DOCSLIB.ORG

Using Expert-Elicitation to Deliver Biodiversity Monitoring Priorities On

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Using Expert-Elicitation to Deliver Biodiversity Monitoring Priorities On bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.18.456866; this version posted August 18, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 1 Using expert-elicitation to deliver biodiversity monitoring 2 priorities on a Mediterranean island 3 4 Authors 5 J. Peyton1*, M. Hadjistylli2, I. Tziortzis3., E. Erotokritou4, M. Demetriou5, Y. Samuel-Rhoads5, V. 6 Anastasi6,7, G. Fyttis5,8, L. Hadjioannou9,10, C. Ieronymidou7, N. Kassinis11, P. Kleitou12,13, D. Kletou12, 14, 7 A. Mandoulaki15, N. Michailidis16, A. Papatheodoulou8, G. Payiattas16, D. Sparrow17, R. Sparrow17, K. 8 Turvey1, E. Tzirkalli18,19, A.I. Varnava15, and O.L. Pescott1 9 10 Affiliations 11 1 UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom. 12 2 Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, 13 Lefkosia, Cyprus. 14 3 Water Development Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and 15 Environment, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 16 4 Department of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment 17 Lefkosia, Cyprus. 18 5 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 19 6 Terra Cypria - The Cyprus Conservation Foundation, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 20 8 I.A.C.O. Environmental & Water Consultants, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 21 9 Enalia Physis Environmental Research Centre, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 22 10 CMMI – Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, Larnaka Cyprus. 23 11 Game and Fauna Service, Ministry of Interior, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.18.456866; this version posted August 18, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 24 12 Marine & Environmental Research (MER) Lab, Lemesos, Cyprus. 25 13 School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United 26 Kingdom. 27 14 Frederick University, Department of Maritime Transport and Commerce, Lemesos, Cyprus. 28 15 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of 29 Technology, Cyprus. 30 16 Department of Fisheries and Marine Research, Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development 31 and Environment, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 32 17 Cyprus Dragonfly Study Group, Pafos Cyprus. 33 18 School of Pure and Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, Lefkosia, Cyprus. 34 19 Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 35 Greece. 36 37 *Corresponding author 38 Email: [email protected] 39 40 Author contributions 41 JP/MH: Conceptualization. JP/OP: Methodology, Data analysis, Writing- Original draft preparation. 42 All authors: Reviewing and Editing and participation in expert-elicitation process. 43 44 2 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.18.456866; this version posted August 18, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 45 Abstract 46 Biodiversity monitoring plays an essential role in tracking changes in ecosystems, species 47 distributions and abundances across the globe. Data collected through both structured and 48 unstructured biodiversity recording can inform conservation measures designed to reduce, prevent, 49 and reverse declines in valued biodiversity of many types. However, resources for biodiversity 50 monitoring are limited, it is therefore important that funding bodies prioritise actions relative to the 51 requirements in any given region. We addressed this prioritisation requirement through a three- 52 stage process of expert-elicitation, resulting in a prioritised list of twenty biodiversity monitoring 53 needs for Cyprus. Equal priority was assigned to the twenty monitoring needs within three 54 categories: a top nine, a middle five, and a bottom six. The most highly prioritised biodiversity 55 monitoring needs were those related to the development of robust methodologies, and those 56 ensuring a geographic spread of sufficiently skilled and informed contributors. We suggest ways that 57 the results of our expert-elicitation process could be used to support current and future biodiversity 58 monitoring in Cyprus. 59 60 Keywords 61 Conservation; funding; decision-makers; participation; stakeholder. 