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Sardinia (Italy) and Corsica (France) are two islands divided by a strait that is 13 km wide. Their inhabitants have had commercial and cultural links at least since the Bronze Age, facing similar historical processes such as colonization from mainland powers during Middle Ages and a problematic assimilation within the nation-states to which the islands are nowadays associated. Nevertheless, they are generally perceived and analyzed as separate and distant islands. This is a consequence of the geopolitical context of the last three centuries, during which Corsica and Sardinia have become part of two separate states marked by a troubled relationship. This study has two main purposes: explaining the case of the two islands through a historical analysis of the island-to-island relationship between the 17th and 21st Centuries and proposing the concept of 'impeded archipelago' to describe analogous situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central governments in multinational states frequently deploy indirect rule to contain peripheral nationalism. Through the exchange of economic resources for political control, local notables are co-opted into cementing loyalty to the central state. Although nationalism often has cultural roots, these can fail to bear fruit because indirect rulers prevent them from developing. When the incentives sustaining support for indirect rulers change, this can open a window of opportunity for nationalism. This article examines how culture, institutions and economics influence center-periphery relations, specifically the demand for autonomy and nationalist parties. Utilizing new, disaggregated data and an original survey from the French island of Corsica, we show that indirect rulers have managed to contain nationalist parties in culturally distinct communes, specifically those that are more dependent on public funds. Only where a thriving private sector offers alternatives to state dependence, lessening the force of indirect rule, is cultural distinctiveness associated with nationalist voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the potential of palynology within palaeoenvironmental research to reconstruct past landscapes and assess the relationship between vegetation and the first farming communities. The analysis of pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in natural records evidenced how the adoption of farming and new sedentary settlement patterns resulted in major landscape transformation on extra-local or regional scales in the Western Mediterranean, affecting sclerophyllous and riparian forests in North Corsica, Mediterranean maquis in South Corsica, and oak forests in NE Iberia. In addition, palynology has been confirmed as a relevant source of data to address the local palaeoenvironmental evolution in lakes, wetlands, and archaeological sites, providing evidence of the presence of flocks (spores of coprophilous fungi), and changes in hydrology (salinity, dryness/wetness, aquatic/palustrine phases) and in geomorphology (soil erosion indicators). Finally, the spatial analysis of pollen and NPP intra-site distribution is presented here as a valuable tool to assess the social use of space in archaeological sites. In that sense, archaeopalynology has provided detailed information about site formation processes, social use of space, and the use of plants and fungi in the site of La Draga (Girona, Spain). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares French and Corsican middle school language policy. Above the micro-level of the classroom, and below the macro-level of the EU (or beyond), I analyze two policies sandwiched at the meso-level, national (France) and regional (Corsica) middle school curricula. Based on a content analysis of two curricular policy texts, the Réforme du collège 2016 and the Projet académique 2012–2016, I contrast the distinct notions of multilingualism constructed therein and the disparate teleological orientations to language teaching/learning that emerge, namely economic versus cultural. The Corsican middle school, subsumed within the French State curriculum, is characterized by the tension between competing language ideologies that coexist. The analysis reflects that, in the wider discourses on language and globalization, the shift in language teaching/learning from cultural to economic foci (Duchêne and Heller, in: Duchêne and Heller (eds) Language in late capitalism: pride and profit, Routledge, London, 2012; Romaine in Lang Policy 12:115–137, 2013) is not linear, finite, or complete. Telelogical orientations compete, overlap, and are co-present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a study of headwater catchments and streams that aims at a first morphological typology of such catchments for Corsica island. Such typology offers a base for various studies or assessments regarding, for instance, water management, geological hazards assessments or faunal and/or floral species conservation. Corsica island comprises 120 peaks over 2000 m above sea-level. Herein, the characteristics and developments of 83 Corsican headwater catchments found above 1200 m above sea-level are evaluated using a digital elevation model, a principal component analysis and a hierarchical cluster analysis based on 14 morphometric parameters. It appears that 65.31% of the data's total variance is clarified by the first three principal components. On the first principal component maximum elevation, mean elevation, mean slope and Melton ratio are found opposed to area and perimeter. Moreover, a latitudinal gradient on the first principal component is confirmed by the supplementary variable latitude's coordinate. On the second principal component the form factor is opposed to the Lemniscate ratio. The most representative catchment points are best highlighted in terms of the catchments of the seven main streams. The cluster analysis allows to divide the catchments into four groups or types, unequivocally reflecting the first principal component and emphasising the comparable results for the two analyses. These four types of catchments are numerically characterised by four main parameters, which are area, Melton ratio, mean elevation and mean slope. A first morphological typology for Corsican headwater catchments is proposed in accordance to both principal components and cluster analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the effect of anthropogenic activities on ecosystems, it is of prime importance to develop new tools enabling a rapid characterization of ecological communities. Freshwater ecosystems are particularly impacted and threatened by human activities and need thorough attention to preserve their biodiversity and the ecological services they provide. Studying such ecosystems is generally difficult because the associated organisms are hard to sample and to monitor. We present a ready-to-use environmental metabarcoding protocol to characterize and monitor the freshwater gastropods communities from water samples. The efficiency of this new tool was compared to a classical malacological survey at 19 sampled sites from 10 distinct rivers distributed over Corsica Island (France). From a single water sample, our eDNA monitoring tool provided a faithful characterization of the local malacofauna compared to the results obtained from the classical malacological survey, with 97.1% of species detection confirmed by both methods. The present tool successfully detected the 11 freshwater snail species previously reported in Corsica by malacological survey but was limited at the genus level for some species. Moreover, our malacological survey allowed an update of the local distribution of a wide diversity of freshwater snails including invasive species (i.e. Potamopyrgus antipodarum and Physa acuta) as well as snail hosts of pathogens of medical and veterinary importance (i.e. Bulinus truncatus and Galba truncatula). These results strengthened a previous hypothesis of an eventual competitive interaction between B. truncatus and P. antipodarum that could limit the endemization of the uro-genital bilharziasis in Corsica.

