Living Collection of Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana

The results of a survey of vascular plants illustrated in the 19th-century publication Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana (FGS) and grown in Diomedes Botanic Garden (DBG) in Athens metropolitan area in Greece reveal a total number of 274 taxa belonging to 67 families, using the Raunkiaer system of categorising plants by life form (Raunkiaer, 1934). Therophytes dominate with 36 per cent, while hemicryptophytes, chamephytes and geophytes follow with 16 per cent, 14 per cent and 14 per cent respectively. In terms of life cycle, 60 per cent are perennials, 36 per cent annuals and 4 per cent other growth forms adapted to environmental disturbance. Although anthropogenic pressures and environmental stresses have caused loss of habitat and resulted in profound landscape transformation in the eastern Mediterranean, DBG contributes to the maintenance of approximately one-third of the plants collected in territories of the Levant in 1787. This living collection constitutes an important testimony to the scientific value, heritage and plant diversity described in FGS. Statistics are provided comparing the plants collected and illustrated for FGS and those now growing in DBG

Comparative patterns of plant invasions in the mediterranean biome

The objective of this work was to compare and contrast the patterns of alien plant invasions in the world’s five mediterranean-climate regions (MCRs). We expected landscape age and disturbance history to have bearing on levels of invasion. We assembled a database on naturalized alien plant taxa occurring in natural and semi-natural terrestrial habitats of all five regions (specifically Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus from the Mediterranean Basin, California, central Chile, the Cape Region of South Africa and Southwestern - SW Australia). We used multivariate (hierarchical clustering and NMDS ordination) trait and habitat analysis to compare characteristics of regions, taxa and habitats across the mediterranean biome. Our database included 1627 naturalized species with an overall low taxonomic similarity among the five MCRs. Herbaceous perennials were the most frequent taxa, with SW Australia exhibiting both the highest numbers of naturalized species and the highest taxonomic similarity (homogenization) among habitats, and the Mediterranean Basin the lowest. Low stress and highly disturbed habitats had the highest frequency of invasion and homogenization in all regions, and high natural stress habitats the lowest, while taxonomic similarity was higher among different habitats in each region than among regions. Our analysis is the first to describe patterns of species characteristics and habitat vulnerability for a single biome. We have shown that a broad niche (i.e. more than one habitat) is typical of naturalized plant species, regardless of their geographical area of origin, leading to potential for high homogenization within each region. Habitats of the Mediterranean Basin are apparently the most resistant to plant invasion, possibly because their landscapes are generally of relatively recent origin, but with a more gradual exposure to human intervention over a longer period

Patterns and traits of the endemic plants of Greece

Greece is characterized by high plant diversity (5800 species) and endemism (15.6%). This study attempts a first overall assessment of the taxonomy, distribution, traits and conservation status of the Greek endemic plants. The endemic species belong to 56 families and 242 genera. Most of the endemic plants have a narrow geographical and altitudinal distribution range. The southern floristic regions are richer in endemic species. The species area relationships for endemics (EARs) for island and continental floristic regions explain over 50% of the variation in number of species and are characterized by steep curves. Analysis of the distributional pattern of the endemics by similarity coefficients offers useful insights into the palaeogeography and biogeography of Greece. The endemic species occur at all altitudes, but the altitudinal distribution shows a predominance of local endemics at 0-600 m in the island regions and in higher zones in the continental regions. The life form spectra show a predominance of hemicryptophytes and chamaephytes. This trait seems indicative of their habitat and adaptive strategy and may be related to speciation processes. The overview of the conservation status of the Greek endemics indicates that over 40% of the taxa are threatened or near threatened. (C) 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 162, 130-422

Conservation biology of Chionodoxa lochiae and Scilla morrisii (Asparagaceae): Two priority bulbous plant species of the European Union in Cyprus

This paper presents data regarding conservation biology of Chionodoxa lochiae and Scilla morrisii; two threatened endemic plants of Cyprus, which are included as priority species in Annex II of the Habitats Directive. The population size and geographical distribution of the species were monitored for three years. C. lochiae was recorded in ten locations and S. morrisii was recorded in five locations. C. lochiae occurs in Pinus forests with/without Quercus alnifolia understory or in forest margins and riparian vegetation with Platanus orientalis. Favorable habitat of S. morrisii is the understory of Quercus infectoria stands and the Pistacia terebinthus-Quercus coccifera-Styrax officinalis shrubs. The distribution pattern of the species seems to follow habitat availability. Fecundity and Relative Reproductive Success of C. lochiae were stable and low, while in S. morrisii were constantly high. The lack of pollinators seems to be the main cause of the low sexual reproduction of C. lochiae. The germination strategy for both species is dependent on temperature. Some of the seeds are dormant and dormancy is broken by nitrates. The investigation of certain aspects of the biology of the two species yielded the information needed to identify the critical aspects affecting their survival and to propose sound conservation measures

