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Isoëtes are iconic but understudied wetland plants, despite having suffered severe losses globally mainly because of alterations in their habitats. We therefore provide the first global ecological assessment of aquatic Isoëtes to identify their environmental requirements and to evaluate if taxonomically related species differ in their ecology.The assessment resulted in an extensive new database on aquatic Isoëtes, ecological niche analyses, and descriptive species accounts. We compiled a global database that includes all known environmental data collected from 1935 to 2023 regarding aquatic Isoëtes. We then evaluated the environmental drivers of 16 species using 2,179 global records. Additionally, we used hypervolume analysis to quantify the ecological niches of the two species with the greatest number of records, finding significant differences and evidence that Isoëtes echinospora occupies a wider ecological niche than Isoëtes lacustris.Fifty‐nine species (30% of the c. 200 Isoëtes species known today) were categorised as aquatic and were mainly reported in the Americas and northern Europe. About 38% of the aquatic species are threatened with extinction or are endemic to a small region, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List in 2023. Many species were determined to be sensitive to certain water physical and chemical factors, generally preferring oligotrophic conditions such as low total phosphorus, moderate total nitrogen, moderate to low pH, and low conductivity.This analysis includes ecological data in the assessment of rare/threatened aquatic plants globally. This new database and the ecological analyses completed defined the ecological requirements of several species and identified knowledge gaps, which can aid management actions and future research.This paper highlights ecological significance and environmental sensitivities of aquatic Isoëtes. The current level of knowledge is inadequate for a large proportion of known taxa. We affirm the extreme need to support global, collaborative initiatives on which to build future conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aegilops species are important crop wild relatives (CWR) characterised by seed heteromorphism. Within each spikelet seeds differ in terms of size, colour, phenology, abiotic stress tolerance among others. although the seed heteromorphism in Aegilops has a genetic component, the level of plasticity of this character has been poorly investigated. To fill this gap, we measured the effect of fertilization on seed heteromorphism in nine Aegilops species, to understand if nutrient availability can affect the reproductive ecology in this important CWR genus. We measured the number of stems per plant, number spikelets per stem, total dry plant biomass, seed weight and germination percentage in fertilized and control (non-fertilized) plants. Fertilization did not affect heteromorphism but increased the biomass and the number of flowering stems (hence spikelets and seeds) in fertilized plants. However, seeds produced by fertilized plants showed significantly lower germination than control plants, in a sort of trade-off between seed quantity and seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbaria are an important source of data and material useful in many fields, including plant conservation. Seeds preserved in herbarium specimens may have the potential to germinate, although few studies focused on this topic. Here, the first systematic assessment of six techniques, including priming techniques and melatonin application, aimed at improving the germination of seeds from herbarium specimens is presented. Seed germination of 26 species common in Europe, some of which congeneric to extinct species, collected in herbaria and in the wild (20,549 seeds in total, including 19,509 from 297 herbarium specimens from 8 different herbaria) was tested with the following treatments: exogenous melatonin addition to the germination medium, priming with melatonin, osmopriming, hydropriming for 24 and 48 hours, standard soil, heat sterilization and gibberellins addition. More than 85% of the fresh seeds and 1% of the seeds collected in herbaria germinated, including seeds older than 50 years. Data show that treatment with exogenous melatonin had a positive effect on the germination of fresh seeds, but a negative effect on the germination of herbarium‐derived seeds. Furthermore, osmopriming treatment had a slightly positive effect on the germination of herbarium‐derived seeds. Osmopriming and exogenous melatonin addition seem to be promising techniques that need further investigation and improvement and might be useful for the development of an optimal germination protocol for old and herbarium‐derived seeds. The germination of seeds from herbaria could be an important tool in plant conservation, with the aim of reversing the extinction trend of many species through de‐extinction, safeguarding biodiversity, and genetic variability. This study provides preliminary data for the development of germination protocols, especially for old seeds of species of conservation interest, to maximise the chance of recovering lost genetic diversity and leading to the first de‐extinction ever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant translocation can increase the chances of long-term survival of threatened plant species; nevertheless, can be costly and challenging, with unknowns in the pre- and post-release phases, limiting success. Methodological advances have been made in the pre-release phase but long-term monitoring and post-release site management (i.e., "aftercare") are not always