Mediterranean Island mammals: are they a priority for biodiversity conservation?

Abstract

Biogeographia vol. XXV - 2004 (Printed December, 30 q' 2004) Marine Biogeography of the Mediterranean Sea: patterns and dynamics of biodiversity Mediterranean Island mammals: are they a priority for biodiversity conservation? SPARTACO GIPPOLITI, GIOVANNI AMORI Irtituro per 10 Studio degli Ecoristemi, CNR c/0 Dzjyzzrtimerzto di Bio/ogizz Animrzle 5 a’e[[’U0m0, lfiziverszriz “LIZ Srzpz'mzzz’§ Via A. Borelli 50- 00161 Roma (Italy) e—mrzz'l: 5przrtrzco[o6u5@/7oz7mzz'/. com Keywords: Mediterranean islands, feral mammals, conservation priorities, biodiversity, taxonomy. SUMMARY The importance of taxonomy in biological conservation is now well established. However, the risk involved in assigning specific or subspecific status to feral mammals or mammals introduced in the Mediterranean Islands ancient time, has been generally overlooked. In fact, these ‘antropochorous taxa’, especially ungulates such as ‘wild’ goats and ‘wild’ sheep, have became the focus of many national and international conservation activities because of their high aesthetic, symbolic and hunting value. This, however, has often lead to a misallocation of conservation resources thereby indirectly damaging die fiiture prospects for the few true surviving insular paleoendemic mammals such as the Cretan and Sicilian shrews Cracidurrl zim17m77zrm71i and C'ratz'z2'1mz rimlzz, respectively. Conservation policies simply based on protection of anthropocorous mammals — or of birds of prey whose populations depend on such insular mammals — need to lie carefully re—assessed. Actually, there is scattered evidence that this approach represents a further threat to the whole Mediterranean island biodiversity. Great caution is especially needed in small, protected, ‘ocean—lille’ islands where mammals — especially ungulates — are not hunted and endernism rate is usually high. Here, the growth of ungulate populations can have disastrous effects on biodiversity throughout both disappearance of several endemic plants which lack defence from grazing, and a likely cascade effect on invertebrate Communities. Nowadays, knowledge of each island palaeoecology is essential to assess the best management options for antrophocorous mammals in the interest of Mediterranean biodiversity conservation. INTRODUCTION The importance of taxonomy in the conservation assessments has often been emphasised in the last years (McNeely, 2002). It is obviously not possible to protect what is not believed to exist and it is not recognised by taxonomy. This is the case of the tuatara, Sp/Jenodon spp., as revealed by a well-known study on its systematic (Daugherty et al., 1990). On the other hand, the opposite problem also exists. A formal taxonomic recognition could justify considerable conservation