Mediterranean Biodiversity

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

This topic is related to the organization of the Italian 14th National Conference on Biodiversity—1st International Conference of Mediterranean Biodiversity, Lecce, Italy, 13‒15 September 2023. The aim is to promote the advancement of knowledge based on the research activity founded on the rigor of the scientific method. In particular, the Conference will be a showcase for studies and research focusing on “Biodiversity, Resilience and Climate Change”. Since the birth of agriculture more than 12,000 years ago, we have witnessed a continuous erosion of biodiversity as natural ecosystems have shrunk in favor of cultivated areas. Agriculture has led to the emergence of the concept of agrobiodiversity and the proliferation of many typical local varieties (sometimes of species imported from other continents). Today, safeguarding the productivity, sustainability, and biodiversity of the agroecosystem is helpful in preventing new natural areas from being sacrificed for crop fields. However, in recent years, increasing greenhouse gases and average temperatures have introduced additional variables into this challenge. The effects of climate change on biodiversity are already visible: species distribution, flowering periods, and bird migrations are changing. It is, therefore, necessary for humans to be able to help ensure the proper health of ecosystems because our prosperity and well-being depend on the ecosystem services that nature provides. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem degradation are interconnected and have devastating consequences for our economic and social stability, health, and well-being. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, includes a nature restoration plan that can promote the proliferation of so-called “nature-based solutions” that are viable socioeconomic options regarding agroforestry, water resources, and the urban environment. Biodiversity, resilience, and climate change are, thus, closely interrelated issues that constitute the future strategic challenge of sustainable development. An innovative biodiversity preservation strategy covering not only the primary terrestrial and aquatic environments formed through millions of years is needed, but also the secondary natural environments determined by human action over the centuries (particularly in recent decades) that have led from “cultivated fields” to today's rural areas. The topic is intended to include articles related to Biodiversity in the broadest sense, such as the following non-exhaustive list:

• Biodiversity of agro-systems;
• Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems including plants, animals, and microorganisms, and their physiology and interaction;
• Biodiversity, land, and landscape including urban/peri-urban, coastal, and marine systems;
• Climate change and alien species;
• Biodiversity and culture;
• Biodiversity and human well-being and health including gastronomy;
• Ecosystem services and economic-social impact of Biodiversity;
• European, national, and regional policies.

Prof. Dr. Luigi De Bellis
Prof. Dr. Genuario Belmonte
Dr. Massimiliano Renna
Dr. Elena Ciani
Dr. Monica Marilena Miazzi
Prof. Dr. Andrea Pieroni
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.6	3.6	2011	16.6 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.7	5.2	2011	17.3 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Forests forests	2.9	4.5	2010	19 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Gastronomy gastronomy	-	-	2023	15.0 days *	CHF 1000	Submit
Grasses grasses	-	-	2022	15.0 days *	CHF 1000	Submit
Horticulturae horticulturae	3.1	2.4	2015	14 Days	CHF 2000	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.9	5.8	2009	18.3 Days	CHF 2400	Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the first half of 2023.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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All Agriculture Agronomy Forests Gastronomy Grasses Horticulturae Sustainability

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12 pages, 1534 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Investigation of Fruit Quality and Biochemical Traits of Rosehip (R. canina) Ecotypes in the Aegean Region of Türkiye

by

Halil Ibrahim Sagbas

Horticulturae 2023, 9(12), 1292; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9121292 - 30 Nov 2023

Viewed by 158

Abstract

Rosehip is a valuable fruit species in particular for rural populations. In this study, fruit quality parameters of 15 wild grown rosehip ecotypes naturally obtained from seeds in the Aegean Region of Türkiye were determined. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, [...] Read more.

Rosehip is a valuable fruit species in particular for rural populations. In this study, fruit quality parameters of 15 wild grown rosehip ecotypes naturally obtained from seeds in the Aegean Region of Türkiye were determined. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma), soluble solid content, vitamin C, total phenolic, total carotenoid, total anthocyanin, total flavonoid and antioxidant capacity were investigated. The results showed great diversity among ecotypes. The fruit weight, fruit firmness, fruit flesh ratio, fruit shape index, fruit skin color (chroma) and soluble solid content were between 2.28 and 3.29 g, 4.70 and 7.12 N, 69.34 and 81.67%, 0.97 and 1.07, 53.04 and 60.71 and 18.87 and 21.28%, respectively. The total antioxidant capacity was found to be 15.78–28.17 mg AAE/g in a DPPH assay. The vitamin C content of rosehip fruits was measured as 507–621 mg/100 g. Among ecotypes, A-15 gave the biggest fruits, A-1 had the highest soluble solid content and A-13 had the highest vitamin C content. These results suggested that some ecotypes showed more potent bioactive properties than other ecotypes, mainly related to the variations in the antioxidant capacity and bioactive content between ecotypes. Overall, this study provides additional insight into investigating the genotype exhibition of multifunctional bioactive properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity)