62 63 Introduction 64 The earth’s climate and habitats are changing at unprecedented rates, with species and ecosystems 65 increasingly threatened by multiple, often interacting, anthropogenic pressures (1). Five main 66 threats to biodiversity were identified by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on 67 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES): changes in land and sea use; direct exploitation of 68 organisms; climate change; pollution; and, invasive alien species (IAS) (1). 3 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.18.456866; this version posted August 18, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 69 The Mediterranean basin is one of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots, including a large number of 70 endemic species where, due to increased anthropogenic pressures, there is an urgent need for 71 species and habitats conservation (2). Mediterranean-climate areas are predicted to be likely to 72 experience the highest levels of biodiversity change by 2100, due to pressures such as changes in 73 land use (e.g. agriculture), climate change, and the introduction of IAS (3). The most conspicuous 74 threats that affect the greatest number of taxonomic groups in the Mediterranean are habitat loss 75 and degradation, which are considered the primary impacts on diversity, followed by exploitation, 76 pollution, climate change, eutrophication and species invasions (4). Increased tourism and 77 urbanisation in this region also adversely affect biodiversity through habitat loss, disturbance, use of 78 pesticides and herbicides and increased pollution (5-7). Over-exploitation of natural resources is 79 another example of the effects of anthropogenic pressure on species in the Mediterranean including 80 fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea, which are at risk of over-exploitation, with a pressing need for 81 assessments of stock numbers (8). 82 To attempt to halt and, where possible, reverse species population declines and habitat degradation, 83 policy-makers need to use scientifically robust biodiversity data to understand the current situation 84 (9, 10). Monitoring is therefore needed to provide evidence on biodiversity status and trends (11). 85 Hochkirch, Samways (12) suggest an eight-point strategy for reducing gaps in such biodiversity data, 86 of which the most relevant at the local level are: increasing explorative field surveys; increasing 87 monitoring of less well-studied taxa; building capacity in areas where there is high species-richness 88 or levels of endemism; and the use of global online data repositories such as the Global Biodiversity 89 Information Facility (GBIF; https://www.gbif.org/) for hosting high quality, open data. Open data can 90 be an important mechanism enabling the effective use of biological monitoring data (13). The 91 increasing use of technologies for biological recording has resulted in many millions of records being 92 made freely available through global platforms such as GBIF. However, open data repositories may 93 also contain important biases in the records uploaded (12, 14). 4 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.18.456866; this version posted August 18, 2021. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. 94 Information on species distributions and identification (15) is essential for supporting conservation 95 (16), but funding and support for taxonomic training may be limited (17) with numbers of 96 taxonomists decreasing globally (18, 19). Technological methods are being increasingly used to fill 97 knowledge gaps, as they may assist with the surveying of large or difficult to reach areas more 98 rapidly and cheaply than on-the-ground surveys, e.g. through remote sensing (20), the use of habitat 99 suitability maps (2), and environmental DNA (21). Initiatives such as the Distributed European School 100 of Taxonomy, which offers education and training opportunities (https://cetaf.org/dest/about- 101 dest/), are another mechanism for bridging these gaps; however, limited support for both taxonomic 102 training and the availability of employment still present challenges for conservation (22, 23). Indeed, 103 the “provision of funding mechanisms” was another strategy highlighted by Hochkirch, Samways 104 (12) as important for increasing the availability of biodiversity data. 105 Reduced governmental funding for the collection and curation of records within statutory 106 organisations in the UK has led to a diversification in mechanisms of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Latins of Cyprus Published by the Research, Studies and Publications Service of the House of Representatives, Republic of Cyprus
