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Biodiversity of Italian Tamarix spp. populations: their potential as environmental and productive resources

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Abstract

Mediterranean countries are expected to experience a notable increase in average air temperatures and an alteration of precipitation patterns, distribution, intensity and duration, as a result of global climate changes. In this region, wetlands and coastal areas are increasingly at risk, as they are particularly exposed to a range of hazards connected to climate change, such as drought, flooding, and soil salinity. Nevertheless, the species which inhabit these areas are likely to be well adapted to future conditions caused by global warming effects. Among them, Tamarix species have been reported to be highly tolerant to many abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, flooding, and extreme temperatures. Exploring their diversity could be fundamental, as genotypes can be selected for their natural tolerance to some particular stress, and may be conserved and used in restoration practices under the perspectives of global climate changes. Moreover, recent experimental evidence supported the employment of Tamarix spp. as bio-fuel crops. There are eleven Tamarix species in Italy, occupying coastal dunes and the riverbanks of Southern regions. The most widespread species are Tamarix gallica and Tamarix africana. Although they play a fundamental ecological role in dunes’ fixation and in inhabiting salinized areas, which would otherwise be subjected to desertification, they are still not well known. In this study, we introduce Italian Tamarix spp. ecological, physiological, morphological and genetic diversity with the aim of creating awareness as regards their potential use for the recovery of degraded areas in the Mediterranean Basin.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financed by the Italian–Israeli Cooperation on Environmental Research and Development Project “Harnessing the biodiversity of Mediterranean plants for mitigating the effect of climate change and desertification” by The Italian Ministry of Environment Land and Sea and by the University of Tuscia (Project ex-60 % Kuzminsky 2009). The authors thank the overall researchers of Tel Aviv University for introducing us to the “Miracle trees”, as the recently disappeared Prof. Yoav Waisel loved to call Tamarix spp. plants. The authors are grateful to Isacco Beritognolo and Maurizio Sabatti for helpful conversations, to Patrizio De Martis for plant collection management of the Marangone Creek site, to Claudia Mattioni, and Matilde Tamantini for laboratory support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DIBAF, Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest Systems, University of Tuscia, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

    Elena Kuzminsky, Paolo De Angelis, Renée Abou Jaoudé, Grazia Abbruzzese, Serena Terzoli, Carmine Angelaccio, Giovanbattista De Dato & Riccardo Valentini

  2. DIPNET, Department of Sciences for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Via De Nicola 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Renée Abou Jaoudé

  3. Italian State Forest Service, Via G. Carducci 5, 00187, Rome, Italy

    Grazia Abbruzzese

  4. CRA-SEL Forestry Research Centre, Viale Santa Margherita, 80, 52100, Arezzo, Italy

    Maria Cristina Monteverdi

  5. CMCC, Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change, Via Augusto Imperatore 16, 73100, Lecce, Italy

    Riccardo Valentini

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  1. Elena Kuzminsky
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  2. Paolo De Angelis
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Correspondence to Elena Kuzminsky.

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Kuzminsky, E., De Angelis, P., Abou Jaoudé, R. et al. Biodiversity of Italian Tamarix spp. populations: their potential as environmental and productive resources. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 25, 439–452 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-014-0309-x

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