- Ggggedit
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In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on... more
In Europe, amatoxin-containing mushrooms are responsible for most of the deadly poisonings caused by macrofungi. The present work presents a multidisciplinary revision of the European species of Amanita sect. Phalloideae based on morphology, phylogeny, epidemiology, and biochemistry of amatoxins and phallotoxins. Five distinct species of this section have been identified in Europe to date: A. phalloides, A. virosa, A. verna, the recently introduced North American species A. amerivirosa, and A. vidua sp. nov., which is a new name proposed for the KOH-negative Mediterranean species previously described as A. verna or A. decipiens by various authors. Epitypes or neotypes are selected for species lacking suitable reference collections, namely A. verna and A. virosa. Three additional taxa, Amanita decipiens, A. porrinensis, and A. virosa var. levipes are here considered later heterotypic synonyms of A. verna, A. phalloides, and A. amerivirosa, respectively.
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The Mediterranean Basin is one of the World’s plant diversity hotspots and a region prone to several anthropic pressures, besides being one of the World’s areas most susceptible to climate change. In this region, which hosts a high... more
The Mediterranean Basin is one of the World’s plant diversity hotspots and a region prone to several anthropic pressures, besides being one of the World’s areas most susceptible to climate change. In this region, which hosts a high percentage of threatened species, there has been a large increase in practical conservation actions to prevent the extinction of many plants or improve their conservation status. In this framework, plant translocations have become increasingly important. To obtain a picture of the status and to depict possible directions, data on plant translocations was collected through the available databases, national experts, and the grey literature available online. Overall, a list of 836 translocations relating to 572 plant species was found. These actions are mainly concentrated in Spain, France, and Italy (c. 87%) and, except for some pioneering actions, translocations have strongly increased starting from 2010. A subsequent in-depth bibliographic search of the s...
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Abstract The marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna, is one of the least studied species in the Mustelidae family, especially with regard to phylogeography and genetic diversity. In this study, we determined the mitochondrial genome sequence... more
Abstract The marbled polecat, Vormela peregusna, is one of the least studied species in the Mustelidae family, especially with regard to phylogeography and genetic diversity. In this study, we determined the mitochondrial genome sequence of V. peregusna and investigated its position within the Mustelidae phylogeny. The generated mitogenome is 15,982 bp in length; it consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and a control region.
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Purpose of Review Recognizing that in the context of global change, tree genetic diversity represents a crucial resource for future forest adaptation, we review and highlight the major forest genetics research achievements of the past... more
Purpose of Review Recognizing that in the context of global change, tree genetic diversity represents a crucial resource for future forest adaptation, we review and highlight the major forest genetics research achievements of the past decades in biodiversity-rich countries of the Mediterranean region. For this, we conducted a bibliometric analysis of the scientific literature spanning the past thirty years (1991–2020). Putting together the representative regionwide expertise of our co-authorship, we propose research perspectives for the next decade. Recent Findings Forest genetics research in Mediterranean countries is organized into three different scientific domains of unequal importance. The domain “Population diversity and Differentiation” related to over 62% of all publications of the period, the domain “Environmental conditions, growth and stress response” to almost 23%, and the domain “Phylogeography” to almost 15%. Citation rate was trending the opposite way, indicating a st...
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Supplementary material 2 from: Boukhdoud L, Saliba C, Parker LD, McInerney NR, Kahale R, Saliba I, Maldonado JE, Kharrat MBD (2021) Using DNA metabarcoding to decipher the diet plant component of mammals from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 5: e70107. https://doi....more
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Supplementary material 1 from: Boukhdoud L, Saliba C, Parker LD, McInerney NR, Kahale R, Saliba I, Maldonado JE, Kharrat MBD (2021) Using DNA metabarcoding to decipher the diet plant component of mammals from the Eastern Mediterranean region. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 5: e70107. https://doi....more
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Allopolyploidy is considered as a principal driver that shaped angiosperms’ evolution in terms of diversification and speciation. Despite the unexpected high frequency of polyploidy that was recently discovered in the coniferous genus... more
Allopolyploidy is considered as a principal driver that shaped angiosperms’ evolution in terms of diversification and speciation. Despite the unexpected high frequency of polyploidy that was recently discovered in the coniferous genus Juniperus, little is known about the origin of these polyploid taxa. Here, we conducted the first study devoted to deciphering the origin of the only hexaploid taxon in Juniperus along with four of its closely related tetraploid taxa using AFLP markers with four primers combinations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the 10 studied species belong to 2 major clusters. J. foetidissima appeared to be more related to J. thurifera, J. sabina, and J. chinensis. The Bayesian clustering analysis showing a slight variation in genetic admixture between the studied populations of J. foetidissima, suggesting an allopolyploid origin of this species involving J. thurifera and J. sabina lineages, although a purely autopolyploidy origin of both J. thurifera and J. f...