    The Latins of Cyprus Published by the Research, Studies and Publications Service of the House of Representatives, Republic of Cyprus Coordination and supervision Georgia Andronikou, Service Director Anthi Tofari, Senior Ofcer for Research, Studies and Publications Research and texts Natassa Haralambous Andreas Papayiannis Sofa Papadopoulou Marianna Moyseos Elena Makrygiorgie Editing Natassa Haralambous Andreas Papayiannis Sofa Papadopoulou Translation Anastasia Korae Design Athena Sheittani Printing Government Printing Ofce ISBN 978-9963-39-084-4 (print) ISBN 978-9963-39-087-8 (ebook) © House of Representatives, Nicosia, November 2020 Javal Nechrou Avenue, 1402 Nicosia, Cyprus telephone: +357 22407315, fax: +357 22407290 [email protected], www.parliament.cy Table of contents Preface 7 Message by the Representative of the Latin religious group 9 Publisher’s note 11 Name and origin 13 The settlement and the frst years of the Latin Church in Cyprus 14 The Latin Church in Cyprus during the Frankish Rule and the Venetian Rule 15 The Latin Church in Cyprus during the Turkish Rule 19 The Latin Church in Cyprus during the British Rule 20 The Latin Church in Cyprus from Independence to date 21 Latin infuences on the Orthodox church architecture 22 Walls and fortresses during the period of the Frankish Rule and the Venetian Rule 25 Music 29 The assizes of the kingdom of Jerusalem and Cyprus 30 Infuences on Literature 31 Efect of the Latins on the Cypriot dialect 33 Toponyms related to the times of the Frankish Rule and the Venetian Rule 34 The
    [Show full text]
  • The Wild Bees
    A peer-reviewed open-access journal ZooKeys 924: 1–114 (2020)The wild bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of the island of Cyprus 1 doi: 10.3897/zookeys.924.38328 RESEARCH ARTICLE http://zookeys.pensoft.net Launched to accelerate biodiversity research The wild bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of the island of Cyprus Androulla I. Varnava1, Stuart P.M. Roberts2, Denis Michez3, John S. Ascher4, Theodora Petanidou5, Stavroula Dimitriou5, Jelle Devalez5, Marilena Pittara1, Menelaos C. Stavrinides1 1 Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science, Cyprus University of Technology, Arch. Kyprianos 30, Limassol, 3036, Cyprus 2 CAER, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, The University of Reading, Reading, UK 3 Research Institute of Bioscience, Laboratory of Zoology, University of Mons, Place du parc 23, 7000 Mons, Belgium 4 Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117543, Singapore 5 Laboratory of Biogeography & Ecology, Department of Geo- graphy, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Greece Corresponding author: Androulla I. Varnava ([email protected]); Menelaos C. Stavrinides ([email protected]) Academic editor: Michael S. Engel | Received 18 July 2019 | Accepted 25 November 2019 | Published 6 April 2020 http://zoobank.org/596BC426-C55A-40F5-9475-0934D8A19095 Citation: Varnava AI, Roberts SPM, Michez D, Ascher JS, Petanidou T, Dimitriou S, Devalez J, Pittara M, Stavrinides MC (2020) The wild bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) of the island of Cyprus. ZooKeys 924: 1–114.https://doi. org/10.3897/zookeys.924.38328 Abstract Cyprus, the third largest island in the Mediterranean, constitutes a biodiversity hotspot with high rates of plant endemism. The wild bees of the island were studied extensively by the native George Mavro- moustakis, a world-renowned bee taxonomist, who collected extensively on the island from 1916 to 1957 and summarised his results in a series of eight Cyprus-specific papers published from 1949 [“1948”] to 1957.
    [Show full text]
  • Menelaos C. Stavrinides CV August 2018
    Menelaos C. Stavrinides CV August 2018 Menelaos C. Stavrinides Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology and Food Science Cyprus University of Technology Arch. Kyprianos 30, 3036, Limassol, Cyprus + 357 25002186, [email protected], [email protected] www.sustagric.weebly.com Education University of California, Berkeley, PhD, 2004 - 2009 Environmental Science, Policy and Management. GPA: 4.00/4.00 Dissertation title: Biology, ecology and management of spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) in California vineyards. PhD Committee Members: Prof. Nicholas J. Mills (Advisor), Prof. Steve Walter, Prof. Wayne Sousa. Qualifying Exam Subject Areas: Theoretical Biological Control, Trophic Ecology, Molecular Population Genetics, Experimental Design and Statistics. University of California, Berkeley, MS, 2004 - 2006 Environmental Science, Policy and Management. GPA: 4.00/4.00 Comprehensive Oral Exam Subject Areas: Biological Control of Mites, Resistance to Insecticides and Genetically