary record to reconstruct the Holocene vegetation and fire history of Gorgo Basso, a coastal lake in south-western Sicily (Italy). Pollen and charcoal data suggest a fire-prone open grassland near the site until ca 10,000 cal yr BP (8050 cal BC), when Pistacia shrubland expanded and fire activity declined, probably in response to increased moisture availability. Evergreen Olea europaea woods expanded ca 8400 to decline abruptly at 8200 cal yr BP, when climatic conditions became drier at other sites in the Mediterranean region. Around 7000 cal yr BP evergreen broadleaved forests (Quercus ilex, Quercus suber and O. europaeo) expanded at the cost of open communities. The …

Vegetative propagation of Ruta chalepensis L., pioneer species in stony soils and limestone.

2014

The genus Bolbelasmus in the western and southern regions of the Mediterranean Basin (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae: Bolboceratinae)

2016

The Bolbelasmus Boucomont, 1911 species of the western and southern regions of the Mediterranean Basin (Northern Africa, Iberian Peninsula and France) are revised. The following three new species are described: Bolbelasmus brancoi Hillert & Král sp. nov. and Bolbelasmus howdeni Hillert & Král sp. nov., both from Spain and Gibraltar, and Bolbelasmus nikolajevi Hillert, Arnone, Král & Massa sp. nov. from Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Bolbelasmus vaulogeri (Abeille de Perrin, 1898) stat. restit. is removed from synonymy with B. bocchus (Erichson, 1841) and reinstated as a separate species. Bolbelasmus romanorum Arnone & Massa, 2010 is considered a junior subjective synonym of B. vaulogeri. Lectoty…

On the origin and evolution of the Mediterranean dry grasslands.

2006

A synthesis on the functional types of Mediterranean dry grasslands is outlined. Three different types are outlined: wintergreen perennial dry grasslands, wintergreen ephemeral dry grasslands, summergreen perennial dry grasslands. The first type is the most primitive, including several relict species, often characterized by very disjoint, sometimes anfi-saharian distribution ranges. The second type is resulting from an evolutionary trend towards short-lived life strategy, triggered by climatic and topographic perturbations that affected the Mediterranean region in the Plio- and Pleistocene. The third type, only marginally occurring in the Mediterranean region, is deriving from Holarctic and…

Biodiversity of the orophilous communities of Pino-Juniperetea class in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean area.

2000

The authors examine the orophilous communities, occuring in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean area, characterized by the dominance of trees and shrubs belonging to the genera Juniperus, Abies and Pinus. These communities are localized in the supra- and oromediterranean belt and show a relict role. From the structural point of view, this kind of vegetation is usually bistratified, with a low dense shrubby layer and spaced tree layer; sometime the latter one is absent. This vegetation is floristically poor and characterized by prevalence of Coniferous, such as Juniperus sabina, J. foetidissima, J. excelsa, J. oxycedrus. J. hemisphaerica, J. communis, J. nana, Abies nebrodensis, A. alba, A…

First record and morphological features of Hemidiaptomus (Occidodiaptomus) ingens (Gurney, 1909) (Copepoda Calanoida) in Italy

2004

During a survey, carried out to assess the consistency of microcrustacean fauna inhabiting temporary ponds in Sicily, Hemidiaptomus (Occidodiaptomus) ingens (Gurney, 1909), a large calanoid copepod up to now known only for North-African ponds, Camargue and Corse, was found in the north-western part of the island. Due to its central location in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily represents a transition zone where several chorological zones of the West Palearctic merge and converge. A brief summary of the existing literature regarding this taxon is given with some morphological considerations on the recently found population which represents the first record for Italy. In particular, the morpholog…

The genus Ruppia L. (Ruppiaceae) in the Mediterranean region: An overview

2015

Abstract This paper reviews the current knowledge on the diversity, distribution and ecology of the genus Ruppia L. in the Mediterranean region. The genus Ruppia, a cosmopolitan aquatic plant complex, is generally restricted to shallow waters such as coastal lagoons and brackish habitats characterized by fine sediments and high salinity fluctuations. In these habitats Ruppia meadows play an important structural and functional role. Molecular analyses revealed the presence of 16 haplotypes in the Mediterranean region, one corresponding to Ruppia maritima L., and the others to various morphological forms of Ruppia cirrhosa (Petagna) Grande, all together referred to as the “R. cirrhosa s.l. co…