Mediterranean Climate Regions Research Articles

Impacts of climate change on reservoir water availability, quality and irrigation needs in a water scarce Mediterranean region (southern Portugal)

Future climate for the Mediterranean climatic region is expected to bring an increase in temperatures, decrease in the precipitation quantity and shifts in the seasonal precipitation pattern. Although the impacts of climate change on water resources have been relatively well explored for the Mediterranean climatic region, the specific consequences for reservoirs and, in particular, water availability and irrigation issues have been less studied. The objective of this work is two-fold: (i) to assess the impacts of future climate changes on water resources availability, quality (focusing on phosphorus loads as this is the limiting nutrient for eutrophication) and irrigation needs for two multipurpose reservoirs in southern Portugal; (ii) to suggest climate change adaptation strategies, especially for the agricultural sector. To this end, the SWAT model was first calibrated against existing data on reservoir inflows as well as phosphorus loads. Then, SWAT was run with climate derived EURO-CORDEX models (RCA4/RACMO22E) for four periods (1970–2000, 2010–2040, 2040–2070 and 2070–2100). Water availability was analysed using the Water Exploitation Index (WEI) that was calculated for both reservoirs combining changes of inflows and irrigation requirements. The results indicated that climate change will negatively impact water availability in both reservoirs, especially under RCP8.5. In the case of the Monte Novo reservoir, future domestic water supply could be constrained by water quality problems related with phosphorus loads. For Vigia reservoir, the high water exploitation will lead to water scarcity problems, mainly as this reservoir on present-day conditions is restrictive on irrigation requirements. Adaptation strategies such as the implementation of high end technology (e.g. soil moisture and plant water stress probes, satellite imagery and drones to evaluate water stress – NDVI) as well as the renewal of the irrigation network and adequate crop selection can help attenuating the effects of climate change on the water resources in this region.

Evolutionary and plastic changes in a native annual plant after a historic drought.

Severe droughts are forecast to increase with global change. Approaches that enable the study of contemporary evolution, such as resurrection studies, are valuable for providing insights into the responses of populations to global change. In this study, we used a resurrection approach to study the evolution of the California native Leptosiphon bicolor (true babystars, Polemoniaceae) across populations differing in precipitation in response to the state's recent prolonged drought (2011–2017). In the Mediterranean climate region in which L. bicolor grows, this historic drought effectively shortened its growing season. We used seeds collected both before and after this drought from three populations found along a moisture availability gradient to assess contemporary evolution in a common garden greenhouse study. We coupled this with a drought experiment to examine plasticity. We found evolution toward earlier flowering after the historic drought in the wettest of the three populations, while plasticity to experimental drought was observed across all three. We also observed trade‐offs associated with earlier flowering. In the driest population, plants that flowered earlier had lower intrinsic water‐use efficiency than those flowering later, which was an expected pattern. Unexpectedly, earlier flowering plants had larger flowers. Two populations exhibited evolution and plasticity toward smaller flowers with drought. The third exhibited evolution toward larger flowers, but displayed no plasticity. Our results provide valuable insights into differences among native plant populations in response to drought.

Burrowing behavior protects a threatened freshwater mussel in drying rivers

Reduced streamflow because of climate change presents a major threat to aquatic biodiversity in arid, semi-arid and Mediterranean climatic regions. Freshwater mussels are particularly sensitive to this threat, because of their sedentary nature and limited mobility as juveniles or adults. The freshwater mussel Westralunio carteri, which is endemic to south-western Australia, has undergone a 49% reduction in range in the last 50 years, and a drying climate presents substantial extinction risk, as highlighted by two recent cases of mass mortality. Experimental studies found that mussels respond to water emersion by first tracking receding water levels, then burrowing. The amount of horizontal movement by mussels was not affected by size, but smaller mussels initiated burrowing sooner and were also more likely to be predated if they remained on the surface. Burrowing and shading both significantly reduced mortality rate and increased survival time when mussels were exposed to drying; when shaded or allowed to burrow, mussels could survive at least 62 days out of water. Predicted future reductions in streamflow are likely to increase the mortality rate in W. carteri, but it may be possible to partially avert the adverse effects of drying rivers by increasing riparian shading.