applied and almost neglected in the literature despite being frequently effective for identifying and mitigating unexpected threats (e.g., interspecific competition, herbivory) to outplant survival. Aiming to fill this gap, we reviewed published and gray literature on 296 translocations to shed light on the importance of aftercare on translocation outcome. We identified the most common aftercare techniques, then we performed a meta-analysis on a subset of studies that were specifically designed to test the effect of aftercare against a control (i.e., no aftercare). The most common aftercare techniques were competition reduction, water irrigation and plant protection. Aftercare significantly increased the percentage of survival of plants when herbivory reduction and other understorey species were enhanced. Aftercare reported also a positive trend toward improved qualitative outcome when plants were protected or competition was mitigated. Nevertheless, more evidence is needed on the importance and effectiveness of aftercare techniques. Long-term monitoring and post-release site management should be the post-translocation standard in plant translocations when ethical and possible, with plant protection, competition limitation and water irrigation being applied when needed to reduce transplant mortality. To provide statistically supported data on the effect of aftercare on translocation outcome, aftercare should be tested against a control when feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With thousands of performed cases, conservation translocation is now widely used to restore rare and threatened plant populations worldwide. While we begin to understand from previous mistakes and best practices what makes translocations successful, we realize also how complex the process of performing a translocation is, from the very initial planning phases to the final monitoring phase. Conservation biologists and practitioners met in Rome at the Roma Tre University in June 2022 for the 1st International Plant Translocation Conference, a conference fully dedicated to the most recent advances in plant translocations. This special issue, containing eight articles on different aspects of plant translocation, is a tangible output of the efforts by all attendees to sharing knowledge and establishing plant translocation best practices. Besides reviews and species-specific apsects of translocation, the special issue highlights the importance of the community of scientists and practictioners and the multidisciplinarity of conservation translocations to achieve succesful outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The EU Forestry Strategy 2030 includes an ambitious reforestation/afforestation plan aimed at planting 3 billion trees that should lead the European Union toward carbon neutrality by 2050. We argue that important ecological aspects were not sufficiently considered in the Strategy. The consequences of large‐scale afforestation plans on biodiversity‐rich open areas were poorly considered. "Where to plant" is a key aspect, as one of the targets for planting trees may be biodiversity‐rich open areas, that are already declining due to natural shrub and tree encroachment. We suggested that urban areas and areas near linear infrastructures should be the main targets of afforestation. Concerning "What to plant" non‐native species should be avoided in all cases. Among native species, certain geno‐ecotypes may not equally perform under the effects of climate change. We therefore suggest a throughout revision of the EU Forestry Strategy 2030 with the inclusion of ecologically driven principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species listed as Extinct in the Wild (EW) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species consist of 84 plants and animals that have been lost from their indigenous range. EW species are therefore restricted to ex situ conservation facilities and often have populations founded with few individuals. Our analysis demonstrates that 60% of EW species are associated with ecoregions that have very low proportions of intact habitat. Furthermore, threats such as invasive species, pollution, and climate change affect just over half of EW species and compound the obstacles facing their reinstatement to the wild. Despite these bleak assessments, there are various options for EW recovery. We present five scenarios that encapsulate the circumstances facing EW species and suggest potential conservation action for each of these situations. We illustrate these scenarios using case studies of EW species that demonstrate how the various options of ex situ management, reintroduction, and assisted colonisation to new habitat can be used to address the very exacting requirements of EW species. Our aim is to present a broad review of the obstacles facing the recovery of EW species whilst inspiring action to prevent the extinction of the most imperilled species on the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant translocations have been performed and are ongoing, aimed at establishing long-term resilient and self-sustaining populations. Nevertheless, some of them have not succeeded because of failure in pre- and post-translocation phases such as erroneous site selection and lack of long-term monitoring and adaptive management (i.e. aftercare). This study focused on the relative importance of site suitability and aftercare on the performance of reintroduced populations of Kosteletzkya pentacarpos. This species was studied in two sites representing opposite ends of its ecological niche (freshwater and brackish sites), in the presence of the local vegetation (Phragmites