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Summary Reactive oxygen species (ROS) release seed dormancy through an unknown mechanism. We used different seed dormancy‐breaking treatments to decipher the dynamics and localization of ROS production during seed germination. We studied... more
Summary Reactive oxygen species (ROS) release seed dormancy through an unknown mechanism. We used different seed dormancy‐breaking treatments to decipher the dynamics and localization of ROS production during seed germination. We studied the involvement of ROS in the breaking of Arabidopsis seed dormancy by cold stratification, gibberellic acid (GA3) and light. We characterized the effects of these treatments on abscisic acid and gibberellins biosynthesis and signalling pathways. ROS, mitochondrial redox status and peroxisomes were visualized and/or quantified during seed imbibition. Finally, we performed a cytogenetic characterization of the nuclei from the embryonic axes during seed germination. We show that mitochondria participate in the early ROS production during seed imbibition and that a possible involvement of peroxisomes in later stages should still be analysed. At the time of radicle protrusion, ROS accumulated within the nucleus, which correlated with nuclear expansion a...
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Longevity of species populations depends largely on interactions among animals and plants in an ecosystem. Predation and seed dispersal are among the most important interactions necessary for species conservation and persistence, and diet... more
Longevity of species populations depends largely on interactions among animals and plants in an ecosystem. Predation and seed dispersal are among the most important interactions necessary for species conservation and persistence, and diet analysis is a prerequisite tool to evaluate these interactions. Understanding these processes is crucial for identifying conservation targets and for executing efficient reforestation and ecological restoration. In this study, we applied a scat DNA metabarcoding technique using the P6-loop of the trnL (UAA) chloroplastic marker to describe the seasonal plant diet composition of 15 mammal species from a highly biodiverse Lebanese forest in the Eastern Mediterranean. We also recovered plant seeds, when present, from the scats for identification. The mammal species belong to 10 families from 5 different orders. More than 133 plant species from 54 plant families were detected and identified. Species from the Rosaceae, Poaceae, Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Fagac...
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Thierry GAUQUELIN IMBE, France Geneviève MICHON UMR GRED, IRD, France Richard JOFFRE CEFE, CNRS, France Robin DUPONNOIS UMR LSTM, IRD, France Didier GÉNIN UMR LPED, IRD, France Bruno FADY URFM, INRA, France Magda BOU DAGHER Saint Joseph... more
Thierry GAUQUELIN IMBE, France Geneviève MICHON UMR GRED, IRD, France Richard JOFFRE CEFE, CNRS, France Robin DUPONNOIS UMR LSTM, IRD, France Didier GÉNIN UMR LPED, IRD, France Bruno FADY URFM, INRA, France Magda BOU DAGHER Saint Joseph University, Lebanon Arezki DERRIDJ Tizi-Ouzou University,Algeria Said SLIMANI Tizi-Ouzou University,Algeria Wadi BADRI Casablanca University, Morocco Mohamed ALIFRIQUI Marrakech University, Morocco Laurent AUCLAIR UMR LPED, IRD, France Romain SIMENEL UMR LPED, IRD, France Mohamed ADERGHAL LMI MEDITER, Morocco Ezekiel BAUDOIN UMR LSTM, IRD, France Antoine GALIANA UMR LSTM, CIRAD, France Yves PRIN UMR LSTM, CIRAD, France Hervé SANGUIN UMR LSTM, CIRAD, France Catherine FERNANDEZ IMBE, France Virginie BALDY IMBE, France
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Figure 1 from: Fišer Ž, Aronne G, Aavik T, Akin M, Alizoti P, Aravanopoulos F, Bacchetta G, Balant M, Ballian D, Barazani O, Bellia AF, Bernhardt N, Bou Dagher Kharrat M, Bugeja Douglas A, Burkart M, Ćalić D, Carapeto A, Carlsen T, Castro S, Colling G, Cursach J, Cvetanoska S, Cvetkoska C, Ćušter...more
