Threatened or poorly known? The case of the Mediterranean narrow endemic Valeriana amazonum in Sardinia

The Mediterranean flora is characterized by a high number of narrow endemic plant species that are often restricted to a few small populations. One of these species, Valeriana amazonum, a perennial plant occurring only in the Supramontes region of central eastern Sardinia, is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its restricted range, small population size and an inferred decline caused by several threats. During 2007-2022, we monitored all mature individuals of this plant annually and surveyed ecologically suitable sites for the species. We identified two previously unknown populations and also learnt of two successful translocations carried out independently by an unknown local citizen. As our monitoring data indicate there has been no decline in the number of mature individuals over the period of monitoring, the species' conservation status requires reassessment. We recommend that V. amazonum should be recategorized as Near Threatened as it seems to be poorly known rather than highly threatened. This could also be the case with other narrow Mediterranean endemics, especially those that grow in inaccessible habitats for which long-term studies are needed to assess conservation status

Assessing beach litter trapping efficiency in Mediterranean sandy coasts: A comparative study between typical and invaded embryonic dunes

Beach litter is one of the most evident indicators of marine litter pollution, an anthropogenic component that can affect and interact with the habitat of coastal dunes. In this study, we aim to assess the role of the Mediterranean embryonic dunes in trapping beach litter. Moreover, we investigate if dunes with native vegetation and those invaded by the alien plant C. acinaciformis differ in the trapping of beach litter. To this end, two samplings were carried out in the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, considering four beaches with different morphologies, using a paired sampling method that considers plots in the embryonic dunes and in the same habitat with C. acinaciformis. Our results indicate that plastic is the primary type of beach litter and that its distribution varied across the different beaches; especially, the greatest amount was found on pocket beaches. Based on our results, we can conclude that there are no differences between embryonic dunes with native vegetation and their invaded form, but the different beach morphologies may play a role in the distribution of beach litter. These findings may support habitat conservation initiatives such as the eradication of C. acinaciformis since it has no additional role in trapping beach litter

Tourist Trampling on a Peripheral Plant Population Restricted to an Urban Natural Area in the Capo Sant’Elia Promontory (Sardinia, W-Mediterranean Basin)

Urban natural areas provide important ecological services such as biodiversity conservation, as well as opportunities for people to connect with nature and preserve cultural heritage. However, the increasing demand for access to natural areas and the expansion of human recreational activities, such as hiking and biking, pose threats to these ecosystems, especially for animal and plant species, finally resulting in biodiversity loss. This study explores the intricate link between human trampling, plant density, and the morphological and reproductive characteristics of Globularia alypum L., a plant with a peripheral population in Sardinia restricted to a natural area within an urban context. The study examined trampling effects on 75 plots along a frequently used path crossing the plant’s core population. Similar environmental conditions were assumed, with differences attributed to human trampling intensity and plant density, and morphological and reproductive traits were measured within each plot. Our results showed that human trampling caused differences in the morphological traits of plants, whereas, in contrast, reproductive traits are less vulnerable to human trampling than morphological ones. As a result, trampled areas may experience decreased plant recruitment, which can have long-term implications for plant population dynamics. Understanding the relationship between trampling effects and the sensitivity of peripheral plant populations is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies

Short-Term Effects and Vegetation Response after a Megafire in a Mediterranean Area

In Mediterranean-climate areas, wildfires have an important ecological role, selecting organisms, influencing species composition and structure of vegetation, and shaping landscapes. However, the increase in frequency and severity of fires can cause, among others, progressive vegetation degradation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services loss. Under the climate change scenario, the frequency and severity of wildfires are expected to increase, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, recognized as among the most affected by the intensification of droughts and heat waves in the future. Therefore, from the perspective of adaptation, it is important not only to assess the sudden effects after a fire but also to investigate the ecological changes and vegetation response over time. In this framework, this study investigates the effects and the short-term vegetation response in an area struck by a megafire. The vegetation response one year after a fire has been assessed in semi-natural grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands at the landscape scale through spectral indices, and at the field scale through floristic and vegetation surveys. Our results showed that after a severe wildfire, although some areas did not exhibit vegetation regrowth, the response of natural vegetation was notable after one year. In the study area, the most resilient vegetation type was semi-natural grasslands, suggesting that this type of vegetation can be crucial for landscape recovery. The other vegetation types showed different response patterns that also prefigure possible changes in species composition and loss of plant diversity over the medium term. This study highlights the value of combining remote sensing spectral analyses and detailed floristic and vegetation surveys for understanding the direction of the early stages of post-fire vegetation dynamics

Difference between invasive alien and native vegetation in trapping beach litter: A focus on a typical sandy beach of W-Mediterranean Basin