Vegetation Dynamics of Coastal Dunes with Juniperus spp. in Crete, Gavdos and Chrysi Islands (Greece)

We aimed to determine the composition, structure and ecological processes of the vegetation of the coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. in Crete, Gavdos and Chrysi in the South Aegean, Greece, in order to apply sound habitat management and restoration. Vegetation composition, structure and zonation were investigated with plots and transects. Data from seven study sites were classified using TWINSPAN. The major patterns of the vegetation data and their relation to environmental variables were explored by DCA and CCA ordination techniques. Ellenberg indicators for moisture, nutrients, and salt were used to characterise the community types identified. The habitat’s floristic composition includes 142 plant species. Five principal community types were identified. Vegetation distribution was related to geomorphology and disturbance gradients. The analysis of transect data identified 20 vegetation units on incipient dune, foredune, interdune and hind dune. Vegetation and geomorphological data were used to construct sand dune profiles for each site, while a set of 36 keystone and 76 indicator species were identified. The sites examined have varied levels of dune development and face different threats. Habitat management should address grazing and trampling at the local level but also land use changes at the catchment level.Delipetrou Pinelopi, Ghosn Dany, Kazakis George, Nyktas Panagiotis, Remoundou Electra, Vogiatzakis Ioannis N. Vegetation Dynamics of Coastal Dunes with Juniperus spp. in Crete, Gavdos and Chrysi Islands (Greece). In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 41 n°2, 2015. pp. 45-60

Alien plants and recipient habitats in the Mediterranean Basin: How similar they are?

Biological invasions have become one of the most critical issues related to global change. The aim of this work was to investigate alien plant species invasion levels in different habitats and alien species traits by comparing the naturalized flora in different areas of the same biogeographical region. The locations selected for study were 4 countries across the European Mediterranean basin comprising and east–west gradient, namely Spain, Italy, Greece and Cyprus. Floristic similarity among the 4 countries was found very low, with only 30 species present in all four countries out of the 782 naturalized neophytes. The four alien floras share the same patterns of growth form (mostly herbs), life cycle (mostly perennials) and life form (mostly therophytes, hemicryptophytes and phanerophytes). Artificial habitats and wetlands were the habitats with the highest numbers of naturalized species and display the greatest homogenization in all four countries. Coastal habitats display a lower degree of homogenization but a high frequency of aliens. Dry shrubs and rocky habitats display a lower degree of homogenization and a low frequency of aliens.peerReviewe

Assessment of the Geo-Environmental Status of European Union Priority Habitat Type “Mediterranean Temporary Ponds” in Mt. Oiti, Greece

Mediterranean Temporary Ponds (MTPs) constitute priority habitat under the European Union Habitats’ Directive. They are inhabited by rare species and subjected to unstable environmental conditions. Lakes and ponds act as early indicators of climate change, to which high altitude ecosystems are especially vulnerable. This study presents a full dataset of the geo-environmental parameters of such habitats (MTPs) along with their current ecological status for the first time. Furthermore, this paper aims to address the lack of basic geo-environmental background on the network of MTPs of Mt. Oiti concerning their geological, geomorphological, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics along with the pressures received from various activities. The study area is located in a mountainous Natura 2000 site of Central Greece, which hosts four MTPs. Fieldwork and sampling of water and bottom sediments were carried out during dry and wet periods between 2012 and 2014. Electrical Resistivity Tomography measurements identified synforms shaped under the ponds that topography does not always adopt them, mostly due to erosion procedures. The most significant feature, distinguishing those pond waters from any other province water bodies is the extremely low content of all studied ions (including NO2−, NO3−, NH4+, PO43−, HCO3−, SO42−, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Hg, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Rb, S, Sb, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ti, U, V, W, Zn, and Zr). MTPs water bodies are of bicarbonate dominant type, and a fresh meteoric water origin is suggested. The main pressures identified were grazing and trampling by vehicles. MTPs of Mt. Oiti were classified according to their ecological status form excellent to medium. Our results can contribute to a better understanding of the mountainous temporary ponds development in the Mediterranean environment