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9 pages, 2199 KiB  

Open AccessCommunication

First Report on the Occurrence of Cucurbitacins in an Italian Melon Landrace (Cucumis melo L.)

by

Onofrio Davide Palmitessa

,

Andrea Castellaneta

,

Annalisa Somma

,

Adriano Didonna

,

Massimiliano Renna

,

Ilario Losito

,

Cosima Damiana Calvano

,

Tommaso R. I. Cataldi

and

Pietro Santamaria

Horticulturae 2023, 9(11), 1206; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111206 - 06 Nov 2023

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Abstract

Scopatizzo, belonging to the Cucumis melo L., is a local variety of Apulia (Southern Italy), which is consumed as unripe melon as an alternative of cucumber due to its better-quality profile and for the absence of cucurbitacins. The latter are tetracyclic triterpenes synthesized [...] Read more.

Scopatizzo, belonging to the Cucumis melo L., is a local variety of Apulia (Southern Italy), which is consumed as unripe melon as an alternative of cucumber due to its better-quality profile and for the absence of cucurbitacins. The latter are tetracyclic triterpenes synthesized by some Cucurbitaceae species, known to confer an unpleasant taste to fruits and cause health problems. Following the discovery of Scopatizzo fruits with bitter taste, cucurbitacins were searched for in their ethanolic extract. Flow injection analysis with detection performed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry provided evidence for the presence of at least four cucurbitacins, which were absent in typical, sweet-tasting fruits. Further insight into this discovery will be required in the near future to assess if the detection of cucurbitacins may mark the appearance of genotypes whose fruits have features not compatible with commercialization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity)

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15 pages, 5733 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Algerian Fig Trees: Botanical and Morphometric Leaf Characterization

by

Fahima Abdelkader

,

Ziane Laiadi

,

Susana Boso

,

José-Luis Santiago

,

Pilar Gago

and

María-Carmen Martínez

Horticulturae 2023, 9(5), 612; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9050612 - 22 May 2023

Viewed by 2169

Abstract

Leaf morphology in plants is very important in the evaluation of intraspecific variation. Indeed, the leaves of the fig tree (Ficus carica L.) present a great diversity of shape and size. The present study consists of the botanical, morphological, and morphometric characterization [...] Read more.

Leaf morphology in plants is very important in the evaluation of intraspecific variation. Indeed, the leaves of the fig tree (Ficus carica L.) present a great diversity of shape and size. The present study consists of the botanical, morphological, and morphometric characterization of the leaves of 26 local fig tree varieties cultivated in different areas of Bejaia (northeast Algeria). Our results indicate that the morphological parameters of the leaves allowed a good differentiation of the studied cultivars according to the descriptors (UPOV) among varieties and independent of their growing environment. Moreover, the method of morphometric description proposed in this paper allows the differentiation of varieties and the comparison among them in an objective way and by simple mathematical methods. This method demonstrates the existence of a very high percentage of polymorphisms within the studied varieties, but also their classification according to the number of lobes, the depth of the lateral sinuses, and the degree of openness of the angles performed by the main veins of the leaves. The Azougagh variety is characterized by wider angles, and, on the contrary, the Tassahlit variety has the least-open angles. None of the studied varieties presented “entire” leaves. The majority presented leaves with five lobes. The varieties Tilizwith, Tazarzourth, Avarkan, Tamkarkourth, and Inconnu B differed clearly from the rest by showing leaves with seven lobes and deep lateral sinuses. In contrast, the varieties Zarika, Baccor Blanc, Avarkan Lisse, and Avgaiti presented leaves with only three lobes. This is the first work on fig tree characterization using morphometric methods, which are shown to be complementary to the UPOV code and efficient in separating even the closed varieties. It will be interesting to extend these studies to larger scales and areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity)

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