84 research outputs found

    Bioclimatic habitat limitations for argan trees (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels) in Northern Africa and Spain

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    Argania spinosa L. Skeels is an Algerian-Moroccan endemic tree. This species is part of various plant communities consisting of Mediterranean, Macaronesian and Saharan floristic elements. It has been introduced and perhaps sometimes naturalized in various regions of the Mediterranean basin. Due to its role in combating desertification, high socio-economic value, and traditional use as fodder and food, the southwestern Moroccan argan grove (Arganeraie) was declared Biosphere Reserve. It had already been subject to conservation and reforestation programs a century earlier. Its cultivation for oil production could be, besides an economic objective, an effective method to conserve its genetic diversity. Therefore, this study aims to estimate its potential distribution and establish efficient breeding programs by determining its ecological requirements, identifying its different habitats, and predicting habitat suitability models for Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Spain. Using 53 occurrence points, wind speed and direction data, and 29 bioclimatic variables, multivariate methods were applied to describe the ecological profiles and characterize the heterogeneity of its habitat to subsequently, train a Maxent model that establishes, besides Morocco and Algeria, suitable cultivation areas in Tunisia and Spain. The North African potential area is limited to the western Mediterranean coast of Algeria and flat and coastal areas of eastern Tunisia. The increased likelihood of suitability remains in the southeast Iberian Peninsula. A high probability of argan cultivation is also evident in the Canary Islands. These results provide possibilities for future expansion of argan crop and a window of opportunity to improve its genetic diversity and conservation

    "Cardos" of two worlds: Transfer and resignification of the uses of thistles from the Iberian Peninsula to Argentina

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    "Thistles" constitute a group of prickly herbaceous plants included in tribe Cardueae (Asteraceae), but in the popular sense that concept is frequently applied to other species of the same family, as well as to some Dipsacaceae, Bromeliaceae, Apiaceae or Cactaceae. Since antiquity, the cultivation and use of thistles for food and medicinal purposes have been well known in the Mediterranean cultures. The different popular knowledge could allow us to refer to a "thistle culture". During the exploration of America, many of those species and their associated knowledge were transferred from the Old to the New World. In Argentina, several species of thistles, especially Cynara cardunculus, spread extensively throughout the pampas. From early times, they constituted a source of food and lowquality fuel, and in several cases, they were also employed in popular medicine, with diverse uses, some of which are still in practice. The local importance of some species is mentioned in literature, arts, and gastronomy. In the 20th century, a large production of artichokes from introduced crops that increased local agrodiversity was recorded in Argentina. This contribution summarizes some aspects of the transfer and resignification of the thistle from the Iberian Peninsula to Argentina.Fil: Hernández Bermejo, Jacinto Esteban. Universidad de Córdoba; EspañaFil: Delucchi, Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Charra, Gustavo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Pochettino, María Lelia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Hurrell, Julio Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

    Paisajes y flora forestal de al-Andalus: una reconstrucción a partir de documentación histórica textual

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    The translation and interpretation of works by Andalusi botanists and agronomists provide an increasingly sharp image of the species and forest landscapes in al-Andalus (Iberian area under Muslim rule in the Middle Ages). Regarding agriculture, it is known that domestication processes and the introduction of new species and singular forms of use were carried out, thus changing agricultural landscapes. Consequently, new life styles and consumption habits developed. A lot less is known about forestry management, especially when referring to forest landscapes and tree species in the Iberian Peninsula. The authors of this work have been studying agricultural and forest flora in al-Andalus for many years. In addition to numerous miscellaneous contributions, their first approximation on the trees and shrubs cultivated there was published in 2004, and the first volume of Flora Agrícola y Forestal de Al-Andalus covering 80 species of monocotyledons appeared in 2012. In anticipation of the volume devoted to woody dicotyledons to be published in 2019 (including over 150 species, 100 genera and 50 families), a synthesis of the forest landscapes and the most unique species in the Arabic texts is presented in this work. Among the taxa identified are Iberian endemics such as Flueggea tinctoria and Corema album, rare taxa or highly localized ones like Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum, Tetraclinis articulata and Zizyphus lotus with species of peculiar forestry interest such as Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Taxus baccata, Buxus sempervirens, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis and Vitex agnus-castus, and archaeophytes like Celtis australis or Anagyris foetida.La traducción e interpretación de las obras de botánicos y geóponos andalusíes permite vislumbrar, de forma cada vez más nítida, las especies y paisajes forestales de al-Andalus (área ibérica bajo dominación musulmana en la Edad Media). En el ámbito agrícola es conocido que se desarrollaron procesos de domesticación e introducción de nuevas especies y formas singulares de uso que cambiaron los paisajes agrícolas y, en consecuencia, también las formas de vida y alimentación, pero es mucho menos conocido lo concerniente al ámbito forestal, especialmente si nos referimos a los paisajes y especies forestales ibéricas. Los autores estudian la Flora Agrícola y Forestal en al-Andalus. Además de numerosas contribuciones misceláneas, una primera aproximación sobre los árboles y arbustos cultivados fue publicada en 2004, y un primer volumen de la citada Flora en 2012, abarcando 80 especies de monocotiledóneas. Como adelanto al volumen dedicado a las dicotiledóneas leñosas, que será publicado en 2019 (con más de 150 especies de 100 géneros y 50 familias), se presenta ahora una síntesis de los paisajes forestales y de las especies más singulares identificadas en los textos estudiados. Entre ellas hay endemismos ibéricos como Fluggea tinctoria y Corema album, taxones raros o muy localizados como Rhododendron ponticum subsp. baeticum, Tetraclinis articulata o Zizyphus lotus, junto a especies de singular interés forestal como Arctostaphilos uva-ursi, Taxus baccata, Buxus sempervirens, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis o Vitex agnus-castus, y arqueófitos como Celtis australis o Anagyris foetida
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