ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES OF MARETTIMO ISLAND (SICILY, ITALY) LORENZO GIANGUZZI, DARIO CUSIMANO, PASQUALE CUTTONARO & VINCENZO ILARDI University of Palermo (Italy) - Department of Environmental Biology and Biodiversity ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES OF GEOMORPHOLOGIC AND BIOCLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS - Marettimo Island MARETTIMO ISLAND 13 13 represents the westernmost emerged portion of the Mountain Range of theAegadian Islands, formed 5 1) Cosentinia vellea (Aiton) Tod. (SINOPTERIDACEAE) – H ros – during the Upper Miocene (CATALANO et al., 1985; CATALANO, 1986; ARGNANI, 1987). It 13 19 25 Euro-Medit.-Turan. – STATUSOF RISK: LRnd 1 5 2) Phyllitis sagittata (DC.) Guinea et Heywood (ASPLENIACEAE) consists of four tectonic units, predominantly composed of dolostones, marls and limestones of the 13 5 – H ros – Medit. – STATUSOF RISK: VU Middle Triassic-Lower Lias (ABATE et al., 1982, 1998). The orographic ridge, located along the 3) Aristolochia navicularis Nardi (ARISTOLOCHIACEAE) – G 9 11 7 bulb – SW Medit. – STATUSOF RISK: EN NW/SE direction, is dominated by Mount Falcone (686 m a.s.l.). A very peculiar habitat is 5 13 20 4) Ranunculus parviflorus L. (RANUNCULACEAE ) – T scap – represented by towering cliffs, which give rise to a conservative environment characterized by many Medit.-Atl. –STATUSOF RISK:VU . 6 5) Limonium tenuiculum (Tineo) Pignatti (PLUMBAGINACEAE) floristic emergencies of particular biogeographical relevance. – Ch suffr – Endemic to Marettimo – STATUSOF RISK: LRnd In particular, the Island falls mainly in the thermomediterranean bioclimatic belt, with ombrotype 19 22 16 6) Brassica macrocarpa Guss. (BRASSICACEAE ) – Ch suffr – varying from dry to subhumid, tending towards the mesomediterranean subhumid one, over 400-550 12 Endemic toAegadianArchipelago – STATUSOF RISK: CR 9 7) Hornungia revelierei (Jordan) Soldano, F. Conti, Banfi et Galasso m a.s.l. However, the coastal area exposed to S/SW manifests conditions of strong environmental 11 11 15 subsp. revelierei (BRASSICACEAE) – T scap – Central W dryness, with aspects of summer deciduous scrub of Periploca laevigata subsp. angustifolia 9 Medit. (Sicily-Sardinia-Corsica) – STATUSOF RISK: LRnd 8 8) Daphne sericea Vahl (THYMELAEACEAE) – NP – Central E (Periploco angustifoliae-Euphorbio dendroidis sigmetum). In the thermomediterranean belt, the 5 Medit. – STATUSOF RISK: VU series of the Pine forest with Pinus halepensis (Pistacio lentisci-Pino halepensis sigmetum), tied to 15 13 9) Thymelaea tartonraira (L.) All. (THYMELAEACEAE) – NP – VU the detrital substrates more or less cemented at the base of the mountains, and that of the Olive 17 Medit. – STATUSOF RISK: 12 10) Euphorbia papillaris (Boiss.) Raffaelli & Ricceri (Euphorbio dendroidis sigmetum), located on the compact limestones, especially of the western (EUPHORBIACEAE)– NP – End. to Sicily – STATUS OF side, dominate mostly. Instead, in the mesomediterranean belt, the series of the Holm Oak (Pistacio 9 6 RISK: VU 4 10 11) Erodium maritimum (L.) L'Hér. (GERANIACEAE ) – T scap – lentisci-Querco ilicis sigmetum), with interesting residual forest nuclei located in Pizzo Campana 13 5 Medit.-Atl. – STATUSOF RISK: VU and between Mount Falcone and Pizzo delle Fragole, is more frequent. However, the vegetation of 24 12) Bupleurum dianthifolium Guss. (APIACEAE) – Ch suffr – 11 Endemic to Marettimo – STATUSOF RISK: EN Marettimo is mainly replaced by secondary aspects – mostly shrubby – because of anthropic 13) Daucus siculus Tineo (APIACEAE) – H scap – Endemic to disturbance in the territory, at least until the Second post-war. Apulia and Sicily – STATUSOF RISK: LRnd 25 15 14) Periploca laevigataAiton. subsp. angustifolia (Labill.) Markgraf 8 11 (ASCLEPIAD.) – P caesp – S Medit.-Sahar. – STATUS OF RISK: LRlc 12 15) Lithodora rosmarinifolia (Ten.) I.M. Johnston (BORAGINACEAE) – Ch suffr – SW Mediterranea (Apulia, 27 Sicily and NAfrica) – STATUSOF RISK: LRlc 5 16) Thymus richardii subsp. nitidus (Guss.) Jalas (LAMIACEAE ) – 10 12 Ch rept – Endemic to Marettimo – STATUSOF RISK: LRcd 17) Pseudoscabiosa limonifolia (Vahl) Devesa – Ch suffr – Endemic 5 to Sicily – STATUSOF RISK: EN 13 18) Filago gussonei Lojac. (ASTERACEAE) – T scap – Endemic to 24 Apulia, Sicily and Malta – - STATUSOF RISK: LRnd 13 19) Helichrysum rupestre (Raf.) DC. var. messerii Pignatti 10 6 5 (ASTERACEAE) – Ch suffr – Endemic to Marettimo – 17 12 STATUSOF RISK: LRlc 20) Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth (ASTERACEAE) – T scap – 15 Medit. – STATUSOF RISK: EN 4 21) Simethis mattiazzi (Vandelli) Sacc. (ASPHODELACEAE) – G rhiz – Central W Medit.