Seasonal variation of biomarker responses in Cantareus aspersus and physic-chemical properties of soils from Northeast Algeria.

This study belongs to the biomonitoring program of soil qualities using a land snail, Cantareus aspersus, as bioindicator. The metal-soil contamination in some sites (National Park of El Kala (NPK), El Bouni, Sidi Amar, Nechmaya, and Guelma) located in Northeast Algeria were determined during two seasons (winter and spring 2015, 2016). Glutathione (GSH) content and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were significantly decreased in snails collected during spring as compared with those noticed during winter under bioclimate change. In addition, a significant difference between various sites was observed, depending on the proximity to pollution sources. The significant variation of biomarker levels is a function of the physic-chemical properties of soils when they positively correlated with EC, H, and OM, and negatively correlated with all metallic elements. Moreover, Fe and Al2O3 are the most abundant in all the sites, and the most polluted site was found as that of El Bouni, followed by Sidi Amar, Nechmaya, and Guelma, since NPK is the less polluted site and considered a reference site. The tested biomarkers are sensitive oxidative parameters in snails exposed to pollution correlated significantly with the soil physic-chemical properties and metallic element contents in soil. Indeed, C. aspersus could be used as sentinel species in field monitoring of Mediterranean climate regions.

Seed Banks, Seed Germination, and Implications for Conservation of the Endangered, Fire-Dependent Shrub, Arctostaphylos morroensis

Conservation of obligate-seeding shrubs from Mediterranean-climate regions is an international conservation priority. Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis) is one such shrub whose persistence may depend on germination and establishment from soil-stored seeds following fire. However, fire has been virtually eliminated from its remaining habitat. Thus, conservation of A. morroensis may depend on actions that stimulate germination to establish new populations. We characterized seed banks in different-aged stands and examined viability and germination of A. morroensis seeds in response to various cues, including heat and charred wood. We found that seed density varied greatly among sites, although not increasing with stand age as predicted. Rather, the oldest stand had especially low seed densities and viability. Viability of A. morroensis seeds was low—on average ∼4%—limiting germination. Surprisingly, ∼40% of viable seeds germinated with no fire treatments. Neither heat nor charred wood alone enhanced germination; however, when combined the two resulted in highest germination. Seeds soaked in water prior to heat-and-charred-wood treatments had significantly reduced germination, suggesting that prescribed burns conducted in the wet season would result in a poor germination response. Characterization of the seed bank and determination of the cues stimulating germination can provide information vital to the maintenance of this and similar obligate-seeding species.

Invasion patterns of Pinus pinaster in south-west Australia in relation to fire, vegetation type and plantation management

Pinus pinaster is a common plantation species in many Mediterranean-climate regions of the world and has become invasive in several of these, but little is known about its invasive potential, with no studies regarding its invasion potential and patterns being carried out in Australia. It has been widely planted over many decades in the Perth region of southwest Australia. Here we used plots to measure the density, size and approximate age of P. pinaster wildings in native vegetation adjacent to pine plantations and in areas of cleared plantations. Results demonstrated that densities of P. pinaster wildings were highest at edges and varied widely with vegetation type, being much greater in dense, wetland vegetation compared to more open sclerophyllous woodlands, which was contrary to that experienced in other regions. Wilding regeneration following clearing was also highly variable. Local populations of black cockatoos, which fell cones to ground for feeding, are likely to have contributed to low levels of spread into native bushland by curtailing wind dispersal of seeds from tree canopies, as well as providing an ample seed source for regeneration of wildings at cleared sites. Wildfires, which can lead to mass regeneration of P. pinaster elsewhere, did not promote spread of wildings into adjoining bushland, but did enhance wilding densities in wetland vegetation within the plantation matrix.