This dataset is the result of a survey conducted during the 2012-2016 COST Action FP1202 (MaP-FGR): Strengthening conservation: a key issue for adaptation of marginal/peripheral populations of forest trees to climate change in Europe. It... more
This dataset is the result of a survey conducted during the 2012-2016 COST Action FP1202 (MaP-FGR): Strengthening conservation: a key issue for adaptation of marginal/peripheral populations of forest trees to climate change in Europe. It contains the name, location and other relevant information of 577 forests that are considered as marginal of peripheral by forest experts. Information (as specified in the read-me file) includes among others: Genus, Species, Country, Name of marginal population, Latitude, Longitude, Elevation, Type of marginality, Silvicultural system, Protection status, Threat status, and genetic and phenotypic trait data availability This dataset can be used to, e.g., test effects of marginality on biological and genetic traits, compare expert knowledge with statistics-based indicators, raise awareness of the importance of marginal populations for conservation and sustainable use.
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At Saint Crépin location (French Alps), where sympatry between the tetraploid Juniperus thurifera and the diploid Juniperus sabina occurs, three individuals with an atypical morphology, have been observed. AFLP markers were used to... more
At Saint Crépin location (French Alps), where sympatry between the tetraploid Juniperus thurifera and the diploid Juniperus sabina occurs, three individuals with an atypical morphology, have been observed. AFLP markers were used to unravel hybridization and potential introgression events in this population. In total, 147 polymorphic loci remained after the process of peak selection. This dataset demonstrates hybrids originated from a cross between J. sabina and J. thurifera and suggests that back-cross at least to J. thurifera is possible. This study shed light on a rare case of hybridization of two Juniperus species with different ploidy levels in natural sympatric population.
Species: Cedrus atlantica Manetti Number of individuals: one single adult individual coming from the Luberon forest(43°47' N / 5°12' E, France) Plant tissue: needles (diploid) Sequencing method: Restriction site Associated DNA... more
Species: Cedrus atlantica Manetti Number of individuals: one single adult individual coming from the Luberon forest(43°47' N / 5°12' E, France) Plant tissue: needles (diploid) Sequencing method: Restriction site Associated DNA sequencing, paired-end sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA) (2 x 101 bp) Data description: 66,656 contigs generated by de novo assembly Assembly tool: Velvet 1.2.06 (Zerbino & Birney 2008
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This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non‐ Commercial License
Despite its economic importance, the origin and long-term history of carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) are still under debate. Since De Candolle, the wildness of Mediterranean carob populations has been questioned on the basis of... more
Despite its economic importance, the origin and long-term history of carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L.) are still under debate. Since De Candolle, the wildness of Mediterranean carob populations has been questioned on the basis of paleo-botanical, archeological and philological evidence but, unfortunately, the scarce studies on the ecology and genetic diversity of wild populations have not thrown much light on this topic. The extremely low cold-stress tolerance of carob plants constituted the main argument against a long-term persistence of natural populations throughout Pleistocene in the Mediterranean. Under this scenario, the current carob Mediterranean range would be explained by human dissemination from Western Asia. However, a global phylogeographic study covering the entire distribution of carob is still lacking. We sequenced nuclear and plastid regions from both natural and cultivated populations covering the whole current distribution range of carob to explore its phylogeogr...
