Calicotome Villosa Research Articles

Endozoochorus seed dispersal by goats: recovery, germinability and emergence of five Mediterranean shrub species

Herbivores can play an important role as seed dispersal vectors, ungulates constituting potential seed dispersal agents of Mediterranean grasses and shrubs. We evaluated the role of domestic goats as seed dispersers of five representative Mediterranean forage shrub species (Cistus albidus L., Phillyrea angustifolia L., Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link., Rhamnus lycioides L. and Atriplex halimus L.). Following seed ingestion by goats, total faeces were collected at 24-h intervals for five days. The total number of seeds recovered varied among species, with R. lycioides showing the minimum recovery percentage (1.3%) and C. albidus (35.8%), the maximum. Seed recovery was significantly related to seed hardness and length. In most species, the maximum amount of seeds recovered occurred 48-72 h after ingestion. The passage through the goat gut significantly depressed seed germination in C. albidus, C. villosa and A. halimus; inhibited it in R. lycioides and increased it in P. angustifolia. Seedling emergence was significantly lower in intact dung pellets than in broken-down ones, and both significantly lower than in uneaten seeds (control). The results of this study show that goats can potentially favor or inhibit seed dispersal of browsed Mediterranean shrub species. Therefore, goat grazing could be a potential management tool for expanding target shrub species populations or preventing shrub encroachment in undesired areas.

Fire occurrence and tussock size modulate facilitation by Ampelodesmos mauritanicus

Facilitation has been reported for a wide range of plant communities, with evidence of interactions between protégé and nurse plants shifting during their ontogenetic cycles. This study showed that large Ampelodesmos mauritanicus tussocks can act as nurse for different species, but only after fire occurrence. Large tussocks are typically composed by an external belt of living tillers surrounding dead standing tillers in the inner area, thus being arranged as a “ring” shape. A low plant diversity in unburned sites, dominated by intact Ampelodesmos tussocks, was related to the intense aboveground competition due to space physical limitation by standing tillers, as well as to the reduction of light availability at ground level. In contrast, after burning, tussocks resprouted only in their external belts, leaving empty inner areas. During post-fire recovery, several species (e.g. Plantago spp., Trifolium spp., Carlina spp.) recolonize the bare soil among different tussocks. On the other hand, a moss (Funaria hygrometrica) and several herbaceous and woody plants (e.g. Spartium junceum, Calicotome villosa, Quercus pubescens subsp. pubescens) were selectively distributed within the ash-full central areas of burned Ampelodesmos tussocks. In summary, the study reported evidence of changing prevalence in the interplay of competition and facilitation effects between small and large Ampelodesmos tussocks, respectively. These results suggest a broad significance of the interactions between fire occurrence and ontogenetic phases of the dominant species in affecting the restoration dynamics of natural plant communities.

Germination response of five eastern Mediterranean woody species to smoke solutions derived from various plants

The role of smoke as a fire-related germination cue is well known in many parts of the world, including Mediterranean-type ecosystems; however, it has been neglected in the Mediterranean Basin (MB). We studied the germination response of 5 woody species found in the eastern MB (south-western Turkey) to smoke solutions derived from different plant species. Of the 5 species examined, 2 [Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach and Satureja thymbra L.] showed significant increments in germination percentage after smoke treatments compared to the control, while the remaining 3 [Calicotome villosa (Poir.) Link, Cistus salviifolius L., and Lavandula stoechas L.] did not. However, none of the species showed any change in the germination rate. In addition, smoke solutions derived from various plants did not affect the germination response (germination percentage and rate) in all species. The results confirm that the effect of smoke originating from different plant species on germination response is globally similar regardless of the region. Our study helps to fill the gap in the literature on smoke-induced germination in the eastern MB and supports the idea that smoke is important to postfire germination in the MB.

