Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece)
Knowledge of the life history traits, reproductive biology and demography of rare species is fundamental for their conservation, yet plant population monitoring is uncommon. The restricted ranges of the Limonium species endemic to the Mediterranean area, combined with the vulnerability of their spec...
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Cambridge University Press
2024-09-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000140/type/journal_article |
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| author | Anna-Thalassini Valli Charikleia Papaioannou Eleni Liveri Vasileios Papasotiropoulos Panayiotis Trigas |
| author_facet | Anna-Thalassini Valli Charikleia Papaioannou Eleni Liveri Vasileios Papasotiropoulos Panayiotis Trigas |
| author_sort | Anna-Thalassini Valli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Knowledge of the life history traits, reproductive biology and demography of rare species is fundamental for their conservation, yet plant population monitoring is uncommon. The restricted ranges of the Limonium species endemic to the Mediterranean area, combined with the vulnerability of their specialized littoral habitats, indicate the need for appropriate conservation measures. We evaluate the conservation status and estimate the future extinction risk of three Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island in the Ionian Islands, Greece (Limonium korakonisicum, Limonium phitosianum and Limonium zacynthium) using 5 years of monitoring data. We compile information on their geographical distribution, population dynamics, reproductive biology and genetic diversity. Population sizes and survival rates of seedlings exhibited marked annual fluctuations, although fecundity and relative reproductive success remained high throughout the monitoring period. We observed a dominance of mature individuals in all three species, indicating their increased tolerance to salinity. Three subpopulations each of L. phitosianum and L. zacynthium were genotyped using five microsatellite loci. The observed number of alleles and the low gene flow value potentially indicate reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding, and limited gene flow within and among subpopulations of both species. Based on the IUCN categories and criteria, we assess L. korakonisicum as Critically Endangered, L. phitosianum as Near Threatened and L. zacynthium as Endangered. Population viability analyses predict that, among the three species, L. zacynthium will face the highest risk of extinction within the next 50 years. Knowledge of the biology of these species provides data essential for identifying critical factors for their survival and for proposing targeted conservation measures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d75cfe1121d34d1c8463c73e0c3c5c9e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj-art-d75cfe1121d34d1c8463c73e0c3c5c9e2025-01-16T21:50:48ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-30082024-09-015858759910.1017/S0030605324000140Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece)Anna-Thalassini Valli0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2085-1174Charikleia Papaioannou1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9967-9361Eleni Liveri2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8584-0927Vasileios Papasotiropoulos3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0292-6793Panayiotis Trigas4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9557-7723Laboratory of Systematic Botany, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Genetics, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Plant Breeding and Biometry, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Systematic Botany, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, GreeceKnowledge of the life history traits, reproductive biology and demography of rare species is fundamental for their conservation, yet plant population monitoring is uncommon. The restricted ranges of the Limonium species endemic to the Mediterranean area, combined with the vulnerability of their specialized littoral habitats, indicate the need for appropriate conservation measures. We evaluate the conservation status and estimate the future extinction risk of three Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island in the Ionian Islands, Greece (Limonium korakonisicum, Limonium phitosianum and Limonium zacynthium) using 5 years of monitoring data. We compile information on their geographical distribution, population dynamics, reproductive biology and genetic diversity. Population sizes and survival rates of seedlings exhibited marked annual fluctuations, although fecundity and relative reproductive success remained high throughout the monitoring period. We observed a dominance of mature individuals in all three species, indicating their increased tolerance to salinity. Three subpopulations each of L. phitosianum and L. zacynthium were genotyped using five microsatellite loci. The observed number of alleles and the low gene flow value potentially indicate reduced genetic diversity, inbreeding, and limited gene flow within and among subpopulations of both species. Based on the IUCN categories and criteria, we assess L. korakonisicum as Critically Endangered, L. phitosianum as Near Threatened and L. zacynthium as Endangered. Population viability analyses predict that, among the three species, L. zacynthium will face the highest risk of extinction within the next 50 years. Knowledge of the biology of these species provides data essential for identifying critical factors for their survival and for proposing targeted conservation measures.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000140/type/journal_articleIUCN criteriaLimoniumlittoral speciesMediterranean plantsmicrosatellitesmonitoringpopulation viability analysisZakynthos Island |
| spellingShingle | Anna-Thalassini Valli Charikleia Papaioannou Eleni Liveri Vasileios Papasotiropoulos Panayiotis Trigas Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) Oryx IUCN criteria Limonium littoral species Mediterranean plants microsatellites monitoring population viability analysis Zakynthos Island |
| title | Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) |
| title_full | Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) |
| title_fullStr | Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) |
| title_short | Conservation biology of three threatened Limonium species endemic to Zakynthos Island (Ionian Islands, Greece) |
| title_sort | conservation biology of three threatened limonium species endemic to zakynthos island ionian islands greece |
| topic | IUCN criteria Limonium littoral species Mediterranean plants microsatellites monitoring population viability analysis Zakynthos Island |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605324000140/type/journal_article |
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