Results of the First Herpetological Survey of Israel’s Mediterranean Coastal Islets

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 231-236
Author(s):  
Alex Slavenko ◽  
Erez Maza ◽  
Yuval Itescu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Nested Structure ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Natural Dispersal

Small islets in the Mediterranean Sea are often home to reptiles, typically representing an impoverished sample of the continental fauna, yet with high population densities and signs of rapid morphological and behavioral evolution. In this paper, we present the first herpetofaunal survey of several small islet clusters in close proximity to the Mediterranean coast of Israel, only recently geologically separated from the mainland. We performed surveys of five islets during March of 2017 – 2018 and recorded the presence of five different species of reptiles on four of the surveyed islets. Species richness varied between 1 and 4 species, and appeared to be correlated with island area, with a distinct nested structure. Reptile species may have colonized the islets by natural dispersal from nearby coastal populations, or by hitch-hiking on fishing boats and similar methods of human-assisted dispersal. Alternatively, the recorded reptiles may represent relictual populations from earlier geologic periods, when lower sea-levels supported continuous land-bridges between the islets and the mainland. These insular reptile populations require further study to establish the exact means of colonization and describe if and how they differ from mainland populations. We stress the importance of such small Mediterranean islets such as these as centers of unique biodiversity and encourage future study and conservation action aimed at them and similar islets.

Colonization of Coastal and Estuarine Environments

2020 ◽  
pp. 247-279
Author(s):  
Joseph L. Staton ◽  
Brian A. Canada ◽  
Stephen A. Borgianini ◽  
Karen M. Barkel
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Faunal Assemblages ◽  
Document Frequency ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Collection Data ◽  
Eastern North Atlantic

Coastal and estuarine environments are some of the best-known and most well-studied ecosystems in the world in that these regions lie in close proximity to much of the world’s human population. The crustaceans that inhabit these environments, both as adults and larvae, are adapted to the high productivity that characterizes such areas. We summarize their adaptations and behaviors and the physical characteristics of coastal zones and estuaries in shallower waters (<200 m). In an attempt to objectively review worldwide diversity and endemism within the Crustacea from coastal and estuarine environments, we have used open access global collection data and developed a novel application of an informatics principle (term frequency-inverse document frequency [TF-IDF]) to identify regions with unique faunal assemblages that typify some coastal, shallow waters to assess potential endemism (as assessed by our technique) across groups at differing taxonomic levels. Crustaceans, as a whole, show highest species richness and endemism in three clusters (using the TF-IDF assessment): the eastern temperate north Atlantic, the western temperate north Atlantic, and the western tropical south Pacific. Peracarid and decapod species dominate the collection data, making up 94% of all species analyzed. Peracarids dominate species richness across all temperate zones, yet their highest predicted coastal endemism appears in the eastern north Atlantic by our index. Our analyses using this new method focused on species from less than 200 m depth worldwide. Upcoming impacts of changing sea levels and increases in global temperature will likely have their greatest impact on the fauna of these zones.

Millstone quarries along the Mediterranean coast: Chronology, morphological variability and relationships with past sea levels

2017 ◽  
Vol 439 ◽  
pp. 102-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Antonioli ◽  
N. Mourtzas ◽  
M. Anzidei ◽  
R. Auriemma ◽  
E. Galili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variations of aridity shape dung beetle assemblages towards the Sahara desert

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Indradatta deCastro-Arrazola ◽  
Joaquín Hortal ◽  
Marco Moretti ◽  
Francisco Sánchez-Piñero
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Variation Partitioning ◽  
Dung Beetle ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Semiarid Region ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Linear Regressions

BackgroundAssemblage responses to environmental gradients are key to understand the general principles behind the assembly and functioning of communities. The spatially and temporally uneven distribution of water availability in drylands creates strong aridity gradients. While the effects of spatial variations of aridity are relatively well known, the influence of the highly-unpredictable seasonal and inter-annual precipitations on dryland communities has been seldom addressed.AimsHere, we study the seasonal and inter-annual responses of dung beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) communities to the variations of water availability along a semiarid region of the Mediterranean.MethodsWe surveyed a 400 km linear transect along a strong aridity gradient from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara (Eastern Morocco), during four sampling campaigns: two in the wet season and two in the dry season. We measured species richness, abundance and evenness. Variations in community composition between sites, seasons and years were assessed through beta diversity partitioning of dissimiliarity metrics based on species occurrences and abundances. The effects of climate, soil, vegetation and dung availability were evaluated using Spearman-rank correlations, general linear regressions and partial least-squares generalized linear regressions for community structure, and non-metric multi-dimensional scaling, Permutational Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) and distance-based RDA variation partitioning for compositional variations.ResultsDung beetle abundance and species richness showed large seasonal variations, but remained relatively similar between years. Indeed, aridity and its interaction with season and year were the strongest correlates of variations in species richness and composition. Increasing aridity resulted in decreasing species richness and an ordered replacement of species, namely the substitution of the Mediterranean fauna by desert assemblages dominated by saprophagous and generalist species both in space towards the Sahara and in the dry season.DiscussionOur study shows that aridity determines composition in dung beetle communities, filtering species both in space and time. Besides the expected decrease in species richness, such environmental filtering promotes a shift towards generalist and saprophagous species in arid conditions, probably related to changes in resource quality along the transect and through the year. Our results highlight the importance of considering the effects of the highly-unpredictable seasonal and inter-annual variations in precipitation when studying dryland communities.