This study compared the essential oils (EO) composition of Helichrysum arenarium (Bulgarian populations) with that of the cultivated species H. italicum. The EO composition of H. arenarium and H. italicum were analyzed via gas chromatography. In general, 75 components were identified in H. arenarium EO and 79 in H. italicum EO. The predominant constituents in H. arenarium EO were α-pinene (34.64–44.35%) and sabinene (10.63–11.1%), which affirmed the examined population as a new chemical type. Overall, the main EO constituents of H. italicum originating in France, Bosnia and Corsica were neryl acetate (4.04–14.87%) and β-himachalene (9.9–10.99%). However, the EOs profile of H. italicum introduced from the above three countries differed to some extent. D-limonene (5.23%), italicene, α-guaiene and neryl acetate (14.87%) predominated in the H. italicum introduced from France, while α-pinene (13.74%), δ-cadinene (5.51%), α-cadinene (3.3%), β-caryophyllene (3.65%) and α-calacorene (1.63%) predominated in plants introduced from Bosnia. The EOs of the plants introduced from France and Corsica had similar chemical composition and antimicrobiological activity.

Tracking PFAS in ecosystems is challenging. In this context, monitoring programs are crucial to fill data gaps, especially in marine environments, which are the ultimate outlets for these forever chemicals. The 2021 chemical contamination monitoring campaign along the French Mediterranean coast established a baseline for PFAS concentrations in mussels, with 90 % of measurements below quantification limits. When detected, long-chain PFCA's were predominant. Spatial distribution patterns suggested continuous PFAS inputs and complex dynamics, shaped by the influence of large watersheds and rivers (Rhône, Aude, Huveaune). Lapeyrade shallow lagoon stood out as the most contaminated site. Similar PFAS profiles in connected sites implied shared sources but raised questions about accumulation processes in mussels. While certain sites had evident sources (e.g., military airbase for Palo lagoon), others remained uncertain (e.g., Toulon bay). Coastal stations (Banyuls, Cap Agde, Brégançon, Pampelonne) showed PFAS contamination without clear onshore sources, possibly due to insufficient transportation process understanding., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We report the detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in Corsica, France. We identified CCHFV African genotype I in ticks collected from cattle at 2 different sites in southeastern and central-western Corsica, indicating an established CCHFV circulation. Healthcare professionals and at-risk groups should be alerted to CCHFV circulation in Corsica.

The origins of the names of the 177 species of stoneflies occurring in the Italian region are listed. These names chiefly refer to a taxonomic characteristic (56 species), then a dedication to a well-known entomologist or to the collector (52), then to either a geographical - ethnological (45) or to an ecological aspect (9). The remaining species are dedicated to someone in the author's family (6) or to an artist or scientist (3). Finally, 6 other species have a symbolic name. In addition, we also provide an exhaustive bibliography of the original species descriptions of the Italian Plecoptera fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The island of Corsica was officially considered to be affiliated to the pre-unified Italian world on multiple levels (linguistic, geographical, ethnical, historical, etc.) until when it was ceded to France by the Genoese Republic in 1768, about a century before the formal Italian unification. The island would continue to evolve with and within the Italian world until the language transition from Italian to French was fully complete which would not happen until the early 20th century.On the one hand, the islanders oscillate between the original contiguity of their cultures and a remaining natural ability to intercommunicate; on the other hand, over the years of separation their evolution took different paths, which resulted in the rupture of the linguistic and cultural continuum. Even though many antagonisms developed after a century of majorly Gallicized linguistic and cultural influence which resulted in the developement of Corsicaness and was fullfilled by the acceptance of Corsican as a language, Corsica retains undeniably visible links and similarities with Italy.In this article, I will discuss the effects of a (dis)unity that reaches outside of the Italian borders. The historical evolution and disruption of the linguistic continuum on Corsica, sets a frame of reference for the conceptualization of the links that currently unite Corsican and Italy. This leads to highlighting aspects of the contemporary social, cultural and linguistic relationships, or lack of relationships, between the island and the peninsula.I propose to look at the Italian influences on Corsica to define the level of “italianess” of the islanders in a sociolinguistic and socio-cultural approach to near languages and near cultures, in order to define Corsica’s ‘Disunity’ from and ‘Unity’ with Italy.

