Publications by authors named "A G Gristina"

Extremely narrow endemic plant species (ENEs) are generally connected with microrefugia characterized by particular environmental conditions. In-depth knowledge of the ecological requirements of ENEs is fundamental to plan appropriate conservation measures. Using cross-cutting technology, this paper gives a multifaceted approach to collect on-site data on the ecology of ENEs, defines the protocols for a correct sampling design and describes the type of equipment, the time and expenditure needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The climate relict is a very rare tree found only in two tiny populations in Sicily, Italy, and it used to be more common in warm-temperate forests before the Last Glacial Age.
  • - The study looked at the tree's survival by analyzing the land and soil moisture in its habitats, finding that specific landforms help keep water available for the tree, even in dry conditions.
  • - The tree shows different growth based on where it is located, and while it grows in clumps, it can't reproduce normally, which may help it survive tough environments.
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The traditional use of native wild food plants (NWFP) may represent a valuable supplementary food source for the present and future generations. In Sicily, the use of wild plants in the human diet dates back to very ancient times and still plays an important role in some rural communities. Moreover, in this regard, the natural and cultural inheritance of this island is wealthy and diversified for several reasons.

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Genetic diversity and population structure studies of local olive germplasm are important to safeguard biodiversity, for genetic resources management and to improve the knowledge on the distribution and evolution patterns of this species. In the present study Algerian olive germplasm was characterized using 16 nuclear (nuSSR) and six chloroplast (cpSSR) microsatellites. Algerian varieties, collected from the National Olive Germplasm Repository (ITAFV), 10 of which had never been genotyped before, were analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • Grapevines are crucial for wine and fruit production, featuring a high diversity of varieties through clonal propagation.
  • There is ongoing debate about whether grapevine domestication from its wild ancestor occurred just once or multiple times during its spread throughout the Mediterranean.
  • A study of Sicilian grapevine, involving genetic analysis of 170 domestic cultivars and 125 wild plants, reveals that local wild populations significantly contribute to the genetic diversity of cultivated grapevines in Sicily and Italy.
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