Modified Crops, Molecular Population Genetics. Imperial College, London, U.K., MSc, 2000 - 2001 Biological Control. Distinction Award. Thesis title: The effect of plant morphology, architecture and prey spatial arrangement on predatory interactions. Advisors: Dr. David Skirvin and Prof. Simon R. Leather Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Ptychion (BS & MS), 1995 - 2000 Agriculture, Plant Protection Specialization. GPA: 7.48/10 (top 15% of class) Thesis title: Effect of mating on the longevity and fecundity of the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Advisor: Prof. Byron I. Katsoyannos Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, Diploma in Sustainable Agriculture, 1998-1999 Highly competitive interdisciplinary training program on Sustainable Agriculture funded by the European Union. Menelaos C. Stavrinides CV August 2018 Short Courses Completed Workshop on the Identification and Biology of Predatory Mites in Agriculture, University of California Cooperative Extension Office, Bakersfield, CA, July 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • The Archaeology of Cyprus Has Always Been Somewhat of an Enigma
    Andrew Waters 12/15/12 The Divergent Development of Cyprus in the Early Aceramic Neolithic The archaeology of Cyprus has always been somewhat of an enigma. The excavation of Khirokitia-Vouni (commonly called Khirokitia) in the 1950’s revealed a Neolithic culture lacking cattle, pottery, and rectilinear architecture—in sharp contrast to contemporary mainland cultures and seemingly developed in isolation. From this so- called Khirokitia Culture (c. 7000 BCE) through the Ceramic Neolithic and Chalcolithic (end 3rd mil. BCE), Cyprus displays a largely homogenous material culture that, although belatedly adopting pottery, remained isolated from mainland culture; with a continued preference for circular architecture, a mixed hunting-farming subsistence strategy, and a unique emphasis on stone vessels and figurines. This has led many to categorize Cyprus as a culturally and technologically impoverished offshoot of mainland Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) culture. Indeed, Cyprus has fallen prey to what Paul Rainbird describes as a biased view of islands in western thought, which sees them as inherently isolated, and their inhabitants suffering from this isolation; however, statements about Cyprus’ inferiority wrongly assume a unilinear social evolution and do not take into account the Cypriot point of view.1 The more recent discovery of both a PPNA and PPNB culture on Cyprus allows for a new window into the development of Cyprus, one that takes Cypriot agency and choice into consideration, and moves beyond simple functionalist statements regarding the insularity of Cyprus. The insular, and idiosyncratic culture of Cyprus can clearly be seen in the Khirokitia Culture, but its roots lie earlier in the Aceramic Neolithic.
    [Show full text]
  • Sparrow Et Al
    185 First records of Aeshna isoceles and the rediscovery of Lestes barbarus on Cyprus (Odonata: Lestidae, Aeshnidae) David J. Sparrow1, Christodoulos Makris2, Rosalyn Sparrow1, Mary Michaelides1, Dinos Konis1 & Geert De Knijf3* 1 Cyprus Dragonfly Study Group, P.O. Box 62624, 8066, Paphos, Cyprus; [email protected] 2 Ethnikis Antistaseos 21, 3022 Lemesós, Cyprus; [email protected] 3 Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Havenlaan 88 bus 73, 1000 Brussels, Bel- gium; [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7958-1420 * Corresponding author Abstract. In this paper we report the presence of Aeshna isoceles for the first time from Cy- prus. Five males were observed and photographically documented in May 2012 in a small valley below Rizokarpaso on the Karpasia peninsula. This was, however, not followed up at that time. The species was rediscovered by members of the Cyprus Dragonfly Study Group (CDSG) in the same valley in April 2019. Reproductive behaviour (copula and oviposition) was observed and a population is assumed to be present. It seems possible that the species has been present on the island for some time but overlooked, due to the remoteness of the site. Furthermore, members of the CDSG also photographically documented a male Lestes barbarus at an agricultural tank near Agridia in August 2019. The last published sighting of this species on Cyprus was of four specimens dating back to 1948 that are stored in the collection of the British Museum of Natural History. We further report on two unpublished sightings of this species at Fasouri marsh in 1997 and on the Gialias river near Kotsiatis in 2002.
