Territory defence throughout conservation of the plant diversity: the project of theProtected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara (South eastern Sardinia)G. Bacchetta, G. Fenu, G. Iiriti, E. Mattana, F. Meloni, P. Mul, L. Podda

Centro Conservazione Biodiversit (CCB)Dipartimento di Scienze BotanicheUniversit degli Studi di CagliariITALY

The aim of the Sardinian Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB) is the study, conservation (ex situ and in situ) and management of the plant diversity of Sardinia and the insular territories of the Western Mediterranean Sea. The strategy of the ex situ conservation is realized in the Germplasm Bank of Sardinia (BG-SAR) and provides collecting and management of a great number of plant entities of the island, drawing particular attention to rare taxonomic units or threatened, endemic and which present phytogeographical interest.At the same time the CCB works to guarantee the in situ conservation of taxa with the help of monitoring the populations and their conservation status.The Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity (CCB) Morisia monanthos (Viv.) Asch.

Unifying these strategies and basing on the decree instituting the Protected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara it was possible to propose a project directed to the plant diversity conservation of the territories of south-eastern Sardinia. The Protected Sea Area was founded by the Ministry Decree on 15/09/98 (modified on 03/08/99) with the participation of the Sardinian Region and Villasimius Municipality. It contains the sea area in front of the Cavoli and Serpentara Islands and the seacoast belonging to Villasimius. Its territory is limited by Capo Boi to the west, Secca di Libeccio to the south and Punta is Porceddus to the east. The protected territory is 8.598 hectares in size. The Protected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara

The studied territory contains seacoast and insular areas of the Protected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara in south-eastern Sarrabus.The Study Area

The project, funded by the Ministry of the Environment and Territory Protection, was launched from the collaboration between the CCB and the Municipality of Villasimius, which runs the Protected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara. It is a three-year project which develops rapidly on all the pSIC of the Villasimius Municipality territory and has as its aim to provide elements concerning plant diversity to study and lastly to plan a harmonic development between both the coastal and sea areas. The Project

In this way, it aims at unifying the environmental protection secured by Protected Sea Area with that relative to the pSIC of the establishing net Natura 2000, waiting for the imminent activation of the Management Plans, funded by the Sardinia Region through the Structural Funds (POR 2000-2006, Axis I, measure 1.5).The Project

The initiative has many objectives: to acquire a profound knowledge of the species and habitat extinct and/or particularly sensible; to carry on for years both the seed collection and its ex situ conservation, the populations and habitats monitoring and the individualization of the territory planning and management.The ObjectivesHelicodiceros muscivorus (L. f.) Engl.Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. macrocarpa (Sibth. et Sm.)

All the rare, threatened and endemic species as well as those which present phytogeografical interest in the area under discussion will be collected, conserved and carefully studied. Scrophularia trifoliata L.Ferula arrigonii BocchieriBrassica insularis MorisBryonia marmorata Petit

At the same time those activities are applied to the main entities of potential interest in restoration and environmental recovery through the techniques and methodologies of naturalistic engineering. Mobile dunes of the littoral cordon with the presence of Ammophila arenaria (white dunes) 2210Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. 2250

It is also necessary to point out the collaboration activated with the main local garden centre (Centroverde Vivai) with the help of which autochthones seed is multiplied. That will make it available both for environmental restoration and recovering activities and for the urban greenery and possibly in the flower gardening sector.Pancratium maritimum L. - seedlingPancratium maritimum L. - flower

According to various actions and interventions foreseen in the project it was firstly provided for the compiling of the floristic list based on bibliographical research and herbarium sample tests left at the Herbarium CAG; the checklist was integrated later with the observations deriving from numerous field excursions and harvests realized from June 2005 and June 2006.The ProceduresThe procedures and protocols recognized at the international level, in particular those of FAO/IPGRI and ISTA, were applied in BG-SAR to the ex situ management of the collected seeds. COLLECTING QUARANTINE AND POST RIPENING SELECTION AND CLEANING QUANTITATIVE AND MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS DEHYDRATION CONSERVATION GERMINATION TESTS AND MULTIPLICATION

The collecting campaigns were planned beforehand on the basis of the taxonomic units phenology selected starting from the existing studies and direct knowledge acquired during the years. The best moment for the seed collection, its methods, the quantity of the material were regulated by ethical and scientific criteria that guaranteed a high quality of the collected material and avoided the pauperization of the genetic resources in situ. 1 - Collecting

The collected seed is not introduced in the bank before a quarantine period during which it is verified if the material is not contaminated by pathogena and/or parasites.Entering the bank, after the registration of the plots and the database insertion of all the data concerning each single sample, the seed is placed in a room with controlled environmental parameters (T

3 - Selection and CleaningReaching the suitable requirements, the material is cleaned manually and mechanically with the use of sieves with variable mesh or gravimetrical separators.

