Climate variability in SE Europe since 1450 AD based on a varved sediment record from Etoliko Lagoon (Western Greece)

To achieve deeper understanding of climate variability during the last millennium in SE Europe, we report new sedimentological and paleoecological data from Etoliko Lagoon, Western Greece. The record represents the southernmost annually laminated (i.e., varved) archive from the Balkan Peninsula spanning the Little Ice Age, allowing insights into critical time intervals of climate instability such as during the Maunder and Dalton solar minima. After developing a continuous, ca. 500-year-long varve chronology, high-resolution μ–XRF counts, stable-isotope data measured on ostracod shells, palynological (including pollen and dinoflagellate cysts), and diatom data are used to decipher the season-specific climate and ecosystem evolution at Etoliko Lagoon since 1450 AD. Our results show that the Etoliko varve record became more sensitive to climate change from 1740 AD onwards. We attribute this shift to the enhancement of primary productivity within the lagoon, which is documented by an up to threefold increase in varve thickness. This marked change in the lagoon's ecosystem was caused by: (i) increased terrestrial input of nutrients, (ii) a closer connection to the sea and human eutrophication particularly from 1850 AD onwards, and (iii) increasing summer temperatures. Integration of our data with those of previously published paleolake sediment records, tree-ring-based precipitation reconstructions, simulations of atmospheric circulation and instrumental precipitation data suggests that wet conditions in winter prevailed during 1740–1790 AD, whereas dry winters marked the periods 1790–1830 AD (Dalton Minimum) and 1830–1930 AD, the latter being sporadically interrupted by wet winters. This variability in precipitation can be explained by shifts in the large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns over the European continent that affected the Balkan Peninsula (e.g., North Atlantic Oscillation). The transition between dry and wet phases at Etoliko points to longitudinal shifts of the precipitation pattern in the Balkan Peninsula during the Little Ice Age

The evolutionary history of the Arabidopsis arenosa complex : diverse tetraploids mask the Western Carpathian center of species and genetic diversity

The Arabidopsis arenosa complex is closely related to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Species and subspecies in the complex are mainly biennial, predominantly outcrossing, herbaceous, and with a distribution range covering most parts of latitudes and the eastern reaches of Europe. In this study we present the first comprehensive evolutionary history of the A. arenosa species complex, covering its natural range, by using chromosome counts, nuclear AFLP data, and a maternally inherited marker from the chloroplast genome [trnL intron (trnL) and trnL/F intergenic spacer (trnL/F-IGS) of tRNALeu and tRNAPhe, respectively]. We unravel the broad-scale cytogeographic and phylogeographic patterns of diploids and tetraploids. Diploid cytotypes were exclusively found on the Balkan Peninsula and in the Carpathians while tetraploid cytotypes were found throughout the remaining distribution range of the A. arenosa complex. Three centers of genetic diversity were identified: the Balkan Peninsula, the Carpathians, and the unglaciated Eastern and Southeastern Alps. All three could have served as long-term refugia during Pleistocene climate oscillations. We hypothesize that the Western Carpathians were and still are the cradle of speciation within the A. arenosa complex due to the high species number and genetic diversity and the concurrence of both cytotypes there

The faunistic diversity of cave-dwelling spiders (Arachnida, Araneae) of Greece

Until today, from Greek caves a total of 109 species of spiders belonging to 25 families are known. One species, the linyphiid Porrhomma convexum (Westring, 1861) was recorded here for the first time in Greece. The 109 species are distributed in caves of different geographic territories as follows: Thrace – 8 species, Macedonia – 18, Epirus – 1, Thessaly – 6, Central Greece – 3, Attiki-Saronic Islands – 24, Peloponnese – 15, Evoia-Vories Sporades – 1, Eastern Aegean Islands – 5, Cyclades – 3, Dodecanese – 6, Ionian Islands – 23, Crete – 47. The largest fraction of troglobite species were encountered mainly in the territories of Crete – 15 species (5 of which are anophthalmic), the Ionian Islands – 4, Thrace – 2 (both anophthalmic), the Attiki-Saronic Islands – 2 (both anophthalmic), the Peloponnese – 2 (one anophthalmic), and Macedonia, Thessaly, and the Cyclades – each with 2 species. The richness of the troglobitic spidersin these regions strengthens the assumption that they were major centres of speciation and evolution for the species of this group. According to their current distribution, the established 109 species can be classified into 12 zoogeograpical categories, grouped into 4 complexes (widely distributed, European, Mediterranean, endemics). The largest number of species belong to the endemic complex (53.2 %) and are also the most characteristic and reflect the local character of the cave-dwelling spiders