    [Show full text]
  • Nature Conservation in Northern Cyprus
    Nature Conservation in Northern Cyprus The Karpaz Peninsula Seminar contribution to the module "Terrestrial Ecosystems" (2101-230) Institute of Botany (210a) · University of Hohenheim · Stuttgart presented by Marleen Krämer on January 23, 2019 Structure Introduction Protective Measures in Northern Cyprus National Parks Natura 2000 The Karpaz Peninsula Sea Turtle Conservation Project Future Prospects 21.02 Introduction Since 1974 the island is divided along the "Green Line". Map of Cyprus after 1974: The "Republic of Cyprus" in the south is marked in rose, the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" is marked in red [2]. 21.03 Introduction Republic of Cyprus International accepted, foreign investments. Mass tourism and economic boom. Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Accepted only by the Republic of Turkey. Political isolation caused slow development, small number of attendances. → Extensive agriculture and few tourism preserved large areas in North Cyprus in their original state. 21.04 Protective Measures – National Parks 1977: First initiative by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. 1983: Several national park areas were determined. 2004: Boundaries of the "Karpaz National Park" were defined. 9486 ha park area, included the "Natural and Archaeological Site" and the "Ancient Carpasia Archaeological Site". insufficient legal base, non-specific responsibilities, lacking plans and organisation. → the area is not treated as a national park. 21.05 Protective Measures – Natura 2000 Network of protected areas stretching across all EU member states. Established in 1992 by the EU. Conserves endangered and/or typical species and habitats. Consists of protection areas of the Birds Directive 2009/147/EC and of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC.
    [Show full text]
  • Observations of Dragonflies (Odonata) from Northern Cyprus
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334598512 Observations of dragonflies (Odonata) from northern Cyprus Article · July 2019 CITATIONS READS 0 23 1 author: Peter Flint Independent Researcher 34 PUBLICATIONS 37 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Cyprus birds View project All content following this page was uploaded by Peter Flint on 21 July 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Observations of dragonflies from northern Cyprus 20. Juli 20191 Observations of dragonflies (Odonata) from northern Cyprus Peter Flint 14 Beechwood Avenue, Deal, Kent, CT14 9TD, UK, [email protected] Abstract During observations by two resident observers in northern Cyprus from June 2003 to Sep- tember 2004 21 species of dragonfly were recorded. These included nine species not pre- viously recorded from the north of the island, two of which, Erythromma viridulum and Trithemis arteriosa, were not previously mentioned in the island’s literature; the former being a new species for the island. These observations were the first long-term observa- tions on the island and were made during a period of rapid climate and habitat change; the results for Diplacodes lefebvrii, Anax parthenope, Orthetrum chrysostigma, O. sabina, Selysiothemis nigra, T. annulata, and T. arteriosa appear to reflect these environmental changes. Other significant records include: Lestes macrostigma (early records and migra- tion/dispersal), Sympecma fusca (early records), Erythromma lindenii (recorded in only one previous year), A. ephippiger (mass migration) and Sympetrum striolatum (winter mating and ovipositing). Thirty two of the wetlands/water bodies we monitored were not mentioned in the earlier literature.