Testing multiple substrates for terrestrial biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA metabarcoding.

Biological surveys based on visual identification of the biota are challenging, expensive and time consuming, yet crucial for effective biomonitoring. DNA metabarcoding is a rapidly developing technology that can also facilitate biological surveys. This method involves the use of next generation sequencing technology to determine the community composition of a sample. However, it is uncertain as to what biological substrate should be the primary focus of metabarcoding surveys. This study aims to test multiple sample substrates (soil, scat, plant material and bulk arthropods) to determine what organisms can be detected from each and where they overlap. Samples (n=200) were collected in the Pilbara (hot desert climate) and Swan Coastal Plain (hot Mediterranean climate) regions of Western Australia. Soil samples yielded little plant or animal DNA, especially in the Pilbara, probably due to conditions not conducive to long-term preservation. In contrast, scat samples contained the highest overall diversity with 131 plant, vertebrate and invertebrate families detected. Invertebrate and plant sequences were detected in the plant (86 families), pitfall (127 families) and vane trap (126 families) samples. In total, 278 families were recovered from the survey, 217 in the Swan Coastal Plain and 156 in the Pilbara. Aside from soil, 22%-43% of the families detected were unique to the particular substrate, and community composition varied significantly between substrates. These results demonstrate the importance of selecting appropriate metabarcoding substrates when undertaking terrestrial surveys. If the aim is to broadly capture all biota then multiple substrates will be required.

The contribution of nitrogen fixed by annual legume pastures to the productivity of wheat in two contrasting Mediterranean environments in central Chile

Annual legume pastures exhibit high resilience and productivity in Mediterranean climate regions and can be an important source of nitrogen (N) for temperate cereals in integrated livestock production systems. This work seeks to evaluate the inputs of N fixed by annual legume mixtures (composed of 3–4 species and cultivars) grown for one, two or three years in a cropping sequence, and their contribution to soil N availability, N uptake and the grain yield of wheat, and compares this with the cereal rotation of oats and wheat with and without N fertilizer. Two field experiments comprising annual legume-wheat rotations were carried out in two contrasting Mediterranean environments in central Chile, the interior dryland in the eastern part of the coastal mountain rage, and the Andean foothills, over four growing seasons (2008–2011). At both experimental sites two mixtures of annual legumes were used in rotation with wheat. The duration of the pasture phase was between one and three years. In the interior dryland, the shoot DM of mixture M1 (T. subterraneum + M. polymorpha + T. michelianum) was higher than M2 (T. subterraneum + B. penicilius + O. compressus), and in the Andean foothills M4 (T. subterraneum + T. vesiculosum + O. compressus) was more productive than M3 (two cv. of T. subterraneum + T. incarnatum). The amount of N2 fixed by the legume mixtures, estimated by the 15N natural abundance technique, ranged between 28 and 87 kg N ha−1 in the interior dryland, and between 176 and 385 kg N ha−1 in the Andean foothills, representing respectively around 25 and 23 kg N ha−1 fixed for every Mg of shoot DM accumulated by the annual legumes. Wheat grain yields following legume mixtures represented 53–104 % of the 3.39 Mg ha−1 produced after oats with N fertilizer in the interior dryland, and between 68 and 101 % of 6 Mg ha−1 attained after oats in the Andean foothills, in 2011. N use efficiency (NUE) of wheat was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in legume-based crop rotation than after oats with or without N fertilizer, at both sites. Legume mixtures also improved the N uptake (NUPE) and N utilization (NUtE) efficiencies of wheat compared to those observed after oats with N fertilizer, at both sites. Important differences among legume mixtures and the duration of the pasture phase were observed at both sites.

