scholarly journals From troubles to solutions: conservation of Mediterranean tortoises under global change

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Graciá ◽  
Roberto Carlos Rodríguez-Caro ◽  
Marcos Ferrández ◽  
Albert Martínez-Silvestre ◽  
Irene Pérez-Ibarra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Wild Animals ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Testudo Graeca ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Endangered Status

Chelonians are among the animal groups with the poorest conservation status. Since tortoises are long-lived species that need very long time to reach sexual maturity, they are extremely vulnerable to human pressure. Despite their endangered status, there are no common strategies for the development of conservation actions. At the “Mediterranean workshop to develop tortoise conservation strategies”, scientists, conservation associations, environmental managers, IUCN advisers and CITES inspectors met in October 2019 in Alicante (Spain). The aims were to update the diagnosis of the conservation status of the Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni) and the spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca) and to suggest strategies that guarantee their preservation at the Mediterranean Region. The main conclusions are summarized by: i) Mediterranean tortoises are wild endangered species that must be protected in, and together with, their natural habitat. Their main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation and pet trade, but we should also pay attention to wildfires, spread of diseases, the introduction of exotic species or lineages and climate change. ii) Long-term efforts and stablished protocols are needed to accurately diagnose and monitor the conservation status of wild populations, as well as flows among captive and wild animals. iii)  Tortoise trade should be banned because it threatens the conservation of wild populations of tortoises. Illegal practices related to tortoises should be decidedly persecuted. People should consider tortoises as wild animals that are endangered and deserving of protection. It is possible to enjoy them by responsibly observing them in their habitat. iv) Tortoises may carry pathogens or parasites and their sanitary status cannot be fully assessed. They should always be considered potential vectors of tortoise diseases and of zoonosis. Hygiene protocols should be implemented when managing them. v) The researchers attending this workshop aimed to develop a scientific network for the long-term monitoring of graeca and T. hermanni populations in the Mediterranean Region. They will need the support from public administrations.  

Rediscovery and conservation of Linaria cossonii Bonnet & Barratte (Plantaginaceae) in Tunisia

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 423 (5) ◽  
pp. 284-288
Author(s):  
RIDHA EL MOKNI ◽  
LORENZO PERUZZI
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Red List ◽  
Northern Africa ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Annual Herb ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Data Deficient ◽  
Near Threatened

The genus Linaria Miller (1754: 272) (Plantaginaceae) is the largest of tribe Antirrhineae, including ca. 150 species native to temperate regions of Europe, northern Africa, and Asia (Sáez et al. 2004, Mabberley 2008). The diversity centre of this genus is in the Mediterranean region (Sutton 1988), where 90 species occur (see e.g., Marhold 2011+). The flora of Tunisia includes 21 Linaria species and 10 subspecies, among which 6 taxa are endemic to the country (Pottier-Alapetite 1981, Le Floc’h et al. 2010, Marhold 2011+, Dobignard & Chatelain 2013, APD 2019). Tunisian endemics are still poorly known in terms of frequency, ecology and population dynamics, making difficult to assess their conservation status. Recently, the IUCN Global Red List 2018 (Valderrábano et al. 2018) assessed about 30 Tunisian taxa as Threatened (CR, EN, VU), Near Threatened (NT), and Data Deficient (DD). Among those listed in the latter category, there is Linaria cossonii Bonnet & Barratte (1896: 317), a usually annual herb up to 150 cm tall, growing within coastal sandy pine forests in the NE of Tunisia (CB & NE sensu Pottier Alapetite 1981). This species is rare and was scarcely seen after 1883, i.e. its date of first collection as derived from the protologue.

scholarly journals The decline and conservation management of the threatened endemic palms of the Mascarene Islands

Oryx ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mike Maunder ◽  
Wayne Page ◽  
John Mauremootoo ◽  
Richard Payendee ◽  
Yousoof Mungroo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Population Fragmentation ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Mascarene Islands

