Phenotypic differentiation among native, expansive and introduced populations influences invasion success

Aim: Humans influence species distributions by modifying the environment and by dispersing species beyond their natural ranges. Populations of species that have established in disjunct regions of the world may exhibit trait differentiation from native populations due to founder effects and adaptations to selection pressures in each distributional region. We compared multiple native, expansive and introduced populations of a single species across the world, considering the influence of environmental stressors and transgenerational effects. Location: United States Gulf and Atlantic coasts, United States interior, European Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, east coast of Australia. Taxon: Baccharis halimifolia L. (eastern baccharis). Methods: We monitored seed germination, seedling emergence, survival and early growth in a common garden experiment, conducted with over 18,200 seeds from 80 populations. We also evaluated the influence of environmental stress and maternal traits on progeny performance. Results: Introduced European Atlantic populations had faster germination and early growth than native populations. However, this was not the case for the more recently naturalized European Mediterranean populations. Introduced Australian populations grew faster than native populations in non-saline environments but had lower survival in saline conditions commonly encountered in the native range. Similarly, expansive inland US populations germinated faster than coastal native populations in non-saline environments but grew and germinated more slowly in saline environments. Maternal inflorescence and plant size were positively related with seed germination and seedling survival, whereas flower abundance was positively correlated with seedling early growth and survival. However, maternal traits explained a much lower fraction of the total variation in early demographic stages of B. halimifolia than did distributional range. Main conclusions: Phenotypic differentiation could allow B. halimifolia to adapt to different biotic and abiotic selection pressures found in each distributional range, potentially contributing to its success in introduced and expansive ranges

Flora Vascular of Algarve (Portugal): new Project

Trabajo presentado al: XI International Meeting of Phytosociology. Natural and semi-natural habitats of the Natura 2000 network: Improving knowledge to support conservation measures. Faro (Portugal), 10-11 septiembre 2019.Peer reviewe

Distribution maps of vegetation alliances in Europe

Aim The first comprehensive checklist of European phytosociological alliances, orders and classes (EuroVegChecklist) was published by Mucina et al. (2016, Applied Vegetation Science, 19 (Suppl. 1), 3–264). However, this checklist did not contain detailed information on the distribution of individual vegetation types. Here we provide the first maps of all alliances in Europe. Location Europe, Greenland, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cyprus and the Caucasus countries. Methods We collected data on the occurrence of phytosociological alliances in European countries and regions from literature and vegetation-plot databases. We interpreted and complemented these data using the expert knowledge of an international team of vegetation scientists and matched all the previously reported alliance names and concepts with those of the EuroVegChecklist. We then mapped the occurrence of the EuroVegChecklist alliances in 82 territorial units corresponding to countries, large islands, archipelagos and peninsulas. We subdivided the mainland parts of large or biogeographically heterogeneous countries based on the European biogeographical regions. Specialized alliances of coastal habitats were mapped only for the coastal section of each territorial unit. Results Distribution maps were prepared for 1,105 alliances of vascular-plant dominated vegetation reported in the EuroVegChecklist. For each territorial unit, three levels of occurrence probability were plotted on the maps: (a) verified occurrence; (b) uncertain occurrence; and (c) absence. The maps of individual alliances were complemented by summary maps of the number of alliances and the alliance–area relationship. Distribution data are also provided in a spreadsheet. Conclusions The new map series represents the first attempt to characterize the distribution of all vegetation types at the alliance level across Europe. There are still many knowledge gaps, partly due to a lack of data for some regions and partly due to uncertainties in the definition of some alliances. The maps presented here provide a basis for future research aimed at filling these gaps

Distribution maps of vegetation alliances in Europe

Aim The first comprehensive checklist of European phytosociological alliances, orders and classes (EuroVegChecklist) was published by Mucina et al. (2016, Applied Vegetation Science, 19 (Suppl. 1), 3–264). However, this checklist did not contain detailed information on the distribution of individual vegetation types. Here we provide the first maps of all alliances in Europe. Location Europe, Greenland, Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cyprus and the Caucasus countries. Methods We collected data on the occurrence of phytosociological alliances in European countries and regions from literature and vegetation-plot databases. We interpreted and complemented these data using the expert knowledge of an international team of vegetation scientists and matched all the previously reported alliance names and concepts with those of the EuroVegChecklist. We then mapped the occurrence of the EuroVegChecklist alliances in 82 territorial units corresponding to countries, large islands, archipelagos and peninsulas. We subdivided the mainland parts of large or biogeographically heterogeneous countries based on the European biogeographical regions. Specialized alliances of coastal habitats were mapped only for the coastal section of each territorial unit. Results Distribution maps were prepared for 1,105 alliances of vascular-plant dominated vegetation reported in the EuroVegChecklist. For each territorial unit, three levels of occurrence probability were plotted on the maps: (a) verified occurrence; (b) uncertain occurrence; and (c) absence. The maps of individual alliances were complemented by summary maps of the number of alliances and the alliance–area relationship. Distribution data are also provided in a spreadsheet. Conclusions The new map series represents the first attempt to characterize the distribution of all vegetation types at the alliance level across Europe. There are still many knowledge gaps, partly due to a lack of data for some regions and partly due to uncertainties in the definition of some alliances. The maps presented here provide a basis for future research aimed at filling these gaps

