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

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

Monitoring and evaluation of Malta’s coastal wetlands in a global change context: a case study using a multimethod approach

Mediterranean coastal wetlands are important ecosystems that provide a variety of ecological services such as coastal protection, habitat for fish and bird species, and carbon sequestration (Tomaselli et al. 2022). As regards the Maltese Islands' saline, these wetlands are sparsely spread along the shoreline and are frequently affected by anthropogenic influences. Consequently, the Maltese Islands lack pristine saline marshlands (Henwood 2006; Lanfranco et al. 2009) and the most extant have been artificially engineered. One such wetland is il-Magħluq ta’ Marsaxlokk, which forms part of the Natura 2000 site, il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk. This is a case study to investigate the plant species cover and diversity of il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk, which aims to contribute to the knowledge on participatory management in protected areas. Despite its high ecological importance, this site has been subjected to several stresses including habitat loss due to sea erosion. In order to evaluate the plant biodiversity of the wetland, a multimethod approach investigation was carried out. Photointerpretation and on-site surveys were used to identify habitats, which were then classified in accordance with CORINE Biotopes, Directive 92/43/EEC, and EUNIS codes. In addition, phytosociological relevés retrieved from literature and unpublished data were processed. The diversity was quantified through three indices: species richness, Shannon’s diversity index, and Simpson’s diversity index. Our preliminary results suggest that over time there has been a reduction of the halophilous plant communities. With several threats such as climate change and human activities, frequent monitoring of wetlands like this one will be increasingly important for long-term conservation in accordance with the objectives of the Habitats Directive

Climate Change and Wetland Ecosystems: The Effects on Halophilous Vegetation Diversity in Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk Natura 2000 Site (Malta)

Climate change poses a fundamental threat to the wetlands. The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot, and wetlands are important for maintaining this status. The current study evaluated the halophilous vegetation diversity of one of the most relevant Maltese wetlands, Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk Natura 2000 site, also identified under the Water Framework Directive. A vegetation analysis was carried out according to the Braun–Blanquet approach. The processed dataset included both data from the literature and unpublished data. To quantify vegetation structure and diversity, a hierarchical classification (Chord distance; Ward linkage) and diversity and ecological indices were performed. Diachronic analysis of the taxonomic diversity indices and the Ellenberg indicator values were taken into account. We used an NMDS analysis to assess the ecological fingerprint of the vegetation. In addition, we provided an actual vegetation map for Il-Ballut ta’ Marsaxlokk, based on drone orthophotos. We identified five EU Directive habitats in the study area (1150*, 1310, 1410, 1420, and 92D0) of which one (1150*) was reported for the first time. The ecological fingerprint of the halophilous vegetation has undergone changes over time, particularly due to increasing temperatures. In fact, the results showed that nutrients and temperature were the strongest environmental drivers of the site. The results and methodology of this study demonstrate how vegetation studies can serve as tools to improve knowledge, management actions, and landscape planning of Natura 2000 sites