Oribatid mites of the Balkan Pen­insula (Acari: Oribatida)

A summarizing work on the earlier recorded oribatid mites from the Balkan Peninsula is presented. Several additional new records are also given. Heminothrus targionii (Berlese, 1885) was found in the first time in Serbia and Heminothrus thori (Berlese, 1904) is the first record for Montenegro. The present work lists 727 species from the Balkan Peninsula; 107 species are recorded from Albania, 162 from Bosnia-Herzegovina, 349 from Bulgaria, 156 from Croatia, 246 from Greece, 154 from Macedonia, 84 from Montenegro, 102 from Serbia, 367 from Slovenia, 293 from Romania and 3 from European part of Turkey

Analysis of fieldwork methodology in anthropogeographic works of Jovan Cvijić

Interpreting the extensive and varied bibliography of Jovan Cvijić, largely in foreign languages, which apart from the text includes geographic and ethnographic map of the Balkan Peninsula, atlases, notes and drawings, it is concluded that his scientific work was versatile and complex. Cvijić's perception of space, the use of didactic principles, methods and forms of work can be categorized as actual and modern even in the present time. He was the first among the Balkan geographers who simultaneously interpreted natural, historical, sociological, ethnographic and ethno-psychological phenomena and processes. Cvijić pointed to the relationship between the geographic environment and human communities, civilizations and historical events, constantly examining their mutual conditionality. Numerous research trips in almost all regions of the Balkan Peninsula led to his interest in the culture and customs of the people. He noted that in the Balkans, there are different people by origin, religion and mentality. The result of the field research is certainly one of Cvijić's most important work - 'Anthropogeographical problems of the Balkan Peninsula'. His scientific approach has given an outstanding contribution to methodological development of geography

The first combined checklist of earthworms of the Northeastern Mediterranean region (Clitellata: Megadrili)

The first combined checklist of earthworms of the Balkan Peninsula, Anatolia, the Levant and Cyprus is presented. Out of the 226 taxa, 216 belong to the Holarctic family Lumbricidae. Ten further species are from the families Criodrilidae, Acanthodrilidae, Ocnerodrilidae and Megascolecidae. The widely introduced peregrine species take part with 11.9% (27 taxa). The number of endemics within the studied areas is highest on the Balkan Peninsula (90 taxa). As a result of this study, four synonyms were found, and the subgenus Trapezonscolex Qiu & Bouché, 1998 was raised to genus level for the former Turkish Eophila species Eo. cavazzutii cavazzutii Omodeo, 1988 and Eo. cavazzutii pascuorum Omodeo, 1988

A faunistic study on ground-dwelling spiders (Araneae) in the Tirana district, Albania

Spiders from the Tirana district of Albania were investigated. Currently, 78 species from 24 families and a collection of 400 specimens from January to August 2010 were recorded for Tirana. A total of 32 new records for the Albanian fauna are included in the present paper. Agraecina lineata (Simon, 1878) is the first record for the Balkan Peninsula. Saitis graecus Kulczyński, 1905 was known before only from Greece and Bulgaria. Presently, 373 spider species are known for Albania

Ageing map of the Balkan Peninsula

Age structure of a population, representing the final result of all the demographic processes, tells a unique story which incorporates not only the main demographic components, but also its history, cultural and political characteristics of the population. Through its history the Balkan Peninsula has been alluring to all kinds of demographic research. The process of aging, which is intensifying in all developed countries, will increasingly be the main focus of future demographic research. Although there is undeniable general shift in the age structure, there are many regional differences in the Balkan Peninsula. Thus, for the purpose of this paper we created a choropleth map of the Balkans showing the age structure at NUTS 3 regional level. For the purposes of this paper borders of the Balkan Peninsula are defined by Jovan Cvijić in his homonymous work. Toward a more complete understanding of the ageing phenomena in the Balkans we conducted an analysis of regionalization of ageing, to serve as a backbone for the analysis of age structure at the national level. We compare ageing borders with ethnic, religious and political borders in the peninsula

DIORYCTRIA ROBINIELLA (MILLIÈRE, 1865) (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) IS A MEMBER OF FAUNA OF CROATIA

The occurrence of Dioryctria robiniella in Croatia is confirmed. The species has a disjunct areal in the Mediterranean area of Europe and it is one of the rarer species of its genus. The presence of this species in Croatia has in the literature been noted before, but has recently been excluded from recent checklists of Pyraloidea of Croatia and the Balkan Peninsula. However, the species indeed occurs in the country and has been recorded at seven localities across the coastal areas, from Pag island in the north down to Konavle area in the south, near the border with Montenegro. Further surveys of other neighbouring countries should reveal additional localities for this species in the Balkan peninsula