From the Neolithic, foreign siliceous materials were imported into Corsica as the island lacks local chert and obsidian. Such a context constitutes a real opportunity to investigate the relationship of the island with surrounding areas, in perspective with cultural evolutions. For 20 years, chert sourcing studies were carried out. We took into account 26 sites, dating from the Ancient Neolithic to the Final Neolithic. The work is based on non-destructive petro-archaeological observations of the artefacts. and on the survey and characterization of Sardinian sources (320 samples collected and 60 different lithotypes characterized). The study aims to better understand the place of chert among the lithic assemblages throughout time and identify the provenance of most of the chert material introduced into Corsica. It reveals procurement evolution in terms of preferred facies and of stages of introduction, depending on the chronology and geographical situation of the sites. The results confirm connections with Sardinia, among which Perfugas basin constitutes a major source of raw material for Corsica. It also shows relations with the Italian Peninsula for some Middle Neolithic sites in Northern Corsica. Comparisons with data from Sardinia show the affinities and differences between the two islands and open further avenues for research.

Mapping plant communities, which is essential to assess the conservation status of natural habitats, is currently based mainly on time-consuming field surveys without the use of satellite data. However, free image time-series with high spatial and temporal resolution have been available since 2015. This study assessed the contribution of Sentinel-2 time-series images to mapping the spatial distribution of 18 plant communities within a Natura 2000 site (1978 ha) located on the Mediterranean biogeographical region (Corsica, France). The method was based on random forest modeling of six Sentinel-2 images acquired from 26 February to 24 October 2017, which were calibrated and validated using a field vegetation map. The results showed that the 18 plant communities were modeled correctly, with 72% overall accuracy. The uncertainty map associated with the model indicated areas that required additional field observations.

Corsica and Sardinia form one of the areas with highest biodiversity in the Mediterranean and are considered one of the priority regions for conservation in Europe. In order to preserve the high levels of endemism and biological diversity at different hierarchical levels, knowledge of the evolutionary history and current genetic structure of Corso-Sardinian endemics is instrumental. Microsatellite markers were newly developed and used to study the genetic structure and taxonomic status of Ruta corsica and Ruta lamarmorae, rare endemics of Corsica and Sardinia, respectively, and previously considered a single species. Our analyses identified high levels of genetic variation within each species (P=0.883, He=0.543 for R. corsica; P=0.972, He=0.627 for R. lamarmorae). Intrinsic traits of the species (hermaphroditism, proterandry and polyploidy) and island-dependent factors (i.e. age, origin and history of the islands) might explain the detected high levels of genetic variation. We discovered differentiation between R. corsica and R. lamarmorae, and genetic structure within each species, which are consistent with the observation of low dispersal ability for both species. Our genetic results support the recent taxonomic classification of R. corsica and R. lamarmorae as separate species and suggest that they diverge at only few loci. One R. corsica population (SA) strongly differed from all other studied populations and appeared to be the product of hybridization between the two species in STRUCTURE analyses. Our results provide important insights for the conservation of the two rare endemics. Further genetic analyses are recommended for R. lamarmorae and for population SA (R. corsica).

Nel 1118 l’arcivescovo di Pisa riconsacrò solennemente la nuova cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta di Mariana, sede dell’omonima diocesi. La più grande chiesa romanica corsa insiste su un’area che ha restituito importanti testimonianze dell’insediamento romano e degli edifici di culto cristiani a partire dal V secolo. Il presente intervento mira a rileggere il monumento nei suoi caratteri strutturali e decorativi per evidenziarne i legami con l’alta Toscana e la Liguria, in un più ampio quadro di circolazione di maestranze e tecniche costruttive nello spazio tirrenico.

Historians and historical research of the role of the Serbian nation in the Great War give ample respect and recognition of the great battles and great victories. However, the exodus of the Serbian people and its armies out of Serbia is also not forgotten. Neither are the Salonika Front, nor other battlefronts. Less well known and researched is the fate of 35,000 young Serbian recruits, the young people dispersed to distant lands. This research is concentrated on the fate of the Serbian refugees in Corsica, on those who helped them, looked after them, and treated them to recovery, and who themselves came there from other parts of the world. Those Serbian refugees in Corsica were looked after by the representatives of diplomatic, humanitarian, and medical missions from Serbia, France, and Great Britain. The life of the Serbian refugee colony in Corsica was organized, financed, and supported by the Royal Serbian Government in exile in France, the French Relief Committee for the wounded, sick, and refugees, the Serbian Relief Fund, the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service, the local authorities, and numerous individuals in Corsica. We have paid particular attention to the Scottish Women’s Hospital in Corsica that provided a special hospital unit called “Corsica Unit,” situated in Ajaccio, with the isolation ward in Lazaret, and ambulances and dispensaries located in various villages, where the Serbian refugees were billeted. At the time of centennial commemorations of the Great War, we want to express our profound gratitude to the humanitarian and medical assistance from all quarters, and in particular to the Scottish Women’s Hospitals, and Dr. Elsie Inglis, the founder and the leader of this medical mission.

