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Frei K, Vojtkó A, Farkas T, Erdős L, Barta K, E-Vojtkó A, Tölgyesi C, Bátori Z. Topographic depressions can provide climate and resource microrefugia for biodiversity. iScience 2023; 26:108202. [PMID: 38026156 PMCID: PMC10656275 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Microrefugia are often located within topographically complex regions where stable environmental conditions prevail. Most of the studies concerning the distributions of climate change-sensitive species have emphasized the dominance of cold air pooling over other environmental factors, such as resource availability. There is a shortage of information on the relationships among topography-related microsite diversity, microclimate, resource availability, and species composition in microrefugia. To fill this knowledge gap, we studied the effects of microclimatic conditions and soil resources on plant species occurrence within and adjacent to 30 large topographic depressions (i.e., dolines) in two distant karst regions. Our results showed that both microclimate and soil resource availability may play a key role in maintaining climate change-sensitive species and biodiversity in dolines; therefore, they may simultaneously act as climate and resource microrefugia. Establishing climate-smart conservation priorities and strategies is required to maintain or increase the refugial capacity of such safe havens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kata Frei
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences, University of Szeged, Rerrich Béla tér 1, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - András Vojtkó
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, Leányka utca 6, 3300 Eger, Hungary
| | - Tünde Farkas
- Aggtelek National Park Directorate, Tengerszem oldal 1, 3758 Jósvafő, Hungary
| | - László Erdős
- Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Alkotmány utca 2-4, 2163 Vácrátót, Hungary
- Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Károly Barta
- Department of Geoinformatics, Physical and Environmental Geography, University of Szeged, Egyetem utca 2-6, 6722 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Anna E-Vojtkó
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, 379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic
| | - Csaba Tölgyesi
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- MTA-SZTE ‘Lendület’ Applied Ecology Research Group, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- HUN-REN–UD Functional and Restoration Ecology Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Bátori
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
- MTA-SZTE ‘Lendület’ Applied Ecology Research Group, Közép fasor 52, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
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Buonincontri MP, Bosso L, Smeraldo S, Chiusano ML, Pasta S, Di Pasquale G. Shedding light on the effects of climate and anthropogenic pressures on the disappearance of Fagus sylvatica in the Italian lowlands: evidence from archaeo-anthracology and spatial analyses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 877:162893. [PMID: 36933734 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Fagus sylvatica is one of the most representative trees of the European deciduous broadleaved forests, yet the impact of changing climatic conditions and anthropogenic pressures (anthromes) on its presence and distribution in the coastal and lowland areas of the Mediterranean Basin has long been overlooked. Here, we first analysed the local forest composition in two different time intervals (350-300 Before Current Era, BCE and 150-100 BCE) using charred wood remains from the Etruscan site of Cetamura (Tuscany, central Italy). Additionally, we reviewed all the relevant publications and the wood/charcoal data obtained from anthracological analysis in F. sylvatica, focusing on samples that date back to 4000 years before present, to better understand the drivers of beech presence and distribution during the Late Holocene (LH) in the Italian Peninsula. Then, we combined charcoal and spatial analyses to test the distribution of beech woodland at low elevation during LH in Italy and to evaluate the effect of climate change and/or anthrome on the disappearance of F. sylvatica from the lowlands. We collected 1383 charcoal fragments in Cetamura belonging to 21 woody taxa, with F. sylvatica being the most abundant species (28 %), followed by other broadleaved trees. We identified 25 sites in the Italian Peninsula with beech charcoals in the last 4000 years. Our spatial analyses showed a marked decrease in habitat suitability of F. sylvatica from LH to the present (ca. 48 %), particularly in the lowlands (0-300 m above sea level, a.s.l.) and in areas included between 300-600 m a.s.l. with a subsequent shift upwards of the beech woodland of ca. 200 m from the past to the present. In the lowland areas, where F. sylvatica has disappeared, anthrome alone and climate + anthorme had a main effect on beech distribution whitin 0-50 m a.s.l., while the climate from 50 to 300 m a.s.l. Furthermore, climate affect also the beech distrinution in the areas >300 m a.s.l., while climate + anthrome and antrhome alone were mainly focused on the lowland areas. Our results highlight the advantage of combining different approaches, such as charcoal analysis and spatial analyses, to explore biogeographic questions about the past and current distribution of F. sylvatica, with important implications for today's forest management and conservation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Paolo Buonincontri
- Department of History and Cultural Heritage, University of Siena, via Roma 47, Siena 53100, Italy; Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, Napoli 80055, Italy
| | - Luciano Bosso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, Napoli 80055, Italy.
| | - Sonia Smeraldo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, Napoli 80055, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Chiusano
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, Napoli 80055, Italy
| | - Salvatore Pasta
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, Italian National Research Council, Corso Calatafimi 414, 90129 Palermo, Italy
| | - Gaetano Di Pasquale
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", via Università 100, Napoli 80055, Italy.
