Browsing by Author "Spampinato, Giovanni"
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- Alien flora in Calabria (Southern Italy): an updated checklistPublication . Spampinato, Giovanni; Laface, Valentina Lucia Astrid; Posillipo, Giandomenico; Cano Ortiz, Ana; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Musarella, Carmelo MariaAn updated checklist of the Calabrian alien vascular flora is presented. By way of field, bibliographic, and herbarium research, we recorded 382 alien taxa (representing almost 14% of all regional flora), of which 371 are angiosperms, nine gymnosperms, and two ferns. In relation to the state of spread, the majority of alien species are casual (207 taxa; 54%), followed by naturalized (127; 33%) and invasive (48; 13%), these last include four on the list of Union Concern, sensu Regulation (EU) no. 1143/2014. The most represented families are Asteraceae (39 taxa) and Poaceae (39). Among genera, Amaranthus (nine taxa), Prunus, Euphorbia, and Oxalis (seven taxa) make up those with the greatest number of taxa. A total of 21 taxa were reported for the first time, three of them are new to the European flora (Camptosema rubicundum, Musa xparadisiaca and, only for continental Europe, Ipomoea hederacea), two to the Italian peninsula (Pelargonium graveolens, Schinus terebinthifolia) and 16 to the Calabrian flora (Aeonium arboreum, Asparagus asparagoides, Aspidistra elatior, Bidens sulphurea, Catalpa bignonioides, Citrus xaurantium, Crassula ovata, Cucurbita ficifolia, Dimorphotheca ecklonis, Graptopetalum paraguayense subsp. paraguayense, Kalanchoe laxiflora, Nicotiana tabacum, Phytolacca dioica, Portulaca umbraticola, Talinum paniculatum, Tecomaria capensis). In terms of residence status, there are 291 neophytes (76%), 73 archaeophytes (19%), and 18 regional aliens (5%); neophytes are the most represented group (45 out of 48) among invasive taxa. Concerning life forms, the two most abundant groups are therophytes (30.1%, 115 taxa) and phanerophytes (29.6%, 113 taxa). Regarding habitats, 72% of alien taxa occur in artificial (199 taxa, 52%) and agricultural habitats (75 taxa, 20%). The majority of alien taxa are native to the Americas (159; 41.6%), numerous aliens also originated in Asia (76; 19.9%) and Africa (56; 14.7%). The majority of taxa were introduced for ornamental purposes (55%). Over the past decade, alien taxa in the flora in Calabria have increased from 190 to the current 382 taxa. While this trend could be linked to some extent to increasing awareness of the problem of alien species and the increasing intensity of research over recent decades, it is also most probably due to new introductions resulting from the globalization that relentlessly affects the whole planet.
- Climatology, bioclimatology and vegetation cover: tools to mitigate climate change in olive grovesPublication . Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Fuentes, Jose Carlos Piñar; Gea, Felipe Leiva; Ighbareyeh, Jehad Mahmoud Hussein; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Meireles, Catarina Isabel Rodrigues; Raposo, Mauro; Gomes, Carlos Jose Pinto; Spampinato, Giovanni; del Río González, Sara; Musarella, Carmelo Maria; Cano, EusebioThis work establishes the relationship between bioclimatology and agronomy. Bioclimatic indices are obtained for several areas under olive cultivation and correlated with olive yields. Due to the effect of climate change on cultivation and the high economic losses it produces, we propose a sustainable development model for the territorial classification of crops based on bioclimatic knowledge. Bioclimatic diagrams are prepared to provide information on water stress in crops so that irrigation can be carried out at the most effective time, a measure that has been shown to lead to water and energy savings for growers. In addition to this development model, we propose the application of non-aggressive cultivation techniques such as the use of living plant cover to ensure the protection of the soil and avoid losses due to climate irregularities. Studies conducted up to the present on applied bioclimatology have yielded promising results in the fields of farming and forestry. The maps and bioclimatic indices of Professor Rivas-Martínez, Ic, Io and It/Itc, are essential for bioclimatic classification. The agricultural development model with a bioclimatic basis ensures economic savings for growers and minimizes the environmental impact of cultivation. In the case of olive cultivation we detected that in 2005 all the cultivated areas that were not in their thermoclimatic optimum were damaged by frost. The widespread cultivation of olive groves in the Mediterranean basin, and mainly in the south of Spain, is reason enough to establish a relationship between its production and its bioclimatic environment. The ombroclimatic study in certain localities under olive cultivation shows that areas with Io <2.5 are unproductive (Jodar, Tabernas), and that their low Io value needs to be supplemented with irrigation water. This means extracting water from aquifers for agricultural use, when the current climate irregularities do not allow the excessive use of subsoil water. For the time being the only way of mitigating this situation is with sustainable development, which requires a bioclimatic understanding of the territory; and the use of appropriate cultivation techniques, including herbaceous plant covers. In this last case a knowledge of the plant associations in the phytosociological class Stellarietea mediae constitutes the basis for establishing either natural or sown vegetation cover.