Historians and historical research of the role of the Serbian nation in the Great War give ample respect and recognition of the great battles and great victories. However, the exodus of the Serbian people and its armies out of Serbia is also not forgotten. Neither are the Salonika Front, nor other battlefronts. Less well known and researched is the fate of 35,000 young Serbian recruits, the young people dispersed to distant lands. This research is concentrated on the fate of the Serbian refugees in Corsica, on those who helped them, looked after them, and treated them to recovery, and who themselves came there from other parts of the world. Those Serbian refugees in Corsica were looked after by the representatives of diplomatic, humanitarian, and medical missions from Serbia, France, and Great Britain. The life of the Serbian refugee colony in Corsica was organized, financed, and supported by the Royal Serbian Government in exile in France, the French Relief Committee for the wounded, sick, and refugees, the Serbian Relief Fund, the Scottish Women’s Hospitals for Foreign Service, the local authorities, and numerous individuals in Corsica. We have paid particular attention to the Scottish Women’s Hospital in Corsica that provided a special hospital unit called “Corsica Unit,” situated in Ajaccio, with the isolation ward in Lazaret, and ambulances and dispensaries located in various villages, where the Serbian refugees were billeted. At the time of centennial commemorations of the Great War, we want to express our profound gratitude to the humanitarian and medical assistance from all quarters, and in particular to the Scottish Women’s Hospitals, and Dr. Elsie Inglis, the founder and the leader of this medical mission.

Corsica is the main French island in the Mediterranean Sea and has high levels of human and animal population movement. Among the local animal species, the wild boar is highly prevalent in the Corsican landscape and in the island’s traditions. Wild boars are the most commonly hunted animals on this island, and can be responsible for the transmission and circulation of pathogens and their vectors. In this study, wild boar samples and ticks were collected in 17 municipalities near wetlands on the Corsican coast. A total of 158 hunted wild boars were sampled (523 samples). Of these samples, 113 were ticks: 96.4% were Dermacentor marginatus, and the remainder were Hyalomma marginatum, Hyalomma scupense and Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. Of the wild boar samples, only three blood samples were found to be positive for Babesia spp. Of the tick samples, 90 were found to be positive for tick-borne pathogens (rickettsial species). These results confirm the importance of the wild boar as a host for ticks carrying diseases such as rickettsiosis near wetlands and recreational sites. Our findings also show that the wild boar is a potential carrier of babesiosis in Corsica, a pathogen detected for the first time in wild boars on the island.

