Fire regime is predicted to change, particularly in Mediterranean climate regions, towards more severe and frequent fire events. From a predictive perspective, trait-based ecology offers a comprehensive framework to characterize vegetation responses to fire. Since fires induce erosion and decrease soil nutrients, species’ functional traits and their distribution at community level should reflect these changes….
A Yale-led study warns that global climate change may have a devastating effect on butterflies, turning their species-rich, mountain habitats from refuges into traps. Think of it as the “butterfly effect” — the idea that something as small as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings can eventually lead to a major event such as a hurricane…
Botanical discoveries may sound like relics of a bygone era, but researchers are still uncovering dozens of new plant species every year. From the palm in Borneo that flowers underground to the orchid thriving parasitically on other plants in Madagascar, the strangeness of these species illustrate how little we know about Earth’s natural secrets. The study,…
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…
Waste biomass from aromatic and medicinal plants (AMPs) encloses multifunctional compounds that could offer a poly-diverse pool of applications in sectors of food/feed, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. The production of essential oils (EOs) constitutes the main process that generates huge amounts of waste and/or by-product streams, since >95% of the AMPs is left as residual…
A complete list of the bryophytes known from Lesbos, Greece, is presented, of … >>> Blockeel, T.L., Nieuwkoop, J.A. Herzogia 29(1),1-34 (2016) Recent related articles in this category All articles in this category >>>
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…
In Mediterranean Europe, wood-pasture landscapes with oak woodlands as emblematic ecosystems are undergoing rapid land-use change, which may threaten their … >>> Schaich, H., Kizos, T., Schneider, S., Plieninger, T. Environmental Management 56, 110-26 (2015) Recent related articles in this category All articles in this category >>>
Floristic and phytogeographical information is presented in the first of three papers on the flora of Lesvos (East Aegean, Greece). The taxa included here are dicotyledons and belong to families in alphabetical order from Aceraceae to Guttiferae. Of the 92 taxa (79 species, 12 subspecies and one variety) presented, two are new for Greece, five are new for…
The floristic results of journeys to the Aegean islands of Lesvos and Limnos over several years are presented. Retama monosperma is added to, and Asphodeline brevicaulis confirmed for the flora of Greece, and 14 new records for Lesvos and 31 for Limnos are given. Biel, B. Willdenowia 32(2), 209-19 (2002) (open access) Recent related articles in this category All…