On the occurrence of Capsella rubella Reuter (family Brassicaceae) in the Maltese Islands

The occurrence of Capsella rubella in the Maltese Islands is confirmed for the first time, following doubtful records made more than 70 years ago.peer-reviewe

Biodiversity, conservation and management and the role of Natura 2000 in Malta

Management plans and conservation orders have been set up for all terrestrial Natura 2000 sites, and a national marine monitoring programme has been established, both of which are being implemented with national and EU funds. Additional scientific studies are also ongoing, to gather more information on Malta’s biodiversity, particularly, but not limited to, the marine environment. Marine management measures are also being developed, with a Programme of Measures for Maltese waters established in 2017 and marine conservation measures for existing marine protected areas expected to be in place by 2020peer-reviewe

Buonamico, the Botanist

Due to their geographical position, their geomorphology and numerous microhabitats, the Maltese Islands have a relatively rich flora as well as interesting fertile ground for botanical research. Despite this fact, detailed studies on Maltese botany are relatively recent, dating from the early nineteenth century. Very few publications or manuscripts on the Maltese flora predate the nineteenth century, and for the most part these have not been critically assessed. The first works directly referring to the Maltese flora belong to three seventeenth-century scholars, namely, and in chronological order, the manuscripts of Giovan Francesco Buonamico (c. 1670) and the published works of Paolo Boccone (1674, 1697) and Filippo Cavallini (1689). The works of these three authors are somewhat interlinked, as will be indicated below.peer-reviewe

Coastal sand dunes under siege : a guide to conservation for environmental managers

Coastal regions have for centuries been of benefit to humankind. Worldwide, human populations exploited the littoral and adjoining seas as a consequence to its relatively rich resource base. Particularly in an enclosed sea as the Mediterranean, demographic growth has had a marked effect on the region's resources. In recent decades, intensive shipping-related activities, industrial and infrastructural development, and other anthropogenic activities located close to the coast have led to an increased degradation of coastal ecosystems. The Maltese Islands are no exception and although numerous dune systems were obliterated during colonial times as a result of major developments along various parts of the coast, remaining sand dunes were further degraded during the decades that followed independence. This occurred, primarily, as Malta began to transform itself into a tourist destination. Since sand dunes are much dependent on a variety of factors that lie further afield from the beach zone per se, they are among the most vulnerable coastal assemblages with respect to stability. For this reason, even topographical modifications of inland landscapes may have a severe negative influence on dune dynamics, consequent to alterations or disruptions of sediment fluxes. Sadly, only a few dune assemblages remain in the Maltese Islands, with Ramla l-Ħamra being, so far, the best example, while others vary from highly impoverished to mere remnant sites. [ text extracted from Foreword section written by Professor Charles J. Farrugia, Chairman, Maltese National Commission for UNESCO ]peer-reviewe

Involvement of institutions and local communities in turtles and cetacean monitoring and conservation in Maltese waters through networking

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) are regularly found around Maltese waters, especially the former. However, until recently, information on the populations and conservation status of both species in the area was lacking. The EU LIFE+ project MIGRATE (LIFE11 NAT/MT/1070) was carried out to address these information gaps by aiming to obtain more biotic data on these species and to identify areas essential for the life cycle and reproduction of these protected species in Maltese waters. To achieve these aims, amongst others, a citizen science approach was chosen, with the involvement of a number of institutes like the Maritime Squadron of the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) and that of the Civil Protection Department (CPD) as well as local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other sea-user communities such as divers.peer-reviewe