Abstract The conservation status of the five genera and 11 species of palm endemic to the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, La Réunion and Rodriques) are reviewed. All species are threatened with extinction; nine taxa are classified as Critically Endangered and four as Endangered on the 2000 IUCN Red List. Two taxa survive as single wild specimens (Hyophorbe amaricaulis and Dictyosperma album var. conjugatum); an additional seven taxa have wild populations of 100 or fewer. Although the historical phase of large-scale forest clearance has passed, the remaining palm populations in the Mascarenes are under threat from the effects of population fragmentation, invasive plants and animals, and high levels of seed predation that prevent natural regeneration. The advantages of in situ management for the recovery of these palm populations are discussed. Without a long-term conservation programme, utilising both in situ and ex situ management, extinction of wild populations will occur.

scholarly journals Lateral variations of pressure-temperature evolution in non-cylindrical orogens and 3-D subduction dynamics: the Betic-Rif Cordillera example

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eloïse Bessière ◽  
Laurent Jolivet ◽  
Romain Augier ◽  
Stéphane Scaillet ◽  
Jacques Précigout ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Geodynamic Setting ◽  
Time Deformation ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Longitudinal Variations ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Slab Tearing ◽  
Mantle Exhumation

<p>Orogens closely linked to 3-D subduction dynamics are frequently non-cylindrical and the Mediterranean region is a perfect natural laboratory to observe several of them, as well as their interactions. Through the succession of extension, subduction and sometimes collision events, the kinematic reconstructions of such orogens can be difficult and the subject of active debates. The internal zones are often non-consensual, especially when their long-term Pressure-Temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-d) evolutions are studied. This complexity is mostly due to pre-orogenic inheritance or complex interactions between the subducting lithosphere, the overriding plate and the asthenosphere. All these elements are described and documented in Mediterranean orogens, i.e., a complex shape of the Eurasian and African margins in pre-orogenic times and a complex slab retreat and tearing dynamics. Their 3-D geometry results in strongly arcuate belts, such as the Betic-Rif Cordillera, located in the westernmost part of the Mediterranean region.</p><p>Focused on the Internal Zones of the Betic-Rif Cordillera and based on recent findings (Orogen Project framework), a synthesis of the tectono-metamorphic evolution shows the relations in space and time between tectonic and P-T evolutions. The reinterpretation of the contact between peridotite massifs and Mesozoic sediments as an extensional detachment leads to a discussion of the geodynamic setting and timing of mantle exhumation. Based on new <sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>39</sup>Ar ages in the Alpujárride Complex (metamorphic formations of the Betic Internal Zones) and a discussion of published ages in the Nevado-Filabride Complex (metamorphic formations of the Betic Internal Zones), we conclude that the age of the HP-LT metamorphism is Eocene in all the Internal Zones. A first-order observation is the contrast between the well-preserved Eocene HP-LT blueschists-facies rocks of the Eastern Alpujárride-Sebtide Complex and the younger HT-LP conditions reaching partial melting recorded in the Western Alpujárride. We propose a model where the large longitudinal variations in the P-T evolution are mainly due to (i) differences in the timing of subduction and exhumation, (ii) the nature of the subducting lithosphere and (iii) a major change in subduction dynamics at ~20 Ma associated with a slab-tearing event.</p>

Neotectonics and long-term seismicity in Europe and the Mediterranean region

2015 ◽  
Vol 120 (7) ◽  
pp. 5311-5342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele M. C. Carafa ◽  
Salvatore Barba ◽  
Peter Bird
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
The Mediterranean

REVISION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAN TRIGLOCHIN BULBOSA COMPLEX (JUNCAGINACEAE)

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Köcke ◽  
S. von Mering ◽  
L. Mucina ◽  
J. W. Kadereit
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
New Species ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
New Subspecies ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
One New Species

