Search Results (23)

Background/Objectives: The stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) is an evergreen coniferous species valued for its edible seeds, which provide significant economic benefits to local populations. Remarkable phenotypic plasticity but low genetic variation characterizes the species. In Greece, natural populations of P. pinea are part of the Natura 2000 network and are protected under Annex I Priority Habitat type 2270. These populations, located across six Natura 2000 sites (including two islands), face increasing threats from tourism and climate change, leading to ecosystem degradation. Genetic and epigenetic studies are critical for the conservation of forest species because they provide insights into the genetic diversity, adaptive potential, and resilience of species, helping to inform effective management strategies and protect biodiversity in changing environments. This study aims to assess the genetic and epigenetic diversity of P. pinea in four Natura 2000 sites using molecular markers and to propose conservation strategies to ensure the species’ long-term sustainability. Additionally, a preliminary investigation of water potential under maximum daily water demand was conducted to evaluate the species’ adaptive response. Methods: Genetic analysis was performed using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers, while epigenetic analysis was conducted using Methylation-Susceptible Amplified Polymorphism (MSAP) markers. Sampling was carried out in four Natura 2000 areas, where genetic and epigenetic diversity patterns were examined. Furthermore, a preliminary study on water potential under peak daily water demand conditions was conducted to assess the species’ physiological adaptation to environmental stress. Results: The results of this study provide valuable insights into conservation strategies by highlighting the potential role of epigenetic variation in the adaptability of P. pinea, despite its low genetic variability. Understanding the species’ epigenetic flexibility can inform conservation efforts aimed at enhancing its resilience to environmental stressors, such as climate change. Additionally, the preliminary water potential analysis contributes to identifying physiological traits that may help predict the species’ survival under varying environmental conditions, guiding the development of more targeted conservation practices and management plans. Further research could refine these findings and strengthen their application in conservation efforts. Conclusions: The conclusions emphasize the critical importance of this research in informing conservation efforts for P. pinea in Greece, particularly considering climate change and human pressures. The results highlight the need for both in-situ and ex-situ conservation strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of the species. The key recommendations include the protection of natural habitats, the implementation of controlled seed collection practices, and further research into the epigenetic mechanisms that may enhance the species’ resilience to environmental stress. Future studies should focus on deepening our understanding of these epigenetic factors and their role in the adaptability of P. pinea, which will be essential for developing more effective conservation measures. Full article

From August 2021 to December 2023, one adult male Mediterranean monk seal was repeatedly registered, through a systematic monitoring camera system, frequenting a marine cave in southern Kefalonia Island, central Ionian Sea, Greece. The presence of the same adult seal in a series of caves and overhangs in a bay in northwestern Zakynthos, southern Ionian Sea, in September 2023 and May 2024 was verified through opportunistic surveys and citizen science. The two locations are ca. 15 km apart and each is located in a different marine NATURA 2000 site. Appropriate conservation measures need to take into consideration the fact that seals do move between Kefalonia and Zakynthos (and possibly also other Ionian islands) and that the entire area has to be considered as a single “conservation unit” rather than elaborating protection measures on a small scale around a couple of resting and pupping caves alone. A full network of marine caves under strict protection surrounded by a buffer zone, taking into account at least the species’ home range, is needed in order to substantially cover the monk seal’s critical terrestrial habitats throughout the Ionian Sea. Full article

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an important tool for conserving biodiversity and ensuring the sustainable use of marine ecosystem services. This study examines the extent of MPAs in the Adriatic-Ionian region (EUSAIR). The analysis focuses on nationally designated marine protected areas and Natura 2000 sites (their marine parts), as well as areas of biodiversity importance that are not officially protected. With a marine area of 484,017 km², the EUSAIR region has 46 nationally designated marine protected areas and 348 Natura 2000 marine protected areas as of 2021, which together represent a protected area of 16,347 km² or 3.4% of the region’s total marine area. However, strictly protected areas of IUCN categories I and II account for only 0.07% of the region’s marine area, highlighting a significant gap in achieving global and EU biodiversity targets. In addition, around 30.75% of the marine area is classified as important for biodiversity based on various conservation instruments, but is not legally protected. These findings underline the urgent need for enhanced protection, improved management and stricter conservation measures to achieve the targets of the Kunmingand Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworks and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, which aims to have 30% of marine areas protected and 10% under strict protection by 2030. Achieving the EU biodiversity targets by 2030 will require a significant expansion of MPAs in the EUSAIR region and intensified efforts to designate new MPAs, integrate existing areas of high biodiversity and ensure effective management consistent with biodiversity conservation objectives. Full article