Beach litter is one of the most pervasive pollution issues in coastal environments worldwide. In this study, we aim to assess the amount and distribution of beach litter on Porto Paglia beach, its entrapment across psammophilous habitats, and whether the invasive Carpobrotus acinaciformis (L.) L.Bolus plays a different role in trapping litter than native vegetation. To this end, two seasonal samplings (in spring and autumn) were conducted using a paired sampling method that considers plots in all coastal habitats with and without C. acinaciformis. Our results confirm that the main beach litter category is plastic, and that its distribution varies across habitats: the white dune seems to play a greater role in trapping and filtering beach litter, reducing its amount in the backdune. A correlation was found between the Naturalness index (N) and the beach litter amount, supporting the finding that invaded habitats trap beach litter better than native ones

Impact of Horse Grazing on Floristic Diversity in Mediterranean Small Standing-Water Ecosystems (SWEs)

Small standing-Water Ecosystems (SWEs), despite their pivotal ecological role due to their participation in hydrogeological processes and their richness in biodiversity, seem to be often overlooked by the scientific community. In this study, the vascular plant diversity in some representative SWEs, that host a peculiar assemblage of plant and animal species, was investigated in relation to the disturbance effects of a wild horse population. A total of 50 plots, equally distributed in small and large SWEs, were surveyed and a level of disturbance was attributed to each plot. We found greater species richness in small and undisturbed SWEs, which suggests the negative impact of horse grazing on the richness of plant species in this type of habitat. Significant differences in plant assemblage were found according to the disturbance level, whereas, contrary to what was observed for species richness, no differences were detected based on their size. The diversity indices, used to evaluate the richness and diversity in these areas, recorded the highest values for small and undisturbed areas. This result highlights that the disturbance of the horse grazing plays a pivotal role in affecting the diversity and richness of species in the SWEs. These findings suggest that SWE systems should be analyzed considering these areas as unique in order to allow the conservation of the plant richness and biodiversity of the SWE systems in conjunction with the protection of horses

Translocations of threatened plants in the Mediterranean Basin: current status and future directions

The Mediterranean Basin is one of the World's plant diversity hotspots and a region prone to several anthropic pressures, besides being one of the World's areas most susceptible to climate change. In this region, which hosts a high percentage of threatened species, there has been a large increase in practical conservation actions to prevent the extinction of many plants or improve their conservation status. In this framework, plant translocations have become increasingly important. To obtain a picture of the status and to depict possible directions, data on plant translocations was collected through the available databases, national experts, and the grey literature available online. Overall, a list of 836 translocations relating to 572 plant species was found. These actions are mainly concentrated in Spain, France, and Italy (c. 87%) and, except for some pioneering actions, translocations have strongly increased starting from 2010. A subsequent in-depth bibliographic search of the scientific databases was conducted to determine how much information about plant translocations was documented in the scientific literature. This search resulted in a list of 133 peer-reviewed papers, of which only 17 describing one or more translocations and, as a whole, reporting 101 experiences carried out on 56 plant species. Our research highlighted a great discrepancy between the scarce scientific documentation in comparison to the large number of practical conservation actions carried out. The great experience gained in these translocations constitutes an enormous heritage potentially available to implement the necessary conservation actions to preserve the plant diversity of the Mediterranean Basin

Global and Regional IUCN Red List Assessments: 15

In this contribution, the conservation status assessment of three vascular plants are presented according to IUCN categories and criteria. It includes the assessment of Oryza rhizomatis D.A.Vaughan and Saxifraga facchinii W.D.J.Koch at a global level and Helianthemum caput-felis Boiss. at a regional level

A Decolonial Critique of the Racialized “Localwashing” of Extraction in Central Africa

Responding to calls for increased attention to actions and reactions “from above” within the extractive industry, we offer a decolonial critique of the ways in which corporate entities and multinational institutions propagate racialized rhetoric of “local” suffering, “local” consultation, and “local” fault for failure in extractive zones. Such rhetoric functions to legitimize extractive intervention within a set of practices that we call localwashing. Drawing from a decade of research on and along the Chad-Cameroon Oil Pipeline, we show how multi-scalar actors converged to assert knowledge of, responsibility for, and collaborations with “local” people within a racialized politics of scale. These corporate representations of the racialized “local” are coded through long-standing colonial tropes. We identify three interrelated and overlapping flexian elite rhetoric(s) and practices of racialized localwashing: (a) anguishing, (b) arrogating, and (c) admonishing. These elite representations of a racialized “local” reveal diversionary efforts “from above” to manage public opinion, displace blame for project failures, and domesticate dissent in a context of persistent scrutiny and criticism from international and regional advocates and activists