australis and Juncus sp. pl.) and in its absence. Data on environmental variables, plant growth, ecophysiology and reproductive performance were obtained. Kosteletzkya pentacarpos performed better in the brackish site, exhibiting higher performance especially in the presence of the local vegetation. Conversely, plants growing in the freshwater site had lower performance, despite the removal of the local vegetation. Environmental features of the sites affected species performance more than interactions with co-existing species and site management, highlighting that selection of suitable recipient site is crucial to ensure successful translocation. Aftercare is unlikely to effectively counteract the effect of sub-optimal ecological conditions in terms of plant establishment and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assisted gene flow (AGF) can restore fitness in small plant populations. Due to climate change, current fitness patterns could vary in the future ecological scenario, as highly performant lineages can undergo maladaptation under the new climatic contexts. Peripheral populations have been argued to represent a potential source of species adaptation against climate change, but experimental evidence is poor. This paper considers the consequences of within- and between-population mating between a large core population and the southernmost population, the rare Dianthus guliae , to evaluate optimal AGF design under current and future conditions. We performed experimental self-pollinations and within- and between-population cross-pollinations to generate seed material and test its adaptive value to aridity. Seed germination, seedling growth and survival were measured under current and expected aridity. Effects of population type, pollination treatment and stress treatment on fitness components were analysed by generalized linear models. Relative measures of inbreeding depression and heterosis were taken under different stress treatments. Self-pollination reduced fitness for all the considered traits compared to within- and between-population cross-pollination. Under current aridity regime, the core population expressed higher fitness, and a larger magnitude of inbreeding depression. This indicated the core unit is close to its fitness optimum and could allow for restoring the fitness of the small peripheral population. Contrarily, under increased aridity, the fitness of outbred core lineages decreased, suggesting the rise of maladaptation. In this scenario, AGF from the small peripheral population enhanced the fitness of the core unit, whereas AGF from the core population promoted a fitness loss in the peripheral population. Hence, the small peripheral population could improve fitness of large core units versus climate change, while the contrary could be not true. Integrating reciprocal breeding programmes and fitness analyses under current and predicted ecological conditions can support optimal AGF design in a long-term perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbaria may represent remarkable sources of viable diaspores for recovering lost genetic variation and extinct plant species, but the application of rewilding extinct species using these collections has not been explored in detail. De‐extinction in plants may be achieved by germinating viable diaspores or culturing tissues preserved in herbarium specimens. Germination of old diaspores (fruits, seeds, spores) preserved in sub‐optimal uncontrolled storage conditions demonstrates that the recovery of extinct plants from herbarium specimens may be possible. Plant de‐extinction via herbarium specimens relies on the availability of samples containing viable diaspores, and on the inclination of curators and the conservation community to use such material for this purpose. We developed an internet‐based survey to assess (i) whether the scientific community would consent to the use of herbarium specimens of extinct species to attempt de‐extinction, and (ii) the limitations of removing diaspores from specimens. Despite the risk of potential damages to valuable specimens from historical collections when harvesting diaspores, a consensus for using specimens of extinct plant species emerged. Most respondents would permit the collection of a low number of diaspores, preferably from duplicate specimens and only if the integrity of the specimen is preserved. These considerations would be more restrictive for type specimens and those of historical value. These results help to formalise a decision framework for the grant and use of material from natural history collections and a pragmatic approach to attempt to resurrect extinct species from herbarium specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We announce the formation of the "GLORIA ITALIA NETWORK" and present an overview of the Italian alpine plant communities changes that have occurred in the last 20 years. This network will provide coordination between Italian GLORIA sites and enhance public awareness of changes in alpine plant diversity under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IDPlanT is the Italian Database of Plant Translocation, an initiative of the Nature Conservation Working Group of the Italian Botanical Society. IDPlanT currently includes 185 plant translocations. The establishment of a national database on plant translocation is a key step forward in data sharing and techniques improvement in this field of plant conservation. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1985004. