International Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo Proceedings of the event Socotra in Sicily Botanical Garden of the University of Palermo- Villa Whitaker in Malfitano Palermo, September 26th-29th 2019 Edited by F.M. Raimondo, M. Livadiotti, F. Attorre & K. Van Damme Palermo, 2019 Tecnical editing: L. Bertini, R. Orlando Design: V. Magro Editorial office Fondazione Internazionale pro Herbario Mediterraneo Via Lincoln 6, I-90133 Palermo, Italy Printed by Luxograph s.r.l., Piazza Bartolomeo da Messina, 2/E - Palermo Copyright © by International Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo, Palermo Proceedings of the event Socotra in Sicily Botanical Garden of the University of Palermo- Villa Whitaker in Malfitano Palermo, September 26th-29th 2019 Edited by F.M. Raimondo, M. Livadiotti, F. Attorre & K. Van Damme Published under the auspices of FoS (Friends of Soqotra) by the International Foundation pro Herbario Mediterraneo Printed with the financial support by Presidency of Sicilian Region 4 Proceedings of the event Socotra in Sicily Contents Presentations of the event .................................................................................................................. 5 Altoqi, A. A.: Why Socotra in Sicily? ................................................................................ 5 Savoia Aosta, A. ............................................................................................................................ 7 Paolini, A. ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Van Damme, K. ............................................................................................................................. 9 Promoting Institutions................................................................................................................ 10 Presentation of Socotra.............................................................................................................. 11 Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... 16 Committees................................................................................................................................. 17 List of participants...................................................................................................................... 18 Programme.................................................................................................................................. 22 Abstracts of the lectures given Abdulhalim, H., Ismael Salem, M. & Van Damme, K.: Sustainable development as a good practice for disaster resilience....................................................................................................... 31 Al-Okaishi, A.: Local management system of Dragon’s blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari Balf. F.) resin in Firmhin, Socotra Island, Yemen................................................................................. 33 Attorre, F., Guillet, A., De Geest, P., De Sanctis, M & van Damme, K.: The role of Dracaena cinnabari forest on the hydrogeological system of Socotra Island . ...................................... 35 Carapezza, A., Kment, P., Moulet, P. & Davranoglou, L. R.: Heteroptera (Arthropoda: Insecta) of the Socotra Archipelago. .................................................................................................... 37 Giovino, A., Saia, S., Raimondo, F. M., Guiglia, L. & Domina, G.: Molecular and morpholog- ical data on Turraea socotrana (Meliaceae) from Socotra (Yemen). .................................... 39 Guillet, A. & Attorre, F.: Toward a viable management of the water cycle: follow-up to a case of application in Socotra of the system approach. ................................................................ 41 Hamdiah, S.: Rehabilitation and conservation of Boswellia species on Socotra Island by indige- nous people. ............................................................................................................................. 43 Bin Khalifah, M. A.: Our school as a friend of environmental education - Socotra Island (Yemen).................................................................................................................................... 45 Lvončík, S., Vahalík, P., Hušková, K., Jansen van Rensburg, J., Hamdiah, S. & Maděra, P.: Development of the Boswellia elongata population in Homhil Nature Sanctuary.. ............... 47 Palla, F., Russo, R. & Raimondo, F. M.: Preliminary genome survey of Dracaena cinnabari and Punica protopunica, two emblematic flowering plants endemic to Socotra.. ........................ 49 Paolini, A.: The wh and mab site of Socotra - an irreplaceable wealth for humanity. ................ 51 Raimondo, F. M., Schimmenti, E., Scafidi, G., Schimmenti, E. & Domina, G.: Results of the scientific expeditions carried out in Socotra (Yemen) in 2008 and 2014 by the Botanical Garden and Herbarium Mediterraneum of the University of Palermo ................................... 53 Rezende, M., Attorre, F. & Riccardi,T.: Land productivity dynamics in Socotra: an indicator of land degradation ...................................................................................................................... 55 Rejžek, M.: The change of plant community composition and diversity following the loss of Dracaena cinnabari acting as a nurse tree. ........................................................................... 57 Tamar, K., Simó-Riudalbas, M., Garcia-Porta, J., Santos, X., Llorente, G., Vasconcelos, R. & Carranza, S.: Insights on island diversification from the endemic Haemodracon geckos of the Socotra Archipelago. ............................................................................................................... 59 Vahalík, P., Maděra, P., Saad, A., Amar Zrkine, M. & Lvončík, S.: Mapping of the Socotra Archipelago for the purpose of sustainable land management - a demographic survey ........ 61 van Damme, K. & Une-Gef-Epa Project Team: The aquatic ecosystems of Socotra - biodiver- sity and challenges................................................................................................................... 63 Exhibitions 67 Section 1 - Photographic exhibition of the representative plants of Socotra vascular flora (in situ) 68 Section 2 - Living scientific collections: botanic cards of exposed plants ................................... 83 Section 3 - Botanic collections (specimens): list of the exhibits with their respective data of col- lection)....................................................................................................................................... 87 Section 4 - Photographic exhibition of the Island.......................................................................... 92 Presentation of the locations of the principal events 95 The Botanical Garden of the University of Palermo ................................................................. 97 The Villa Whitaker Garden in Malfitano ................................................................................... 109 Complementary events to the conference Complementary events.................................................................................................................. 115 Docu-filmfest ................................................................................................................................ 121 Proceedings of the event Socotra in Sicily 5 Presentations Why Socotra in Sicily? Today Palermo, the city of exotic gardens and of African light, hosts Socotra and in Palermo, Sicily offers Socotra its help. A rich and unique biodiversity links the two islands although they are quite different from a biogeographic and taxonomic point of view. Socotra is today under threat together with its inhabitants, its memory and its natural and cultural heritage. One of the most, beautiful and amazing places in the worldrisks to be damaged irreparably. Nowadays losing Socotra means losing a real open-air laboratory of natural evolution which came relatively untouched up to a few decades ago. Saving Socotra’s natural and cultural heritage can be still possible, maybe. The Archipelago is still relatively in a good state in comparison to other islands in the world with uncontrolled development and growth, however changes are happening fast, with irreversible consequences. A miracle to be perpetuated, a patri- mony that we must preserve closely at the request of local communities. The Palermo conference aims at bringing together these two beautiful and ancient islands - Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea and Socotra in the Indian Ocean - trying to connect Socotra to the world, launching a message of peace and conservation for this small great island so important for the history of mankind and for the future of its inhabitants. Socotra today could become the symbol or even the beginning of a race against time to save the Planet. Socotra belongs to the Socotri and to Yemen but to Mankind too as a World Heritage, and today Sicily, ancient crossroad of the Mediterranean Sea, helps Socotra - ancient crossroad of the Indian Ocean - to look forward. The project Socotra in Sicily was born from this assumption; around the FoS (Friends of Soqotra) conference in Palermo, other events will be held regarding different aspects of Socotra and in general Yemen’s culture, history, traditions and beauty. Our aim is to introduce Socotra, one of Yemen’s most precious