Search results for "rare species"
showing 10 items of 49 documents
Can the problem of hybridization in threatened species be evaluated using a fieldwork research? A case study in snapdragons
2019
Abstract Hybridization, natural or artificial, is considered disadvantageous for species biodiversity when it threatens the population integrity of endangered species. Frequently, studies investigating whether hybridization poses a legitimate risk to rare species are based on genetic data obtained in molecular biology laboratories. In this study, we used field research to approach the problem that hybridization could cause for the viability of a population of a rare species and to be able to propose the most appropriate initial conservation strategy. Specifically, using the model genus Antirrhinum, the reproductive barriers between the rare A. pulverulentum and its common congener A. litigi…
Spatial pattern of the threatened epiphytic bryophyte Neckera pennata at two scales in a fragmented boreal forest
1999
The spatial pattern and occurrence of a threatened bryophyte, Neckera pennata, were studied in relation to the abundance and pattern of suitable substrate trees at two spatial scales: I) in a 4 x 4 km fraction of fragmented, mostly managed southern boreal forest landscape, and 2) in an old-growth forest stand within this landscape, with abundant occurrence of suitable habitats. To explore in detail the spatial clustering of N. pennata at the forest stand scale, we applied a second order point process analysis based on the Ripley's K-function for binary point patterns. Neckera pennata proved to be a rare species in the studied landscape: it was found only on 31 Populus tremula trees. At the …
On the Occurrence of Metadiaptomus chevreuxi (Calanoida, Diaptomidae, Paradiaptominae) in the Iberian Peninsula, With Notes on the Ecology and Distri…
2020
Temporary ponds are one of the most peculiar ecosystems in the world, being characterized by an extraordinarily rich crustacean fauna, with a high degree of endemism. Among them, diaptomid copepods are among the most biogeographically interesting taxa. However, the present knowledge on diaptomid distribution is still far from being exhaustive, even in the relatively well-studied western European countries. In this study, we report the first record of the diaptomid calanoid copepod Metadiaptomus chevreuxi for the Iberian Peninsula, where it was collected in five temporary ponds in Andalusia (Spain). The characteristics of the new sites are described, the literature dealing with the European …
Grazing and soil pH are biodiversity drivers of vascular plants and bryophytes in boreal wood-pastures
2016
Abstract Wood-pastures have been formed by traditional low-intensity livestock grazing in wooded areas. They host high biodiversity values that are now threatened by both management abandonment (ceased grazing) and agricultural intensification, and therefore these habitats are of conservation interest in Europe. In order to explore the effects of grazing on the biodiversity of boreal wood-pastures, we studied the communities of vascular plants and bryophytes in 24 currently grazed and 24 abandoned sites. In addition to the current management situation, we studied the effects of soil pH and moisture, tree density, historical land-use intensity, time since abandonment (in abandoned sites) and…
The Reproductive Strategy as an Important Trait for the Distribution of Lower-Trunk Epiphytic Lichens in Old-Growth vs. Non-Old Growth Forests
2021
(1) Research Highlights: The work studied the beta diversity patterns of epiphytic lichens as a function of their reproductive strategies in old-growth and non-old growth forests from the Mediterranean area. (2) Background and Objectives: The reproductive strategies of lichens can drive the dispersal and distribution of species assemblages in forest ecosystems. To further investigate this issue, we analyzed data on epiphytic lichen diversity collected from old-growth and non-old growth forest sites (36 plots) located in Cilento National Park (South Italy). Our working hypothesis was that the dispersal abilities due to the different reproductive strategies drove species beta diversity depend…
New records of corticioid fungi from Sicily
2016
This paper is the result of an on-going study on distribution and ecology of corticioid wood-inhabiting fungi in Sicily. Twenty-five species not previously recorded in Sicily are here listed. For each taxon, ecological and distributional data are provided. Subulicystidium perlongisporum was recorded in Italy for the first time in two localities occurring on Quercus ilex L. wood. Description, distributional and ecological data of this rare taxon are also provided. Dendrophora versiformis and Kavinia alboviridis, considered rare species in Italy and Europe, are included in this report.
The effects of forest management on wood-inhabiting fungi occupying dead wood of different diameter fractions
2014
Forest management has caused severe ecological degradation throughout the Globe. One of its most prominent consequences is the drastic change in dead wood profile and consequently in the dead wood dependent biota. Wood-inhabiting fungi are, considering ecosystem functions, the most important species group utilizing dead wood, because they take care of majority of the decaying process. The earlier research focusing on the effects of forest management on wood-inhabiting fungi has strongly focused on large dead wood pieces (i.e. coarse woody debris, CWD), even though it has been shown that a major part of fungal diversity utilizes (also) small dead wood pieces (i.e. [very] fine woody debris, […
Phytoplankton dynamics in permanent and temporary Mediterranean waters: is the game hard to play because of hydrological disturbance?
2012
Only few scientific investigations have been carried out, to our knowledge, on phytoplankton in Mediterranean temporary ponds. To test the hypothesis that climate forcing is the main factor affecting dynamics and structure of planktic algae in these peculiar ecosystems, and to assess the importance of human impacts on this basic component of the aquatic biota, phytoplankton structure and dynamics were analysed in two temporary, long lasting (9 months), ponds, and in a permanent one. The three studied water bodies can be classified as mesoeutrophic, which show extended macrophyte beds and are subjected to one or more human impacts, such as eutrophication, fish and plant introduction, and gar…
Community Turnover of Wood-Inhabiting Fungi across Hierarchical Spatial Scales
2014
For efficient use of conservation resources it is important to determine how species diversity changes across spatial scales. In many poorly known species groups little is known about at which spatial scales the conservation efforts should be focused. Here we examined how the community turnover of wood-inhabiting fungi is realised at three hierarchical levels, and how much of community variation is explained by variation in resource composition and spatial proximity. The hierarchical study design consisted of management type (fixed factor), forest site (random factor, nested within management type) and study plots (randomly placed plots within each study site). To examine how species richne…
Santa Rosalia, the icon of biodiversity
2010
This article summarizes the results presented in a series of invited contributions which were submitted to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of publication of the seminal article ‘‘Homage to Santa Rosalia or why are there so many kinds of animals’’ by G.E. Hutchinson. The authors were asked to explore old and new paradigms of biodiversity in aquatic ecosystems. The contributions by Hutchinson in this field are truly landmarks in the history of modern ecological sciences. The authors of the contributed articles, stimulated by one of the most fruitful concept articles in ecology that has appeared over the last half century, have shown that scientific investigation, although still seeking the…