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The determination of tree sexual type during the production of seedlings in nursery constitutes a major issue for the set up of efficient orchards. In the case of carob trees ( Ceratonia siliqua ), a multi-use tree of high... more
The determination of tree sexual type during the production of seedlings in nursery constitutes a major issue for the set up of efficient orchards. In the case of carob trees ( Ceratonia siliqua ), a multi-use tree of high socio-economical added value in Mediterranean regions, the majority is dioecious but some are also hermaphrodite. Physiological differences between carob male and female have been described but the development of robust indicators of tree sexuality remains of particular interest for the carob sector. Carob tree is highly dependent on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, and bacterial endophytes are also hypothesized to play a role in carob nutrition. Symbiotic communities are known to be key factors of plant nutrition and growth, affecting greatly plant physiology. The intimate connection between physiology and symbiotic community of carob may suggest a potential specificity of symbionts regarding the carob sexual type. In the framework of the international proj...
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Evolutionary theory predicts that organisms with low growth rates, like trees, will be vulnerable to face rapid environmental changes. Despite its economic importance, the longterm history of carob tree is still under debate. Since De... more
Evolutionary theory predicts that organisms with low growth rates, like trees, will be vulnerable to face rapid environmental changes. Despite its economic importance, the longterm history of carob tree is still under debate. Since De Candolle, the wildness of carob populations has been questioned on the basis of paleo-botanical, archeological and philological evidences and, unfortunately, the scarce studies on the ecology and genetic diversity of wild populations have not thrown much light on this topic. In this context, we aimed at exploring the two main hypotheses about the origin of carob populations: their possible persistence in unknown refugia during the Pleistocene or their putative naturalization after human dissemination throughout the Mediterranean from a single origin. Ecological marginality and geographic persistence through time were analyzed on the basis of oristic surveys and environment niche modeling respectively. Additionally, we sequenced nuclear and plastid regi...
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Hybridization and introgression are important natural evolutionary processes that can be successfully investigated using molecular markers and open- and controlled-pollinated progeny. In this study, we collected open-pollinated seeds from... more
Hybridization and introgression are important natural evolutionary processes that can be successfully investigated using molecular markers and open- and controlled-pollinated progeny. In this study, we collected open-pollinated seeds from Cedrus atlantica, Cedrus libani and C. libani x C. atlantica hybrids from three French-plantation forests. We also used pollen from C. libani and Cedrus brevifolia to pollinate C. atlantica trees. The progeny were analyzed using three different types of molecular markers: RAPDs, AFLPs and cpSSRs. Chloroplast DNA was found to be paternally inherited in Cedrus from the progeny of controlled-crosses. Heteroplasmy, although possible, could not be undoubtedly detected. There was no indication of strong reproductive isolating barriers among the three Mediterranean Cedrus taxa. Gene flow between C. atlantica and C. libani accounted for 67 to 81% of viable open-pollinated seedlings in two plantation forests. We propose that Mediterranean Cedrus taxa should be considered as units of a single collective species comprising two regional groups, North Africa and the Middle East. We recommend the use of cpSSRs for monitoring gene flow between taxa in plantation forests, especially in areas where garden specimens of one species are planted in the vicinity of selected seed-stands and gene-conservation reserves of another species.
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We combined restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) using a hypomethylation-sensitive enzyme and messenger RNA sequencing (mRNAseq) to develop molecular markers for the 16 gigabase genome of Cedrus atlantica, a conifer tree... more
We combined restriction site associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) using a hypomethylation-sensitive enzyme and messenger RNA sequencing (mRNAseq) to develop molecular markers for the 16 gigabase genome of Cedrus atlantica, a conifer tree species. With each method, Illumina(®) reads from one individual were used to generate de novo assemblies. SNPs from the RADseq data set were detected in a panel of one single individual and three pools of three individuals each. We developed a flexible script to estimate the ascertainment bias in SNP detection considering the pooling and sampling effects on the probability of not detecting an existing polymorphism. Gene Ontology (GO) and transposable element (TE) search analyses were applied to both data sets. The RADseq and the mRNAseq assemblies represented 0.1% and 0.6% of the genome, respectively. Genome complexity reduction resulted in 17% of the RADseq contigs potentially coding for proteins. This rate was doubled in the mRNAseq data set, sugge...