The accessions are subjected to an image acquisition process and elaborated by the Laboratorio di Biologia della Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia of Caltagirone. Morphometric and colorimetric parameters are measured, which, in addition to permitting a more detailed characterization of the examined taxonomic unit, allows evaluation of the quality of the entering plot.Contemporaneously, each accession is analysed from the quantitative point of view, calculating its total weight, the medium weight of a seed and in sequence the number of the cleaned seeds.4 - Quantitative and Morphometric Analysis

After being selected, the seed is placed in a dehydration room (T 15 C and r.h. 15%) equipped with two dehumidifiers with chemical absorption and a temperature conditioner electronically commanded by a hygrotester.The moisture content of the seeds is constantly monitored in order to estimate their degree of dehydration and the achievement of the optimum parameters of conservation for a long time.5 - Dehydration

After verifying that the moisture content of seeds is between 3.5 % (for seeds with high oils contents) and 6.5% (for seeds with low oils contents), they are conserved at -25C in a refrigerated cell (basic collection), but they can be also conserved at a temperature between 0 and 5C (active collection) for studies and tests as germination tests.6 - Conservation

The individuation of germination protocols is realised through the implementation of a decisional scheme. For all the tests made the following parameters are determined: germinative capacity, germination retard and T50, that is the time necessary for reaching of the 50% of the final germinative capacity. The individuation of the germination protocol optimum for each taxonomic unit permits, on the one hand, evaluation of the germinative capacity of the accession and, on the other hand, their multiplication in the CCB structures (thermo heated benches and experimental fields).7 - Germination tests and MultiplicationHelicodiceros muscivorus (L. f.) Engl.Ferula arrigonii Bocchieri

Monitoring of PopulationsAs for the monitoring of the populations in situ, the individuated methodology considers their characterization from the demographic, floristic-sociological and ecological point of view. The choice of the taxa populations to be monitored was made on the base of criticity and real risk of their extinction, privileging rare entities, localized or of Comunitary interest.

Study of HabitatsThe habitats study is run instead through phyto-sociological, ecological and corological research. The habitats selection was made according to the pSIC Standard Formularies of MATT, concentrating mainly on those coastal ones because of their risk of degradation linked to tourist summer pressure.

Results after a year of work (ex situ activities)They have been collected and conserved in BG-SAR 26 accessions of 17 taxa in particularly of Ferula arrigonii, Silene valsecchiae and Helicodiceros muscivorus, taxa with a high risk of extinction wich the ex situ conservation is urgently to be assured. Moreover, thanks to the authorization given to CCB by the Direction of Nature Protection of MATT, as derogation of DPR 357/97, modified by 120/03, the seed harvest of Brassica insularis was carried out.Ferula arrigonii Bocchieri

Results after a year of work (ex situ activities)A seed sample of Brassica insularis is at present kept near the structures of the Conservatoire Botanique National Mditerranen (Porquerolles France) and the Banc de Germoplasma - Jard Botnic (Valncia - Spain) that it could guarantee the seed availability if the collections kept in BG-SAR were lost in the case of an incident or calamity. Brassica insularis Moris - plantBrassica insularis Moris - seeds

Results after a year of work (ex situ activities)It has been individuated the germination optimal protocols for Brassica insularis and Pancratium maritimum. Protocols of Ferula arrigonii, Helicodicerous muscivorus and Verbascum conocarpum are going to individuate.

Results after a year of work (in situ activities)During the first annual much information regarding the distribution and phenology of these species was collected, particularly for Ferula arrigonii, Silene valsecchiae, Helicodiceros muscivorus and Brassica insularis. For the demographic studies of all of these species permanent plots are be individuated in the Serpentara and Cavoli Islands. Brassica insularis Moris - populationFerula arrigonii Bocchieri - population

Results after a year of work (training activities)Training of the personnel of the Protected Sea Area and Municipality, as well as collaboration with local operators of the nursering sector are carried out. Operators of the CCB go out in the fields with the personnel of CentroVerde Vivai of Villasimius in order to transmit the knowledge and work methodologies. This permits learning of the harvest techniques and seed preparation. The multiplication protocols done by the BG-SAR were given to the company.

