Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) play a critical role in providing ecosystem services through their provision of herbal remedies, food and natural skin care products, their integration into local economies, and maintaining pollinators’ diversity and populations and ecosystem functioning. Mountai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Land |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/133 |
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| author | Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis Maria Tsakiri Ioannis P. Kokkoris Panayiotis Trigas Gregoris Iatrou Fotini N. Lamari Dimitris Tzanoudakis Eleni Koumoutsou Panayotis Dimopoulos Arne Strid Maria Panitsa |
| author_facet | Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis Maria Tsakiri Ioannis P. Kokkoris Panayiotis Trigas Gregoris Iatrou Fotini N. Lamari Dimitris Tzanoudakis Eleni Koumoutsou Panayotis Dimopoulos Arne Strid Maria Panitsa |
| author_sort | Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) play a critical role in providing ecosystem services through their provision of herbal remedies, food and natural skin care products, their integration into local economies, and maintaining pollinators’ diversity and populations and ecosystem functioning. Mountainous regions, such as Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park (CVNP), represent unique reservoirs of endemic MAP diversity that require conservation prioritisation. This study aims to provide insights into the sustainable management of MAPs, contributing to efforts to protect Mediterranean biodiversity amid the dual challenges of climate and land-use change, using a suite of macroecological modelling techniques. Following a Species Distribution Modelling framework, we investigated the vulnerability of endemic and non-endemic MAPs to climate and land-use changes. We examined the potential shifts in MAP diversity, distribution, and conservation hotspots within the CVNP. Our results revealed species-specific responses, with endemic taxa facing severe range contractions and non-endemic taxa initially expanding but eventually declining, particularly under land-use change scenarios. Local biodiversity hotspots are projected to shift altitudinally, with considerable area losses in the coming decades and elevated species turnover predicted throughout the CVNP, leading to biotic homogenization. Climate and land-use changes jointly threaten MAP diversity, calling for adaptive conservation strategies, thus highlighting the importance of proactive measures, such as awareness raising, establishing plant micro-reserves, assisted translocation, and promoting sustainable harvesting to protect these species within the CVNP. Our study offers vital insights for managing biodiversity hotspots amid global change pressures, stressing the need to integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:24:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-996fb2b2453043f481b8fe359d933f8c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:24:58Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-996fb2b2453043f481b8fe359d933f8c2024-02-23T15:23:59ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2024-01-0113213310.3390/land13020133Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity HotspotKonstantinos Kougioumoutzis0Maria Tsakiri1Ioannis P. Kokkoris2Panayiotis Trigas3Gregoris Iatrou4Fotini N. Lamari5Dimitris Tzanoudakis6Eleni Koumoutsou7Panayotis Dimopoulos8Arne Strid9Maria Panitsa10Laboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Systematic Botany, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Pharmacognosy & Chemistry of Natural Products, Department of Pharmacy, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceIndependent Researcher, Bakkevej 6, DK-5853 Ørbæk, DenmarkLaboratory of Botany, Department of Biology, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, GreeceMedicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) play a critical role in providing ecosystem services through their provision of herbal remedies, food and natural skin care products, their integration into local economies, and maintaining pollinators’ diversity and populations and ecosystem functioning. Mountainous regions, such as Chelmos-Vouraikos National Park (CVNP), represent unique reservoirs of endemic MAP diversity that require conservation prioritisation. This study aims to provide insights into the sustainable management of MAPs, contributing to efforts to protect Mediterranean biodiversity amid the dual challenges of climate and land-use change, using a suite of macroecological modelling techniques. Following a Species Distribution Modelling framework, we investigated the vulnerability of endemic and non-endemic MAPs to climate and land-use changes. We examined the potential shifts in MAP diversity, distribution, and conservation hotspots within the CVNP. Our results revealed species-specific responses, with endemic taxa facing severe range contractions and non-endemic taxa initially expanding but eventually declining, particularly under land-use change scenarios. Local biodiversity hotspots are projected to shift altitudinally, with considerable area losses in the coming decades and elevated species turnover predicted throughout the CVNP, leading to biotic homogenization. Climate and land-use changes jointly threaten MAP diversity, calling for adaptive conservation strategies, thus highlighting the importance of proactive measures, such as awareness raising, establishing plant micro-reserves, assisted translocation, and promoting sustainable harvesting to protect these species within the CVNP. Our study offers vital insights for managing biodiversity hotspots amid global change pressures, stressing the need to integrate ecological and socioeconomic factors.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/133biodiversity conservationconservation prioritizationecosystem servicesextinction riskGreeceSpecies Distribution Modelling |
| spellingShingle | Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis Maria Tsakiri Ioannis P. Kokkoris Panayiotis Trigas Gregoris Iatrou Fotini N. Lamari Dimitris Tzanoudakis Eleni Koumoutsou Panayotis Dimopoulos Arne Strid Maria Panitsa Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot Land biodiversity conservation conservation prioritization ecosystem services extinction risk Greece Species Distribution Modelling |
| title | Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot |
| title_full | Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot |
| title_fullStr | Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot |
| title_short | Assessing the Vulnerability of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants to Climate and Land-Use Changes in a Mediterranean Biodiversity Hotspot |
| title_sort | assessing the vulnerability of medicinal and aromatic plants to climate and land use changes in a mediterranean biodiversity hotspot |
| topic | biodiversity conservation conservation prioritization ecosystem services extinction risk Greece Species Distribution Modelling |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/133 |
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