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The Mediterranean thermophilous woodlands were shaped by human activities for millenia, mainly for forage and fruits harvest. The recurring exchanges that followed between forests and cultivated areas have constituted a pivotal aspect in... more
The Mediterranean thermophilous woodlands were shaped by human activities for millenia, mainly for forage and fruits harvest. The recurring exchanges that followed between forests and cultivated areas have constituted a pivotal aspect in the process of Mediterranean fruit tree domestication. Since its domestication in the Middle-East around 6,000-4,000 years BP, the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L. (Leguminosae), has probably experienced extensive genetic and physiological modifications conducing to potential changes of a major compartment of its functioning: the microbiome. The carob tree is highly dependent of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis, but some evidences tends to demonstrate bacterial endophytes as a second major symbiotic partner. In the framework of the international project DYNAMIC (Deciphering sYmbiotic Networks in cArob-based MedIterranean agro-eCosystems), high-throughput sequencing methods were applied to estimate several proxies of the carob tree-microbiome di...
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Insights into genome size dynamics and its evolutionary impact remain limited by the lack of data for many plant groups. One of these is the genus Iris, of which only 53 out of c. 260 species have available genome sizes. In this study, we... more
Insights into genome size dynamics and its evolutionary impact remain limited by the lack of data for many plant groups. One of these is the genus Iris, of which only 53 out of c. 260 species have available genome sizes. In this study, we estimated the C-values for 41 species and subspecies of Iris mainly from the Eastern Mediterranean region. We constructed a phylogenetic framework to shed light on the distribution of genome sizes across subgenera and sections of Iris. Finally, we tested evolutionary models to explore the mode and tempo of genome size evolution during the radiation of section Oncocyclus. Iris as a whole displayed a great variety of C-values; however, they were unequally distributed across the subgenera and sections, suggesting that lineage-specific patterns of genome size diversification have taken place within the genus. The evolutionary model that best fitted our data was the speciational model, as changes in genome size appeared to be mainly associated with spec...
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Mapping Asia Plants (MAP) is a comprehensive project that aims to build a detailed infrastructure for integrating Asian plant distribution data a global-scale array of knowledge for plant biodiversity conservation. Here, we provide a... more
Mapping Asia Plants (MAP) is a comprehensive project that aims to build a detailed infrastructure for integrating Asian plant distribution data a global-scale array of knowledge for plant biodiversity conservation. Here, we provide a brief historical review of botanical research in Southwest Asia – an understudied botanical region with high conservation priority. Nineteen countries were included in this study (from west to east): Turkey, Cyprus, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Georgia, Yemen, Armenia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman. We reviewed 132 resources comprising 125 Floras and Checklists, of which we describe in some detail at least one of the most important Floras or Checklists for each country. Complete and published national Floras exist for 13 countries; three countries (Jordan, Israel and Bahrain) do not have a Flora but have annotated Checklists, and national Floras are at different stages of compl...
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Trabajo presentado en el Meeting on Juniper Trees, celebrado en Marsella (Francia) del 25 al 27 de septiembre de 2017
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Distribution estimates based on niche modeling are commonly used to forecast the impact of future climate change on biodiversity. The longer generation time of trees implies that adaptive responses to stress rely on the existing genetic... more
Distribution estimates based on niche modeling are commonly used to forecast the impact of future climate change on biodiversity. The longer generation time of trees implies that adaptive responses to stress rely on the existing genetic diversity. However, the effects that climate change may have on the genetic diversity of fruit trees have rarely been addressed despite its agronomic importance. The carob tree has been used since ancient times to feed humans and livestock across Mediterranean rural landscapes. The long-term historical decline estimated for carob populations (Viruel et al. 2020 in J. Biogeogr.) have affected negatively to its genetic diversity. Here we study the potential future distribution of the carob tree and the likely consequences on its current genetic diversity. Niche models were constructed in MaxEnt with a large set of present occurrences (n=758) and six selected bioclimatic variables selected after pilot analyses and evaluated using TSS and AUC metrics. Di...