Results after a year of work (divulgative activities)The obtained results and the project itself were presented through manifestations and publications with a scientific and divulgative character and other initiatives realized with the collaboration with Diomedea Societ Cooperativa.In summer 2005 there was a press conference for presenting the project and a divulgative conference at Visiting Centre of the Protected Sea Area. There was also presented a depliant, printed on recycled and ecological paper in order to illustrate briefly to people various actions of the project.On the web site of the CCB (http://www.ccb-sardegna.it/html/amp.htm) it is possible to find its description, updated on the bases of the obtained partial results.

Future activitiesDuring the first annual the works were carried out only in the coastal and insular areas and, in particular, in those inside pSIC. For the continuation of the project, instead, realization of floristic list regarding the whole territory of Villasimius will be done. Moreover, studies of taxonomic units and habitats for the same territory will be started, paying particular attention to the analyses of demographic and ecological type. Particularly, the study of the soil seed bank is to be started and so the capacity of the plants to bury seed stock in order to define better the auto ecology of the species, estimate the resilience capacity of the community, carefully examine the study of the vegetational dynamics and obtain the information for supporting planning of managing activities.

Future activitiesWays of conservation will be put forward and at the end of the activities of the project a summary of proposals both for threatened species and habitat will be elaborated. Helicodiceros muscivorus (L. f.) Engl.Juniperus oxycedrus L. ssp. macrocarpa (Sibth. et Sm.)

AcknowledgmentThanks to MATT and Protected Sea Area of Capo Carbonara for giving contribution necessary for the development of the research, the Administration of the Municipality of Villasimius and Diomedea Societ Cooperativa for constant help and sensitivity demonstrated and the Laboratorio di Biologia della Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia of Caltagirone for the realized seed morphometric analyses.

Pour commencer je vais vous prsenter le Centre pour la Conservation de la Biodiversit (CCB). Lobjectif principal de notre centre est ltude, la conservation (in situ et ex situ) et la gestion de la diversit vgtale de la Sardaigne et des territoires des les de la Mditrrane Occidentale. De la conservation ex situ est charge la Banque des Semences de la Sardaigne (BG-SAR), structure du CCB, oprante du 2003, qui cherche de prserver le plus haut nombre despces endmiques menaces ou de particulier intrt phytogographique de la Sardaigne.En mme temps le Centre travail pour assurer la conservation in situ des plantes, par le monitorage des populations et de leur degr de conservation.En liant les stratgies du Centre avec les propositions du dcret dinstitution de lAire Marine Protege de Capo Carbonara a t possible proposer, au debut du 2005, un projet vis la conservation de la diversit vgtale des territories de la Sardaigne sud orientale.LAMP a t institue par Decrt Ministriel dans le 1998 avec lagrment de la Rgion Sardaigne et de lAdministration communale de Villasimius. Les territoires protgs comprendent la cte et les les dei Cavoli et Serpentara, dappartenance du domaine maritime. Ses limites sont Capo Boi ouest, la Secca di Libeccio sud et Punta is Porceddus est. L aire protge est de 8.598 hectares.

Le projet, financi par le Ministre de lEnvironnement et de la Protection du Territoire est n par la collaboration entre le CCB et lAdministration communale de Villasimius, qui est linstitution de rfrence pour la gestion de lAire Marine Protege.Le chronogramme des actions se droule pendant trois annes surtout linterieur des pLIC qui se trouvent linterieur du territoire communale dans le but de fournir les lments inhrents la valorisation de la diversit vgtale pour la programmation dun dveloppement durable des zones de la cte.

Le projet se propose diffrent objectifs: lapprofondissement des connaissances sur les espces et les habitats mnacs et/ou particulirement sensibles et, en sagissant dun projet appliqu, lapportation de contributions aux msures de planification et gestion du territoire, en plus de garantir la conservation ex situ des semences de plantes et deffectuer le monitorage des populations et des habitats.En effet on a prvu de rcolter, conserver et tudier toutes les espces endmiques, de particulier intert phytogeographique, raires ou menaces qui se trouvent dans le territoire.Entre cettes on peut signaler, par exemple, Scrophularia trifoliata, Ferula arrigonii, Brassica insularis et Bryonia marmorata que vous pouvez ici voir.Paralllement, les mmes actiones sadressent aux espces structurales de potentiel emploi dans activits de restauration dhabitats surtout dans formations particulirement sensibles comment les Mobile dunes of the littoral cordon with the presence of Ammophila arenaria (white dunes) 2210 et Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. 2250.Pour cette raison cest trs important la collaboration active avec le principal ppiniriste local (Centroverde Vivai) avec lequel on est en train de multiplier les semences autochtones pour les rendre disponibles pour activits de restauration dhabitats, mais aussi pour oeuvres de jardinerie urbaine et encore pour potentiels intrt dans le march des fleuristes.En particulier on multipli les semences du Lis des Sables (Pancratium maritimum), plante prennante qui prsente une floraison trs jolie.

