Innovative In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation Strategies of the Madonie Fir Abies nebrodensis

Arcangela Frascella, Gianni Della Rocca, Sara Barberini, Giovanni Emiliani (), Stefano Secci, Maurizio Lambardi, Carla Benelli, Waed Tarraf, Tolga Izgu, Rosario Schicchi, Maria Antonietta Germanà, Nourhene Jouini, Filippo Amato, Giuseppe Di Noto, Gaetano La Placa, Anna Geraci, Peppuccio Bonomo, Montserrat Arista, Francisco Balao, Anass Terrab, Jose C. Del Valle, Vincenzo Lo Meo and Roberto Danti
Additional contact information
Arcangela Frascella: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Gianni Della Rocca: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Sara Barberini: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Giovanni Emiliani: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Stefano Secci: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Maurizio Lambardi: Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Carla Benelli: Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Waed Tarraf: Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Tolga Izgu: Institute for BioEconomy (IBE), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Rosario Schicchi: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Maria Antonietta Germanà: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Nourhene Jouini: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Filippo Amato: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Giuseppe Di Noto: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Gaetano La Placa: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Anna Geraci: Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali (SAF), Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Peppuccio Bonomo: Ente Parco delle Madonie, Corso Paolo Agliata 16, 90027 Petralia Sottana, Italy
Montserrat Arista: Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apdo-1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
Francisco Balao: Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apdo-1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
Anass Terrab: Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apdo-1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
Jose C. Del Valle: Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apdo-1095, 41080 Sevilla, Spain
Vincenzo Lo Meo: Sicilia, Dipartimento per lo Sviluppo Rurale e Territoriale, Via della Regione Siciliana Nord Ovest 4600, 90145 Palermo, Italy
Roberto Danti: Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP), SS Sesto Fiorentino, National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-16

Abstract: Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei is an endemic species of the north-west of Sicily located in an 84 ha area in the Madonie Regional park. The current population is limited to 30 relic adult trees and a fluctuating number of juveniles of natural regeneration. The species is defined as “Critically Endangered” in the Italian list of threatened plants and is classified as CR-D in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This article reports the key action undertaken by the LIFE4FIR project aimed at preserving A. nebrodensis , and the results obtained so far in three years of activity. OpenArrays SNPs genotyping revealed a high rate of inbreeding in the natural population and that the adult trees are genetically related. Controlled cross-pollination was consequently performed to increase the genetic variability of the progeny. Outbred offspring are currently being grown in the nursery. Reforestation has been planned by using 4000 selected outbred seedlings in 10 areas within Madonie Park to create re-diffusion cores. Support and protection of the relic population have been implemented through regular phytosanitary surveys, as well as new fencing and video surveillance systems against grazing and wild herbivores. A seedbank and cryobank for the long-term germplasm conservation have been established.

Keywords: Mediterranean fir; cryobank; seed bank; reforestation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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