Genetic Variation in Three Closely Related Minuartia (Caryophyllaceae) Species Endemic to Greece: Implications for Conservation Management

The genus Minuartia is highly diverse in the Mediterranean region and includes several endemic and locally restricted species. The genetic variation of three Minuartia species (M. dirphya, M. parnonia, M. wettsteinii) which are endemic to Greece was investigated, aiming to also develop effective conservation plans for their protection. Minuartia dirphya and M. wettsteinii are known to occur only at their type localities, each forming a small population, while M. parnonia is more widespread with seven populations located in the south-east Peloponnese. Genetic diversity was estimated using ten chloroplast microsatellite and five REMAP markers. The chloroplast microsatellite markers exhibited limited polymorphism among species only, while REMAP revealed a significant amount of genetic variation at the population and species level. All the analyses performed (dendrograms, PCoA, STRUCTURE) showed clear differentiation among species, highlighting M. wettsteinii as the most genetically distant. As shown by AMOVA, a degree of differentiation was detected within M. parnonia, where 41 % of the total variation was partitioned among populations and 59 % to the individuals within them. At the species level, the highest genetic diversity (PPB = 75.86 %, Hj = 0.2728, I = 0.3509) was observed in M. parnonia, followed by M. dirphya (PPB = 55.17 %, Hj = 0.2350, I = 0.2767), while the lowest was observed in M. wettsteinii (PPB = 28.74 %, Hj = 0.1449, I = 0.1498). Scarce gene flow (Nm = 0.5451) was observed among M. parnonia populations. The current study is important for developing conservation management plans for the three threatened Minuartia species. © 2014, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Genetic diversity and range dynamics of Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus under different climate change scenarios

Research Highlights: The effects of climate change on habitat loss, range shift and/or genetic impoverishment of mid-elevation plants has received less attention compared to alpine species. Moreover, genetic diversity patterns of mountain forest herbaceous species have scarcely been explored in the Balkans. In this context, our study is the first that aims to examine Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus, a medicinal plant endemic to the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Background and Objectives: We compare its genetic diversity and structure along the continuous mountain range of western Greece with the topographically less structured mountains of eastern Greece, and predict its present and future habitat suitability, using several environmental variables. Materials and Methods: Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers were used to genotype 80 individuals from 8 populations, covering almost the species' entire distribution range in Greece. We investigated the factors shaping its genetic composition and driving its current and future distribution. Results: High gene diversity (0.2239-0.3319), moderate population differentiation (0.0317-0.3316) and increased gene flow (Nm = 1.3098) was detected. According to any GCM/RCP/climate database combination, Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus is projected to lose a significant portion of its current distribution by 2070 and follow a trend towards genetic homogenization. Conclusions: Populations exhibit in terms of genetic structure a west-east genetic split, which becomes more evident southwards. This is mainly due to geographic/topographic factors and their interplay with Quaternary climatic oscillations, and to environmental constraints, which may have a negative impact on the species' future distribution and genetic composition. Pindos mountain range seems to buffer climate change effects and will probably continue to host several populations. On the other hand, peripheral populations have lower genetic diversity compared to central populations, but still hold significant evolutionary potential due to the private alleles they maintain. © 2020 by the authors

ARF: A versatile DNA damage response ally at the crossroads of development and tumorigenesis

Alternative reading frame (ARF) is a tumor suppressor protein that senses oncogenic and other stressogenic signals. It can trigger p53-dependent and -independent responses with cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction being the most prominent ones. Other ARF activities, particularly p53-independent ones, that could help in understanding cancer development and provide potential therapeutic exploitation are underrated. Although ARF is generally not expressed in normal tissues, it is essential for ocular and male germ cells development. The underlying mechanism(s) in these processes, while not clearly defined, point toward a functional link between ARF, DNA damage and angiogenesis. Based on a recent study from our group demonstrating a functional interplay between ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and ARF during carcinogenesis, we discuss the role of ARF at the crossroads of cancer and developmental processes.© 2014 Kotsinas, Papanagnou, Evangelou, Trigas, Kostourou, Townsend and Gorgoulis

