Abstract
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and its isolation and high geological diversity have created a wide range of habitats with high levels of endemism, especially on its mountain massifs, where there are conditions of ecological insularity. In this study the exclusive endemic flora of Sardinia has been updated to 168 taxa, 139 of which are species, 23 subspecies, 4 varieties and 2 hybrids, belonging to 37 families and 72 genera. Despite this rich biodiversity and the threats to these species, few biological conservation studies have been carried out up to now. A conservation project for the most threatened exclusive endemic species of Sardinia was therefore funded in 2007 by the “Regione Autonoma della Sardegna”. To categorize these species of conservation interest, a priority list was created by applying 11 parameters based on rarity, threats and protection status. This work allowed the identification of the most threatened species of the Sardinian endemic flora.
Highlights
The Mediterranean basin, with 11.8 endemic plants per 100 km2, has been recognized as one of the priority regions for conservation in Europe and identified as one of the 34 most important “biodiversity hotspots” of the planet (Mittermeier & al., 2004)
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and its isolation and high geological diversity have created a wide range of habitats with high levels of endemism, especially on its mountain massifs, where there are conditions of ecological insularity
This work allowed the production of an exhaustive checklist of the exclusive endemic vascular flora of Sardinia, updating the previous works in which the endemic component of the Island was analyzed (Bacchetta & al., 2005; Conti & al., 2005)
Summary
The Mediterranean basin, with 11.8 endemic plants per 100 km, has been recognized as one of the priority regions for conservation in Europe and identified as one of the 34 most important “biodiversity hotspots” of the planet (Mittermeier & al., 2004). Lamyropsis microcephala (Moris) Dittrich & Greuter, Polygala sinisica Arrigoni and Ribes sardoum Martelli] have been included by the IUCN/SSC - Mediterranean Island Plant Specialist Group in the “Top 50 Mediterranean Island Plants” to be urgently conserved (Montmollin de & Strahm, 2005). Despite this rich biodiversity and the threats to these species, few biological conservation studies have been carried out in Sardinia (Fenu & Mattana, 2011). The criteria established by the International Union for the Conservation of the Nature (IUCN, 2001) are widely employed as the gold standard for
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