The Triglochin bulbosa complex (Juncaginaceae) from the Mediterranean region and Africa is revised. One new species, Triglochin buchenaui Köcke, Mering & Kadereit, and two new subspecies, Triglochin bulbosa subsp. calcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit and Triglochin bulbosa subsp. quarcicola Mering, Köcke & Kadereit, are described from South Africa. The only two Mediterranean taxa in the complex (Triglochin barrelieri, T. laxiflora) are elevated to species rank. Altogether seven species and four subspecies are recognised: Triglochin barrelieri, T. buchenaui, T. bulbosa subsp. bulbosa, T. bulbosa subsp. calcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. quarcicola, T. bulbosa subsp. tenuifolia, T. compacta, T. elongata, T. laxiflora and T. milnei. An identification key, detailed descriptions and accounts of the ecology and distribution of the taxa are provided. An IUCN conservation status is proposed for each taxon.

scholarly journals Long term precipitation trends and variability within the Mediterranean region

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3235-3250 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Philandras ◽  
P. T. Nastos ◽  
J. Kapsomenakis ◽  
K. C. Douvis ◽  
G. Tselioudis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Level ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Climatic Research Unit ◽  
Rain Season ◽  
The World ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. In this study, the trends and variability of annual precipitation totals and annual rain days over land within the Mediterranean region are analyzed. Long term ground-based observations concerning, on one hand, monthly precipitation totals (1900–2010) and rain days (1965–2010) from 40 meteorological stations within the Mediterranean region were obtained from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service and the World Climate Data and Monitoring Programme (WCDMP) of the World Meteorological Organization. On the other hand, high spatial resolution (0.5° × 0.5°) gridded monthly data CRU TS 3.1 were acquired from the Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, for the period 1901–2009. The two datasets were compared by means of trends and variability, while the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in the Mediterranean precipitation was examined. In the process, the climatic changes in the precipitation regime between the period 1961–1990 (reference period) and the period 2071–2100 (future climate) were presented using climate model simulations (RACMO2.1/KNMI). The future climate projections were based on SRES A1B. The findings of the analysis showed that statistically significant (95% confidence level) negative trends of the annual precipitation totals exist in the majority of Mediterranean regions during the period 1901–2009, with an exception of northern Africa, southern Italy and western Iberian peninsula, where slight positive trends (not statistically significant at 95% CL) appear. Concerning the annual number of rain days, a pronounced decrease of 20 %, statistically significant (95% confidence level), appears in representative meteorological stations of east Mediterranean, while the trends are insignificant for west and central Mediterranean. Additionally, NAO index was found to be anticorrelated with the precipitation totals and the number of rain days mainly in Spain, southern France, Italy and Greece. These correlations are higher within the rain season (October–March) than the entire year. Based on the results of regional climate model RACMO2.1/KNMI, precipitation is very likely to decrease almost 20% in the period 2071–2100 compared to 1961–1990, under SRES A1B.

Long-term climate change in the Mediterranean region in the midst of decadal variability

2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 1437-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annarita Mariotti ◽  
Yutong Pan ◽  
Ning Zeng ◽  
Andrea Alessandri
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Decadal Variability ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals The Tertiary relict tree Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae): distribution, population structure and conservation status on Crete

Oryx ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Kozlowski ◽  
David Frey ◽  
Laurence Fazan ◽  
Bernhard Egli ◽  
Sébastien Bétrisey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Mediterranean Region ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Asymmetric Structure ◽  
Small Populations ◽  
Relict Species ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Present Distribution ◽  
Number Of Individuals

AbstractRelict species provide a unique opportunity to understand past and recent biogeographical and evolutionary processes. Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae), which is endemic to the island of Crete (Greece), is one of the most prominent Tertiary relict trees of the Mediterranean region. We collected distribution, threat and population structure data by reviewing literature and herbaria and through field surveys at 14 study plots throughout the range of the species. The present distribution of Z. abelicea is extremely fragmented. Although the total estimated number of individuals is relatively high, the populations are dominated by dwarf, severely browsed, non-flowering individuals. The population structure is asymmetric. At most, 5% of a plot's trees are large and fruit-bearing. The asymmetric structure is particularly pronounced in isolated and small populations. Based on its limited geographical range, the fragmented spatial pattern, and data on distribution and population structure, our study confirms that Z. abelicea is a threatened species (IUCN category Endangered). Our research aim is to promote the development of new approaches for the improvement of conservation strategies for Tertiary relict trees characterized by major local disjunctions.

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