La Graciosa, a Natura 2000 site in the Canary Islands, faces substantial conservation challenges, including a large free-roaming cat population that threatens the island’s native biodiversity. In July 2024, a Trap–Neuter–Return (TNR) campaign achieved an 81.4% sterilization rate within urban areas, highlighting TNR’s short-term effectiveness in reducing reproductive potential and, consequently, mitigating predation pressures primarily through the prevention of new litters and reduced reproductive activity in cats. The campaign’s success relied heavily on the active involvement of the local community, who assisted with identifying, trapping, and monitoring free-roaming cats, thereby facilitating a high sterilization rate. However, administrative restrictions hindered access to peri-urban zones, leaving essential population clusters unsterilized and limiting the campaign’s overall scope. Additionally, strong opposition from conservation groups, amplified by extensive media coverage, halted the project prematurely, reducing the effective sterilization rate to 69.3% within three months. Population Viability Analysis (PVA) suggests that achieving high sterilization rates could lead to population reduction over time; however, the inability to access all population segments and to reach the ideal 93–95% sterilization threshold limits TNR’s potential as a long-term standalone solution. Our findings underscore the need for adaptive, context-specific management frameworks in ecologically sensitive areas that integrate TNR with complementary measures, consider regulatory barriers, and value community involvement. This case study provides crucial insights for policymakers and conservationists seeking to balance biodiversity conservation with humane management practices in protected areas. Full article

This study deals with the information gap on desertification risk for wetland habitat types in Natura 2000 network sites of Greece. Using the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) index as a proxy, all Natura 2000 wetland habitat types have been assessed and assigned to desertification risk categories. The assessment was conducted at the national, regional, and local scales in order to provide different outcomes for targeted support on decision and policy making regarding restoration and conservation measures. The main results document that circa 20% of wetland habitat types area are considered under desertification risk, while circa 10% are considered as potentially affected by desertification. It was also shown that there should be prioritization of the habitat types that need attention due to their inclusion in the different desertification risk categories. The study also highlights the administrative regions (NUTS2) and Natura 2000 sites and the need to structure, draft, and implement conservation projects to mitigate wetlands’ risk as well as the use of wetlands as primary nature-based solutions (NbS) in the battle with desertification and climate change. Management implications are also provided from the perspective of habitat restoration as well as for their exploitation as valuable NbS for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services maintenance. Full article

The crop and crop wild relative (CWR) checklist of Lithuania was created containing 2630 taxa. The checklist comprises 1384 native taxa including archaeophytes and 1246 neophytes. In total, 699 taxa (26.6%) are defined for food and forage use. A list of 144 CWR priority species with 135 native species and archaeophytes and 9 naturalized species was generated. In total, 53 genera of food and forage species belonging to 15 families are represented by the priority CWR. Two approaches for CWR genetic reserve selection have been employed in this study: (1) CWR-targeted evaluation of preselected sites, including Natura 2000 sites, national protected areas, and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), such as ancient hillfort sites and ecological protection zones of water bodies; (2) analysis of large georeferenced plant databases. Forty-five potential genetic reserve sites have been selected by the first approach covering 83 species or 57.6% of the national CWR priority list. With the second approach, the in situ CWR National Inventory database has been created by combining data from the Database of EU habitat mapping in Lithuania (BIGIS), Herbarium Database of the Nature Research Centre (BILAS), Lithuanian Vegetation Database (EU-LT-001), and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Hotspot analysis of CWR species richness and number of observations suggested that higher CWR diversity is more likely to be found in protected areas. However, Shannon diversity and Shannon equitability indices showed that the areas outside of the protected areas are also suitable for CWR genetic reserve establishment. Full article

