Učinci klime i poljoprivrede na vegetaciju epifitskih lišaja u Sredozemlju (Toskana, središnja Italija)

The epiphytic lichen vegetation on Quercus pubescens in Tuscany, central Italy, was investigated in agricultural and non- agricultural areas along an altitudinal transect characterized by different climatic conditions. The results show that lichen communities are influenced more by climate than agricultural practices, or at least that climatic parameters can mask any effects of agriculture. The presence and frequency of “nitrophytic” lichen species in agricultural sites was due to the xeric environment exacerbated by ploughing which raises much dust, rather than to nutrient enrichment of the habitat.Vegetacija epifitskih lišaja na hrastu meduncu (Quercuspubescens) istraživana je u poljoprivrednim i nepoljoprivrednim područjima Toskane (središnja Italija) pomoću visinskog transekta, duž kojega vladaju različite klimatske prilike. Rezultati pokazuju da klimatske prilike više utječu na zajednice lišaja nego poljoprivreda. Prisutnost i učestalost “nitrofitskih” vrsta lišaja u poljoprivrednim područjima više ovise o sušnoj okolini, nego o obogaćenju staništa hranjivim tvarima

The Tertiary relict tree Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae): distribution, population structure and conservation status on Crete

Relict species provide a unique opportunity to understand past and recent biogeographical and evolutionary processes. Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae), which is endemic to the island of Crete (Greece), is one of the most prominent Tertiary relict trees of the Mediterranean region. We collected distribution, threat and population structure data by reviewing literature and herbaria and through field surveys at 14 study plots throughout the range of the species. The present distribution of Z. abelicea is extremely fragmented. Although the total estimated number of individuals is relatively high, the populations are dominated by dwarf, severely browsed, non-flowering individuals. The population structure is asymmetric. At most, 5% of a plot's trees are large and fruit-bearing. The asymmetric structure is particularly pronounced in isolated and small populations. Based on its limited geographical range, the fragmented spatial pattern, and data on distribution and population structure, our study confirms that Z. abelicea is a threatened species (IUCN category Endangered). Our research aim is to promote the development of new approaches for the improvement of conservation strategies for Tertiary relict trees characterized by major local disjunction

Do living ex situ collections capture the genetic variation of wild populations? A molecular analysis of two relict tree species, Zelkova abelica and Zelkova carpinifolia

Botanic gardens and arboreta, particularly in regions where iconic relict trees naturally occur, play a vital role in the conservation of these species. Maintaining well-managed living ex situ collections of rare and threatened relict tree species provides an immediate insurance policy for the future species conservation. The aim of this research was to investigate the origin, representativeness and genetic diversity of relict trees kept in botanic gardens and arboreta. We used as a model two ecologically and biogeographically distinct members of the prominent relict genus Zelkova (Ulmaceae), which survived the last glaciation in disjunct and isolated refugial regions: Z. carpinifolia in Transcaucasia and Z. abelicea endemic to Crete (Greece) in the Mediterranean. Our study revealed substantial differences in the genetic diversity and the origin of living ex situ collections of the two investigated taxa. The living ex situ collections of Z. carpinifolia have relatively high representativeness compared with the global genetic variability of natural stands identified in a previous study. In contrast, Z. abelicea, which possesses an extraordinarily high genetic variability in natural populations, is clearly underrepresented in botanic garden collections. Moreover, all Z. abelicea trees investigated in this study most probably originated from a single region, the Levka Ori in western Crete. Thus, the ex situ conservation of Z. abelicea requires major planning and coordination efforts, including the establishment of well-documented collections in botanic gardens in Greece and especially on Crete. New living ex situ collections should be created using plant material collected from all of the mountain regions where Z. abelicea still occurs. Our study highlights the need for re-evaluating the existing living ex situ collections of trees and the development of new strategies for future conservation efforts in botanic gardens and arboreta. The coordination of conservation efforts between gardens must be enhanced to prioritize actions for the most threatened relict tree species

Climate Change Dependence in Ex Situ Conservation of Wild Medicinal Plants in Crete, Greece