Improved visualization for trend analysis by comparing with classical Mann-Kendall test and ITA

This study compares classical Mann-Kendall (MK) test and simple Şen-innovative trend analysis (ITA) method by proposing a new trend analysis methodology with a special graphical representation. Another attempt is to classify sub-categories as “low” and “high” objectively by means of the Pettit change point test. The applications are based on 50-year rainfall records at various meteorology stations in Turkey. The proposed methodology provides different trend conditions than classical MK trend test and ITA approach on the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and continental climate regions of Turkey. Mediterranean climate reflects completely increasing trend especially on “high” values and the Black Sea region stations have non-monotonic decreasing trends at “low” and “high” values with increasing and decreasing trends, respectively on the proposed graphical representation. Continental climate region stations have monotonic increasing trend without sub-categorization, because of no change point via Pettit test on new visualization graphs.

Modulation of volatile compound metabolome and transcriptome in grape berries exposed to sunlight under dry-hot climate

BackgroundBasal leaf removal is widely practiced to increase grape cluster sunlight exposure that controls berry rot and improves quality. Studies on its influence on volatile compounds in grape berries have been performed mostly in Mediterranean or marine climate regions. It is uncertain whether similar efficiency can be achieved when grape berries are grown under continental climate. This study aimed to dissect the variation in volatile compound production and transcriptome in sunlight-exposed grape berries in a dry-hot climate region and to propose the key genes related to the variation.ResultsFour cluster sunlight exposure strategies, including basal leaf removal at pepper-corn size stage, leaf removal at véraison (LR-V), leaf moving at véraison (LM-V), and half-leaf removal at véraison, were implemented at the north foot of the Mt. Tianshan region of northwestern China. Various cluster exposure treatments resulted in a decline in the concentrations of norisoprenoids and monoterpenes in ripening grape berries. Both β-carotene and lutein, the substrates of norisoprenoid biosynthesis, were reduced by cluster sunlight exposure. K-means cluster analysis showed that some genes involved in biosynthesis such as VviTPS55, VviTPS60, VviTPS66, VviCCD4a and VviCCD4b exhibited lower expression levels in exposed berries at least at one of the tested stages. Two C6-derived esters with fruity attributes, ethyl hexanoate and hexyl acetate, were reduced markedly. In contrast, main C6 alcohol compound levels were elevated in the LR-V- and LM-V-treated grape berries, which corresponded to the up-regulated expression of VviLOXA, VviLOXO and VviADH1 in the oxylipin pathway. Most of the differentially expressed genes in the exposed and control berries were enriched to the “stress response” processes, and this transcriptome difference was accumulated as the berries matured. Besides, LR-V treatment stimulated a significant up-regulation in photosynthesis-related genes in the grape berries, which did not happen with LM-V treatment.ConclusionsCluster sunlight exposure in dry-hot climate viticulture resulted in different volatile-targeted transcriptomic and metabolic responses from those obtained in the temperate Mediterranean or marine climate region. Therefore, a modified canopy management should be adopted to improve the aroma of grape berries.

Global patterns of reproductive and cytotype diversity in an invasive clonal plant

The reproductive systems of invasive species play a key role in determining their geographical distributions. Oxalis pes-caprae is a clonal, polyploid, heterostylous, plant native to South Africa, but now invasive in all major Mediterranean climatic regions. Here, we extend earlier surveys in the Western Mediterranean basin of floral morph ratios, reproductive traits and ploidy level to include populations from South Africa and introduced regions of Australia, California and Chile. We sampled a total of 104 populations, 33 in South Africa, 29 in Australia, 27 in California and 15 in Chile and collected data on floral morph representation (trimorphic, dimorphic, monomorphic), flower size, fruit set, and ploidy level using flow cytometry. There were significant differences among regions in floral morph structure of populations, reproductive traits and ploidy level. Populations in South Africa were exclusively tristylous and largely tetraploid (4x); Australian populations were mostly pentaploid (5x, 65.5%), comprised exclusively of the short-styled morph, with the remaining populations either dimorphic or trimorphic. Populations in California and Chile were comprised exclusively of the 5x short-styled morph. Fruit set varied dramatically among populations with no fruit produced in 5x populations. Our study demonstrates striking geographical variation among regions in reproductive systems ranging from a mixture of sexual and clonal reproduction in the native range to exclusively clonal propagation in some introduced regions. This variation is likely to have important consequences for local adaptation and should be considered in future management decisions of invasive populations.