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the 4th National Report for the Italian flora under the 92/43/EEC 'Habitats' Directive are presented. The outcomes showed a general negative conservation status for plant species, with the worst situation being in the Mediterranean bioregion. At the National level, significant monitoring and conservation activities are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, the conservation status assessment of two vascular plants according to IUCN categories and criteria are presented. It includes the assessment of Genista nuragica Bacch., Brullo & Giusso and Jacobaea incana (L.) Veldkamp at global level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of climate change are particularly important in the Mediterranean Biodiversity hotspot where rising temperatures and drought are negatively affecting several plant taxa, including endemic species. Assisted colonisation (AC) represents a useful tool for reducing the effect of climate change on endemic plant species threatened by climate change.We combined species distribution models (SDMs) for 188 taxa endemic to Italy with the IUCN red listing range loss threshold under criterion A (30%) to define: (a) the number of AC (measured as 2 × 2 km grid cells that should be occupied by new populations, i.e. grid cells = new populations) required to fully compensate for predicted range loss and to halt the decline below the 30% of range loss; (b) The number of cells necessary to compensate for range loss was calculated as the number of currently occupied cells lost under future climate due to unsuitable conditions. We used two representative concentration pathways, +2.6 and +8.5 W/m2, optimistic and pessimistic scenarios respectively. Availability of suitable areas for AC was also assessed within the current species distribution and within protected areas.Under the optimistic scenario, no taxa would lose more than 30% of their range and AC would not be required. Under the pessimistic scenario, roughly the 90% of taxa showed a cell loss higher than 30%. Eight taxa were predicted to lose >95% of their range. For these species, AC was required from 13 to 16 new populations (=13–16 grid cells) per taxon to cap the range loss at 30%. For currently VU or EN species, an average number of 32–35 AC attempts would be necessary to fully compensate their range loss under a pessimistic scenario. Suitable recipient sites within protected areas falling in their projected range were identified, allowing for short‐distance AC.Synthesis. Combining species distribution models and red listing thresholds under Criterion A has enabled the strategic planning of multiple species assisted colonisation minimising the effort in terms of new populations to be created and maximising the conservation benefit in terms of range loss compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Although often not collected specifically for the purposes of conservation, herbarium specimens offer sufficient information to reconstruct parameters that are needed to designate a species as 'at‐risk' of extinction. While such designations should prompt quick and efficient legal action towards species recovery, such action often lags far behind and is mired in bureaucratic procedure. The increase in online digitization of natural history collections has now led to a surge in the number new studies on the uses of machine learning. These repositories of species occurrences are now equipped with advances that allow for the identification of rare species. The increase in attention devoted to estimating the scope and severity of the threats that lead to the decline of such species will increase our ability to mitigate these threats and reverse the declines, overcoming a current barrier to the recovery of many threatened plant species. Thus far, collected specimens have been used to fill gaps in systematics, range extent, and past genetic diversity. We find that they also offer material with which it is possible to foster species recovery, ecosystem restoration, and de‐extinction, and these elements should be used in conjunction with machine learning and citizen science initiatives to mobilize as large a force as possible to counter current extinction trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy has a rich natural heritage, which is dangerously under pressure. In recent years, there is an increased awareness of the crucial role of plants in ecosystem functioning and in providing ecosystem services. Consequently, an updated Red List of the Italian vascular flora was compiled in this work, at the request of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection, with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society. The IUCN Red List criteria were applied to 2,430 Italian native vascular plant taxa to assess their current extinction risk and to highlight the major threats affecting the Italian flora. Our results revealed that 54 taxa (2.2% of the assessed taxa) are extinct or possibly extinct at regional level, while 590 taxa (24.3%) were assigned to a risk category. Moreover, 404 taxa (16.6%) were categorized as Data Deficient. The Italian vascular flora is primarily threatened by habitat modifications due to anthropic disturbance and, especially, to agriculture, tourism and residential development. Coastal areas and lowlands, where anthropogenic impacts and ecosystem destruction are more pronounced, host the greatest number of extinct or declining taxa. Our results represent an important baseline to establish conservation priorities, legislative choices and intervention strategies on a national scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific publications on the conservation of threatened species can drive practical conservation solutions for endangered species. Yet, a posteriori assessment of the