Conserving wild plants in the south and east Mediterranean region

Flora Mediterranea, 2014

An overview of in situ conservation of plant species in the Mediterranean* Abstract Heywood, V.H.: An overview of in situ conservation of plant species in the Mediterranean. -Fl. Medit. 24: 5-24. 2014. -ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online.

Mediterranean Botany, 2021

This Special Issue provides an overview of the current status of plant conservation biology in Spain and other regions around the World. Papers represent selected outstanding presentations made during the 9th Congress of the Spanish Society of Plant Conservation Biology, which took place in Granada (Spain) on July 9-12, 2019. These papers cover different topics, all illustrating present trends in plant conservation biology. They highlight the important contribution of different approaches to plant conservation in the area. This special issue is dedicated to the memory of the Spanish botanist José Antonio Fernández Prieto (1950-2019).

Forest Ecology and Management, 2000

Mediterranean forests are characterised by a remarkable set of features that make them naturally and aesthetically attractive, on the one hand, but also quite fragile, on the other, therefore calling for careful strategies for their conservation and management. An exceptionally large variation of environmental conditions characterises the Mediterranean countries, where the environment can limit forest growth and succession but can also give rise, more often than it is supposed, to lush, mesic forest ecosystems, similar to those of central Europe. Moreover, Mediterranean forests contain an ample, plant and animal biological diversity, exempli®ed by the large number of tree species as compared to Nordic forests, and by their relatively high genetic variability due to the survival of many conifer and broadleaf species in southern European refuges, during the glacial periods. Another peculiar aspect of this region is the long-lasting manipulation of trees, forests and landscapes, since ancient times, with the diffusion all over the Mediterranean basin of such species as Pinus pinea, Cupressus sempervirens, Castanea sativa, and Quercus suber. The harsh and unpredictable climate, the dif®cult socio-economic conditions and the history of over-exploitation of the Mediterranean forests require that a scienti®cally sound conservation strategy and a locally-tailored sustainable management should be implemented. In particular, the need for identifying those silvicultural and management strategies appropriate for southern European forests should be stressed. Obviously, this consideration will have important effects on the de®nition of criteria for sustainability and eco-certi®cation. Also, social issues should be considered key factors for effective forest conservation in the Mediterranean region, otherwise it will be impossible to control forest ®res and landscape degradation.

Mediterranean Botany

The present paper is an overview of state of the art in plant conservation in Mediterranean-type Ecosystems (MTEs), highlighting current studies and neglected topics. A review of the literature dealing with this issue and a general analysis of the results was performed, delving into relevant plant conservation biology topics. The main topics considered were: 1) reproductive biology and genetic conservation, 2) threat factors and effects of global change, and 3) evaluation of conservation status and protected areas selection. This study illustrates differences in the number of documents published in northern countries of the Mediterranean Basin concerning southern and eastern countries and compared with other MTEs. It also highlights the paramount importance of public organizations as funding entities. Additionally, it points to a decrease in traditional subject categories related to plant conservation and increased multidisciplinary conservation research and novel methodologies (e.g...

2017

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the world's most biodiverse regions and it roughly counts 30,000 different plant taxa, of which approximately 50% are endemic taxa to the region. Thus, this area has been recognized among the world's 34 biodiversity hotspots. Furthermore, the rate of endemism of the big Mediterranean islands is higher than that usually recorded in the neighbouring mainland areas. Plants are vulnerable to many threats mainly represented by physical factors, such as climate change, extreme weather events, recurrent fires, agriculture, as well as by biological factors, such as invasive species and pests. All these factors are particularly worrying in island ecosystems where urban sprawl and human activities may represent a major source of threat hampering the preservation of important habitats and plant species, especially when circumscribed to small areas. In addition, less than 10% of these areas is protected (e.g. nature reserves, regional or national parks, etc.) and, likely most worrying, their management is not always based on the specific scientifically based plant needs. Given these circumstances, many plant species of the Mediterranean area are facing the risk of a severe decline and require urgent protection measures. While in-situ conservation is the fundamental approach to biodiversity conservation, ex-situ conservation is an alternative and effective way to prevent immediate extinction. The CARE-MEDIFLORA project, an initiative of eigh institutions all having a long experience in plant conservation, will make a step forward by using ex situ collections to experiment with in situ active management actions and measures for some taxa within the period of three years of the project. The involved institutions will jointly work to address both short-term and long-term needs, including: (1) in situ conservation for some of the most endangered plant species of the Mediterranean islands through active management actions (e.g. reintroduction, reinforcement, fencing, etc.), in collaboration with the most relevant local authorities to ensure the sustainability of the results; (2) ex situ conservation of the most endangered plant species of the Mediterranean islands through the collection and seed banking of accessions that will be representative of the overall diversity of the selected taxa; (3) establishing a network connecting scientific institutions from the Mediterranean islands in order to ensure the circulation of information, knowledge and project results sustainability. In addition, great efforts will be devoted to the training of conservation plant specialists, in order to increase collaboration among institutions dealing with in situ and ex situ conservation and to increase awareness about the vulnerability of the native flora through the involvement of local stakeholders and environment-related agencies.

2018

Pablo Martín-Ortega, UPM Nicolas Picard, FAO Luis G. García-Montero, UPM Sara del Río, ULE Ángel Penas, ULE Marco Marchetti, UNIMOL Bruno Lasserre, UNIMOL Eray Özdemir, Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs of Turkey Fernando García-Robredo, UPM Cristina Pascual, UPM Carlos Calderón-Guerrero, UPM Iciar Alberdi, INIA Isabel Cañellas, INIA Silvia Guerrero, INIA Laura Hernández, INIA María Martínez-Jauregui, INIA Alfonso San Miguel, UPM Roberto Vallejo, MAPAMA Nicole Sibelet, CIRAD Salvador Rivas-Martínez, CIF

The Mediterranean region includes 13 countries among Europe, Near Orient, and Africa. This area is a huge "hot spot" of cultures, religions, socio-economical situations, and of habitats and biodiversity. The report illustrates the geographical and ecological features of the region. Forest ecosystems and vegetation traits, with particular focus on forest species growing at the edge of their distribution range, are here compiled. The accuracy of reports, shows the interest and attention that the Mediterranean countries have for the different and complex situations of marginality that characterizes the presence of many forest species in this region. In this area the occurrence of 166 marginal and peripheral (MaP) populations of different species has been detected. Most of populations are characterised by vulnerability and fragility. Many MaP survive in environmental refugia and /or in isolated stands. However, most of the MaP populations identified by FP1202 experts are locat...

2000

RESUME - "Rôle de plusieurs groupes végétaux pour l'utilisation soutenue de parcours montagneux méditerranéens". Dans les parcours méditerranéens, la période favorable pour la croissance végétale se limite à la période hivernale. Cependant plusieurs groupes végétaux ont développé des adaptations spéciales telles que le caractère pérenne ou un dimorphisme saisonnier qui leur permet de survivre pendant la saison chaude et sèche

International Forestry Review, 2008

Mediterranean forest ecosystems provide multiple goods and services, including an exceptional richness in terms of biodiversity, which are crucial for the socioeconomic development of rural areas as well as for the welfare of the urban populations of the Mediterranean region. Mediterranean forests are very vulnerable and fragile to numerous threats such as forest fires, over-exploitation, deforestation, and degradation. These threats are nowadays accentuated in a context of climate and land use changes. This paper presents the main characteristics, threats and values of Mediterranean forests and discusses the main scientific challenges and policy needs required to ensure the sustainable management and provision of Mediterranean forest goods and services.