Fire severity impacts on tree mortality and post-fire recruitment in tall eucalypt forests of southwest Australia

Wildfires are predicted to increase in both frequency and severity across Mediterranean climate regions worldwide. While many Mediterranean-type ecosystems are considered broadly fire tolerant, there is little understanding of how differences in fire severity affect plant community dynamics, tree mortality and recruitment. In the tall karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor F. Muell) forests of southwest Australia, low to moderate severity wild and prescribed fires are relatively common. Mature karri trees survive these events and recover rapidly due to their thick bark and ability to prolifically resprout from epicormic buds. However, despite a projected increase in the frequency of high severity wildfires, the impact of such extreme fires on tree mortality and understory community composition is not well understood. We used a large and severe wildfire event in southwest Australia to assess how fire severity impacted recruitment and survival of karri seedlings, the mortality of mature karri trees, and the composition of the understory plant community. Mature karri tree mortality was 87% greater at sites burnt at high severity compared to unburnt sites and sites burnt at low severity. Understorey plant community composition of burnt sites was different to unburnt sites, driven largely by significant shifts in dominance. Notably, the usually dominant understorey shrub Trymalium odoratissimum was entirely absent from forests burnt at extreme high severity. These results indicate that karri forests burnt at very high severity undergo changes in stand structure that will persist for many decades, and that the structure and species composition of the understorey may also be altered significantly. This indication of a possible fire severity threshold is consistent with the findings of recent studies in other Mediterranean climates following catastrophic wildfires. This study highlights the need for further research into the effects of severe wildfire on forest ecosystems that are otherwise considered fire tolerant.

Effects of forest conversion on the aquatic Coleoptera assemblage in Mediterranean-climate streams

Abstract The aquatic Coleoptera in a Mediterranean climate region were studied in order to assess the main factors affecting the assemblage structure. We tested the effects of different land use types (native forest, agriculture and urban) on environmental features and water beetles in Chilean streams. Eighteen stream sites were sampled in the austral summer of 2016. Physical variables including water temperature, dry width of channel, altitude, proportion of fine sediment, gravel/pebbles and boulders were significantly different among land uses. Eight Coleoptera taxa were collected across all sites; five were recorded in native forest and agriculture streams and three in urban streams. The riffle beetles Stethelmis chilensis, Austrelmis sp., Austrolimnius sp. and Tychepsephenus felix were found in native forest and in low density in agriculture streams. Hydraenidae appear to be the most tolerant taxon, dominant in agriculture and urban streams. Canonical analysis of principal coordinates based on environmental features and Coleoptera density data showed a clear separation of native forest streams from agriculture and urban area streams. Using distance-based linear models, cobble proportion was the most important variable structuring the water beetle assemblage. Our findings suggest that aquatic beetles are good ecological indicators of anthropogenic land use types in aquatic ecosystems in Mediterranean streams. This is the first study using aquatic coleopteran species for Chilean Mediterranean streams. Our study highlights the importance of the native forest for the conservation of stream insects.

Quantifying Asynchronicity of Precipitation and Potential Evapotranspiration in Mediterranean Climates

AbstractRecent climate change has contributed to shifts in the seasonal interplay between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, which have in turn increased droughts and reduced freshwater availability in Mediterranean climate regions. To overcome limitations in existing indices for comparing these seasonal hydroclimatic drivers at the global scale, we introduce an information theory‐based, nonparametric asynchronicity index that captures both the temporal alignment and relative magnitudes of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. We use this asynchronicity index to first identify Mediterranean climates around the world. We then apply the asynchronicity index over two Mediterranean climate regions and show that their boundaries have shifted between 1960 and 2018, resulting in a regional expansion in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and a contraction in southwestern Australia. These results highlight the need for globally consistent measures of seasonal climatic water supply and demand for diagnosing potential changes in water resources and ecosystem responses within Mediterranean climate regions.