Among the main objectives of Natura 2000 Network sites management plans is monitoring their conservation status under a reasonable cost and with high temporal frequency. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of single-photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology (14 points per m²) and Sentinel-2 data to classify the conservation status of oak forests in four special areas of conservation in Navarra Province (Spain) that comprise three habitats. To capture the variability of conservation status within the three habitats, we first performed a random stratified sampling based on conservation status measured in the field, canopy cover, and terrain slope and height. Thereafter, we compared two metric selection approaches, namely Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests, and two machine learning classification methods, random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM), to classify the conservation statuses using LiDAR and Sentinel-2 data. The best-fit classification model, which included only LiDAR metrics, was obtained using the random forest method, with an overall classification accuracy after validation of 83.01%, 75.51%, and 88.25% for Quercus robur (9160), Quercus pyrenaica (9230), and Quercus faginea (9240) habitats, respectively. The models include three to six LiDAR metrics, with the structural diversity indices (LiDAR height evenness index, LHEI, and LiDAR height diversity index, LHDI) and canopy cover (FCC) being the most relevant ones. The inclusion of the NDVI index from the Sentinel-2 image did not improve the classification accuracy significantly. This approach demonstrates its value for classifying and subsequently mapping conservation statuses in oak groves and other Natura 2000 Network habitat sites at a regional scale, which could serve for more effective monitoring and management of high biodiversity habitats. Full article

Based on the example of wintering waterbirds in the Baltic Sea, we show an approach that is useful in defining priority species for management. The Value Factor (VF) is the quantitative method for evaluating the importance of an area for a species. Every year, 4,400,000 waterbirds winter in the Baltic. Among these, the highest priority species are velvet scoter Melanitta fusca (hereafter VS, VF = 153) and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis (hereafter LTD, VF = 204): 74% and 40%, respectively, of the world’s populations, and over 90% of the EU populations of both species spend the winter in the Baltic. Management plans (hereafter MP) regulating the protection of marine Natura 2000 sites (hereafter MPA) and dedicated to the protection of VS and LTD have been implemented in 65% and 51%, respectively, of MPAs in the Baltic. Poland, a key country for the survival of these species, has not implemented a single MP despite the existence of documentation confirming their crucial importance for seaducks, and the pressures occurring there. We suggest using the VF concept to define priority species. On this basis, it will be possible to identify gaps in the protection of the most seriously threatened species and implement conservation measures at the most appropriate sites. Full article

Humans have traded and transported alien species for millennia, both with and without intention to spread them to new areas. Consistent knowledge of their ecology will allow decision makers to take suitable conservation actions, with the aim of avoiding threatening native species. Praying mantids (Mantodea) are predatory insects with a high impact on local invertebrates’ fauna. An alien mantis species (Hierodula tenuidentata) could create a disequilibrium in both the local ecosystem and in autochthonous mantid species (Mantis religiosa) if it can adapt to the local ecological conditions. Through this study, we reveal that the number of Hierodula tenuidentata individuals from an Eastern European Natura 2000 site was 7.6 times higher than the number of Mantis religiosa suggesting a higher density of the allochthonous species in the study area. According to a GLM analysis, the population of Mantis religiosa, measured from August to the end of October, declines more rapidly and is negatively influenced by the number of days from the first day of the year, while the population of Hierodula tenuidentata is influenced by local weather factors. This is the first study which analyzes the influence of local weather factors (namely air temperature, precipitation, daily atmospheric pressure, daily wind direction and speed, daily cloud cover, sunshine duration and number of days from the first day of the year) on the abundance dynamic of mantises in order to understand their ecology in the current climate change influence. Full article