We used the COI marker, the most popular DNA barcode for the animal kingdom, to assess the taxonomic status of Corsican populations of eight groups of species of ants that occur both on Corsica and the European mainland. (i) In two groups, we detected no genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent. Absence of differentiation across varieties of Aphaenogaster spinosa within Corsica confirm current synonymies. (ii) In four groups, we detected strong genetic differentiation between Corsica and the continent, confirming recent taxonomic studies based on morphology for three of these groups. For the fourth group, we propose that the status of Corsican populations be raised from sub-species to species: Temnothorax cordieri stat. rev. (iii) In one group, the genetic differentiation and morphological differences do not support splitting and as a consequence we propose to accept the previous synonymy Temnothorax tuberum = Temnothorax melanocephalus. (iv) In Myrmica scabrinodis and Myrmica spinosior, COI sequence information is largely inconsistent with morphology and geography, not only on Corsica but also on the mainland, and should not be used to support taxonomic decisions. Although the use of COI has drawbacks, it is globally consistent with morphology and can be used to complement morphological ant taxonomy. We provide an updated checklist of ants of Corsica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper focuses on the ability of the European Leaf-toed gecko, Euleptes europaea , an endemic species of the western Mediterranean, to live in low-nutrient habitats. Its distribution is mainly insular and particularly noteworthy is its ability to live on islets and rocks. This work includes data originating from surveys carried out on 111 islands surrounding the island of Corsica (France) in search of herpetofauna. E. europaea is able to survive on the smallest islets, with low habitat complexity, suggesting a pre-adaptation of this species to island life. Moreover, high population densities associated with a low biomass seem to facilitate survival on island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria belonging to the family Anaplasmataceae cause infections in humans and domestic animals. The consequences of infection can be significant economic losses for farmers. To better understand the epidemiology of tick-borne Anaplasmataceae in Corsica, we used molecular methods to detect and characterize Anaplasmataceae in ixodid ticks collected from cattle. Anaplasmataceae were detected by using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 23S rRNA gene. Partial sequencing of rpoB and groEL allowed identifying species and conducting phylogenetic analyses. Infection rates were calculated using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, 597 Rhipicephalus bursa, 216 Hyalomma marginatum, and seven Ixodes ricinus were collected from cattle during July–August 2017 and July–December 2018. Overall, Anaplasmataceae DNA was detected in 15 of 255 tick pools (MLE = 1.7%; 95% CI 0.9–2.7%). The molecular analysis revealed two species within the genus Anaplasma: A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum. We also detected bacteria within the genus Ehrlichia: we confirmed the detection of E. minasensis DNA in H. marginatum and R. bursa tick pools collected from cattle in Corsica and detected, for the first time to our knowledge, Candidatus E. urmitei in Corsican R. bursa ticks and a potential new species, Candidatus E. corsicanum. Further studies are needed to ascertain the pathogenesis and zoonotic potential of the strains and their importance for animals and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental efforts on Corsica abound and often make use of the local language. In this article, I survey the semiotics of different 'green' artefacts and the use of Corsican therein. Based on ethnographic data including pedagogical tools (textbooks) and practices (field trips), artefacts from ecotourism (pamphlets) and everyday items (grocery bags), and photographs of the linguistic landscape, I illustrate the workings of minority language use in everyday environmental activism. Posthumanist orientations to language and communication underlie the analysis of green Corsican assemblages, products of and catalysts for the coming‐together of disparate resources that construct a unique stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay focuses on the meaning of "Mediterranean" and "Mediterranean studies," offers an overview of the author's tenure as editor of the journal Mediterranean Studies (2001–11), and provides reminiscences of the Congresses and educational post tours organized by the Mediterranean Studies Association. A singularly capacious view of what defines the Mediterranean and the complexities of the field of Mediterranean studies emerge from an examination of articles published in the journal and from a cluster of experiences that the Mediterranean Studies Association has bundled into a package, including the international Annual Congresses, the journal, and the educational post tours. The post tours in Rio de Janeiro (2000); in Southwestern France, the sites associated with the Cathars, Andorra, and Aragon (2004); on the Island of Sardinia and the Island of Corsica (2009); and in Epirus, Western Greece, and Albania (2011) are highlighted to underscore scholarly discoveries and insights, opportunities for academic collaboration, and shared experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alpine Corsica represents a segment of the Alpine collisional belt. In its western edge, it is characterized by the close association of continental units deformed under high-pressure metamorphic conditions (Lower Units) and oceanic units showing a metamorphism ranging from high-pressure (Schistes Lustrés Complex) to very low-grade conditions (Upper Units). This paper provides a complete review of the relationships between the continental and oceanic units in selected five areas where the stratigraphic features, deformation history, metamorphic P-T path and tectonic setting are available for each unit. The collected data indicate that the oceanic units occur not only at the top of the continental ones, as generally proposed in the literature, but also intercalated within them. Such relationships were achieved at shallow structural level during the late stage of exhumation, when the continental units were tectonically coupled with the oceanic units which were dragged as slices from the orogenic wedge. The coupling probably occurred immediately before the transition from syn- to post-orogenic geodynamic regime that affected the whole Alpine-Apennine collisional system in the early Oligocene. After the coupling, the stack of oceanic and continental units experienced a further exhumation-related deformation before their final exposure at the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a serologic survey for Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus antibodies in livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats; N = 3,890) on Corsica (island of France) during 2014-2016. Overall, 9.1% of animals were seropositive, suggesting this virus circulates on Corsica. However, virus identification is needed to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Corsican Painted Frog Discoglossus montalentii has received little research attention since its discovery, which creates uncertainty about its distribution and conservation status. We here use a combination of field surveys, ecological niche modelling (ENM) and niche overlap analyses to (i) update the D. montalentii distribution; (ii) determine its potential range, and (iii) assess if presence of Discoglossus sardus influences that of D. montalentii. Our surveys reveal presence of D. montalentii at low and mid-altitudes throughout Cap Corse and near the north-western coast, while ENMs suggest that similar climatically and topographically suitable habitats occur beyond the confirmed range in northern- and westernmost Corsica. No evidence for competitive exclusion by D. sardus was found, with both species displaying broad niche overlap at macroscale. Whether potential differences between these species do exist at microhabitat level remains worth exploring. We finally review the conservation status of D. montalentii , and assemble practical knowledge to inform future conservation assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Corsica is a mountainous French island in the north‐west of the Mediterranean Sea presenting a large diversity of natural environments where many interactions between humans, domestic animals and wild fauna occur. Despite this favourable context, tick‐borne pathogens (TBPs) have not systematically been investigated. In this study, a large number of TBPs were screened in ticks collected over a period of one year from domestic and wild hosts in Corsica. More than 1,500 ticks belonging to nine species and five genera (Rhipicephalus, Hyalomma, Dermacentor, Ixodes and Haemaphysalis) were analysed individually or pooled (by species, gender, host and locality). A real‐time microfluidic PCR was used for high‐throughput screening of TBP DNA. This advanced methodology enabled the simultaneous detection of 29 bacterial and 12 parasitic species (including Borrelia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Candidatus Neoehrlichia, Coxiella, Francisella, Babesia and Theileria). The Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus was investigated individually in tick species known to be vectors or carriers of this virus. In almost half of the tick pools (48%), DNA from at least one pathogen was detected and eleven species of TBPs from six genera were reported. TBPs were found in ticks from all collected hosts and were present in more than 80% of the investigated area. The detection of DNA of certain species confirmed the previous identification of these pathogens in Corsica, such as Rickettsia aeschlimannii (23% of pools), Rickettsia slovaca (5%), Anaplasma marginale (4%) and Theileria equi (0.4%), but most TBP DNA identified had not previously been reported in Corsican ticks. This included Anaplasma phagocytophilum (16%), Rickettsia helvetica (1%), Borrelia afzelii (0.7%), Borrelia miyamotoi (1%), Bartonella