Quantifying Drought Sensitivity of Mediterranean Climate Vegetation to Recent Warming: A Case Study in Southern California

A combination of drought and high temperatures (“global-change-type drought”) is projected to become increasingly common in Mediterranean climate regions. Recently, Southern California has experienced record-breaking high temperatures coupled with significant precipitation deficits, which provides opportunities to investigate the impacts of high temperatures on the drought sensitivity of Mediterranean climate vegetation. Responses of different vegetation types to drought are quantified using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data for the period 2000–2017. The contrasting responses of the vegetation types to drought are captured by the correlation and regression coefficients between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomalies and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). A novel bootstrapping regression approach is used to decompose the relationships between the vegetation sensitivity (NDVI–PDSI regression slopes) and the principle climate factors (temperature and precipitation) associated with the drought. Significantly increased sensitivity to drought in warmer locations indicates the important role of temperature in exacerbating vulnerability; however, spatial precipitation variations do not demonstrate significant effects in modulating drought sensitivity. Based on annual NDVI response, chaparral is the most vulnerable community to warming, which will probably be severely affected by hotter droughts in the future. Drought sensitivity of coastal sage scrub (CSS) is also shown to be very responsive to warming in fall and winter. Grassland and developed land will likely be less affected by this warming. The sensitivity of the overall vegetation to temperature increases is particularly concerning, as it is the variable that has had the strongest secular trend in recent decades, which is expected to continue or strengthen in the future. Increased temperatures will probably alter vegetation distribution, as well as possibly increase annual grassland cover, and decrease the extent and ecological services provided by perennial woody Mediterranean climate ecosystems as well.

Comparison of energy conservation measures considering adaptive thermal comfort and climate change in existing Mediterranean dwellings

There is currently a need to restore the existing building stock. For this purpose, an energy evaluation of the building is conducted before deciding which intervention should be made. In that intervention, setpoint temperatures based on the index Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) are considered. This research studies the energy and economic feasibility of carrying out different energy conservation measures (ECMs) of façades by applying adaptive setpoint temperatures. The energy saving was also studied for future scenarios of climate change (2050 and 2080). The case study was a building with a deficient energy behaviour and located in the Mediterranean climate region. Both ECMs of façades and the cost payback period were studied. The results showed that the façade improvement was not an effective measure in the Mediterranean climate: saving percentages were not high in cooling consumption, and the amortization period was economically unfeasible. On the other hand, the use of adaptive setpoint temperatures was the most efficient measure, achieving savings higher than 70% in cooling consumption. Finally, there were limitations in the use of the adaptive comfort model from EN 15251 in future scenarios.

Prescribed burning in a mediterranean-climate region mitigates the disturbance by bushfire to a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby\u2019s cockatoo

BackgroundPrescribed burning is used to reduce fire hazard in highly flammable vegetation types, including Banksia L.f. woodland that occurs on the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP), Western Australia, Australia. The 2016 census recorded well over 1.9 million people living on the SCP, which also encompasses Perth, the fourth largest city in Australia. Banksia woodland is prone to frequent ignitions that can cause extensive bushfires that consume canopy-stored banksia seeds, a critical food resource for an endangered bird, the Carnaby’s cockatoo (Calyptorynchus latirostris, Carnaby 1948). The time needed for banksias to reach maturity and maximum seed production is several years longer than the typical interval between prescribed burns. We compared prescribed burns to bushfires and unburned sites at three locations in banksia woodland to determine whether low-intensity prescribed burns affect the number of adult banksias and their seed production. Study sites were matched to the same vegetation complex, fire regime, and time-since-fire to isolate fire intensity as a variable.ResultsHeadfire rates of spread and differenced normalized burn ratios indicated that prescribed burning was generally of a much lower intensity than bushfire. The percentage survival of adult banksias and their production of cones and follicles (seeds) did not decrease during the first three years following a prescribed burn. However, survival and seed production were significantly diminished followed high-intensity bushfire. Thus, carrying capacity for Carnaby’s cockatoo was unchanged by prescribed burning but decreased markedly following bushfire in banksia woodland.ConclusionsThese results suggest that prescribed burning is markedly different from bushfire when considering appropriate fire intervals to conserve canopy habitats in fire-resilient vegetation communities. Therefore, low-intensity prescribed burning represents a viable management tool to reduce the frequency and extent of bushfire impacts on banksia woodland and Carnaby’s cockatoo.