    [Show full text]
  • GR for GROWTH THEODOSIS MICHALOPOULOS GENERAL MANAGER, MICROSOFT GREECE, CYPRUS and MALTA Turn Every Move Azure
    NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2020 THE MAGAZINE OF THE AMERICAN-HELLENIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE www.amcham.gr GR FOR GROWTH THEODOSIS MICHALOPOULOS GENERAL MANAGER, MICROSOFT GREECE, CYPRUS AND MALTA Turn every move Azure. into opportunity Invent with JOINT COLLABORATION BETWEEN AMCHAM CYPRUS, EGYPT, GREECE THOUGHT LEADERS LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE IN ECONOMY purpose. GROWTH WITH GERASSIMOS THOMAS GREECE FORGES AHEAD BUILDING MOMENTUM WITH ELIZABETH K. LEE Business-partners-option-2.pdf 1 9/3/2020 15:01:24 Business-partners-option-2.pdf 1 9/3/2020 15:01:24 We Create Workplaces that are Destinations for the Human Interaction We Create Workplaces that are Destinations for the Human Interaction C C M M Y Y CM CM MY MY CY CY CMY CMY K K It takes more than just ergonomic furniture and a tness center to achieve It takes more than just ergonomic furniture and a tness center to achieve Wellbeing at work. It’s about creating a culture of wellbeing Wellbeing at work. It’s about creating a culture of wellbeing where people can Move, Think and Feel Better. where people can Move, Think and Feel Better. 1 Kisias Avenue, Marousi | T: 211 212 0820 | E: [email protected] | W: www.ekahellas.com | ekahellas 1 Kisias Avenue, Marousi | T: 211 212 0820 | E: [email protected] | W: www.ekahellas.com | ekahellas CONTENTS 24 18 38 Theodosis Michalopoulos talks about Gerassimos Thomas talks about the U.S. Consul General Elizabeth K. Lee the new prospects for Greece moving challenges ahead, efforts to reform talks to Business Partners about joining forward into its
    [Show full text]
  • Horizon Scanning to Predict and Prioritize Invasive Alien Species with the Potential to Threaten Human Health and Economies on Cyprus
    fevo-08-566281 October 15, 2020 Time: 17:11 # 1 ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 21 October 2020 doi: 10.3389/fevo.2020.566281 Horizon Scanning to Predict and Prioritize Invasive Alien Species With the Potential to Threaten Human Health and Economies on Cyprus Jodey M. Peyton1*†, Angeliki F. Martinou2,3,4†, Tim Adriaens5†, Niki Chartosia6, Paraskevi K. Karachle7†, Wolfgang Rabitsch8, Elena Tricarico9†, Edited by: Margarita Arianoutsou10†, Sven Bacher11†, Ioannis Bazos10†, Giuseppe Brundu12†, Ana Sofia Vaz, Elizabeth Bruno-McClung2, Iris Charalambidou13†, Monica Demetriou6, University of Granada, Spain Marika Galanidi14†, Bella Galil15, Rhian Guillem16, Kypros Hadjiafxentis17, Reviewed by: Louis Hadjioannou4†, Margarita Hadjistylli18†, Jason Michael Hall-Spencer19†, Michaela Roberts, Carlos Jimenez4†, Graham Johnstone20, Periklis Kleitou19,21†, Demetris Kletou21†, The James Hutton Institute, Despina Koukkoularidou17, Stalo Leontiou22, Norbert Maczey23, Nikolas Michailidis24, United Kingdom John Owen Mountford1, Athina Papatheodoulou25, Oliver L. Pescott1†, Bernd Lenzner, Constantinos Phanis26, Cristina Preda27†, Steph Rorke1, Richard Shaw23†, University of Vienna, Austria Wojciech Solarz28, Chris D. Taylor2, Saso Trajanovski29†, Iakovos Tziortzis30†, *Correspondence: Elli Tzirkalli22,31†, Ahmet Uludag32†, Giovanni Vimercati11†, Konstantin Zdraveski33†, Jodey M. Peyton Argyro Zenetos7† and Helen E. Roy1† [email protected] 1 UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Wallingford, United Kingdom, 2 Joint Services Health Unit Cyprus, RAF Akrotiri, Specialty
    [Show full text]
  • Horizon Scanning to Predict and Prioritise Invasive Alien Species with the Potential to Threaten
    University of Plymouth PEARL https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biological and Marine Sciences 2020-10-21 Horizon Scanning to Predict and Prioritize Invasive Alien Species With the Potential to Threaten Human Health and Economies on Cyprus Peyton, JM http://hdl.handle.net/10026.1/16718 10.3389/fevo.2020.566281 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Frontiers Media SA All content in PEARL is protected by copyright law. Author manuscripts are made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the details provided on the item record or document. In the absence of an open licence (e.g. Creative Commons), permissions for further reuse of content should be sought from the publisher or author. 1 Horizon scanning to predict and prioritise invasive alien species with the potential to threaten 2 human health and economies on Cyprus 3 Peyton, J. M.1*, Martinou, A.F5,13,18, Adriaens, T.2, Chartosia, N.3, Karachle, P. K.4, Rabitsch, W.6, 4 Tricarico, E.7, Arianoutsou, M.8, Bacher, S.9, Bazos, I.8, Brundu, G.10, Bruno-McClung, E.5, 5 Charalambidou, I.11, Demetriou, M.12, Galanidi, M.14, Galil, B.15, Guillem, R.16, Hadjiafxentis, K.17, 6 Hadjioannou, L.18, Hadjistylli, M.19, Hall-Spencer, J.M. 20, Jimenez, C.18, Johnstone, G.21, Kleitou, P.20,23, 7 Kletou, D.23, Koukkoularidou, D.17, Leontiou, S.24, Maczey, N.25, Michailidis, N.26, Mountford, J. O.1, 8 Papatheodoulou, A.27, Pescott, O.L. 1, Phanis, C.28, Preda, C.29, Rorke, S.