henselae (2%), Babesia bigemina (2%) and Babesia ovis (0.5%). The high tick infection rate and the diversity of TBPs reported in this study highlight the probable role of animals as reservoir hosts of zoonotic pathogens and human exposure to TBPs in Corsica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mediterranean region, Corsica represents one of the most important hotspots of biodiversity, partly due to the high number of endemics species. This region is also one of the most affected by forest fires worldwide. The present vegetation is adapted to a wide range of disturbance regimes, but a change in fire frequency or intensity in the future may severely affect ecological resources and other socio-economical aspects. Here, we study the dynamics of vegetation–human–fire interactions for the past 12,000 years as recorded by Lake Bastani (Corsica, France). We used well-dated sedimentary records of charcoal, pollen and fungal spores to infer past fire regime, land cover and pastoral activities, respectively, and we compared our results with charcoal records from two other Corsican lakes (Nino and Creno, respectively). Our results suggest that climate and natural fires were the main factors shaping the landscape before 5000 cal. BP. Then, the extraordinary diversity of the current Corsican vegetation has been mainly promoted by human activities on the island (i.e. deforestation and pastoralism) at least from the Bronze Age (3500 cal. BP). The top of our record shows a sharp decrease in fungal remains (Sporormiella -type), usually associated with pastoral activities, which could be attributed to the land abandonment occurring since a few decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Corsican language is in a paradoxical situation characterized, on the one hand, by a decline in its use which is directly related to strong political action by the French Republic in favour of a complete centralization of the language in the country – which began in the middle of the nineteenth century as regards Corsica in particular – and, on the other hand, by a strong political desire, expressed by a large majority of the population and carried out by the Corsican Assembly, to initiate a real program of linguistic revitalization in order to grant the language of the island an official status. This situation enlightens the linguistic tension hidden behind the official monolingualism that the French Constitution enacts. It constitutes a real challenge for the State, on both political and legal grounds. This article expounds, from a political and legal point of view, especially in municipal, international and European law, the different obstacles such a desire for a revitalization will encounter, as well as the potential legal disputes that could emerge from it, on the base of the European Convention on Human Rights or European Union law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeeping is facing challenges worldwide and management of honeybee biodiversity is a key stake. In France, some set ups aim at conserving local honey bees whereas prevailing model selects honeybees for production first. The Corsican honeybee have a unique situation as the stakeholders both aim at maintaining and making selection of the local ecotype, with an aim of honey production with bees adapted to the island apiary conditions. This paper aims at questioning how such a set-up has been built. Our work is based on interviews of beekeeping stakeholders. We first show the strong links between the local ecotype management and the protected designation of origin for the honey. We then show that selection criteria are not specific to the local conditions, whereas the activity in general appears very connected to those conditions. We show that the set up for selection of the Corsican bee produces (and is expected for) other elements then the single genetic aspects. We show that the management of local bee population, rather than combining two genetic management orientations, combines several items of interests beyond the single genetic management aspects, and should be comprehended in its milieu (biogeographical, sociotechnical, socioeconomics, etc.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In amphibians, the study of trophic niche is important to better understand the species ecological adaptation, in particular along gradients or in heterogeneous habitats. In this framework, we analysed the trophic strategies of two populations of the endemic Corsican brook newt Euproctus montanus, one living in a Mediterranean lowland and the other in a mountain stream. In both sites, we performed dietary analysis using stomach flushing and assessed the available invertebrate prey community. Further, we estimated newt density using removal sampling. Streams were similar in invertebrate prey abundance (P = 0.15), but differed in prey diversity (P < 0.001), the Mediterranean lowland site possessing a higher diversity of invertebrate prey. The newts' trophic strategies were analysed at the population level and also at the individual one to assess in detail the trophic specialization. In both sites newt density was similar and the population realized trophic niche displayed a large overlap with the available prey community. Therefore, both populations behaved as broad trophic generalists. However, in the Mediterranean lowland stream, where available resources were more diverse, there was evidence of a significant degree of individual trophic specialization. This finding is consistent with the classic niche variation hypothesis, that predicts a higher individual differentiation in presence of high resource diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karyological, flow-cytometric and molecular analyses indicate that the genus Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) is represented in Corsica (Corse) by two species: the tetraploid L. ircutianum DC. and the hexaploid L. corsicum (Less.) DC. The indication of the occurrence of the diploid L. vulgare Lam. on the island and of a tetraploid chromosome number for L. corsicum, given in former treatments of the genus for Corsica, could not be corroborated. AFLP fingerprinting further suggests that the infraspecific taxonomy of L. corsicum with two subspecies (L. corsicum subsp. corsicum and subsp. fenzlii) and three forms (L. corsicum f. corsicum, f. pinnatifidum and f. eschenlohrianum), which is mainly based on differences in the degree of leaf dissection, is not backed by genetic discontinuities. Owing to the observed little variation in leaf dissection within populations in the wild and the constancy of these features under cultivation, we propose the rank of varieties to taxonomically acknowledge these different stages in the broad spectrum of leaf-dissection grades exhibited by L. corsicum. As a consequence, the two new combinations L. corsicum var. eschenlohrianum (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. and L. corsicum var. fenzlii (Gamisans) Vogt, Hugot & Oberpr. are proposed. Citation: Oberprieler C., Schinhärl L., Wagner F., Hugot L. & Vogt R. 2019: Karyological and molecular analysis of Leucanthemum (Compositae, Anthemideae) in Corsica. – Willdenowia 49: 411–420. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372 Version of record first published online on 4 December 2019 ahead of inclusion in December 2019 issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coxiella burnetii and Toxoplasma gondii are intracellular pathogens that cause important reproductive disorders in humans and animals worldwide, which translates into high economic losses. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible role of peridomestic small mammals in the maintenance and transmission of C. burnetii and T. gondii in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, by the analysis of the seroprevalence in rodents. Our results showed a wide distribution of C. burnetii and T. gondii in Corsica in Rattus rattus and Mus musculus domesticus. The overall seroprevalence of anti-C. burnetii was 9.32%, being 8.73% from R. rattus and 13.33% from M. m. domesticus. With respect to T. gondii, seropositive rodents were observed in 12.96% of total animals, being 12.76% from rats and 14.29% from mice. Taking into consideration the large range of host these pathogens can infect, including humans and livestock, and their pathologies, the results provided by this study are relevant for public health and veterinary, and could help the governmental entities to prevent possible infectious focuses of Q fever and toxoplasmosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As low-lying coastal areas can be impacted by flooding caused by dynamic components that are dependent on each other (wind, waves, water levels—tide, atmospheric surge, currents), the analysis of the return period of a single component is not representative of the return period of the total water level at the coast. It is important to assess a joint return period of all the components. Based on a semiparametric multivariate extreme value analysis, we determined the joint probabilities that significant wave heights (Hs), wind intensity at 10 m above the ground (U), and still water level (SWL) exceeded jointly imposed thresholds all along the Corsica Island coasts (Mediterranean Sea). We also considered the covariate peak direction (Dp), the peak period (Tp), and the wind direction (Du). Here, we focus on providing extreme scenarios to populate coastal hydrodynamic models, SWAN and SWASH-2DH, in order to compute the 100-year total water level (100y-TWL) all along the coasts. We show how the proposed multivariate extreme value analysis can help to more accurately define low-lying zones potentially exposed to coastal flooding, especially in Corsica where a unique value of 2 m was taken into account in previous studies. The computed 100y-TWL values are between 1 m along the eastern coasts and a maximum of 1.8 m on the western coast. The calculated values are also below the 2.4 m threshold recommended when considering the sea level rise (SLR). This highlights the added value of performing a full integration of extreme offshore conditions, together with their dependence on hydrodynamic simulations for screening out the coastal areas potentially exposed to flooding.