Genetic Diversity and Structure of the Nile Soft-Shelled Turtle (Trionyx triunguis) Along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 307-315
Author(s):  
Özgür Güçlü ◽  
Bülent Bozdoğan
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Loci ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Genetic Variations ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Genetic Diversity And Structure ◽  
Polymorphic Microsatellite ◽  
The Mediterranean

The Nile soft-shelled turtle (Trionyx triunguis) is distributed between Dalyan and Samandağ throughout the Mediterranean coast in Turkey. The Mediterranean subpopulation of the Nile soft-shelled turtle is listed as critically endangered in the IUCN Red List Categories. This investigation aimed to determinate levels of genetic variations and patterns of genetic structures among Mediterranean populations in Turkey by using T. triunguis-specific microsatellite primers. A total of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci were studied among samples of 121 individuals collected from five populations in Turkey. Of 13 polymorphic microsatellite loci used, 3 new were identified in this study. The genetic differentiation among the 5 studied populations of T. triunguis was significant (p 0.001). The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that genetic variations occurred mainly within populations (89.7%) rather than among populations (10.3%). Structure analysis showed presence of two main groups among the Mediterranean T. triunguis populations. However genetic variations among populations were not correlated with geographic distance between the locations. Analysis of data showed that one of the populations (Dalyan) had undergone a bottleneck effect. Migration analysis indicates that T. triunguis migrates between five Mediterranean populations in Turkey. We concluded that based on our results the status of ‘critically endangered’ of T. triunguis should be maintained. Long term population genetic survey studies should be undertaken and changes in habitats of T. triunguis populations, as well as their population size and structure should be monitored for each population to be able to establish a clear strategy for protection of T. triunguis.

The formation of the Egyptian Arabic dialect area

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Behnstedt ◽  
Manfred Woidich
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Dialect Contact ◽  
Historical Information ◽  
Egyptian Arabic ◽  
Transitional Area ◽  
The Mediterranean

This chapter deals with the sedentary dialects of Egypt, excluding the bedouin dialects of Sinai and the Libyan bedouin dialects on the Mediterranean coast. It attempts to combine historical information on the settlement of Arabic tribes in Egypt with accounts of present-day Egyptian dialects and those of the regions from which those tribes came, initially Yemen and the Levant, later Hejaz, and then the Maghreb. The diversity of the Egyptian Arabic dialect area is partly explained by external factors, namely different layers of arabization over centuries. It is also explained by internal factors, namely dialect contact, which implies phenomena such as hyperdialectisms. Egypt is seen as a dialect area in its own right, but one that shows phenomena of a transitional area between the Arab East and West. A case study of Alexandria deals with dialect death. The role of substrata is discussed, but is considered negligible.

Floristic patterns and ecological drivers of sand dune ecosystem along the Mediterranean coast of Egypt

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Abdelaal ◽  
Dalia Ahmed ◽  
Mauro Fois ◽  
Giuseppe Fenu ◽  
Gianluigi Bacchetta
Keyword(s):  
Sand Dune ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Floristic Patterns ◽  
The Mediterranean

scholarly journals Storm Energy Flux Characterization along the Mediterranean Coast of Andalusia (Spain)

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Molina ◽  
Giorgio Manno ◽  
Carlo Lo Re ◽  
Giorgio Anfuso ◽  
Giuseppe Ciraolo
Keyword(s):  
Energy Flux ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Cumulative Energy ◽  
Weather Forecasts ◽  
Wave Energy Flux ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Storm Characteristics

This paper investigates wave climate and storm characteristics along the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, for the period 1979–2014, by means of the analysis of wave data on four prediction points obtained from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Normally, to characterize storms, researchers use the so-called “power index”. In this paper, a different approach was adopted based on the assessment of the wave energy flux of each storm, using a robust definition of sea storm. During the investigated period, a total of 2961 storm events were recorded. They were classified by means of their associated energy flux into five classes, from low- (Class I) to high-energetic (Class V). Each point showed a different behavior in terms of energy, number, and duration of storms. Nine stormy years, i.e., years with a high cumulative energy, were recorded in 1980, 1983, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2001, 2008, 2010, and 2013.

Mass Tourism Development on the Mediterranean Coast

2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Anton Clavé ◽  
Onofre Rullan Salamanca ◽  
José Fernando Vera Rebollo
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Development ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
The Mediterranean
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