The impact of internal gains on thermal stratification for public buildings

The indoor temperature in public buildings varies according to its internal loads scenario. In fact, this building typology in temperate climates is generally non-air conditioned and naturally ventilated. In order to improve indoor thermal conditions with appropriate solutions, it is necessary to study the vertical temperature profile. The main objective of this study is to show the impact of thermal stratification on thermal comfort of public buildings. The thermo-airodynamic modeling using TRNSYS(C) and CONTAM(C) have been performed in this numerical simulation study. The indoor air volume is vertically subdivided into several levels to evaluate the evolution of temperature profile taking into account the different inside-outside air exchange and air coupling between sub-zones. This study is performed in the city of Morocco that represents Mediterranean climate region with a moderate temperature. The effect of several parameters, such as indoor occupation pattern, internal lighting, sub-zones air exchange and vertical thermal stratification are studied. Numerical simulation results show that thermal stratification of buildings affects the occupant’s comfort level

Quali—A Quantitative Environmental Assessment Method According to Italian CAM, for the Sustainable Design of Urban Neighbourhoods in Mediterranean Climatic Regions

In recent decades, the international scientific debate has focused on maximizing the energy performance of the building organization during the operational phase. However, the energy performance is only partially in line with the strategic environmental objectives defined by the European Commission which, with Communication 2003/302, also defined the guidelines for the drafting of the National Action Plans on Green Public Procurement (NAP GPP). Law no. 296 of 27 December 2006 provided for “... the implementation and monitoring of an Action Plan for the environmental sustainability of public administration consumption”, drawn up by the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea. This work moves in the direction of identifying design strategies, relating to construction and urban restructuring, compatible with the criteria of energy and environmental sustainability provided for in the New Code of Public Procurement (Legislative Decree 50/2016), in accordance with the directives of the European Community. The parameters that define the methodological articulation (choice of case studies, scope of reference of stakeholders, etc.) orient the use of the results towards similar cases, i.e. design of urban districts located in regions with a Mediterranean climate.

Main drivers of freshwater fish diversity across extra-tropical Southern Hemisphere rivers

Many multi-regional studies investigating how available habitat area, energy availability, and historical refugia drive freshwater fish diversity have emphasized Northern Hemisphere and tropical areas. Furthermore, while many such studies have examined diversity drivers on basin-scale species richness (i.e., gamma diversity), they typically have not evaluated beta diversity or phylogenetic diversity nor included representative numbers of Southern Hemisphere basins unassociated with tropical rainforests. Here, we examine 784 basins and present the first comprehensive evaluation of the driving effects of gamma diversity and the patterns of beta and phylogenetic diversity across extra-tropical Southern Hemisphere (ETSH) freshwater fish communities. We find that ETSH gamma diversity does not show a strong historical legacy associated with glaciations, and is influenced more by factors related with habitat area and available energy. Additionally, ETSH regions show high beta and phylogenetic diversity and low levels of diadromy, except New Zealand, which shows narrow species diversity and cosmopolitan species dominance. Finally, phylogenetic diversity indicates how the endemism of the three ETSH Mediterranean-climate regions is characteristic of long-term isolation and persistence. These results demonstrate ETSH freshwater fish diversity to be distinct from both the tropics and their Northern Hemisphere latitudinal counterparts.