Séduit depuis toujours par le monde méditerranéen, le poète contemporain britannique John Fuller consacre plusieurs textes à la Corse à partir de la fin des années 1980. Fasciné et intrigué par les paysages insolites des tafoni ou des Calanques de Piana, assurément baignés d’une inquiétante étrangeté, il offre à ses lecteurs des perspectives inédites venant défier divers genres littéraires, du gothique au grotesque, en explorant toutes leurs ressources. Tour à tour envoûtantes et déstabilisantes—voire aliénantes—, ses descriptions de l’arrière-pays corse détournent les codes de la photographie conventionnelle pour proposer des arrêts sur image témoignant d’un renouvellement sans pareil de son génie créatif. Aussi, le recueil Stones and Fires, incluant le long poème "Star-Gazing" largement inspiré des nuits étoilées de l’été 1993, sera-t-il salué par la critique et couronné du Forward Poetry Prize en 1996. Outre les tableaux autobiographiques de vacances heureuses passées dans le Golfe de Lava jusqu’au début des années 2000, cet article aborde les vers de Fuller comme autant d’instantanés faisant l’éloge d’une terre d’accueil en période de deuil. Texte majeur dans l’œuvre de Fuller, "Star-Gazing" fut en effet composé à la suite des décès de Roy et Kate Fuller. Orphelin à 56 ans, le poète y dépeint la Corse comme un lieu d’adoption digne d’une utopie propice au recueillement et à la méditation. Ses vers interrogent les normes de la poésie élégiaque sans jamais édulcorer la mort, affrontée sans ambages à travers le portrait des corps éteints de ses parents. Refusant toute complaisance dans le pathos, Fuller n’a de cesse de célébrer ce que Michael Edwards nomme "Le Bonheur d’être ici", plus émerveillé que jamais par le flamboiement d’un lys au coucher de soleil ou la saveur d’un vin local. Et pour contrer les forces destructrices menaçant l’équilibre de son arrière-pays intime à chaque vers, il sonde avec brio les formes les plus complexes tout en rendant hommage à ses mentors, W.H. Auden, Matthew Arnold, ou son père, le poète Roy Fuller.

