Human disturbance, habitat degradation and niche shift: the case of the endemic Calendula maritima Guss. (W Sicily, Italy)

PASTA, Salvatore, Giuseppe GARFI, Francesco CARIMI and Corrado MARCENÓ. Human disturbance, habitat degradation and niche shift: the case of the endemic Calendula maritima Guss. (W Sicily, Italy). RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI. Milan: RINGER-VERLAG ITALIA SRL, 2017, vol. 28, No 2, p. 415-424. ISSN 2037-4631. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12210-017-0611-5.

Basic information

Original name

Human disturbance, habitat degradation and niche shift: the case of the endemic Calendula maritima Guss. (W Sicily, Italy)

Authors

PASTA, Salvatore (380 Italy), Giuseppe GARFI (380 Italy), Francesco CARIMI (380 Italy) and Corrado MARCENÓ (380 Italy, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

RENDICONTI LINCEI-SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI, Milan, RINGER-VERLAG ITALIA SRL, 2017, 2037-4631

---

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Country of publisher

Italy

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

Impact factor

Impact factor: 0.986

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00098856

Organization unit

Faculty of Science

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12210-017-0611-5

UT WoS

000401766800014

Keywords in English

coastal habitats; extinction risk; mediterranean islands; taxonomic homogenization; vegetation dynamics

Tags

NZ, rivok

Tags

International impact, Reviewed

---

Abstract

V originále

Calendula maritima Guss. is a plant endemic to the coastline of W Sicily, whose distribution range experienced a dramatic shrinkage during the last centuries along with the degradation and fragmentation of the associated plant assemblages. According to that, it can represent an effective target species to test the response of coastal biota to anthropogenic disturbance. In order to better understand the niche width of C. maritima, the coastal plant communities in which it is still found have been investigated through vegetation relevés carried out on different size plots. Although the sea marigold has been considered as a pioneer species typical of shifting dunes, field investigations highlighted that it also occurs in different plant assemblages. Data concerning the smaller plots allowed the identification of three groups of relevés: one showing the highest number of trivial ruderal plants, another hosting some psammophilous species, and a third linked with rocky surfaces. These three groups do not cluster with the relevés issuing from literature, carried out some 40 years ago, that mostly focused on dune ecosystems. It is assumed that the strong floristic differences between these two different types of relevés may be linked with the destruction of shifting dunes occurred over the last decades, and which also caused the local extinction of many other plants related with this habitat. However, this could also reflect a lack of historical relevés concerning C. maritima populations growing on coastal rocky sites. Interestingly, a gradual expansion of the niche of C. maritima was highlighted, likely depending on the ability of the species to colonize new plant communities in response to increasing anthropogenic disturbance. Our results also confirm that hybridization with the contiguous congener species Calendula fulgida Raf. may represent a major threat for conservation of the remnant populations of C. maritima.