En suivant les phases et les actions prvues dans le projet on a tout dabord realis une flore du territoire sur la base des sources de littrature, des chantillons dherbaire prsents dans Herbarium CAG et des donnes rcoltes dans le travail de terrain pendant la prmire anne du projet. Pour ce qui concerne la gestion ex situ des semences chez BG-SAR on suit procdures et protocoles reconnus niveau international et en particulirement ces-ci de FAO/IPGRI (1994) et ISTA (2006).Cette gestion comprend une srie de stades qui parte de la rcolte, des semences et termine par la conservation des lots.

Les rcoltes ont t previement planifies selon le calendrier phenologique des populations des units slctionnes, elabor partir des tudes existants et des connaissances directes aquisies pendant les annes. Le moment ideal pour la rcolte, la quantit du materiel rcolter et les methodes dchantillonage sont rgulies par des crithres tiques et scientiphiques qui garantisent une bonne qualit du matril prlv et evitent le reduction des resources genetiques in situ.Le semences rcoltes ne sont pas introduites dans les laboratoires de la banque auparavant dune priode de quarantaine pour verifier lventuelle contamination par parasites et/ou phytophages .

A lentre dans la Banque, aprs avoir enregistr les lots et saisi les donns rlatives dans la base de donns, les semences viennent emmagasines dans une chambre paramtres controlls, cest dire temprature au dessous de 20C et humidit rlative au debas de 40% qui permettent une lente et gradue post maturation.Aprs, le matriel doit tre nettoy par procds manuels et mcaniques par lemploi de tamis ou de machine courant daire variable qui slectionne par poids les semences des matires de rebut.

Les graines de chaque lot viennent procds par une analyse morphometrique et colorimtrique. Les images obtenues par le scann viennent envoies aux laboratoires de la Stazione Consorziale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia o, par une application MACRO qui travail en language KS400, on msure les paramtres morphometriques et colorimtriques qui donnent une caractrisation trs dtaille du lot. En mme temps les lots viennent analyss dune faon quantitative par le calcule du poids total du lot, le poids moyen des graines et de consquence le nombre des graines nettoys.Aprs la slection et le nettoyage, les lots viennent placs dans la chambre de dshydratation (temprature de 15C et humidit relative au 15 %, en suivant les indications IPGRI) Le contenu en eau des graines est priodiquement pour contrl le degre de dshydratation et donc la possibilit de pouvoir les congeler pour leur conservation a longue priode.Dans cette diapositive vous pouvez voir les structures de la chambre de deshydratation de BG-SAR, le stockage de lots son interieur et le contrle de la dshydratation des graines.

Apres avoir vrifi que le contenu en eau des graines est compris entre le 3.5 % (pour les graines qui ont un haut pourcentage en oils) et le 6.5 % (pour les graine qui ont une basse pourcentage en oils) on peut congeler le lots -25C, mais on peut aussi les conserver +5C pour lexcution des tudes et des essays de germination ou per lemploi dans semis ou activits de reintroduction in situ brve priode.

Lindividuation des protocoles efficaces de germination se ralise par limplmentation dun procd qui prvoit un tude bibliographique prliminaire sur lecologie et la biologie de la plante, la consultation de alghoritmes et protocoles de germination dj expriments pour units tassonomiques similaires, lapplication dventuels pretraitements et lexcution des essays de germination sous differentes conditions (en particulier temprature et photopriode.Pour tous les essays effectus on a calcul les paramtres suivants: capacit germinative, indiqu comme pourcentage sur le total des individues germs, rtard de germination, que represent le temp necessaire (en jours) pour avoir la prmire germination, et le T50, cest dire le temps necessaire pour avoir la moiti de la capacit germinative finale.Conseguir un protocole efficace pour une unit tassonomique permet dvaluer la capacit germinative des lots et aussi de multiplier le mmes dans les bancs thermorguls et les champs exprimentaux.Pour ce qui concerne le monitorage in situ des populations, on a cherch de caractriser dun point de vue demographique, phytosociologique et ecologique le populations tudies.Pendant la prmire anne on a donn la primaut aux populations des speces raires, tres localiss ou dinteret communautaire.Ltude des habitats aussi a t conduit par des relevs phytosociologiques, ecologiques et corologiques. La slction des habitats tudier suive les indications des Formulaires Standard des pLiC redigs par le Ministre de lEnvironnement.