    [Show full text]
  • A Review of the Endemic Planthoppers, Leafhoppers and Allies of Cyprus (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha), with Notes on Additional Species
    Cicadina 16 (2016): 25-36 25 A review of the endemic planthoppers, leafhoppers and allies of Cyprus (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha), with notes on additional species Alex J. Ramsay1 Summary: Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean with a total land area of 9.251 km2, and has an altitudinal range from sea level to nearly 2000 m. The island is charac- terised by a high diversity of habitats including saltmarsh and seasonal saltpans, sand dunes, pine and cedar forest, broad-leaved evergreen and deciduous forests, mountains and coastal plains, and including many endemic plant species. Early records of Auchenorrhyn- cha from Cyprus include two species of Issidae described by Melichar (1906) and not subsequently recorded. The majority of the Auchenorrhyncha species on Cyprus were rec- orded by the Lindberg expedition of 1939 (Lindberg 1948), which recorded 118 species in 13 families (Aphrophoridae, Caliscelidae, Cicadellidae, Cicadidae, Cixiidae, Delphacidae, Dictyopharidae, Flatidae, Issidae, Meenoplidae, Tettigometridae, Tibicinidae, Tropi- duchidae), with 33 species recorded as new to science by both Lindberg (1948b) and Ribaut (1948). Subsequent interest in the fauna has increased the number of recorded species on Cyprus to 170 representing 14 families. The majority of species recorded on Cyprus share faunal affinities with the Turkey, Greece and the Near East. Only seven species are now confirmed as endemic to Cyprus. Key words: Auchenorrhyncha, Endemic, Cyprus, Mediterranean. 1. Introduction Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean with an area of 9.251 km2 (3.571 square miles) and is situated in the very eastern part. The island is characterised by two main mountain ranges, the Troodos mountains in the centre, and the Pentadaktylos moun- tains which parallel the northern coast.
    [Show full text]
  • First Mtdna Sequences and Body Measurements for Rattus Norvegicus from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus
    life Article First mtDNA Sequences and Body Measurements for Rattus norvegicus from the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis 1, George Konstantinou 2, Daria Sanna 3,*, Monica Pirastru 3 and Paolo Mereu 3 1 Agricultural Research Institute, P.O. Box 22016, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus; [email protected] 2 Society for the Protection of Natural Heritage and the Biodiversity of Cyprus, Keryneias 6, Geri 2200, Cyprus; [email protected] 3 Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Viale San Pietro 43/b, 07100 Sassari, Italy; [email protected] (M.P.); [email protected] (P.M.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 12 June 2020; Accepted: 3 August 2020; Published: 5 August 2020 Abstract: Invasive species are the primary driver of island taxa extinctions and, among them, those belonging to the genus Rattus are considered as the most damaging. The presence of black rat (Rattus rattus) on Cyprus has long been established, while that of brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is dubious. This study is the first to provide molecular and morphological data to document the occurrence of R. norvegicus in the island of Cyprus. A total of 223 black rats and 14 brown rats were collected. Each sample was first taxonomically attributed on the basis of body measurements and cranial observations. Four of the specimens identified as R. norvegicus and one identified as R. rattus were subjected to molecular characterization in order to corroborate species identification. The analyses of the mitochondrial control region were consistent with morphological data, supporting the taxonomic identification of the samples. At least two maternal molecular lineages for R.
    [Show full text]