Life syndrome of the bryophyte communities as an adaptative pattern in the Mediterranean temporary ponds of Italy

Mediterranean temporary ponds are very shallow ponds, isolated from permanent water bodies, which undergo a periodic cycle of flooding and drought, and have a characteristic flora and fauna adapted to this alternation. This habitat is mainly distributed in dry and sub-arid areas. Mediterranean temporary ponds are identified as one of the worldwide biodiversity hotspots and constitutes therefore a priority habitats according to the Natura 2000 network of the European Union (3170*, Council Directive 92/43/CEE). The development of flora and fauna in this type of ecosystem is defined by the natural length of the hydro-period. However, little is known about the hydrological functioning of these very specific hydrosystems. DespiteHS10 this protective conservation status, this habitat has suffered continuous degradation and loss disappearing at a fast rate due anthropogenic impacts and climate pressures. In most cases, temporary wetland disappearance is unintentional and related to a lack of understanding of its hydrological functioning within the watershed.The aim of this work is, hence, to use the tools of the isotope hydrology to increase our basic understanding of the hydrological functioning of the Mediterranean temporary ponds. Our study focuses on the Musella temporary pond located in Southern Corsica (France) which undergoes important man-induced and climatic pressures. During one full hydrological cycle, surface and groundwater levels, major ions, stable isotopes of the water molecules as well as field parameters (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen) have been measured every month.Results bring information on the water quality, chemical stability and temporal evolution in terms of surface water level as well as potential connection with the underlying carbonated aquifer. The stable isotopes inform about the origin of water, its mixing processes with groundwater, and its evaporative status through time.Flooding and drying processes of the Musella temporary pond are now better constrained and documented projections can now be set up towards the resilience of the hydrosystem considering the future consequences of climate change in the Mediterranean region.

Download Full-text

Rare plants of threatened habitats – the Croatian case of Corrigiola litoralis L. (Caryophyllaceae)

Acta Botanica Croatica ◽

10.1515/botcro-2017-0021 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

pp. 105-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nina Vuković ◽

Vedran Šegota ◽

Antun Alegro ◽

Zorana Sedlar

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Region ◽

Small Population ◽

Rare Plants ◽

Temporary Ponds ◽

Temporary Pond ◽

Floristic Survey ◽

Mediterranean Temporary Ponds ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Threatened Habitats

AbstractCorrigiola litoralisis the only member of the genus in the Croatian flora. Most available data are more than 50 years old, and include only four localities in Croatia, exclusively in the islands of the Mediterranean region. During a floristic survey of the island of Molat (Northern Dalmatia) we recorded a small population in Zapuntelsko polje, in a damp, shallow depression, seasonally occurring as a temporary pond. Comparison with the existing literature shows thatC. litoralisoften occurs in Mediterranean temporary ponds and similar globally important and threatened habitats. We strongly believe that careful studies of populations ofC. litoralisand other species with similar ecologies are necessary in order to preserve these habitats and therefore propose actions to achieve this goal.

Download Full-text

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 ◽

10.1007/s13157-021-01464-z ◽

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.

Download Full-text