- Contribution to the knowledge of rocky plant communities of the Southwest Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Spampinato, Giovanni; del Río, Sara; Raposo, Mauro; Fuentes, José Carlos Piñar; Gomes, Carlos PintoThe rocky habitats of southern Portugal are ecosystems with extreme xericity conditions, associated with special abiotic strains. In these unstable ecological conditions, a considerable diversity of plant communities occurs. The objective of this study, carried out in the Algarve and Monchique, and the Mariánica Range biogeographical sectors, is to compare chasmo-chomophytic communities of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, using a phytosociological approach (Braun–Blanquet methodology) and numerical analysis (hierarchical cluster analysis). From these results, two new communities were identified, Sanguisorbo rupicolae-Dianthetum crassipedis and Antirrhinetum onubensis, as a result of floristic and biogeographical differences from other associations already described within the alliances Rumici indurati-Dianthion lusitani and Calendulo lusitanicae-Antirrhinion linkiani, both included in the Phagnalo saxatilis-Rumicetea indurate class.
- Current and potential future distribution of Endemic Salvia ceratophylloides Ard. (Lamiaceae)Publication . Laface, Valentina Lucia Astrid; Musarella, Carmelo Maria; Tavilla, Gianmarco; Sorgonà, Agostino; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Spampinato, GiovanniHuman activities and climate change are the main factors causing habitat loss, jeopardising the survival of many species, especially those with limited range, such as endemic species. Recently, species distribution models (SDMs) have been used in conservation biology to assess their extinction risk, environmental dynamics, and potential distribution. This study analyses the potential, current and future distribution range of Salvia ceratophylloides Ard., an endemic perennial species of the Lamiaceae family that occurs exclusively in a limited suburban area of the city of Reggio Calabria (southern Italy). The MaxEnt model was employed to configure the current potential range of the species using bioclimatic and edaphic variables, and to predict the potential suitability of the habitat in relation to two future scenarios (SSP245 and SSP585) for the periods 2021–2040 and 2041–2060. The field survey, which spanned 5 years (2017–2021), involved 17 occurrence points. According to the results of the MaxEnt model, the current potential distribution is 237.321 km2 , which considering the preferred substrates of the species and land-use constraints is re-estimated to 41.392 km2 . The model obtained from the SSP245 future scenario shows a decrease in the area suitable for the species of 35% in the 2021–2040 period and 28% in the 2041–2060 period. The SSP585 scenario shows an increase in the range suitable for hosting the species of 167% in the 2021–2040 period and 171% in the 2041–2060 period. Assessing variation in the species distribution related to the impacts of climate change makes it possible to define priority areas for reintroduction and in situ conservation. Identifying areas presumably at risk or, on the contrary, suitable for hosting the species is of paramount importance for management and conservation plans for Salvia ceratophylloides.
