Temporary Ponds in Mediterranean Islands: Oases of Biodiversity

2021 ◽  
pp. 93-108
Author(s):  
Tvrtko Dražina ◽  
Maria Špoljar ◽  
Marko Miliša
Keyword(s):  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Mediterranean Islands

The impact of urban effluents on the coastal marine environment of Mediterranean islands

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 85-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael O. Angelidis
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Suspended Particle ◽  
Pollution Source ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Coastal Marine Environment ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The impact of the urban effluents of Mytilene (Lesvos island, Greece) on the receiving coastal marine environment, was evaluated by studying the quality of the city effluents (BOD5, COD, SS, heavy metals) and the marine sediments (grain size, organic matter, heavy metals). It was found that the urban effluents of Mytilene contain high organic matter and suspended particle load because of septage discharge into the sewerage network. Furthermore, although the city does not host important industrial activity, its effluents contain appreciable metal load, which is mainly associated with the particulate phase. The city effluents are discharged into the coastal marine environment and their colloidal and particulate matter after flocculation settles to the bottom, where is incorporated into the sediments. Over the years, the accumulation of organic matter and metals into the harbour mud has created a non-point pollution source in the relatively non-polluted coastal marine environment of the island. Copper and Zn were the metals which presented the higher enrichment in the sediments of the inner harbour of Mytilene.

scholarly journals Environmental effects of tourism and its seasonality on Mediterranean islands: the contribution of the Interreg MED BLUEISLANDS project to build up an approach towards sustainable tourism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Andolina ◽  
Geraldina Signa ◽  
Agostino Tomasello ◽  
Antonio Mazzola ◽  
Salvatrice Vizzini
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Tourist Destination ◽  
Local Economies ◽  
Good Opportunity ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Seawater Quality ◽  
Great Burden

Abstract The Mediterranean basin is amongst the world’s main tourist destination, and its islands are a major attraction, being sites of historical, cultural and naturalistic importance. This is beneficial for the local economies, but it may also represent a great burden on the coastal environment, where other human pressures are concentrated. The awareness of detrimental side effects of tourism together with the importance to take into account social and economic facets has led to the concept of sustainable tourism, which, however, represents a goal far from being attained. A good opportunity to promote sustainable tourism was provided by the Interreg MED BLUEISLANDS project, whose main aim was to identify, address and mitigate the effects of the seasonal variation of waste generated by tourism on Mediterranean islands. Here, we present the methodological framework of the project aimed at biomonitoring coastal seawater in highly touristic sites using macroalgae as valuable bioindicators of seawater quality and improving its status through the implementation and assessment of mitigation measures that included also the involvement of stakeholders. Outcomes of the project highlighted the effectiveness of such an integrated approach, confirming the importance of choosing proper indicators and tools that can support the development of management plans aiming to mitigate environmental impact and foster sustainable tourism.

scholarly journals Where we Come from and where to Go: Six Decades of Botanical Studies in the Mediterranean Wetlands, with Sardinia (Italy) as a Case Study

Wetlands ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Cuena-Lombraña ◽  
Mauro Fois ◽  
Annalena Cogoni ◽  
Gianluigi Bacchetta
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Evolutionary Strategies ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Research Themes ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Water Saturated

AbstractPlants are key elements of wetlands due to their evolutionary strategies for coping with life in a water-saturated environment, providing the basis for supporting nearly all wetland biota and habitat structure for other taxonomic groups. Sardinia, the second largest island of the Mediterranean Basin, hosts a great variety of wetlands, of which 16 are included in eight Ramsar sites. The 119 hydro- and hygrophilous vascular plant taxa from Sardinia represent the 42.6% and 37.9% of the number estimated for Italy and Europe, respectively. Moreover, around 30% of Sardinia’s bryological flora, which is made up of 498 taxa, is present in temporary ponds. An overview at regional scale considering algae is not available, to our knowledge, even though several specific studies have contributed to their knowledge. In order to find the most investigated research themes and wetland types, identify knowledge gaps and suggest recommendations for further research, we present a first attempt to outline the work that has been hitherto done on plants in lentic habitats in Sardinia. Three plant groups (algae, bryophytes and vascular plants), and five research themes (conservation, ecology, inventory, palaeobotany and taxonomy) were considered. After a literature review, we retained 202 papers published from 1960 to 2019. We found that studies on vascular plants, as plant group, were disproportionately more numerous, and inventories and ecology were the most investigated research themes. Although efforts have recently been made to fill these long-lasting gaps, there is a need for updating the existing information through innovative methods and integrative approaches.