impact of such publications is rarely seen in the scientific literature.The impact of two articles published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems (AQC) on the conservation of the endangered quillwort Isoëtes malinverniana is assessed. The articles were the result of a 10‐year study on the focal species that eventually led to the first reintroduction of I. malinverniana. The first article described the development of a cost‐effective model for the selection of suitable reintroduction sites for the species. The second article provided a summary of the techniques used to reintroduce the species and included techniques of ex situ propagation, recipient site preparation, planting methods, and monitoring.This article reviews the practical conservation actions for I. malinverniana that followed the publication of two AQC papers and how they may affect research and conservation for other quillworts and aquatic macrophytes.The results were surprising and went well beyond the initial expectations of the authors. Both AQC publications stimulated the conservation of I. malinverniana from different points of view. They contributed by informing scientists and policymakers of the risk of extinction of this species, leading to the establishment of a new protected area in Piedmont (northern Italy).Our published data represent a sound starting point for funding opportunities in the context of the European Union LIFE programme. Further impacts include an expansion of knowledge on oligotrophic habitat management, the assessment of conservation status, and the education of the general public, with the last of these greatly enhanced by the two ex situ collections created in the botanic gardens of Tourin and Pavia. Interestingly, other authors are now using our approach in research and conservation on other endemic and endangered quillworts worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Botanic gardens are very effective in increasing plant stocks through ex situ propagation, and although a large proportion of plants in botanic gardens are common ornamentals, the cultivation of rare and threatened species for conservation purposes (including conservation translocations [Heywood 2017]) (examples in Table) has become increasingly important (Mounce et al. [55]). Herbarium-sourced translocation material is generally scarce in terms of the number of specimens for rare species and number of spores or seeds preserved within each specimen (Godefroid et al. [26]). For high-priority species, seed, spore, and plant collections should follow the most recent protocols to optimize the genetic diversity captured with reference to the global genetic population structure of the target species (Hoban & Schlarbaum [33]). Collecting should therefore include infraspecific taxonomic levels (e.g., subspecies, ecotypes), different ploidy levels (different chromosome numbers within a species), several populations from across a species' distribution (Akeroyd & Wyse Jackson [1]; Griffith et al. [29]), and both sexes in dioecious species and should represent the interannual variability of seed or spore performance with multiyear collections (Table). [Extracted from the article]

In the absence of barriers to dispersal, species' range limits should arise when physiological processes are compromised by unfavorable ecological conditions. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap on the role of physiology in determining plant species range limits. We developed the Physiological Marginality Hypothesis (PMH), a theoretical framework predicting that individuals in ecologically marginal populations are less physiologically efficient than those occurring at the ecological optimum. According to PMH, the probability to reach the optimal physiological efficiency is best shaped by a Gaussian function and curvilinear relationships should exist between physiological traits and ecological gradients. We conducted an analysis on plant physiology studies along altitudinal/latitudinal gradients to investigate which models best describe the relationship between the performance of a given physiological trait and the considered ecological gradients. Data from 54 cases (29 species) concerning photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, carbon isotope composition and photosynthetic water use efficiency were used. Overall, results support PMH in about 70% of cases, suggesting that ecologically marginal individuals can be physiologically less efficient than individuals occurring at the species ecological optimum. Physiology has an important causal role in shaping plant species distribution and further studies should focus on physiological processes at the ecological range edge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Italy is among the European countries with the greatest plant diversity due to both a great environmental heterogeneity and a long history of man–environment interactions. Trait-based approaches to ecological studies have developed greatly over recent decades worldwide, although several issues concerning the relationships between plant functional traits and the environment still lack sufficient empirical evaluation. To draw insights on the association between plant functional traits and direct and indirect human and natural pressures on the environmental drivers, this article summarizes the existing knowledge on this topic by reviewing the results of studies performed in Italy adopting a functional trait approach on vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens. Although we recorded trait measurements for 1418 taxa, our review highlighted some major gaps in plant traits knowledge: Mediterranean