Biodiversity conservation and utilisation in the Maltese Islands

The Maltese archipelago which occupies an area of c.316km2 consists of the inhabited islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino and several other uninhabited islets and rocks. In spite of their restricted area, the limited number of habitats, and the intense human pressure, the Maltese Islands support a very diverse terrestrial and freshwater biota, with some 2000 species of plants and fungi known, more than 4000 species of insects, several hundred species of other invertebrates, and more than 200 terrestrial or freshwater vertebrates; of these c.80 taxa are considered as endemic. The most characteristic terrestrial ecosystems are those represented by the Mediterranean scrubland, of which the maquis, garigue and steppe are the main types present - evergreen woodlands are all but extinct and only four relict patches occur. Minor terrestrial ecosystems include rupestral, freshwater and coastal communities including sand dunes, saline marshlands and rocky coasts. Marine communities include those characteristic of both hard and mobile substrata. Human impact is significant, and human influence is a key feature of the islands' ecology. In fact, the population density is the highest in Europe and built-up areas have increased from 5 to 16% in the past 30 years. Some 38% is agricultural land and 46% of the area is undeveloped, but even so, no wilderness areas remain in the Maltese Islands. The management practices of the islands include mainly those concerned with agriculture, animal husbandry and herding, and the use of fire, which all proved to be detrimental to the local biota, mainly through habitat destruction, the removal of competing species and the introduction of alien ones, particularly goats, rabbits and sheep. All these human activities have put great stress on the Maltese biodiversity, with a consequent impoverishment of the flora and fauna. Flora and fauna which are directly or indirectly exploited in the Maltese Islands are reviewed. Work on biodiversity carried out by national institutions, government departments, agencies and non-governmental organisations is also outlined. Legislation safeguarding biodiversity is relatively new to Malta. Prior to the Environment Protection Act [EPA] (1991), and the Development Planning Act [DPA] (1992), legislation mainly protected species due to their associated economic importance. Both the EPA and DPA have permitted the creation of protected areas. The EPA also protects some of the flora and fauna, including some 10% of the endemics. The DPA, on the other hand incorporates the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands which is a strategic plan meant to harmonise development with conservation. On the international level, Malta is party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which is implemented locally by means of regulations controlling trade in species of flora and fauna (1992). Malta is also party to the Ramsar Convention, the Berne Convention, the Barcelona Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the Law of the Sea Convention.peer-reviewe

The seventh national communication of Malta under the United Nations framework convention on climate change

This is the fourth time that Malta is submitting a National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), following the submission of a First National Communication in 2004 and a Second National Communication in 2010. This is also the second time that Malta is submitting such a Communication since its accession to Annex I status under the Convention, the first two submissions having been made as a non-Annex I Party. Emission reduction or limitation commitments applicable to Malta Malta’s status under the Convention up to the time it applied for accession to Annex I, and with that accession being conditional to not taking on quantified emission limitation or reduction targets for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, meant that until 2012 Malta was not subject to an economy-wide greenhouse gas related obligation under the Protocol. This however did not mean that Malta had no obligations to limit or reduce emissions from anthropogenic activities taking place in the country. In line with, Malta will be contributing its fair share of the EU’s unconditional commitment under the Convention to reduce emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020. This is in line with the target inscribed in the amendments to the Kyoto Protocol (the Doha Amendments), that will be jointly fulfilling the second commitment period with the other Union member states; therefore, emissions from the aforementioned power plants remain subject to compliance with EU Emissions Trading Scheme provisions, while the Effort-Sharing Decision target is the principal emissions mitigation obligation that the country has until 2020, for all other greenhouse gas emissions. The major point sources of greenhouse gas emissions in Malta, namely the electricity generation plants have been, since of 2005, subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, whereby they are required to surrender allowances in respect of emissions of carbon dioxide. Emissions of greenhouse gases not covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, are subject to an overall limit under the so-called Effort-Sharing Decision. Under this decision, Malta must limit such greenhouse gases to not more than 5% over emission levels in 2005, by 2020. The EU is already looking towards the longer-term future, with the 2030 climate and energy framework providing for a 40% domestic reduction target for 2030. Legislative implementation of this goal is currently under discussion at EU level.peer-reviewe

Rediscovery of Lotus halophilus Boissier et Spruner (Fabaceae) from the Island of Comino (Malta, Central Mediterranean)

Surveys were recently carried out at selected sites in the Maltese Islands in order to rediscover the presumably extinct Lotus halophilus. The rediscovery of tllis species is reported, reconfirming the presence of this taxon in the'Maltese Islands after more thaIl 70 years.peer-reviewe

Synthesis, Characterization, and Structure of Some 1,4-Disubstituted Cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines

Oxazine-based chemistry offers an alternative to thiophene and pyrrole semiconductors and has been largely unexplored for electronics applications. Discrete monomers or oxazine polymers could serve as an efficient hole carrier for novel devices. A series of 1,4-disubstituted cyclopenta[d][1,2]oxazines (R = tolyl, p-nitrophenyl, t-buytl, furyl, and 5-methylthienyl) were isolated via ring closure with hydroxylamine from a 1,2-acylcyclopentadiene precursor. The target oxazines were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and direct analysis in real time (DART) MS. Single-crystal x-ray structure determination confirmed the identity of the tolyl oxazine, which shows a face-to-face stacking pattern of the heterocyclic rings