The effect of sowing time on germination of twenty two Leguminosae species

Seeds of twenty two leguminous species were sown without any pretreatment in order to investigate the effect of sowing time on their germination in the forest nursery of EAŸirdir, Turkey. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks with four replications. The sowing times were from 1st February to 15th May 2008 with 15 days intervals. According to the analysis results, it was found out that there were significant differences among the sowing times for all the species apart from Spartium junceum (p<0.001). Three Bauhinia spp., two Colutea spp., two Cytisus spp.,Gleditsia triacanthus, two Robinia spp., Sophora japonica, Spartium junceum, Ulex europaeus andWisteria sinensis seeds germinated successfully on all the studied sowing times. Besides, it was detected the sowing times that Amorpha fruticosa, Calicotome villosa, Coronilla emerus and Genista lydia seeds had no germination. It could also be concluded that seed sowings in the early spring were more effective on germination percentages of all the species. As a result, provided that there are no sufficient time and proper conditions for applying any pretreatment it would be suggested the seed sowing in the early spring. Key words: Leguminosae, germination, sowing time, EAŸirdir.

Developmental instability of vascular plants in contrasting microclimates at ‘Evolution Canyon’

Is fluctuating asymmetry a reliable indicator of a population's state of adaptation? Does it respond in a predictable way to stress? How is it best employed by evolutionary biologists? To answer these questions, we studied leaf asymmetry of twelve species of vascular plants growing under contrasting microclimates on the opposing slopes of ‘Evolution Canyon,’ Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel, Israel. We applied similar sampling and measurement techniques to all 12 species, and used power transformations to correct for size scaling. Leaves of the trees Quercus calliprinos and Pistacia palaestina were significantly more asymmetrical on the microclimatically more fluctuating, drier, and savannah-like south-facing ‘African’ slope. Leaves of the shrub Calicotome villosa were significantly more asymmetrical on the microclimatically less variable, shadier, and maquis-like north-facing ‘European’ slope. Differences in fluctuating asymmetry were negatively correlated with differences in local abundance; species displayed higher fluctuating asymmetry on the slope where they were less abundant. The results obtained in the present study additionally suggest that the ‘African’ slope of ‘Evolution Canyon’ is only severely stressful for species on the margins of their adaptive zone. Similarly, the ‘European’ slope is only severely stressful for species on the margins of their, different, adaptive zone. Many plant species can adapt to both slopes. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 102, 786–797.

Seasonal photosynthetic changes in the green-stemmed Mediterranean shrub Calicotome villosa: a comparison with leaves

Some photosynthetic attributes of leaves and stems were seasonally followed in the small-leaved, summer-deciduous, green-stemmed Mediterranean shrub Calicotome villosa. Both leaves and stems displayed similar photon energy-saturated photosystem 2 (PS2) efficiencies with a minimum during winter. A second minimum in stems during the leafless summer period could be ascribed to sustained photoinhibition. Yet, stems were slightly inferior in photon capture, resulting partly from lower chlorophyll (Chl) contents and partly from higher reflectance due to pubescence. As a result, photon energy-saturated linear electron transport rates were slightly higher in leaves. However, when the total leaf and stem areas were taken into account, this superiority was abolished during autumn and winter and more than overturned during spring. Given that during summer the stems were the only photosynthetic organs, the yearly photosynthetic contribution of stems was much higher. Chl contents in stems displayed a transient and considerable summer drop, accompanied by an increase in the carotenoid to Chl ratio, indicating a photo-protective adaptation to summer drought through a decrease of photo-selective capacity, typical for leaves of many Mediterranean plants.

Genetic structure and population differentiation of the Mediterranean pioneer spiny broom Calicotome villosa across the Strait of Gibraltar