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Fazan L, Certini D, Pasta S, Remoundou I, Ghosn D, Garfì G, Kozlowski G. Trait variability in diaspores and fruits of Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae) across its distribution range. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2023.103896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Worth JRP, Shitara T, Kitamura K, Kikuchi S, Kanetani S, Matsui T, Uchiyama K, Tomaru N. Low‐elevation warm‐edge
Fagus crenata
populations in the core of the species range are glacial relicts with high conservation value. Ecol Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James R. P. Worth
- Department of Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forest Research and Management Organization Matsunosato, Ibaraki Japan
| | - Takuto Shitara
- Institute of Agriculture Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fuchu‐shi, Tokyo Japan
| | - Keiko Kitamura
- Hokkaido Research Centre, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forest Research and Management Organization Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan
| | - Satoshi Kikuchi
- Hokkaido Research Centre, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forest Research and Management Organization Sapporo, Hokkaido Japan
| | - Seiichi Kanetani
- Kyushu Research Center Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Chuo‐ku, Kumamoto Japan
| | - Tetsuya Matsui
- Center for Biodiversity and Climate Change, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forest Research and Management Organization Matsunosato, Ibaraki Japan
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Tsukuba Tsukuba, Ibaraki Japan
| | - Kentaro Uchiyama
- Department of Forest Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Forest Research and Management Organization Matsunosato, Ibaraki Japan
| | - Nobuhiro Tomaru
- Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences Nagoya University Chikusa‐ku, Nagoya Japan
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Pasta S, Gristina AS, Scuderi L, Fazan L, Marcenò C, Guarino R, Perraudin V, Kozlowski G, Garfì G. Conservation of Ptilostemon greuteri (Asteraceae), an endemic climate relict from Sicily (Italy): State of knowledge after the discovery of a second population. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Three Millennia of Vegetation, Land-Use, and Climate Change in SE Sicily. FORESTS 2022; 13:102. [PMID: 35909941 PMCID: PMC8944197 DOI: 10.3390/f13010102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
This study presents the first Late Holocene marine pollen record (core ND2) from SE Sicily. It encompasses the last 3000 years and is one of the most detailed records of the south-central Mediterranean region in terms of time resolution. The combined approach of marine palynology and historical ecology, supported by independent palaeoclimate proxies, provides an integrated regional reconstruction of past vegetational dynamics in relation to rapid climatic fluctuations, historical socio-economic processes, and past land-use practices, offering new insights into the vegetation history of SE Sicily. Short-term variations of sparse tree cover in persistently open landscapes reflect rapid hydroclimatic changes and historical land-use practices. Four main phases of forest reduction are found in relation to the 2.8 ka BP event, including the Late Antique Little Ice Age, the Medieval Climate Anomaly, and the Little Ice Age, respectively. Forest recovery is recorded during the Hellenistic and Roman Republican Periods, the Early Middle Ages, and the last century. Agricultural and silvicultural practices, as well as stock-breeding activities, had a primary role in shaping the current vegetational landscape of SE Sicily.
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Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13179469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place over the Holocene. Based on this framework, this paper aims to discuss the cultural and demographic dimension of the island by reviewing archaeogenetic studies, and lastly, we discuss the ecological constraints related to human peopling in times of change in landscapes that occurred on the island in various periods. Finally, possible directions for future archaeogenetic studies of Sicily are discussed. Despite its long human history, Sicily is still one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The lessons we learn from the past use of landscape provide models for sustainable future management of the Mediterranean’s landscapes.
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Fragnière Y, Song YG, Fazan L, Manchester SR, Garfì G, Kozlowski G. Biogeographic Overview of Ulmaceae: Diversity, Distribution, Ecological Preferences, and Conservation Status. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10061111. [PMID: 34072896 PMCID: PMC8227750 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The elm family (Ulmaceae) is a woody plant group with important scientific, societal, and economic value. We aim to present the first biogeographic synthesis investigating the global diversity, distribution, ecological preferences, and the conservation status of Ulmaceae. A literature review was performed to explore the available data for all extant species. Our study made it possible to map the actual global distribution of Ulmaceae with high precision, and to elucidate the centers of diversity, located mainly in China and in the southeastern USA. A detailed comparative analysis of the macroclimatic niche for each species was produced, which shows the general biogeographic pattern of the family and pinpoints the outlier species. The results corroborate recent molecular analyses and support the division of Ulmaceae into two taxonomically, biogeographically, and ecologically well-differentiated groups: the so-called temperate clade with 4 genera and 43 species and the tropical clade with 3 genera and 13 species. The elm family is often described as a typical temperate plant group, however the diversity peak of all Ulmaceae is located in the subtropical zone, and a non-negligible part of the family is exclusively distributed in the tropics. We also noticed that a high proportion of Ulmaceae is linked to humid macro- or microhabitats. Finally, we highlighted that nearly 25% of all Ulmaceae are threatened. Fieldwork, conservation efforts, and research activities are still necessary for this family, particularly for the tropical members and the most endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Fragnière
- Department of Biology and Botanic Garden, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (Y.F.); (L.F.)
| | - Yi-Gang Song
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, 3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang, Shanghai 201602, China;
| | - Laurence Fazan
- Department of Biology and Botanic Garden, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (Y.F.); (L.F.)
| | - Steven R. Manchester
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Giuseppe Garfì
- Institute of Biosciences and BioResources—National Research Council, Corso Calatafimi 414, 90129 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Gregor Kozlowski
- Department of Biology and Botanic Garden, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 10, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland; (Y.F.); (L.F.)
- Eastern China Conservation Centre for Wild Endangered Plant Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, 3888 Chenhua Road, Songjiang, Shanghai 201602, China;
- Natural History Museum Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-26-300-88-42
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