- Forest and arborescent scrub habitats of special interest for SCIs in Central SpainPublication . Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Musarella, Carmelo M.; Piñar Fuentes, Jose C.; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Pinto Gomes, Carlos J.; Spampinato, Giovanni; Ighbareyeh, Jehad Mahmoud Hussein; del Río, Sara; Cano, EusebioThe habitat of the several territories in Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain) are studued through the and mapping (scale 1:10.000) and vegetation analysis. The distribution and surface of the habitat presents in the Sites of Community Interest (SCIs), as well as pressures, threats, trends, and state of conservation are described. These site contributes significantly to the maintenance or restoration at a favourable conservation status of a natural habitat type or of a species of community intesess.These specially protected areas are part of the Natura 2000 network. We discuss the diversity of forest habitats characterized by species of the genus Quercus L., focusing only on the plant communities in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC of 1992, regarding the conservation of fauna and flora and habitats of interest owing to their endemic or rare character. Habitats and species must be studied in combination to ensure the maximum reliability of the results. We concentrate on habitats with low representation in the territory as a consequence of their rarity or endemicity. We study the following habitats of special interest: 9230—Mediterranean-Ibero-Atlantic and Galaico-Portuguese oak woods of Quercus robur and Quercus pyrenaica; 9240—Iberian oaks of Quercus faginea and Quercus canariensis; 9320—Thermomediterranean forests of Olea and Ceratonia (Iberian Peninsula, Balearic and Canary Islands); 9540—Mediterranean pine forests of endemic Pinus pinaster (Pinus pinaster subsp. acutisquama); 9560—Endemic forests with Juniperus spp.; 5210. Arborescent scrub with Juniperus spp.
- Geobotanical study of the microforests of Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. badia in the Central and Southern Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Cano, Eusebio; Musarella, Carmelo; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Piñar Fuentes, José; Rodríguez Torres, Alfonso; Del Río González, Sara; Pinto Gomes, Carlos; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Spampinato, GiovanniWe have studied Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. badia (H.Gay) Debeaux in the central and southern Iberian Peninsula, where the macrobioclimate ranges from Mediterranean-pluviseasonal-oceanic to Mediterranean-pluviseasonal-continental, and the thermotype from the thermo- to the supramediterranean. The releves were taken following the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological methodology. A statistical treatment was applied to establish a separation among Juniperus communities. To understand the presence of Juniperus communities in territories dominated by species in the Quercus genus, we applied Thornthwaite's formula to calculate potential evapotranspiration. The general cluster analysis clearly distinguishes two groups of plant communities and separates the different associations in each group. All the plant communities growing on rocky crests and in extremely steep sloping areas are significantly influenced by the soil. The ombroclimatic index does not explain the presence of plant communities influenced by substrate, so we proposed a new ombroedaphoxeric index which explains the presence of Juniperus communities in territories with a thermotype between the thermo- and supramediterranean. The areas of distribution of Juniperus species are expanding due to the spread of rocky areas; this phenomenon causes an increase in edaphoxerophilous areas and a decrease in climatophilous ones. We propose four new plant associations, with updated structures and floristic compositions. Efficient conservation is possible in both the territories studied (Spain and Portugal) through the implementation of specific cross-border cooperation projects.
- Originalities of willow of salix atrocinerea Brot. in mediterranean EuropePublication . Raposo, Mauro; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Spampinato, Giovanni; Pinto Gomes, CarlosWillow communities (genus Salix) occurring in Mediterranean Europe are presented, showing, through statistical treatment with multivariate cluster analysis, the separation of the di erent plant communities and their sintaxonomic a liation. Six willow communities have been identified, whose formations include a set of plants with high heritage value. We highlight plants with legal protection status (Annex IV and II of the Habitats Directive-92/43/EEC), endemic, rare, and endangered species such as Salix salviifolia subsp. australis, Cheirolophus uliginosus, Euphorbia uliginosa and Leuzea longifolia. Therefore, two new willow communities are proposed for the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The first dominated by Salix atrocinerea, Frangulo baticae-Salicetum atrocinereae ass. nova of ribatagan distribution, under acid substrates, thermomediterranean to lower mesomediterranean, dry to sub-humid. The second, dominated by the endemic Salix salviifolia subsp. australis, Clematis flammulae-Salicetum australis distributed in the Algarve, developing on neutral-basic substrates, exclusively thermomediterranous, dry to sub-humid. In both cases, there are presented on their own floristic serial, ecology, and substitution steps. A new hygrophytic meadows was also identified dominated by Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinaceae, Cheirolopho uliginosii-Molinietum arundinaceae ass. new hoc loco, which lives on substrates rich in organic matter, exclusive to the Ribatagano Sector. Through the deepening of knowledge about the composition and dynamics of riparian vegetation, it is possible to adapt management methods to sustain and protect these important edafo-hygrophilic systems in the Mediterranean.