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The Caucasian Squirrel, Sciurus anomalus, is the only representative of the Sciuridae family in the Eastern Mediterranean region. In this study, the mitochondrial genome of the Sciurus anomalus species was generated, and we investigate... more
The Caucasian Squirrel, Sciurus anomalus, is the only representative of the Sciuridae family in the Eastern Mediterranean region. In this study, the mitochondrial genome of the Sciurus anomalus species was generated, and we investigate its phylogenetic position within the Sciuridae family. The generated mitogenome sequence is 16,234 bp. It is composed of a control region and a conserved set of 37 genes containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes and 2 rRNA genes.
The Mediterranean thermophilous woodlands were early affected by human activities, mainly for forage and fruits harvest. The recurring exchanges that followed between natural ecosystems and cultivated areas have constituted a pivotal... more
The Mediterranean thermophilous woodlands were early affected by human activities, mainly for forage and fruits harvest. The recurring exchanges that followed between natural ecosystems and cultivated areas have constituted a pivotal aspect in the process of Mediterranean fruit tree domestication. Determining the native status of Mediterranean fruit tree populations is a challenging task for phylogeography because early human influences began just after post glacial migrations. Here we applied phylogeographic methods and new NGS markers to tackle this issue for the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua L., Leguminosae). Carob tree has been widely exploited for food and forage since antiquity and is currently used for industrial, agricultural and soil restoration purposes. The origin of carob tree populations throughout the Mediterranean basin has been associated to an historical process of dissemination by humans since its domestication in the Middle-East around 6,000-4,000 BC. However, veg...
Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their... more
Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to pr...
During a series of surveys in two valleys of Mount Lebanon between 2014 and 2020, four new occurrences of vascular plants were detected. Atropa bella-donna L. (Solanaceae, Spermatophyte), Circaea lutetiana L. (Onagraceae, Spermatophyte),... more
During a series of surveys in two valleys of Mount Lebanon between 2014 and 2020, four new occurrences of vascular plants were detected. Atropa bella-donna L. (Solanaceae, Spermatophyte), Circaea lutetiana L. (Onagraceae, Spermatophyte), and Euonymus latifolius (L.) Mill. (Celastraceae, Spermatophyte) were recorded for the first time in Lebanon, while Daphne pontica L. (Thymelaeaceae, Spermatophyte), thought to be extirpated in Lebanon was rediscovered after 70 years. The updated distribution and ecology of these four Euro-Siberian elements, relics of the Quaternary glaciations, are presented.
The Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon, is the only extant mongoose in Europe, with populations still distributed in Africa and the Middle East. In this study, we present the first mitochondrial genome sequence of Herpestes ichneumon... more
The Egyptian mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon, is the only extant mongoose in Europe, with populations still distributed in Africa and the Middle East. In this study, we present the first mitochondrial genome sequence of Herpestes ichneumon and we investigate its phylogenetic position within Feliformia suborder. The resultant mitogenome sequence is 16,775 bps, composed of a conserved set of 37 genes containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and a control region. Our results represent a valuable resource for further phylogeographical studies.
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The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring... more
The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified. Here, we show that non-English-language studies provide crucial evidence for informing global biodiversity conservation. By screening 419,679 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages, we identified 1,234 non-English-language studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, compared to 4,412 English-language studies identified with the same criteria. Relevant non-English-language studies are being publis...
