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phd_fazanl
Doctoral thesis

Thousands of years of solitude : past, present and future of relict trees in the Mediterranean : the case of "Zelkova abelicea" from Crete

DOKPE

  • Fribourg (Switzerland), 2022

1 ressource en ligne (108 pages)

PhD: Université de Fribourg (Suisse), 16.12.2022

Zelkova
Ulmaceae
Mediterranean
Crete
Greece
Overbrowsing
Relict
Endemic
Conservation
Tree
Island
English Zelkova abelicea (Lam.) Boiss. (Ulmaceae) is a tree species endemic to the mountains of the Mediterranean island of Crete (Greece). This species is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. Unsustainable pastoral practices are the main threat for the species. Z. abelicea populations are heavily browsed by goats, which strongly limit the growth of individuals, hinder the production of fruit, the survival of seedlings and keep individuals in a dwarfed stunted states during centuries. Z. abelicea is one of the few tree species to thrive throughout the mountains of Crete and therefore has an important ecosystemic value and local patrimonial value. In this thesis, I have addressed several knowledge gaps concerning Z. abelicea. I explored the changes in growth of individuals that are not browsed anymore. I also compared growth of individuals depending on where they grow and hint towards the reasons behind growth differences. I also studied dispersal unit traits and fruit weight and fruit soundness across the distribution of the species. I investigated the biodiversity of epiphytic lichens and bryophytes associated with Z. abelicea trees in overbrowsed areas. I showed the strong impact of pastoral activities on the growth of unprotected Z. abelicea trees. Despite the intensity of this disturbance, the species fosters a high epiphytic diversity. Precipitation patterns strongly influence the growth and reproduction of Z. abelicea with the easternmost populations being under intense stress. This raises concern for the long-term survival of the species in parts of its range.
Faculty
Faculté des sciences et de médecine
Department
Département de Biologie, Département des Géosciences
Language
  • English
Classification
Biology, life sciences
Notes
  • Bibliographie
License
CC BY
Open access status
diamond
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/330865
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