The Poa bulbosa L. Reproductive Strategy in the Steppe Phytocenoses of the Lower Volga Region

Poa bulbosa L. is a native cereal of the European and Mediterranean flora and an invasive species in North America. The study of its reproductive strategy in different environmental and climatic conditions is important for the development of effective methods of containment and prevention of invasions. Plants of two coenopopulations were investigated embryologically. In addition, the morphology of reproductive organs was analyzed in 175 herbarium specimens collected in the flora of the Lower Volga region from 1919 to 2017. It was found that in the steppe phytocenoses of the Lower Volga region P. bulbosa reproduce mainly vegetatively by basal bulbs and pseudoviviparous bulblets. Rarely, seed mode reproduction in the form of facultative apomixis is realized. There was no dependence of the mode of reproduction (pseudovivipary / seed reproduction) on the date of growing season beginning and on the average temperature in the period from the beginning of the growing season to flowering. The effectiveness of pseudovivipary is low due to the aridity of the Lower Volga region climate. Bulblets germinate in inflorescences and then dry. This holds back the P. bulbosa wider distribution in the studied region.

One of five

There are five Mediterranean type ecosystems (MTE) with a climate characterized by a summer drought in the world. Their comparative ecology and evolution, in five geographically disjunct and distinct regions, has stimulated great interest. The similarities are striking, and after a rapid illustration of similarities in form and function (treated in detail in other work) this chapter explores the similarities that concern the evolution of species diversity and endemism. It also addresses the unique situation of the Mediterranean flora and its history, described in previous chapters. Whereas the other four MTE occur adjacent to an ocean, in a spatially limited climatic island, the Mediterranean flora has evolved around a sea, where marked historical phasing of geological and climatic change has caused the evolution of some quite unique patterns. All five MTE are biodiversity hotspots and, using illustrations from the other MTE, this chapter proposes that the similarity that we should now seek lies in an approach to conservation that integrates ecological and evolutionary processes.

Conservation in the crossroads of history

The first six chapters of this book describe the range of historical and contemporary processes that underlie the wealth, diversity, and divergence of natural populations and species in the Mediterranean flora. The processes of species divergence, adaptive trait variation along ecological transitions, interactions with pollinators and dispersal agents, and ongoing hybridization are, however, barely treated in conservation policy and action. After a presentation of the traditional approach to conservation based on rare species protection and the identification and conservation management of protected areas, this chapter presents arguments for a complementary approach based on the processes of plant evolution. Its primary proposal is that preventing further loss of evolutionary potential should become a major target of contemporary conservation strategies for the Mediterranean flora.

Structure and temporal dynamics of a seaweed assemblage dominated by the invasive lineage 2 of Asparagopsis taxiformis (Bonnemaisoniaceae, Rhodophyta) in the Alboran Sea

Asparagopsis taxiformis is a rhodophycean species composed of six genetic lineages, one of which is considered a relevant invasive component of the Mediterranean flora. In the present study we describe seasonal changes of the structure and biomass of the native community associated to Asparagopsis taxiformis in Granada (Southern Spain). Native community was represented by 18 Rhodophyta, 3 Chlorophyta and 4 Ochrophyta species. Biomass was dominated by A. taxiformis and Halopteris filicina. While in January A. taxiformis accounted for only 16% of the community biomass, an explosive dominance was observed only two months later, representing more than 90% of the algal biomass. Furthermore, low and generally stable values of species richness, Shannon’s diversity index and evenness were recorded during the study period. Given that A. taxiformis gametophytes are present year round, they are likely to pose a constant stress to native community development. This survey provides baseline information of macroalgal community structure useful for further studies to assess the true impact of the invasive lineage of A. taxiformis.

A Review of the Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry and Biological Activities of the Genus Santolina

The genus Santolina is a taxonomically complex group of plant species widely distributed in the Mediterranean flora and used in traditional medicine since ancient times for their biological properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, digestive, and analgesic activities. Phytochemical investigations of Santolina species have revealed the presence of terpenoids as the main bioactive constituents of the genus. Coumarins and flavonoids were also identified. This review deals, for the first time, with information on the traditional uses, chemical profile, and biological properties of plants of the genus Santolina in order to provide input for future research prospects.

Alien grapes (Vitis, Vitaceae) in Sicily (Italy): novelties for the Sicilian and Mediterranean flora

With the aim to improve and update the information on distribution and invasiveness of the genus <em>Vitis</em> across the Euro-Mediterranean area, the authors explored Sicily (Italy), one of the world most important areas for viticulture, where this taxonomic critical group seems to have been neglected on floristics grounds. One naturalized (<em>V. ×goliath</em>) and two invasive taxa (<em>V</em>. <em>×instabilis, V. ×ruggerii</em>) are reported for the first time from this region, while the presence of<em> V. labrusca</em> and<em> V. ×koberi</em> is confirmed. <em>V. rupestris</em> and <em>V.</em> ×<em>ruggerii</em> are recorded as invasive for the first time in the Euro-Mediterranean area, while the invasion status of <em>V. labrusca</em> is changed from casual to naturalized for Sicily. Previous literature data on<em> V. berlandieri</em> and <em>V. riparia</em> are discussed: the former species is excluded from the Sicilian flora, while the latter is regarded as doubtfully present. Additionally, the first record of<em> V.</em> ×<em>ruggerii</em> from Greece (Crete) is reported; this neophyte was previously unknown from eastern Mediterranean.