The Natura 2000 network and the ranges of threatened species in Greece

Global environmental goals mandate the expansion of the protected area network to halt biodiversity loss. The European Union’s Natura 2000 network covers 27.3% of the terrestrial area of Greece, one of the highest percentages in Europe. However, the extent to which this network protects Europe’s biodiversity, especially in a biodiverse country like Greece, is unknown. Here, we overlap the country’s Natura 2000 network with the ranges of the 424 species assessed as threatened on the IUCN Red List and present in Greece. Natura 2000 overlaps on average 47.6% of the mapped range of threatened species; this overlap far exceeds that expected by random networks (21.4%). Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation (non-exclusive subsets of Natura 2000 sites) overlap 33.4% and 38.1% respectively. Crete and Peloponnese are the two regions with the highest percentage of threatened species, with Natura 2000 sites overlapping on average 62.3% with the threatened species’ ranges for the former, but only 30.6% for the latter. The Greek ranges of all 62 threatened species listed in Annexes 1 and II to the Birds and Habitats Directives are at least partially overlapped by the network (52.0%), and 18.0% of these are fully overlapped. However, the ranges of 27 threatened species, all of which are endemic to Greece, are not overlapped at all. These results can inform national policies for the protection of biodiversity beyond current Natura 2000 sites. © 2021, The Author(s)

Sustainable Ecotourism through Cutting-Edge Technologies

Tourism is a phenomenon that dates back to ancient times. Ancient Greek philosophers recognised, adopted, and promoted the concept of rest-based tourism. Ecotourism is a particular type of tourism that connects with activities that take place in nature, without harming it, along with the herbal and animal wealth. According to estimates, the global ecotourism industry is currently booming due to various reasons, and it is becoming an important factor of sustainable regional development. This article presents the vision, work, and outcomes of project AdVENt, a project focusing natively in sustainable ecotourism through natural science and technological innovation. AdVENt’s study area includes the National Parks of Oiti (or Oeta) and Parnassus in Central Greece, where there is a remarkable native flora with a high endemism rate integrated with areas of cultural value and national and European hiking routes and paths of varying difficulty. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Species–area relationships on small islands differ among plant growth forms

Aim: We tested whether species–area relationships of small islands differ among plant growth forms and whether this influences the prevalence of the small-island effect (SIE). The SIE states that species richness on small islands is independent of island area or relates to area in a different way compared with larger islands. We investigated whether island isolation affects the limits of the SIE and which environmental factors drive species richness on small islands. Location: Seven hundred islands (< 100 km2) worldwide belonging to 17 archipelagos. Major taxa studied: Angiosperms. Methods: We applied linear and breakpoint species–area models for angiosperm species richness and for herb, shrub and tree species richness per archipelago separately, to test for the existence of SIEs. For archipelagos featuring the SIE, we calculated the island area at which the breakpoints occurred (breakpoint area) and used linear models to test whether the breakpoint areas varied with isolation. We used linear mixed-effect models to discern the effects of seven environmental variables related to island area, isolation and other environmental factors on the species richness of each growth form for islands smaller than the breakpoint area. Results: For 71% of all archipelagos, we found an SIE for total and herb species richness, and for 59% for shrub species richness and 53% for tree species richness. Shrub and tree species richness showed larger breakpoint areas than total and herb species richness. The breakpoint area was significantly positively affected by the isolation of islands within an archipelago for total and shrub species richness. Species richness on islands within the range of the SIE was differentially affected by environmental factors across growth forms. Main conclusion: The SIE is a widespread phenomenon that is more complex than generally described. Different functional groups have different environmental requirements that shape their biogeographical patterns and affect species–area and, more generally, richness–environment relationships. The complexity of these patterns cannot be revealed when measuring overall plant species richness.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004350Peer Reviewe