1. |
- Clough, Yann, et al.
(author)
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Land-use choices follow profitability at the expense of ecological functions in Indonesian smallholder landscapes
- 2016
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In: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Smallholder-dominated agricultural mosaic landscapes are highlighted as model production systems that deliver both economic and ecological goods in tropical agricultural landscapes, but trade-offs underlying current land-use dynamics are poorly known. Here, using the most comprehensive quantification of land-use change and associated bundles of ecosystem functions, services and economic benefits to date, we show that Indonesian smallholders predominantly choose farm portfolios with high economic productivity but low ecological value. The more profitable oil palm and rubber monocultures replace forests and agroforests critical for maintaining above- and below-ground ecological functions and the diversity of most taxa. Between the monocultures, the higher economic performance of oil palm over rubber comes with the reliance on fertilizer inputs and with increased nutrient leaching losses. Strategies to achieve an ecological-economic balance and a sustainable management of tropical smallholder landscapes must be prioritized to avoid further environmental degradation.
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2. |
- Papageorgiou, Aristotelis C, et al.
(author)
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Complex fine-scale phylogeographical patterns in a putative refugial region for Fagus sylvatica (Fagaceae)
- 2014
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In: Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0024-4074 .- 1095-8339. ; 174:4, s. 516-528
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Broad-scale plastid (chloroplast) DNA studies of beech (Fagus sylvatica) populations suggest the existence of glacial refugia and introgression zones in south-eastern Europe. We choose a possible refugium of beech in northern Greece, Mt. Paggeo, which hosts a private plastid haplotype for beech, to conduct a fine-scale genetic study. We attempt to confirm or reject the hypothesis of the existence of a small-scale refugium and to gain an understanding of the ecological and topographical factors affecting the spatial distribution of plastid haplotypes in the area. Our results reveal a high haplotype diversity on Mt. Paggeo, but the overall distribution of haplotypes shows no significant correlation with the ecological characteristics of the beech forests. However, the private haplotype is found at high frequencies in beech forests located in or near ravines, having a high spatial overlap with a relict vegetation type occurring in ecological conditions found mainly in ravines. This result emphasizes the importance of topography in the existence of glacial refugia in the wider area. Furthermore, haplotypes originating from two more widespread beech lineages in Greece are found on Mt. Paggeo, indicating a possible mixing of populations originating from a local refugium with populations from remote refugia that possibly migrated into the area after the last glaciation.
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3. |
- Papageorgiou, Aristotelis C., et al.
(author)
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Genetic variation of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in Rodopi (NE Greece)
- 2008
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In: European Journal of Forest Research. - : Springer. - 1612-4669 .- 1612-4677. ; 127:1, s. 81-88
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The recent taxonomic classification of beech in Europe considers existence of one species (Fagus sylvatica L.) with two subspecies: F. sylvatica ssp. sylvatica and F. sylvatica ssp. orientalis. Four beech populations growing on the Greek part of the Rodopi Mountains were studied using morphological traits as well as DNA molecular markers (AFLPs and chloroplast DNA SSR). The aim of the study was to describe the variation patterns of beech in the Rodopi Mountains and to test the hypothesis of possible introgression between the beech subspecies' sylvatica and orientalis in this area. Both morphological traits and gene markers revealed a possible influence of F. orientalis on the east side of Rodopi and at the low elevations, while characters resembling F. sylvatica were observed mainly on the western part of the mountains and in higher altitudes. There was a clinal increase of genetic diversity from the west to the east, reaching a level firstly reported for beech populations. These results can be explained either by the existence of a main refugial area for beech during the last glaciation or by the occurrence of a recent hybridization among the subspecies, which were spatially isolated during the last glaciation and came into reproductive contact during their postglacial remigration. These two scenarios are not necessarily mutually exclusive.
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