In the history of Modern Europe, islands have generally been considered as passive spaces. Historically, however, Mediterranean island societies have played important—and often active—roles in the formation of nation-states and in nation-building processes. Little attention has been paid to the ways in which island societies have affected mainland nationalism. This article argues that Mediterranean islands offered rhetorical and symbolic elements that proved useful for the construction of mainland European national identities, largely because islandness, from a continental perspective, was seen as capable of conserving authenticity. This article draws upon the Mediterranean island case studies of Sardinia and Corsica and their relationships to Catalan nationalism, French nationalism, and Italian nationalism as well as wider nation-building processes.

Morphological and molecular investigation conducted in France and the Tyrrhenian islands reveal that Aphaenogaster subterranea is composed of two distinct species. We propose to raise A. subterranea var. ichnusa Santschi, 1925, described from Sardinia, to the species status, A. ichnusa Santschi, 1925 stat. nov. This species differs from A. subterranea by having shorter propodeal spines and a less sculptured cuticle. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial marker COI shows that the two species form well separated clades, with a genetic distance (K2p) of 9.8 %. In the studied area, the two species are parapatric, A. ichnusa occurring in Sardinia, Corsica and the Mediterranean area of continental France, and A. subterranea occurring North of this area. We propose a redescription of both species and designation of a neotype for A. subterranea.

Clunio boudouresquei sp. n. and Thalassosmittia ballestai sp. n. are diagnosed and described based on associated material of male adults, pharate male adults and pupal exuviae recently collected in the marine littoral zone of Scandola Nature Reserve (Cala Litizia, Punta Palazzu, Focolara Bay, West Corsica). While C. boudouresquei sp. n. is described as male and female adults and pupal exuviae, T. ballestai sp. n. is described only as male adult and pupal exuviae. On the basis of some atypical characters found in the male adult and pupal exuviae, both C. boudouresquei sp. n. and T. ballestai sp. n. appear to belong, to a local Tyrrhenian element. Biological cycles of both new species are closely related to alternation between marine and terrestrial ecological conditions, which are strongly reinforced during spring tides of lunar rhythms. Larval stages of both new species are typically marine shore dwellers of the intertidal zone along seacoasts of the Tyrrhenian sub-region, where the biological and ecological quality of marine coastal habitats are being seriously damaged by various anthropogenic activities. In the latter sites, the Lithophyllum byssoides (Lamarck) Foslie pavements (trottoirs, encorbellements) are actually threatened by the massive proliferation of Sea Mussels (Mytilidae), which predominate when changes in water quality and level of pollution become increasingly high. The two new species are considered as pertinent biological indicators of the marine coastal habitats around the Tyrrhenian Region, in particular, those delimited by the mid-littoral large bio-constructions of the red calcified alga L. byssoides, where the larvae of C. boudouresquei sp. n. are exclusively confined. Such threatened species are considered biogeographic Tyrrhenian representatives and indicators of global warming and local climate change in the region, particularly to a rising sea level. Comments on the taxonomic position, ecology and geographical distribution of the new species are given.

Introduction: The lack of well-preserved material upon which to base the paleo-microbiological detection of Plasmodium parasites has prevented extensive documentation of past outbreaks of malaria in Europe. By trapping intact erythrocytes at the time of death, dental pulp has been shown to be a suitable tissue for documenting ancient intraerythrocytic pathogens such as Plasmodium parasites., Methods: Total DNA and proteins extracted from 23 dental pulp specimens collected from individuals exhumed from the 9th to 13th century archaeological site in Mariana, Corsica, were analyzed using open-mind paleo-auto-immunohistochemistry and direct metagenomics, Plasmodium -targeting immunochromatography assays. All experiments incorporated appropriate negative controls., Results: Paleo-auto-immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of parasites Plasmodium spp. in the dental pulp of nine teeth. A further immunochromatography assay identified the presence of at least one Plasmodium antigen in nine individuals. The nine teeth, for which the PfHRP-2 antigen specific of P. falciparum was detected, were also positive using paleo-autoimmunohistochemistry and metagenomics., Conclusion: Dental pulp erythrocytes proved to be suitable for the direct paleomicrobiology documentation of malaria in nine individuals buried in medieval Corsica, in agreement with historical data. This provides additional information on the millennial dynamics of Plasmodium spp. in the Mediterranean basin., Competing Interests: MD was a co-owner of AnthropoPOC®, patented name cited in this review. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Boualam, Corbara, Aboudharam, Istria, Signoli, Costedoat, Drancourt and Pradines.)