Invasive non-native trees (INNTs) are increasingly recognized to have negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services in protected areas. The management of INNTs is one of the major challenges to preserving native species and ecosystems, to which more and more efforts and resources are bound to be destined in the coming decades. Indeed, the combined effects of climate change and increasing disturbance factors (e.g. wildfires) are likely to aid the spread of many INNTs in the Mediterranean protected areas, as well as favouring their competitive relationships with native species. However, the effective implementation of control measures is far from being fully achieved. I assessed how the problem of INNTs is currently addressed within the Natura 2000 sites in Sicily, designed according to the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In particular, I will check the management plans of some selected Special Areas of Conservation searching for the activities provided for the management and control of INNTs. My research will be focused on the most widespread INNTs occurring on the island, such as Ailanthus altissima and Acacia saligna, along with taxa characterized by a very recent spread such as Parkinsonia aculeata and Vachellia karroo. Furthermore, some of these non-native trees are included in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern pursuant to Regulation (EU) 1143/2014 on invasive alien species. The study will address some main questions: (1) Are invasive non-native trees well managed in protected sites in Sicily? (2) Do different protected sites deal with the same non-native species in the same way? (3) Are planned activities effectively implemented and successful? The result of the study could be used to favour the cooperation and exchange of information about the control of INNTs between the managing bodies of different protected sites, thus increasing the efficacy of the necessary interventions. Full article

The Calabrian Peninsula (Southern Italy) has acted as a glacial refugium and is now considered a hotspot for the genetic diversity of several species. Even if it hosts the highest diversity of many Italian endemic amphibian species, the distribution of some of these needs an update to address conservation measures. We took advantage of a vast dataset for three Italian species (Bombina pachypus, Salamandrina terdigitata, Triturus carnifex), two of which are endemic, deriving from a 40-year field surveys dataset (1982–2022), to update their distribution and basic ecological requirements. We evaluated changes in their distribution, projecting them on a broader spatial scale through a kernel density estimation, inferring statistically-significant hotspots using Corine Land Cover patches, and assessing the protected areas’ coverage. We confirmed that Pollino, Catena Costiera, Sila and Aspromonte massifs are the main statistically-significant hotspots. Kernel densities showed a diversified pattern of gains/losses, sometimes overlapping, depending on the species. The whole outcomes obtained allow us to pinpoint specific areas where effective conservation measures need to be applied. Ousr findings reveal that local-scale monitoring and management should be planned, especially within the existing nationally-designated protected areas, which have been shown to protect far less with respect to the Natura 2000 sites. Full article

Climate change is seriously impacting coastal biodiversity and the benefits it provides to humans. This issue is particularly relevant in the case of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of areas for nature protection, where the sensitivity of local ecosystems calls for intervention to increase resistance and resilience to climate-related risks. Given the complex ways in which climate can influence conservation hotspot areas, there is a need to develop effective strategic approaches and general operational models to identify priorities for management and inform adaptation and mitigation measures. Here, a novel methodological proposal to perform climate risk assessment in Natura 2000 sites is presented that implements the systematic approach of ISO 14090 in combination with the theoretical framework of ecosystem services assessment and local stakeholder participation to identify climate-related issues for local protected habitats and improve the knowledge base needed to plan sustainable conservation and restoration measures. The methodology was applied to five Natura 2000 sites located along the Adriatic coast of Italy and Slovenia. Results show that each of the assessed sites, despite being along the coast of the same sea, is affected by different climate-related issues, impacting different habitats and corresponding ecosystem services. This novel methodology enables a simple and rapid screening for the prioritization of conservation actions and of the possible further investigations needed to support decision making, and was found to be robust and of general applicability. These findings highlight the importance of designing site-specific adaptation measures, tailored to address the peculiar response to climate change of each site in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Full article