scholarly journals Extensive introgression and mosaic genomes of Mediterranean endemic lizards

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weizhao Yang ◽  
Nathalie Feiner ◽  
Catarina Pinho ◽  
Geoffrey M. While ◽  
Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
The Past ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire History ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

AbstractThe Mediterranean basin is a hotspot of biodiversity, fuelled by climatic oscillation and geological change over the past 20 million years. Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are among the most abundant, diverse, and conspicuous Mediterranean fauna. Here, we unravel the remarkably entangled evolutionary history of wall lizards by sequencing genomes of 34 major lineages covering 26 species. We demonstrate an early (>11 MYA) separation into two clades centred on the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and two clades of Mediterranean island endemics. Diversification within these clades was pronounced between 6.5–4.0 MYA, a period spanning the Messinian Salinity Crisis, during which the Mediterranean Sea nearly dried up before rapidly refilling. However, genetic exchange between lineages has been a pervasive feature throughout the entire history of wall lizards. This has resulted in a highly reticulated pattern of evolution across the group, characterised by mosaic genomes with major contributions from two or more parental taxa. These hybrid lineages gave rise to several of the extant species that are endemic to Mediterranean islands. The mosaic genomes of island endemics may have promoted their extraordinary adaptability and striking diversity in body size, shape and colouration, which have puzzled biologists for centuries.

scholarly journals Terrestrial Morphotypes of Aquatic Plants Display Improved Seed Germination to Deal with Dry or Low-Rainfall Periods

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 741
Author(s):  
Rocío Fernández-Zamudio ◽  
Pablo García-Murillo ◽  
Carmen Díaz-Paniagua
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Aquatic Plants ◽  
Aquatic Plant ◽  
Population Persistence ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Percent Germination ◽  
Plant Assemblages ◽  
Viable Seeds

In temporary ponds, seed germination largely determines how well aquatic plant assemblages recover after dry periods. Some aquatic plants have terrestrial morphotypes that can produce seeds even in dry years. Here, we performed an experiment to compare germination patterns for seeds produced by aquatic and terrestrial morphotypes of Ranunculus peltatus subsp. saniculifolius over the course of five inundation events. During the first inundation event, percent germination was higher for terrestrial morphotype seeds (36.1%) than for aquatic morphotype seeds (6.1%). Seed germination peaked for both groups during the second inundation event (terrestrial morphotype: 47%; aquatic morphotype: 34%). Even after all five events, some viable seeds had not yet germinated (terrestrial morphotype: 0.6%; aquatic morphotype: 5%). We also compared germination patterns for the two morphotypes in Callitriche brutia: the percent germination was higher for terrestrial morphotype seeds (79.5%) than for aquatic morphotype seeds (41.9%). Both aquatic plant species use two complementary strategies to ensure population persistence despite the unpredictable conditions of temporary ponds. First, plants can produce seeds with different dormancy periods that germinate during different inundation periods. Second, plants can produce terrestrial morphotypes, which generate more seeds during dry periods, allowing for re-establishment when conditions are once again favorable.

Distinctive genetic signatures of two fairy shrimp species with overlapping ranges in Iberian temporary ponds

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Lopes da Cunha ◽  
Jordi Sala ◽  
Margarida Machado ◽  
Dani Boix ◽  
Celine Madeira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Fairy Shrimp ◽  
Shrimp Species ◽  
Genetic Signatures

Livestock disturbances in Mediterranean temporary ponds: A mesocosm experiment with sheep manure and simulated trampling

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (5) ◽  
pp. 856-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten Van den Broeck ◽  
Laila Rhazi ◽  
Aline Waterkeyn ◽  
Mohammed El Madihi ◽  
Patrick Grillas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mesocosm Experiment ◽  
Temporary Ponds ◽  
Sheep Manure ◽  
Mediterranean Temporary Ponds

Plant community changes as ecological indicator of seabird colonies’ impacts on Mediterranean Islands

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teddy Baumberger ◽  
Laurence Affre ◽  
Franck Torre ◽  
Eric Vidal ◽  
Pierre-Jean Dumas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Ecological Indicator ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Community Changes ◽  
Seabird Colonies
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