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Key message Discovery of the first case of allotriploid juniper in a wild population in the French Alps where the parental species occurs in sympatry. & Context Interspecific hybridization and polyploidy are important evolutionary... more
Key message Discovery of the first case of allotriploid juniper in a wild population in the French Alps where the parental species occurs in sympatry. & Context Interspecific hybridization and polyploidy are important evolutionary phenomena in vascular plants. Natural hybridization between species living in sympatry can sometimes occur. Less frequent are successful hybridizations between species having different ploidy levels. At Saint Crépin location (French Alps), where sympatry between the tetraploid Juniperus thurifera and the diploid Juniperus sabina occurs, three individuals with an atypical morphology have been observed. & Aims Prospect interspecific hybrids and interspecific genetic introgression occurrence. & Methods Flow cytometry was employed to screen ploidy levels. Four chloroplast markers, nrDNA (ITS), and AFLP markers were used to unravel hybridization and potential introgression events. Variability of pollen size and morphology was assessed to have a first insight on the regularity of microsporogenesis in hybrids. & Results The three putative hybrids were shown to be triploids. Molecular data demonstrated that these individuals were hybrids originated from a cross between J. sabina and J. thurifera and suggested that a backcross at least with J. thurifera is possible. Male triploid hybrids produced heterogeneous pollen and displayed evidence of irregularity in the microsporogenesis. & Conclusion This study sheds light on a rare case of hybridization in a natural sympatric population of two Juniperus species with different ploidy levels. This mechanism might have been an important driver for the evolution and diversification of this
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The Mediterranean region is identified as one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots, with the Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened areas. Lebanon is a hub for Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) biodiversity with 9116... more
The Mediterranean region is identified as one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots, with the Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened areas. Lebanon is a hub for Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) biodiversity with 9116 characterized plant and animal species (4486 fauna and 4630 flora). Using DNA barcoding as a tool has become crucial in the accurate identification of species in multiple contexts. It can also complement species morphological descriptions, which will add to our understanding of the biodiversity and richness of ecosystems and benefit conservation projects for endangered and endemic species. In this study, we create the first reference library of standard DNA markers for mammals and plants in the EMR, with a focus on endemic and endangered species. Plant leaves were collected from different nature reserves in Mount Lebanon, and mammal samples were obtained from taxidermized museum specimens or road kills. We generated the 12S rRNA sequences of 18 mammal species...
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Coastal vegetation includes unique species with adaptations to the specific conditions of this environment, and in the Mediterranean region urban development of coastal areas has severely affected coastal ecosystems. Astragalus berytheus... more
Coastal vegetation includes unique species with adaptations to the specific conditions of this environment, and in the Mediterranean region urban development of coastal areas has severely affected coastal ecosystems. Astragalus berytheus Boiss. & Blanche is a narrow endemic plant of the eastern Mediterranean coast, occurring in Lebanon and Palestine/Israel; its Red List status has not been previously assessed. As a result of the effects of urban sprawl in coastal areas A. berytheus is one of the most threatened plant taxa in Lebanon. We assess the conservation status of this taxon and propose conservation measures. Only one population of A. berytheus is extant in Lebanon, in the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve. We recommend that A. berytheus should be categorized as Endangered globally and as Critically Endangered at the national level in Lebanon. Unless adequate conservation measures are implemented A. berytheus is likely to go extinct in Lebanon in the near future.
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ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to better understand the phylogeography and evolution of the Lebanese oaks and to assess the convergence between their morpho-ecological and molecular characteristics. We investigated DNA sequence... more
ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to better understand the phylogeography and evolution of the Lebanese oaks and to assess the convergence between their morpho-ecological and molecular characteristics. We investigated DNA sequence variation in four plastid markers (TrnH-psbA, ycf1, trnK-matK and PetD) of the seven species (three sections) occurring in Lebanon: Q. calliprinos, Q. infectoria, Q. kotschyana, Q. cedrorum, Q. cerris, Q. look, and Q. ithaburensis, in addition to Q. libani and Q. cerris from Syria, and possible hybrids. Among the four markers, the TrnH-psbA and trnK-matK loci resulted in the best-resolved genealogies. Quercus calliprinos haplotypes clearly belong to the west Asian-eastern Mediterranean ‘WAHEA’ lineage. Sect. Cerris haplotypes are derived variants of the central Mediterranean ‘Cerris-Ilex’ lineage. Sect. Quercus haplotypes were less differentiated and in close connection with the Caucasian primary refugium of white oaks. Despite the low species-level resolution, a gradient in genetic diversity linked to the ecological plasticity of the sampled species was observed. A close relationship of Q. look with Q. cerris is confirmed. Quercus kotschyana seems an ancient stock of closely related and disjunct oak of sect. Quercus. Finally, our results confirm the relevance of the Levant region as an important biogeographical crossroad between continents, and its key role in stimulating diversification and preservation of ancient genepools. Important areas in Lebanon that should be taken into consideration in future conservation strategies are highlighted, to ensure a wider genetic potential of local oak species to face the current climate change.