Fire is a key trigger for the germination of serotinous plants in Mediterranean environments. Despite the availability of ample investigations into how fire contributes to plant fitness and germination patterns in pyriscent plants, there is no published content … >>> Suárez-Ronay, S. H., Medina-Villar, S., Corona, M. E. P Forest Ecology and Management, 569, 122168…
The Mediterranean Sea hosts a diverse array of marine species, including the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), a keystone species for conservation efforts. However, knowledge of its nesting localities within the Aegean Sea, particularly in the northern regions, remains limited. Here, we report the first documented instances of successful loggerhead turtle nesting and hatchling emergence…
Biological invasions represent one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss with adverse impacts on human societies, economies and public health. More than 500 ant species have been transported outside their native range with the help of humans, while the majority of them have managed to establish viable populations in the wild. Nevertheless, data from…
The main advantage of the Aegean islands, in generating national, regional, or international competitiveness, compared to the areas on the continental mainland, is their natural and cultural assets, their cultural landscapes. Consequently, the organized utilization of cultural heritage, rich biodiversity, and the unique Aegean landscape, could make the islands attractive as places to live or…
Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister, isn’t a fan of solar farms. In 2014, when she was environment secretary, she described rows of panels arranged in a field to capture energy from the sun as a “blight on the landscape”. Eight years later, as a candidate for the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, she…
Promoting rural development is essential for the general economic transformation of people, hence requiring great attention from different government systems. This study assessed the risk, vulnerability, and resilience of agriculture, as well as its impact on sustainable rural economy development, using Greece as the case study. The study employed a quantitative research approach based on…
Farming systems in marginal or less favored areas of Europe have faced a multitude of challenges as a response to so-called “mega-trends”. A typical response has been land abandonment. The focus of this paper is on the farming systems of the Greek islands of Lesvos and Lemnos. These neighboring islands are geographically very similar but…
In the past decades, agricultural landscapes have simplified with crop specialization and the reduction of seminatural covers leading to a decline of biodiversity and (biodiversity-driven) ecosystem services. This study measures the impact of landscape agrobiodiversity on the economy of southern Europe. The analysis relies on regression analyses to measure the effect of agrobiodiversity on the…
To support sustainable food production and the delivery of ecosystem services through ecological intensification, wildflower strips have become a popular strategy. Despite their success in temperate orchard systems, they remain understudied in Mediterranean ecosystems, which poses a significant barrier to uptake. In order to further promote their adoption, seed mixes must be optimised for commercial…
Although the negative effects of insecticides and herbicides on beneficial and non-target invertebrates are well documented, there is limited information on potential negative impacts of pest and weed management practices used in organic farming on invertebrate activity. Using established field experiments designed to compare different ground cover crops (used to suppress weeds and increase nitrogen…