The region around the Strait of Gibraltar is considered to be one of the most relevant ‘hot spots’ of biodiversity in the Mediterranean Basin due to its historical, biogeographical, and ecological features. Prominent among these is its role as a land bridge for the migration and differentiation of species during the Pleistocene, as a consequence of the lowering of sea level and climate changes associated with the Ice Ages. In the present study, we report a multilevel hierarchical investigation of the genetic diversity of Calicotome villosa, a common pioneer legume shrub, at the regional scale. The results of genetic analysis of progeny arrays are consistent with a predominantly outcrossing mating system in all the populations analysed. Geographically, a pattern of population isolation by distance was found, but the Strait accounted for only approximately 2% of the among-population genetic differentiation. Consequently, extensive historical gene flow appears to be the rule for this species in this area. According to the natural history traits of C. villosa (pollination, dispersal, and colonization ability), we hypothesize that gene flow must be strongly influenced by seed dispersal because pollen flow is very limited. Based on the history of trade and land use, cattle and human movements across the Strait must have strongly favoured seed dispersal. We review and discuss these results and compare them with those of other reported studies of genetic and phylogenetic differentiation across the Strait of Gibraltar. It is stressed that colonization ability, which depends upon seed dispersal and life form, can be a more critical factor in gene flow than pollination. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 93, 39–51.

Pharmacological studies on hypotensive, diuretic and vasodilator activities of chrysin glucoside from Calycotome villosa in rats

The present study was undertaken in normotensive anaesthetized male rats that received a continuous perfusion of a chrysin glucoside isolated from the flowers and leaves of Calycotome villosa subsp intermedia at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg, or furosemide (control diuretic) at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg. Compared with the control rats receiving NaCl (0.9%), the urine flow, glomerular filtration and electrolyte excretion (Na+, K+) increased significantly in rats treated with chrysin glucoside (p < 0.001). A similar effect was observed in the rats perfused with furosemide. Intravenous injections of bolus doses (1-3 mg/kg) of the chrysin glucoside to anaesthetized rats elicited an immediate and dose-dependent decrease in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Pretreatment of the rats with the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, l-NOArg (10 mg/kg), reduced partially, but significantly (p < 0.01), the maximal decrease in MABP elicited by chrysin glucoside. In the rat isolated aorta preparation, chrysin glucoside (10-100 microm) inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner the noradrenaline (1 microm) induced contractions (IC(50) = 52 microm). This relaxant activity of chrysin glucoside was significantly reduced by incubation of the endothelium-intact rings with l-NOArg (100 microm), (80 +/- 4.7% vs 48 +/- 5.06% in the absence of L-NOArg). In conclusion, these results demonstrate a diuretic and hypotensive action of a chrysin glucoside from Calycotome villosa in anaesthetized rats and indicating an action on renal function, and an active vascular relaxation mediated partially through nitric oxide release.

Quantitative characterization of the thorn system of the common shrubs &lt;i&gt;Sarcopoterium spinosum&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Calicotome villosa&lt;/i&gt;

Thorny, spiny, and prickly plants including annuals, hemicryptophytes, shrubs, and trees dominate many habitats in the Near East, as the outcome of a long history of large-scale grazing. This study focuses on the quantitative aspect of the number of thorns per plant and per unit ecosystem area. Specifically, we quantitatively characterized the thorn system of two common shrub species, the low and compact Sarcopoterium spinosum and the taller and less compact Calicotome villosa. For each species we sampled 25 plants of various sizes, in each of two populations (for a total of 50 plants of each species). Large S. spinosum shrubs covering an area of more than 0.5 m2 had ca. 9,700-19,000 thorns per plant. We found that in S. spinosum there were more thorns per unit plant area on average in the grazed population (26,000 per m2) than in the non-grazed population (16,228 per m2). This, if repeated in additional populations and ecologies may serve as an indication that, thorns in S. spinosum, as well as in other ...

Successional Transitions and Management of a Phosphorus-Limited Shrubland Ecosystem

