scholarly journals Characterizing Precipitation Variability and Trends in the World’s Mediterranean-Climate Areas

Water ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Deitch ◽  
Michele Sapundjieff ◽  
Shane Feirer
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Climate Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

The Mediterranean climate is principally characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. However, there are large variations in precipitation dynamics in regions with this climate type. We examined the variability of precipitation within and among Mediterranean-climate areas, and classified the Mediterranean climate as wet, moderate, or dry based on annual precipitation; and strongly, moderately, or weakly seasonal based on percentage of precipitation during summer. Mediterranean biomes are mostly dry (<700 mm annually) but some areas are wet (>1300 mm annually); and many areas are weakly seasonal (>12% of annual precipitation during summer). We also used NOAA NCDC climate records to characterize interannual variability of annual and dry-season precipitation, as well as trends in annual, winter, and dry-season precipitation for 337 sites that met the data quality criteria from 1975 to 2015. Most significantly, sites in many Mediterranean-climate regions show downward trends in annual precipitation (southern California, Spain, Australia, Chile, and Northern Italy); and most of North America, the Mediterranean basin, and Chile showed downward trends in summer precipitation. Variations in annual and summer precipitation likely contribute to the high biodiversity and endemism characteristic of Mediterranean-climate biomes; the data indicate trends toward harsher conditions over the past 40 years.

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 Conservation of the group Piperia (Orchidaceae) and associated plant communities

Lankesteriana ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Lauri
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mediterranean

The conservation and protection of California native orchids has not been a large focus recently. All California native orchids are terrestrial and many are associated with forest and woodland plant com- munities. However, a number are associated with the Mediterranean Climate plant community known as Chaparral; this includes at least three Piperia Rydb. species. Many Piperia populations and associated Chaparral plant communities have been impacted by human activity over the past several decades, howev- er, there is very little documentation regarding the size, and overall impact to the populations. 

scholarly journals A note on the dynamics of food systems in Algeria: The example of the Ziban and the Souf

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 048-055
Author(s):  
Salah Bouchemal
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Important Food ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
The Past ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

This work is about a note which records some results concerning a research undertaken in Algeria. It is part of a cooperation between several Mediterranean teams. Its objective is to report on current developments in agricultural practices on the environment and on the territories, in order to design conceptual scenarios that will draw profiles that can ensure sustainable food security in cities and the maintenance of biodiversity. Similarly, it will have another interest, it is to develop an exhaustive and homogeneous database on the western part of the Mediterranean basin. For Algeria, the studied areas are distributed on a biogeographical section, from the Mediterranean coast to the Sahara, that is to say, places sufficiently representative of the North-South ecological degradation and of the diversity of situations. The results reported in this note concern two Saharan areas, the Ziban and the Souf, as the final results of the research have not yet been achieved, since the project is still ongoing. In these two areas, agriculture in the past was limited to the traditional oasis system, just to ensure the subsistence of the inhabitants, but today, several factors have contributed to a revival of agriculture whose development is spectacular. Thus, the Ziban and the Souf have become very important food producing areas and even exporters of food products. However, it should be pointed out that this dynamic, if it is a source of innovation, it has negative consequences on the oasis heritage and on the environment.

scholarly journals Lower temperature thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching of the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in a Mediterranean climate

2011 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ó. Dembilio ◽  
G.V. Tapia ◽  
M.M. Téllez ◽  
J.A. Jacas
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Rhynchophorus Ferrugineus ◽  
Red Palm Weevil ◽  
Egg Hatching ◽  
Palm Weevil ◽  
Temperature Thresholds ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Lower Temperature ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

AbstractThe red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an economically important pest of palms worldwide. To better understand the phenology of R. ferrugineus populations in the Mediterranean basin, the objective of the present work has been to estimate the effect of temperatures within the range 10–25°C on the reproductive parameters of R. ferrugineus and to determine its lower temperature thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching. Our results confirm that oviposition in R. ferrugineus is strongly affected by temperature. Lower thresholds for oviposition and egg hatching (15.45° and 13.95°C, respectively) are below the mean monthly temperatures registered in winter in most of the northern shore of the Mediterranean basin. Under these circumstances, new palm infestations would be difficult during most of the winter. These results should be taken into account when planning some palm management practices, such as pruning or pesticide treatments, in areas under a Mediterranean climate.

scholarly journals Tortonian teleost otoliths from northern Italy: taxonomic synthesis and stratigraphic significance

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Hsiang Lin ◽  
Rotislav Brzobohatý ◽  
Dirk Nolf ◽  
Angela Girone
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Unique Combination ◽  
Generic Level ◽  
New Material ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Fish Otoliths

The Tortonian fish otoliths of northern Italy have been studied for more than a century and represent one of the best known otolith-based teleost faunas in the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin. Yet with the growing knowledge on Recent otoliths, an updated taxonomic overview of this fauna is needed. Moreover, new material from hemipelagic Tortonian marls sampled at nine localities is described herein, revealing 109 taxa of which 88 are recognised at species level. Four of these are new: Coryphaenoides biobtusus sp. nov., “Merluccius” rattazzii sp. nov., Neobythites auriculatus sp. nov. and Lesueurigobius stironensis sp. nov. The compilation of previously studied and newly acquired material revealed a total of 118 nominal Tortonian species. At generic level, the fauna is characterised by many modern forms; more than 90% can be assigned to present day genera. At species level, however, more than half of the represented taxa are extinct. Based on the fossil otolith record, the Tortonian fauna of the Mediterranean is most similar to that of the Langhian (Badenian) of the Central Paratethys by sharing many extinct Miocene species, but it is also very close to that of the Pliocene Mediterranean, by sharing many modern Atlantic-Mediterranean forms. The Tortonian fauna is further characterised by many species that are apparently confined to the upper Miocene, resulting in a unique combination of its taxonomic composition.