Over 80% of the global population addresses their primary healthcare needs using traditional medicine based on medicinal plants. Consequently, there’s a rising demand for these plants for both household and industrial use at local, regional, national, and international levels. However, wild harvesting has negatively impacted natural ecosystems. Cultivating medicinal species has been proposed as a conservation strategy to alleviate this pressure. Yet, in this age of global climate change concerns, smallholder farmers’ views on the benefits of such cultivation clash with the uncertainties of climate change impacts, amplifying their anxieties. In this context, the climate change dependence of ex situ cultivation of ten wild medicinal taxa with significant ethnopharmacological interest in Crete, Greece, were studied, projecting their potential habitat suitability under various future climate scenarios. The results demonstrated species-specific effects. Based on the potential cultivation area gains and losses, these effects can be categorized into three groups. We also outlined the spatial patterns of these gains and losses, offering valuable insights for regional management strategies benefiting individual practitioners

Spatial patterns and intraspecific diversity of the glacial relict legume species Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed. in Eurasia

Vavilovia formosa is one of five genera in tribe Fabeae, (Fabaceae, Leguminosae) with close phylogenetic relationships to Pisum. It grows in subalpine and alpine levels in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia and Turkey and is recognized as an endangered and protected plant. This study was conducted to reveal its intraspecific variability, as well as to predict the past, extant and future species distribution range. We analysed 51 accessions with common phylogenetic markers (trnF-trnL, trnS-trnG, matK, rbcL, psbA-trnH and ITS). These represent in total up to 2551 bp of chloroplast and 664 bp of nuclear sequences per sample. Two populations from Turkey and Armenia were analysed for genetic diversity by AFLP

p-cymene impairs SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A (H1N1) viral replication: In silico predicted interaction with SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and H1N1 nucleoprotein

Therapeutic regimens for the COVID-19 pandemics remain unmet. In this line, repurposing of existing drugs against known or predicted SARS-CoV-2 protein actions have been advanced, while natural products have also been tested. Here, we propose that p-cymene, a natural monoterpene, can act as a potential novel agent for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-induced COVID-19 and other RNA-virus-induced diseases (influenza, rabies, Ebola). We show by extensive molecular simulations that SARS-CoV-2 C-terminal structured domain contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS), like SARS-CoV, on which p-cymene binds with low micromolar affinity, impairing nuclear translocation of this protein and inhibiting viral replication, as verified by preliminary in vitro experiments. A similar mechanism may occur in other RNA-viruses (influenza, rabies and Ebola), also verified in vitro for influenza, by interaction of p-cymene with viral nucleoproteins, and structural modification of their NLS site, weakening its interaction with importin A. This common mechanism of action renders therefore p-cymene as a possible antiviral, alone, or in combination with other agents, in a broad spectrum of RNA viruses, from SARS-CoV-2 to influenza A infections

Small does not mean young: Age estimation of severely browsed trees in anthropogenic Mediterranean landscapes

The knowledge of the age of individual trees and of population age structure is of great importance for conservation purposes. In Mediterranean areas, however, trees are rarely used for dendroecological studies as ring growth is strongly perturbed by browsing and other disturbances. This study focused on the Tertiary relict tree species Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae) endemic to the mountains of Crete (Greece) and searched for new approaches to estimate the age of threatened trees in severely browsed populations. Our results demonstrate that dwarfed Z. abelicea trees can attain ages >500 yr and that such individuals often surpass normally growing trees of the same population in number and age. These findings significantly change the perception of population age structure in forest remnants of Mediterranean landscapes. Additionally, we show that tree age is well correlated (64%) with trunk circumference, for severely browsed dwarfed trees, however not so much (11%) for normally developed, large trees. Thus, our results can be used directly for age estimations of severely dwarfed Z. abelicea individuals in the field and the new approach can be easily reproduced for other threatened tree species affected by strong browsing pressure. Future conservation efforts and management strategies should, therefore, take into account not only normally developed trees but also severely browsed individuals and their populations