The decline of traditional pastoral systems has highlighted the problem of managing shrub encroachment on successional shrublands in the Mediterranean region, especially in marginal habitats. A long-term study of the response of ecosystem dynamics to phosphate amelioration and shrub control was initiated in 1988 on an area of phosphorus deficient terra rossa, dominated by dwarf shrubs that had been burnt in the summer of that year. The treatments were imposed in a replicated factorial design once at the beginning of the study. The area was previously grazed yearlong by goats, but during the experiment beef cattle grazed the area during the summer of each year. Without herbicide control, shrub cover reached its preburn level within 5 years, but with shrub control after 17 years, it had not yet reached the preburn level. The average shrub cover over the whole experimental period was 41.9%–49.1% without herbicide and 13.5%–24.4% with (P < 0.0001, SE of the difference = 3.99). The effect of phosphate application on shrub cover was not significant, but cover of herbaceous vegetation increased (P < 0.0016, SE of difference = 5.03). A “state and transition” scheme was constructed that defines the interventions necessary to buffer any one of the states against the pressures of successional processes. Vegetation states were defined by the dominance of either herbaceous vegetation or one of two spiny shrub species, Prickly burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum, Rosaceae) and Calicotome villosa (Fabaceae). The timing and scale of the interventions depend largely on landscape management objectives and on available economic and logistic resources. We conclude that appropriate management of grazing, periodic control of the shrub component, and occasional soil nutrient amelioration can lead to the development of attractive open woodland with a productive herbaceous understory that provides a wider range of ecological services than a landscape dominated by the undisturbed successional shrub thickets.

Vegetation Structure of Ajlun Woodlands in Northern Jordan

Woodland vegetation in the Ajlun mountains of Northern Jordan was investigated and surveyed to determine the influences of altitude and topography on patterns of vegetation structure. Three tree species (Quercus calliprinos Webb, Q. ithaburensis Decne, and Q. aegilps) and seven shrubs (Styrax officinalis L., Cistus creticus L., Cistus salviifolius L., Atriplex halimus L., Calycotome villosa (Poir.) Link, Retema raetam L., and Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach) dominate the woody vegetation in the study area. Higher plant densities were found on the lower altitudes of southwest-facing slopes than on the higher altitudes of northeast-facing slopes. Species segregation occurred on the basis of three main investigated factors: (1) Community ecological importance value complex of the species which combines the relative density, the relative coverage, and the relative frequency of the species; (2) altitudes above sea level; and (3) northeast and southwest slopes. Regeneration was negatively affected by consequently continuous reduction in species diversity and tree-size distribution.

Leaf and green stem anatomy of the drought deciduous Mediterranean shrub Calicotome villosa (Poiret) Link. (Leguminosae)

Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to study leaf and stem fine structure of the drought deciduous green-stemmed Mediterranean shrub Calicotome villosa (Poiret) Link. (Leguminosae). Each leaf consists of three small obovate leaflets with abundant but small (16 μm length) anomocytic stomata on both surfaces. Adaxial surface exhibits more than double stomatal density (440±8 mm −2) than the abaxial one (185±4 mm −2). T-shaped trichomes (36±3 mm −2) are present only on the abaxial leaf surface. Leaves are unifacial, furnished with palisade parenchyma on both sides. The stem is characterized by raised ridges and grooves. Beneath the one-cell-layered epidermis sclerenchyma is found on ridges, whereas stomata and palisade chlorenchyma are found in grooves. Hairs are abundant, especially in grooves. Stem and leaf palisade chlorenchymas are structurally similar. According to these data, photosynthesis could be efficiently supported by the stem.

Assessment of the digestibility of some Mediterranean shrubs by in vitro techniques

The nutritive value of some Mediterranean browse species collected in Tunisia was studied on the basis of their chemical composition, in vitro digestibility and fermentation kinetics (gas production technique). The browse species evaluated were Arbutus unedo, Calicotome villosa, Erica arborea, Myrtus communis, Phillyrea angustifolia, Pistacia lentiscus and Quercus suber. Species varied widely in crude protein content (55–221 g/kg DM), condensed tannins (1–360 g/kg DM), digestible dry matter (DM) (523–681 g/kg DM), asymptotic gas production (187–343 ml/g DM) and fractional gas production rate (0.030–0.047 h −1). Based on their in vitro digestibility and fermentation kinetics, species could be clustered in two groups of fodder resources, one of medium-high digestibility including the species M. communis, C. villosa, Ph. angustifolia and A. unedo and another group of low digestibility comprising the species P. lentiscus, Q. suber and E. arborea. The in vitro digestibility and gas production parameters were negatively correlated with phenolic compounds, in particular condensed tannins, suggesting that these in vitro techniques can be appropriate for detecting the presence of anti-nutritional substances in shrubs.