- Research and management of thermophilic cork forests in the central-south of the Iberian peninsulaPublication . Carmona, Eusebio Cano; Fuentes, José Carlos Piñar; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Meireles, Catarina Rodríguez; Raposo, Mauro; Gomes, Carlos José Pinto; Spampinato, Giovanni; Musarella, Carmelo MariaThe investigated Iberian cork oak forests represent one of the ecosystems of greatest interest in the Iberian Peninsula, not only because of the ecosystem services they provide, but also because they are unique habitats in Europe and North Africa (habitat 9330). Due to the interest, they present, we carried out this study in order to obtain as exhaustive knowledge as possible, and to be able to offer environmental managers more information. We examined 12 cork oak associations in the Iberian Peninsula, both in their floristics, ecology and distribution as well as in terms of their dynamics, and we discovered that there are climaxes of Quercus Suber whose dynamics have not been established. We make a name correction because the name of the taxon used for the binomen Junipero badiaeQuercetum suberis Rivas-Martínez et al. 2002 nom corr, is not valid. We also propose the correction of the name of the association Cheirolopho sempervirentis-Quercetum suberis Pérez Latorre, Cabezudo in Pérez Latorre et al. 2008 nom. corr. The dynamics for the Cheirolopho sempervirentis-Quercetum suberis cork oak forest and the Cheirolopho sempervirentis-Arbutetum unedonis nova and Bupleuro gibraltarici-Quercetum suberis nova associations, and two plant communities are described. Based on the results obtained and the ICPN mandate, we propose to synonymize Oleo sylvestris-Quercetum suberis Rivas Goday, Galiano & Rivas-Martínez ex Rivas-Martínez 1987= (syn: Aro neglecti- Quercetum suberis Rivas-Martínez & Díez Garretas 2011).
- Similarity analysis between species of the genus Quercus L. (Fagaceae) in southern Italy based on the fractal dimensionPublication . Musarella, Carmelo Maria; Cano-Ortiz, Ana; Piñar Fuentes, José Carlos; Navas-Ureña, Juan; Pinto Gomes, Carlos José; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Cano, Eusebio; Spampinato, GiovanniThe fractal dimension (FD) is calculated for seven species of the genus Quercus L. in Calabria region (southern Italy), five of which have a marcescent-deciduous and two a sclerophyllous character. The fractal analysis applied to the leaves reveals different FD values for the two groups. The difference between the means and medians is very small in the case of the marcescent-deciduous group and very large when these differences are established between both groups: all this highlights the distance between the two groups in terms of similarity. Specifically, Q.crenata, which is hybridogenic in origin and whose parental species are Q.cerris and Q.suber, is more closely related to Q.cerris than to Q.suber, as also expressed in the molecular analysis. We consider that, in combination with other morphological, physiological and genetic parameters, the fractal dimension is a useful tool for studying similarities amongst species.
- Taxonomy, ecology and distribution of Juniperus Oxycedrus L. Group in the mediterranean basin using bioclimatic, phytochemical and morphometric approaches, with special reference to the Iberian PeninsulaPublication . Cano Ortiz, Ana; Spampinato, Giovanni; Piñar Fuentes, José Carlos; Pinto Gomes, Carlos José; Quinto Canas, Ricardo; Cano, EusebioSeveral studies have been conducted in the past to clarify various aspects of species in the genus Juniperus L. One critical group is Juniperus oxycedrus L., especially from the taxonomical point of view. For this reason, we have studied the ecology, taxonomy and distribution of the taxa in the J. oxycedrus group. From an ecological and distribution standpoint, in this work we use the ombroedaphoxeric index (Ioex) to explain the presence of Juniperus populations in ombrotypes that are not optimum for these taxa. The controversy over the taxonomy of J. oxycedrus subsp. badia (H. Gay) Debeaux and J. oxycedrus subsp. lagunae (Pau ex C. Vicioso) Rivas Mart. is clarified, and it is accepted as a valid name, J. oxycedrus subsp. badia. The phytochemical differences in essential oils (EO) are addressed and their similarities analyzed; greater similarities are observed between oxycedrus and badia, and between navicularis Gand. and macrocarpa (Sm.) Ball. species. The phytochemical, molecular and distribution differences allow J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa (Sm.) Ball and J. navicularis Gand. to be maintained as species. The results obtained make it possible to establish the rank to which the taxa belong and allow clear discrimination between species in groups that are difficult to interpret. Ecological, bioclimatic, phytochemical and morphometric similarities allow us to subordinate the subsp. macrocarpa to the species J. navicularis.