Freshwater systems are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, and fish species inhabiting them are increasingly endangered by different pressures. One of the most important tools in the European Union (EU) to halt this decline is the Natura 2000 network (N2000). The Habitat Directive (HD) includes freshwater habitats and 39 native fish species from Spain considered of Community interest. Here, we evaluate the degree of spatial coverage of freshwater fish in the N2000 network in Spain, in accordance with reporting needs for the HD. Each N2000 site needs to provide estimates of occupancy as part of the Standard Data Forms, that could be outdated or incomplete. Updated information should help enhance conservation of freshwater fish species in Spain. We compiled a dataset with 10,000 field observations for 60 species and a dataset of environmental predictors including climate, topography, and land cover variables. We then used BIOMOD2 for modelling the spatial distribution of 40 freshwater fish species, 28 of them included in the HD. We then translated these distributions into two presence-absence maps: a maximum potential distribution, and a minimum potential distribution, and used them to measure the degree of coverage of species in the N2000. We found that, on average, up to 30% and 35% of the maximum and minimum potential distribution, respectively, of freshwater fish species were covered under N2000. However, there were differences between species, only a quarter of the species had at least 40% of its minimum potential distribution under N2000. For instance, Cobitis calderoni had a coverage of its minimum potential distribution inside N2000 under the 10% compared with Parachondrostoma turiense or Pseudochondrostoma polylepis that reached the 70% of coverage. The spatial coverage of species under N2000 and its consideration in the policy framework could help to ensure its conservation and to better monitor its conservation status over time. The information presented here could help prioritizing conservation measures inside N2000 for freshwater ecosystems, and to designate new Special Areas of Conservations to fill some of the gaps identified in this study, as part of the objectives of the new EU Biodiversity Strategy. Full article

One of the objectives of the LIFE IP INTEMARES project is to assess the impact of bottom trawling on the vulnerable benthic habitats of the circalittoral bottoms of the Menorca Channel (western Mediterranean), designated a Site of Community Importance (SCI) within the Natura 2000 network. The present study compares the epibenthic communities of four areas, subjected to different bottom trawl fishing intensity levels. The assignment of fishing effort levels was based on the fishing effort distribution in the area calculated from Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data and the existence of two Fishing Protected Zones in the Menorca Channel. Biological samples were collected from 39 beam trawl stations, sampled during a scientific survey on April 2019. We compare the diversity, composition, and density of the epibenthic flora and fauna, together with the rhodoliths coverage and the morphology of the main species of rhodoliths of four areas subjected to different levels of bottom trawl fishing effort, including one that has never been impacted by trawling. Our results have shown negative impacts of bottom trawling on rhodoliths beds and the first signals of their recovery in areas recently closed to this fishery, which indicate that this is an effective measure for the conservation of this habitat of special interest and must be included in the management plan required to declare the Menorca Channel as a Special Area of Conservation. Full article

Diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA) is one of the major factors causing water pollution in Lakes Palić and Ludaš, the two largest shallow lakes of the Pannonian Basin in Serbia. These two lakes are protected under national and international law. On the basis of the number of strictly protected bird species, Ludaš Lake has been classified as a wetland of international importance since 1977 (Ramsar site 3YU002); in 2021, both lakes were nominated as potential Natura 2000 areas. Despite the degree of protection and ecological significance of the area, agricultural land prevails. By a process of land expropriation during 2019, the buffer zone began to expand around the lakes, which should lead to a reduction in pollution. One of the goals of buffer-zone development is to enhance and restore the ecological connectivity of the remaining forest-steppe habitats. During the expropriation process, soil was sampled to record areas with the highest pollution. This paper assesses the environmental risk caused by phosphorus, nitrogen, and the accumulation of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Ni, Mn, Cd, and Hg). For each heavy metal, the corresponding pollution indices (Igeo, PI, EF, Eri, RI, Nemerow) and soil contamination level were calculated. Pollution indices indicate the ecological risk under the influence of heavy metals in the following order: Cd > Cu > Ni > Zn > Pb > Cr > Hg. Results showed that concentrations of Cd exceeded the maximal permissible concentration in all examined soil samples, and high ecological risk areas were determined. High concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were detected, which could be as a result of intensive agricultural activity. Current conservation measures in this area have not provided adequate protection of the natural environment. Accordingly, existing measures must be controlled or new, more restrictive measures must be prescribed. Full article