Legumes in the Fire-Prone Mediterranean Regions: an Example From Greece

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 77 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Arianoutsou ◽  
CA Thanos
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
The World ◽  
Mediterranean Regions ◽  
Successional Stages ◽  
Woody Shrubs ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Mediterranean Type Ecosystems ◽  
Of Greece ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Mediterranean climate ecosystems of the Mediterranean rim are rich in legumes, both as woody shrubs of the late successional stages and as short-lived, pioneer herbaceous plants. In a survey of the floras of numerous geographic regions of Greece, legumes in Mediterranean parts are found to contribute considerably more (11-16% of the total number of species) than in non-Mediterranean regions (6-8%). Legume presence is also notable in other Mediterranean-type ecosystems of the world; nevertheless most leguminous taxa of the Mediterranean basin are herbs in contrast to a significant contribution of shrubs in California and Chile. Due to their long-lived soil banks of hard coated seeds herbaceous legumes are usually among the early post-fire colonizers in the Mediterranean and may play a significant role in the succession of fire-prone communities.

scholarly journals Significant variations of trace gas composition and aerosol properties at Mt. Cimone during air mass transport from North Africa – contributions from wildfire emissions and mineral dust

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 7825-7872 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Cristofanelli ◽  
A. Marinoni ◽  
J. Arduini ◽  
U. Bonafè ◽  
F. Calzolari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Mediterranean Basin ◽  
Mineral Dust ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Radiative Properties ◽  
Trace Gas ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Air Masses ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. High levels of trace gas (O3 and CO) and aerosol (BC, fine and coarse particles) concentrations, as well as high scattering coefficient (σs) values, were recorded at the regional GAW-WMO station of Mt. Cimone (MTC, 2165 m a.s.l., Italy) during the period 26–30 August 2007. Analysis of air-mass circulation, aerosol chemical characterization and trace gas and aerosol emission ratios (ERs), showed that high O3 and aerosol levels were likely linked to (i) the transport of anthropogenic pollution from Northern Italy, and (ii) the advection of air masses rich in mineral dust and biomass burning (BB) products from North Africa. In particular, during the advection of air masses from North Africa, the CO and aerosol levels (CO: 175 ppbv, BC: 1015 ng/m3, fine particle: 83.8 cm−3, σs: 84.5 Mm−1) were even higher than during the pollution event (CO: 138 ppbv, BC: 733 ng/m3, fine particles: 41.5 cm−3, σs: 44.9 Mm−1). Moreover, despite the presence of mineral dust able to significantly affect the O3 concentration, the analysis of ERs showed that the BB event represented an efficient source of fine aerosol particles (e.g. BC), but also of the O3 recorded at MTC. The results suggest that events of mineral dust mobilization and wildfire emissions over North Africa could significantly influence radiative properties (as deduced from σs observations at MTC) and air quality over the Mediterranean basin and Northern Italy. Since in the future it is expected that wildfire and Saharan dust transport frequency could increase in the Mediterranean basin due to more frequent and severe droughts, similar events will possibly play an important role in influencing the climate and the tropospheric composition over South Europe.

scholarly journals The rainfall regime and its uncertainty in Valencia and Larnaca

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 101-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Reiser ◽  
H. Kutiel
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
Season Length ◽  
Dry Spell ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Two Sides ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

Abstract. The Most Expected Rainfall Regime – MERR in a certain region is composed of various parameters regarding the annual rainfall regime in that region. The present study examines several parameters of the MERR, such as: the rainfall TOTAL, the Date of Accumulated Percentage-DAP, the Rainy Season Length-RSL, the Number of Rain-Spells-NRS, the Rain-Spell Yield-RSY, the ratio between Average and Median rainfall-AMED, the relationship between accumulated precipitation and the number of rain-spells and the Dry-Spell Distribution-DSD. Two stations at the two sides of the Mediterranean basin, Valencia and Larnaca, have been used to illustrate the distribution of the above parameters across the Mediterranean. The main conclusion of the study is that the rainfall regime at Larnaca is less uncertain as compared with the regime in Valencia. This is probably due to the fact that rainfalls are completely absent during the summer in Larnaca, which better suits the definition of a Mediterranean climate than that of Valencia.

scholarly journals Precipitation Regime Changes at Four Croatian Meteorological Stations

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 885
Author(s):  
Ognjen Bonacci ◽  
Ivo Andrić ◽  
Adrijana Vrsalović ◽  
Duje Bonacci
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Precipitation Regime ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Regime Changes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Continental Climate

The article analyses the values of daily, monthly and annual precipitation measured during the period 1948–2019 at the following four stations: (1) Split, (2) Hvar, (3) Lastovo and (4) Zagreb. The first three stations are located in a Mediterranean climate, while the station in Zagreb is located in a continental climate. The aim of the performed analyses is to detect non-stationarity (trends, jumps, and seasonality) in the precipitation regime at three-time scales (day, month, and year) over the period of the last 72 years (1948–2020). Numerous previous analyses at all four stations showed statistically significant increases in air temperature, which were particularly amplified in the late 1980s by the effect of global warming. Expressed as a percentage of the total annual precipitation at all four analysed locations, the presence of an increasing trend was calculated. The analyses carried out in this work showed that there was a redistribution of precipitation during the year, a decrease in the number of days with precipitation and an intensification of precipitation in both climatic regions. Over the past 73 years, the number of days with precipitation per year has slowly decreased. The number of days with intense precipitation, P ≥ 32.0 mm, has become more frequent.

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