Isolation and X-ray crystal structure of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids from Calycotome villosa Subsp. intermedias.

Two tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids were extracted from the alkaloid fraction of a methanol extract of the seeds of Calycotome Villosa Subsp. intermedia. Their structures were established as (R)-1-hydroxymethyl-7-8-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro- isoquinoline (1) and (S)-7-hydroxymethyl-2-3-dimethoxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydroisoquinoline chloride (2) by spectroscopic techniques and X-ray diffraction analysis.

Flavone Glycosides from Calycotome Villosa Subsp. Intermedia

The known flavonoid chrysin-7-O-(beta-D-glycopyranoside) (chrysin glucoside,1) as a major fraction and a new glycoside flavone, chrysin-7-O-beta-D-[(6"-acetyl)glycopyranoside] (2) were isolated from the flowers and leaves of Calycotome Villosa Subsp. Intermedia, They were identified by UV-Vis, 1R, (1)H-, (13)C-NMR and ESI-MS.

Evaluation of Theodorou Island as a habitat for the conservation of the Cretan wild goat (Capra aegagrus cretica Schinz 1938) and the impact of grazing on vegetation

The present study was carried at Theodorou island (68 ha) Crete, the national reserve for the conservation of the endangered Cretan wild goat. A big part of the habitat (39.9 %) was devoid of vegetation. The main vegetation class was shrubs (74.5%) where forbs and grasses represented 24% and 1.5% respectively. The most dominant shrubs throughout the island werePistacia lentiscus, Sarcopoterium spinosum, Thymus capitatus, Euphorbia dendroides, Calycotome villosa andPhlomis fruticosa. The diversity of the plant community (115 species) was estimated to be 3.9.

Antioxidant activity of extracts from plants growing in Sardinia.

The present work was carried out to study the effect of some plant methanol extracts and essential oils on lipid peroxidation in simple in vitro systems. The tested extracts were obtained from four plants, commonly known in the Mediterranean area, indigenous to Sardinia: Artemisia arborescens L., Calycotome villosa L., Daphne gnidium L. or naturalized in the island, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. The activity of the extracts was investigated during both autoxidation and iron or EDTA-mediated oxidation of linoleic acid at 37 degrees C in the absence of solvent, and compared with that of BHT, alpha-tocopherol and EDTA. During linoleic acid autoxidation all the extracts were active, showing an antioxidant activity in the order: BHT >alpha- tocopherol >Daphne gnidium (methanol extract) >Eucalyptus globulus (essential oil) >Calycotome villosa (essential oil) >Artemisia arborescens (essential oil and methanol extract) >Calycotome villosa (methanol extract). None showed any prooxidant activity. During the iron-catalysed oxidation of linoleic acid the oils were not active, while all the methanol extracts showed some efficiency in preventing the oxidation process. All the extracts were also tested on cell cultures to investigate their cytotoxic activity or their ability to inhibit the growth of some pathogenic microorganisms.

Secondary succession after fire in a Mediterranean dwarf‐shrub community

Abstract. Changes in vegetation composition after fire in a Sarcopoterium spinosum dwarf‐shrub community on phosphorus‐deficient terra rossa soil overlying limestone were studied over a 10‐yr period. Herbicide application and phosphate fertilizer were combined to provide a range of initial conditions for recovery. The site was undisturbed during the growing season in winter but was grazed by cattle in summer. Encroachment rate of S. spinosum was mainly a function of the density of viable buds on plants that survived the fire and/or the shrub control treatments. This, together with the very low rate of shrub establishment from seed set a short‐to‐medium term limit to the attainable cover of S. spinosum. The leguminous shrub Calycotome villosa appeared only in the third year after the fire, apparently from seed. After shrub control, the encroachment rate of C. villosa was low, even after 9 yr. On the other hand, where no herbicide was applied, and with the cessation of goat grazing, C. villosa became increasingly prominent, to the extent that by the 8th year after the fire, it inhibited the continued expansion of S. spinosum. Phosphorus nutrition tended to reduce the cover of S. spinosum because of its stimulating effect on the predominantly leguminous herbaceous vegetation. C. villosa also appeared to benefit from greater phosphorus availability, despite greater competition from the annual vegetation. These findings show that, depending on the context, secondary succession after fire can take different courses. Whereas the combined effect of herbicide control and P‐enrichment cannot prevent shrub encroachment, it can slow down the rate of succession for more than a decade, despite the presence of ample shrub seed sources in the area.