Linking territory quality and reproductive success in the Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrochorax : implications for conservation management of an endangered population

International audienceAs changes in land uses have been mentioned as the main factor to explain decline of chough population across western Europe, a study was carried out in Ouessant (western France) in order to link territory quality with reproductive success. As such an approach could be hindered by the fact that reproductive performance of birds could be influenced by their breeding experience, we analysed both inter-and intra-nest site variation in fledging success. Territory quality was quantified combining habitat selection, territory size, amount of feeding area and distance between nest and feeding area. Feeding habitats positively selected by chough were characterized by a mean sward height lower that 5cm. Foraging area was on average of 21,557 m². Feeding areas (ie. feeding habitat within foraging area) close to the nest were preferentially used. Fledging success appeared not to be influenced by the total area of feeding areas in chough territory, nor by the mean feeding flight distance. But fledging success adjusted to nest site and year appeard to be influenced by feeding area close to the nest : one additional fledging was expected for each additional 10,000 m² of feeding habitat within 300m of the nest. These first results bring elements which allowed us to consider recommend landscape management measures to ensure a favourable conservation status of local chough population

Numerical classification of the Carici caryophylleae-Genistetea lobelii in Corsica (France)

International audienceThe class ‘Carici caryophylleae-Genistetea lobelii Klein 1972’ corresponds to Cyrno-Sardian oromediterranean cushion-scrubs and related grasslands. In France, this class is only present in Corsica and the syntaxonomic scheme is debated among phytosociologists. This paper aims to highlight the main plant associations of the Carici caryophylleae-Genistetea lobelii Klein 1972 and to define the diagnostic species for each phytosociological unit. Diagnostic species are defined as species with a distinct concentration of occurrence or abundance in a particular vegetation unit. We compiled 519 vegetation plots and we applied the EuroVegChecklist expert system for the classes of European vegetation to only retain vegetation plots belonging to the Carici caryophylleae-Genistetea lobelii. We obtained a dataset with 189 vegetation plots, and we classified them using the Modified TWINSPAN classification. Our analyses identified six plant associations and three sub-associations that have already been described in the literature; and we were able to describe a new alliance corresponding to supramediterranean plant communities (Genistion salzmannii). For each of them, we identified diagnostic, constant, and dominant species and produced their distribution map. Formal definitions were then written for each phytosociological unit (from sub-association to class) and grouped in an expert system to classify the plant communities of the Carici caryophylleae-Genistetea lobelii

Assessing the conservation status of coastal habitats under Article 17 of the EU Habitats Directive

International audienceResearch on the habitats protected by the European Union's Habitats Directive (HD) has increased rapidly since its adoption in 1992. However, the methods and tools used to assess their conservation status are varied. In this context, we reviewed and summarized the scientific literature related to the coastal Natura 2000 habitats to list and sort parameters used to assess and map their conservation status. We found 225 papers that specifically focused on the assessment of conservation status of coastal habitats. An analysis of the papers was conducted based on the four parameters (“Range”, “Area”, “structure and functions”, “Future prospects”) specified in the guidelines. Results highlight knowledge gaps regarding the availability of data and methods that measure the “Range”, “Area”, “Structure and functions” and “Future prospects”. Most of the papers focused on coastal dunes and were located in the Mediterranean biogeographic region. Therefore, the process of assessing the conservation status of coastal habitats remains complicated to implement because methodological approaches are mainly dominated by expert statements. Moreover, all the procedures of the HD are carried out within each member country and the final assessments are often the synthesis of these partial assessments. However, the multiscalar approach and the use of innovative technologies (databases, remote sensing) can be particularly relevant to develop replicable approaches and facilitate monitoring and the implementation of management measures