ecosystems are poorly represented; traits related to belowground organs are still overlooked; traits measurements for bryophytes and lichens are lacking. Finally, intraspecific variation has been little studied at community level so far. We conclude by highlighting the need for approaches evaluating trait–environment relationship at large spatial and temporal scales and the need of a more effective contribution to online databases to tie more firmly Italian researchers to international scientific networks on plant traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying crop genetic resources represent an important aspect of agricultural biodiversity conservation. However, conser-vation of landraces is challenging because they often cannot be properly identified, or have already suffered from genetic erosion, or have disappeared. Identification of landraces can be obtained using molecular markers or discriminating qualitative and quanti-tative morphological traits. The latter methodology is cheap and easily achievable, allowing the registration of landraces in nation¬al catalogues. In this study, we carried out a morphological char-acterisation of different accessions of Cucurbita maxima (Cucurbitaceae) cultivated in the Po Valley (N-Italy), locally known as Cappello daprete. The aim was to explore the morpho-logical fruit variability among accessions and to identify potential distinct landraces within the Cappello da prete squash group. Differences between accessions were found indicating that mor-phological traits can be effectively used to identify these landraces and suggesting a diversification by isolation. Indeed, our morpho-logical analysis shown the existence of two different landraces of Cappello da prete squashes. The adopted procedure can demon-strate that few low-cost traits are useful for the registration of local varieties in the official catalogue of landraces. Our study also demonstrates that morphological characterisation allows a rapid and cost-effective identification of diagnostic morphological traits that, together with historical and cultural information, are funda-mental to recognise landraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the genetic variation and population structure of the geophyte Leucojum aestivum L. across the Po river valley (N-Italy), to inform conservation management actions with the selection of most suitable source populations for translocation purposes. L. aestivum is self-incompatible and occurs in S-Europe in fragmented wetlands and lowland forests along rivers. The species is particularly interesting for habitat restoration practices for its simplicity of ex situ conservation and cultivation. AFLP analyses were carried out on 16 fragmented populations, using four primer combinations. Correlations between genetic variation and demographic and ecological traits were tested. AFLP produced a total of 202 bands, 95.5% of which were polymorphic. Our results suggest that L. aestivum holds low to moderate levels of genetic diversity (mean Nei’s genetic diversity: H = 0.125), mostly within-population. We found a gradient of two main biogeographic groups along western and eastern populations, while the STRUCTURE analysis found that the most likely number of clusters was K = 3, shaping a partially consistent pattern. We explain the unusual negative correlation between genetic variation and population size with the high rate of vegetative reproduction. The levels of population differentiation suggest that fragmentation in L. aestivum populations has occurred, but that an active gene flow between fragmented populations still exists, maintained by flooding events or pollinators. Conservation management actions should improve habitat connectivity, especially for pollinators that vehicle upstream gene flow. Moreover, the west-east structure due to the lithological composition of the gravel and sand forming the alluvial plain of the Po river, should be considered when selecting source populations for translocation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pre‐release treatments have long been neglected in plant translocation science, despite being crucial for reintroduction success. Practitioners sometimes adopt acclimation and pre‐treatment to reduce environmentally mediated shocks at the recipient site, although the effects of these techniques are unclear. The conditions experienced during cultivation may affect the performance of plants once released. The influence of the cultivation environment, and the maternal effects from fertilizer and salt treatments, on post‐release performance were investigated on Kosteletzkya pentacarpos, a threatened plant species growing in coastal wetlands. Two experimental translocation sites, representing the opposite ends of the ecological range of K. pentacarpos, were chosen: one was a nutrient‐rich, freshwater site and the other was a nutrient‐poor, brackish water site. Treatment with salt had negligible effects on performance, whereas fertilization positively affected the vegetative and reproductive performance of maternal plants throughout the growing season. Pre‐treatment effects were most evident at the highest nutrient site, however, suggesting that pre‐treatment could be connected to ‘memory’ in plants. No maternal effects were observed. Overall, results show that pre‐treatment can increase the chances of survival and improve the performance of translocated plants at the recipient site. From an applied conservation perspective, ex situ cultivation and nursing conditions may play a key role in establishing self‐sustaining populations during plant translocation. These results have important implications for the