Diet selection in dairy goats grazing woody Mediterranean rangeland

We studied species selection, diet quality and voluntary intake of Anglo-Nubian X Damascus dairy goats grazing woody Mediterranean rangeland in the Jerusalem Hills, Israel. Measurements comprised direct observation of grazing behaviour, with the recording of all species encountered along the search path of a foraging goat, and the time spent grazing each species selected. The fraction of observation time spent grazing was 0.84, of which woody and herbaceous vegetation accounted for 0.68 and 0.15, respectively. Twenty plant types (species or species groupings) were encountered along the foraging paths of the goats observed. Six plant types accounted for nearly 80% of encounters. The overall probability of an encounter resulting in grazing was 0.37. Analysis by plant type showed that the conditional probability of being grazed increased with declining probability of encounter, especially for the rarest species encountered. Nevertheless, the relation between the proportion of grazing encounters and the probability of encounter, by plant type, showed quite small deviations from the 1:1 line. The mean duration of a grazing encounter was 35 s. Encounter duration increased with the conditional probability of being grazed and with the size group of the plant type. The relation between the proportion of grazing time for a plant type and the probability of encounter with that plant type showed a wide scatter about the 1:1 line, though size group explained some of this variation. The greatest proportion of grazing time was devoted to annual herbaceous vegetation (16%). This vegetation group together with Sarcopoterium spinosum, Calicotome villosa, Cupressus sempervirens and Quercus calliprinos, accounted for 64% of grazing time. On the basis of hand-collected bite-like samples, overall mean diet digestibility and crude protein content were 48.4 and 11.1%, respectively, and foraging rate was estimated to be 6.3 g DM/min or 1350 g DM per day.

Effects of two levels of concentrate supplementation on milk production of dairy goats browsing Mediterranean scrubland

Effects of two levels of supplementation (low (LC) 750 g/d and high (HC) 1500 g/d from d 30 post-partum) on 4 months lactation of 17 Anglo-Nubian × Damascus goats were evaluated. Goats browsed 5–6 h daily on typical Mediterranean scrubland, dominated by Common oak ( Quercus calliprinos) and shrubs (mainly Pistacia lentiscus, Sarcopoterium spinosum and Calicotome villosa), young Cupressus sempervirens trees but few grasses. Goats were separated from their kids 2 d postpartum. HC feeding depressed net grazing time at pasture (75.1% and 59.2%, P<0.05). Although goats in the HC group produced more milk (2.23 vs. 1.81 kg/d, P< 0.05), no significant differences were found in total production of fat, protein and solids for cheese manufacturing (SCM, 188 and 158 g/d, P=0.22). On d 38, milk yield of LC goats was lower (2.31 vs. 2.84 kg/d, P<0.05), and protein (5.54% vs. 4.74%) and fat (3.69% vs. 3.40%) contents were higher, compared to HC ( P<0.05). No differences in milk composition between groups were detected later. However, from d 85 of lactation onward, LC goats yielded 26% less kg milk, 24% less kg protein, 25% less kg fat and 24% less kg SCM ( P<0.10) than HC; LC goats produced less lactose throughout the experiment, but not significantly at d 51 ( P<0.05). Plasma NEFA concentration was higher in the LC than in the HC group at d 38, 85 and 113. Energy balance, as calculated from plasma NEFA values, was negative in the LC goats in all periods but positive in HC from d 85 onward. Since no significant difference in SCM throughout lactation was found, and the main effect of HC feeding was an extra production of lactose, decision to provide HC feeding may be economically justified only if the extra income from lactose (as part of whole milk, yoghurt, or whey-cheese) exceeds the cost of 750 g concentrates.