-Atl. – STATUSOF RISK: CR 22) Bellevalia dubia (Guss.) Roemer et Schultes subsp. dubia (HYACINTHACEAE)– G bulb – Endemic to Sicily . - STATUS 19 OF RISK: LRlc 23) Gagea granatelli (Parl.) Parl. (LILIACEAE) – G bulb – S Medit - STATUSOF RISK: VU 24) Oncostema hughii (Guss.) Speta (HYACINTHACEAE)– G bulb 16 – Endemic to Marettimo - STATUSOF RISK: EN 26 25) Allium franciniae Brullo & Pavone (ALLIACEAE) – G bulb – Endemic to Marettimo – STATUSOF RISK: LRcd 8 18 20 26) Lagurus ovatus L. subsp. vestitus (Messeri) Brullo (POACEAE.) 13 – T scap – Central W Medit. - STATUSOF RISK: VU 27) Chamaerops humilis L. (ARECACEAE) – P caesp – Central W 24 LRlc 25 5 Medit. i. - STATUSOF RISK: 12 5 15 25 Cosentinia vellea Phyllitis sagittata 16 13 23 17 2 7 26 3 FLORISTIC PECULIARITIES OF MARETTIMO ISLAND - In addition to the geomorphologic and topographic characteristics of the territory, the floristic originality of Marettimo is in correlation with the complex 13 paleogeographic events that affected the Channel of Sicily in the course of the last geologic eras. In particular, unlike the other islands of the Aegadian Archipelago, and also Sicily itself, Marettimo has not been affected by the floristic invasions related to the Quaternary glaciations, retaining some peculiarities now completely absent in Sicily.Also the 26 19 vegetation physiognomy of the Island is quite different; just think of e.g. the Rosmarinus officinalis and Erica multiflora maquis-garrigue, very common here, but residual elsewhere and located within restricted geographical areas. The flora peculiarity itself, represented by 612 infrageneric taxa (GIANGUZZI et al., 2006), is the result of the 24 vicissitudes that have affected phytogeographic flows in this sector of the Mediterranean Sea. There are different 5 13 endemic species, some of which paleoendemic, or entities of phytogeographic significance, with small populations and therefore “at risk”. The study investigates these entities, highlighting the problems related to their conservation. 13 5 Among the exclusive endemic species to the Island, there are Allium franciniae, Helichrysum errerae var. messerii, 19 Limonium tenuiculum, Bupleurum dianthifolium, Oncostema hughii, Thymus richardii subsp. nitidus and Anthemis secundiramea var. cosyrensis; a species is endemic to the Aegadian Archipelago (Brassica macrocarpa). Moreover, many other taxa are to be mentioned: some of them are endemic to Sicily, e.g. Asperula rupestris, Bellevalia dubia, 5 Euphorbia papillaris, Plantago afra subsp. zwierleinii, Pseudoscabiosa limonifolia and Ranunculus spicatus subsp. 13 rupestris, or to the Central MediterraneanArea, such as Crocus longiflorus, Dianthus rupicola subsp. rupicola, Iberis 5 6 13 semperflorens, Pimpinella anisoides, etc. Many other plants are absent or very rare/threatened at a regional level, 21 such as Aristolochia navicularis, Daphne sericea, Erodium maritimum, Lagurus ovatus subsp. vestitus, Periploca 13 laevigata subsp. angustifolia, Reichardia tingitana, Simethis mattiazzi, Thymelaea tartonraira, etc. Other entities, rather frequent in the nearby Sicilian coast, retain only one or few relict stations in Marettimo, e.g. Hedera helix, 14 5 Teucrium fruticans, Chamaerops humilis, Phillyrea latifolia, Cyclamen hederifolium, Ephedra fragilis, locally represented by very few individuals, for which therefore protection actions would be necessary. Brassica macrocarpa Hornungia revelierei subsp. revelierei Simetis matthiazzi: iconography of the plant; particular of fruit and distribution area. Daphne sericea Thymelaea tartonraira Euphorbia papillaris Erodium maritimum Bupleurum dianthifolium Thymus richardii subsp. nitidus Pseudoscabiosa limonifolia Reichardia tingitana ISSUES OF CONSERVATION - The Island has its own environmental peculiarity, given REFERENCES the low anthropogenic interference, apart from some reforestation with Pinus halepensis, moreover made in areas appropriate to its climacic potentiality, and some sporadic fire. This ABATE, B., INCANDELA, A., NIGRO, F. & RENDA, P., 1998 – Plio-Pleistocene Strike-Slip implies a positive impact for the recovery of vegetation, taking into account the tectonics in the Trapani Mts. (NW Sicily). – Boll. Soc. Geol. It., 117: 555-567. disappearance of the woodcutters activity – quite widespread on the Island until 60 years ABATE, B., Lo CICERO & G., RENDA, P., 1982 – Facies Carbonatiche ed evaporitiche del Trias ago – and the gradual abandonment of agricultural crops and pasture. superiore di Marettimo. – Rend. Soc. Geol. Ital., 5: 71-76. ARGNANI,A. 1987 – The Gela Nappe: Evidence of accretionary mèlange in the Maghrebian fore- The comparison between the study of FRANCINI & MESSERI (1956) and a more recent deep of Sicily. – Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 38: 419-428. survey in the territory (GIANGUZZI et al., 2006), has revealed a substantial decrease BRULLO S. & MARCENÒ C., 1983 – Osservazioni fitosociologiche sull'isola di Marettimo related to the disappearance of the cropped environments,