use of K. pentacarpos for the restoration of saline wetlands, especially outside of its native range, but also for the conservation of the species via conservation translocation in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the strong environmental control of seed dormancy and longevity, their changes along latitudes are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to assess seed dormancy and longevity in different populations across the distribution of the arctic-alpine plant Silene suecica. Seeds of seven populations collected from alpine (Spain, Italy, Scotland) and subarctic (Sweden, Norway) populations were incubated at four temperature regimes and five cold stratification intervals for germination and dormancy testing. Seed longevity was studied by exposing seeds to controlled ageing (45 °C, 60% RH) and regularly sampled for germination. Fresh seeds of S. suecica germinated at warm temperature (20/15 °C) and more in subarctic (80-100%) compared to alpine (20-50%) populations showed a negative correlation with autumn temperature (i.e., post-dispersal period). Seed germination increased after cold stratification in all populations, with different percentages (30-100%). Similarly, there was a large variation of seed longevity (p50 = 12-32 days), with seeds from the wettest locations showing faster deterioration rate. Subarctic populations of S. suecica were less dormant, showing a warmer suitable temperature range for germination, and a higher germinability than alpine populations. Germination and dormancy were driven by an interplay of geographical and climatic factors, with alpine and warm versus subarctic and cool autumn conditions, eliciting a decrease and an increase of emergence, respectively. Germination and dormancy patterns typically found in alpine habitats may not be found in the arctic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Results of the first documented reintroduction of the endangered endemic quillwort Isoëtes malinverniana are presented 1 year after transplanting. This represents the most complete report of a quillwort translocation globally. A new population of I. malinverniana was established in a protected area in Lombardy (northern Italy) after several years of investigation of the ecology, biology and genetics of this species. The selected site was restored before the trial release in March 2016 of 20 individuals of the target species. Although modelling for the selection of suitable release sites for the target species indicated that the selected site was not suitable for the species, I. malinverniana exhibited a survival of 60% 1 year after reintroduction. This trial indicates that with very rare species, experimental trialling of a few individuals can test the feasibility of translocation at a larger scale. Although the model was constructed using a wide variety of ecological and phenological parameters, it was unreliable because of intrinsically low statistical power, which is a limitation of modelling associated with very rare species. Although mature spores were dispersed in autumn 2016, sporelings have not yet been observed. Ultimately, reintroduction of I. malinverniana will rely on the evidence of self‐recruitment; however, this translocation effort promoted understanding of ecological tolerance and facilitated focused conservation management. For instance, a protocol for in vitro reproduction of the species was successfully developed, resulting in long‐term survival of ex situ collections that exist in two botanical gardens in Pavia and Turin. Considering that many isoëtid species are threatened worldwide, the techniques applied here may have broad applicability to other endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reintroduction of a plant species regionally extinct in the wild poses a stimulating conservation challenge. If the species is dioecious and the ex situ preserved population is only of one sex, the challenge is even more difficult. To assess whether the female population of Stratiotes aloides originally studied requires a reinforcement to increase its genetic variation, and to determine from which source male individuals should be taken to re-establish a viable population, the genetic structure of nine different accessions of S. aloides across Europe and Asia were analysed - six native populations and the last three Italian populations, preserved ex situ., Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprinting of 190 individuals from these populations was performed using six primer combinations and chromosome counts., AFLP markers revealed medium to high values of genetic diversity at the population level, unexpectedly including residual ex situ accessions. Neighbour-joining tree, PCoA and STRUCTURE analyses indicate the presence of three genetic patterns identifiable in the central-western, central and eastern Europe-Asian populations. Chromosome counts revealed the presence of diploid (2n = 24) and tetraploid (2n = 48) populations., Similarity between populations belonging to different hydrographical basins, and differences between neighbouring populations could be explained through long-distance bird-mediated dispersal events. Genetic analysis showed that reinforcement with female individuals from other European populations to increase the genetic diversity of the Italian female population is not necessary. Surprisingly, the geographically closest male population (Bavaria) to the Po basin is not the best option for male reintroduction. Instead, male individuals should be reintroduced from the Rhine basin (Netherlands) and eastern part of the Danube basin (Romania)., Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]