On a tudi surtout les formations particulierement sensibles comme Mobile dunes of the littoral cordon with the presence of Ammophila arenaria (white dunes) 2210 et Coastal dunes with Juniperus spp. 2250 qui souffrent la pression antropique lie au developpement touristique des littorales.

Pour ce qui concerne le rsultats obtenues aprs une anne de travail on a effectu nombreuses rcoltes des semeces soit dans les les que sur la cte. On a privileg les taxa qui prsentent un haut degr de menace pour les quelles cest urgent activer de mesures de conservation ex situ, comment Silene valsecchiae, Ferula arrigonii et Helicodiceros muscivorus. Encore, on a pu rcolter les graines de Brassica insularis, plante de la Directive Habitat, par le permis donn par le Ministre de lEnvironnement au CCB.Des lots de graines de Brassica insularis sont maintenent conservs chez les structures du Conservatoire Botanique National Mditerranen (Porquerolles Francia) et de la Banc de Germoplasma - Jard Botnic (Valncia - Spagna), pour garantir une relle conservation aussi dans le cas dune panne ou dun accident aux structures de BG-SAR.

Pour ce qui concerne les essais de germination, les preuves effectues jusqau mois de june 2006 ont prmis de individuer les protocoles efficaces pour les populations de Brassica insularis et Pancratium maritimum analyses. On est en train de finaliser lelaboration des protocoles efficaces pour Helicodiceros muscivorus, Verbascum conocarpum et Ferula arrigonii.Dautre partie, pour ce qui concerne les activits in situ on a mis en marche la suivie des populations de Ferula arrigonii, Silene valsecchiae, Helicodiceros muscivorus et Brassica insularis en les caracterisant pour pouvoir suivre leurs cours dans les annes prochaines, par aussi letdude de carrs prmanents. Ici vous pouvez voir la population de lle dei Cavoli de Brassica insularis qui comprend presque toute lile et la population de lile de Serpentara de Silene valsecchiae.

Pendant les sorties de terrain se sont placs cot des rechrceurs et operateurs du CCB le personnel de la pepinire CentroVerde Vivai de Villasimius dans le but de consentir une efficace transmission des connaissances et de methodes de travail surtout pour ce qui concerne la rcolte et traitement des semences. A cette entreprise on a donn aussi les protocoles de multiplication elabors par BG-SAR.Pendant toute la prmire anne les resultats obtenus et le projet mme ont ts prsents dans differentes manifestations et publications caractre scientifique et de divulgation ralises en collaboration avec la Cooperativa Diomedea.Dans lt 2005 on a ralise une confrence de presse pour prsenter le projet au public et une prsentation pour les touristes chez le centre daccueil de lAMP Villasimius.On a aussi ralis un dpliant qui a t distribu dans differents manifestations caractre locale, nationale et internationale.Enfin dans les pages web du CCB il y a une section dedi au project sur les quelles on peut suivre le deroullement des actions.

Pendant la prmire anne on a travaill seulement dans les littorales, les iles et en particulier linterieur des pLIC; dans la continuation du projet on prevoit dtendre les tudes et les activits tout le territoire communel de Villasimius.Pour ce qui concerne les actions on a prevu de raliser ltude des banques de semences du soil des units slctionnes pour pouvoir evaluer leur capacit de crer stock de graines enterrs et mieux evaluer lautocologie des especes, estimer la capacit de resilience des populements, approfondir ltude des dinamiques vegetationales et obtenir plus informations pour le support aux activits de gestion du territoire.A la conclusion du projet seront rdiges des propositions de conservation pour les especes et les habitats sensibles.On remercie le Ministre de lEnvironnement et lAire Marine Protege de Capo Carbonara pour avoir donn le financiements necessaires au deroulement des recherches; ladministration communale de Villasimius et la Cooperative Diomedea pour le costant aide et le Laboratoire de Biologie de la Stazione Consorziale Sperimentale di Granicoltura per la Sicilia de Caltagirone pour lanalyse morfometrique et colorimetrique des semences.