Adapting to sea level rise: participatory, solution-oriented policy tools in vulnerable Mediterranean areas.

The coasts of the Mediterranean basin are exposed to the ongoing effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressure. Low elevated coastal plains, river deltas, lagoons and reclamation areas are experiencing beach retreat, coastal erosion and marine flooding. This makes them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR), which is expected to increase up to 1 m by 2100 AD, according to the projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In this study, selected stakeholders from four Mediterranean coastal areas that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of SLR have been engaged through a structured participatory process for the development of solution-oriented, case-specific and site-specific Policy Tools to address SLR. The developed Policy Tools for the Venice Lagoon, the Metaponto reclamation area and the Basento river mouth, in Italy, the Ebro River Delta in Spain, and the coastal plain of Chalastra, near the Axios River Delta, in Greece, contain relevant, effective and implementable actions stemming from stakeholder interaction and consensus building. The interconnected stakeholder engagement steps employed in this study identified relevant issues that should be considered when defining SLR adaptation policies to bridge knowledge and perception gaps, facilitate knowledge exchange and foster social learning through structured science communication on SLR. This participatory stakeholder process can lay the foundations for more extensive participation in public processes through which the resulting Policy Tools can materialise into collectively accepted, concrete actions to help vulnerable areas adapt to the expected SLR and consequent coastal hazards by the end of this century. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10669-023-09910-5.

Fungal diversity notes 1512-1610: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on genera and species of fungal taxa.

This article is the 14th in the Fungal Diversity Notes series, wherein we report 98 taxa distributed in two phyla, seven classes, 26 orders and 50 families which are described and illustrated. Taxa in this study were collected from Australia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Cyprus, Egypt, France, French Guiana, India, Indonesia, Italy, Laos, Mexico, Russia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. There are 59 new taxa, 39 new hosts and new geographical distributions with one new combination. The 59 new species comprise Angustimassarina kunmingense, Asterina lopi, Asterina brigadeirensis, Bartalinia bidenticola, Bartalinia caryotae, Buellia pruinocalcarea, Coltricia insularis, Colletotrichum flexuosum, Colletotrichum thasutense, Coniochaeta caraganae, Coniothyrium yuccicola, Dematipyriforma aquatic, Dematipyriforma globispora, Dematipyriforma nilotica, Distoseptispora bambusicola, Fulvifomes jawadhuvensis, Fulvifomes malaiyanurensis, Fulvifomes thiruvannamalaiensis, Fusarium purpurea, Gerronema atrovirens, Gerronema flavum, Gerronema keralense, Gerronema kuruvense, Grammothele taiwanensis, Hongkongmyces changchunensis, Hypoxylon inaequale, Kirschsteiniothelia acutisporum, Kirschsteiniothelia crustaceum, Kirschsteiniothelia extensum, Kirschsteiniothelia septemseptatum, Kirschsteiniothelia spatiosum, Lecanora immersocalcarea, Lepiota subthailandica, Lindgomyces guizhouensis, Marthe asmius pallidoaurantiacus, Marasmius tangerinus, Neovaginatispora mangiferae, Pararamichloridium aquisubtropicum, Pestalotiopsis piraubensis, Phacidium chinaum, Phaeoisaria goiasensis, Phaeoseptum thailandicum, Pleurothecium aquisubtropicum, Pseudocercospora vernoniae, Pyrenophora verruculosa, Rhachomyces cruralis, Rhachomyces hyperommae, Rhachomyces magrinii, Rhachomyces platyprosophi, Rhizomarasmius cunninghamietorum, Skeletocutis cangshanensis, Skeletocutis subchrysella, Sporisorium anadelphiae-leptocomae, Tetraploa dashaoensis, Tomentella exiguelata, Tomentella fuscoaraneosa, Tricholomopsis lechatii, Vaginatispora flavispora and Wetmoreana blastidiocalcarea. The new combination is Torula sundara. The 39 new records on hosts and geographical distribution comprise Apiospora guiyangensis, Aplosporella artocarpi, Ascochyta medicaginicola, Astrocystis bambusicola, Athelia rolfsii, Bambusicola bambusae, Bipolaris luttrellii, Botryosphaeria dothidea, Chlorophyllum squamulosum, Colletotrichum aeschynomenes, Colletotrichum pandanicola, Coprinopsis cinerea, Corylicola italica, Curvularia alcornii, Curvularia senegalensis, Diaporthe foeniculina, Diaporthe longicolla, Diaporthe phaseolorum, Diatrypella quercina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, Helicoma aquaticum, Lepiota metulispora, Lepiota pongduadensis, Lepiota subvenenata, Melanconiella meridionalis, Monotosporella erecta, Nodulosphaeria digitalis, Palmiascoma gregariascomum, Periconia byssoides, Periconia cortaderiae, Pleopunctum ellipsoideum, Psilocybe keralensis, Scedosporium apiospermum, Scedosporium dehoogii, Scedosporium marina, Spegazzinia deightonii, Torula fici, Wiesneriomyces laurinus and Xylaria venosula. All these taxa are supported by morphological and multigene phylogenetic analyses. This article allows the researchers to publish fungal collections which are important for future studies. An updated, accurate and timely report of fungus-host and fungus-geography is important. We also provide an updated list of fungal taxa published in the previous fungal diversity notes. In this list, erroneous taxa and synonyms are marked and corrected accordingly.

Extended phylogeography of the ancestral Morchella anatolica supports preglacial presence in Europe and Mediterranean origin of morels.

Over 80 species are recognized in the commercially important genus Morchella, many of them endemic to specific regions or continents. Among them, M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea are the earliest diverging lineages and are key in decoding the evolutionary history, global biogeography, and ecological trends within this iconic genus. Early ancestral area reconstruction (AAR) tests postulated a western North American origin of morels but had not included in the analyses M. anatolica, whose phylogenetic identity remained at the time unresolved. Following new collections of M. anatolica and M. rufobrunnea from the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus, Kefalonia, Lesvos, Malta, and Zakynthos, we performed revised AAR tests to update the historical biogeography of the genus. Our results, inferred from multilocus analysis of an expanded data set of 79 phylospecies, challenge previous reconstructions and designate the Mediterranean basin as the most likely place of origin for morels. Detailed morphoanatomical analyses demonstrate that ascocarp rufescence, the nondarkening apothecial ridges, the absence of a sinus, and the stipe pruinescence are all stable synapomorphic features of sect. Rufobrunnea, which could be interpreted as ancestral for the genus. The saprotrophic mode of nutrition, suggested by the prolific in vitro growth of M. anatolica, might also be an ancestral trait. Emended descriptions, including extensive imagery and scanning electron microscopy, are provided, and a new evolutionary hypothesis of the genus is proposed.

Multiple evolutionary origins of sequestrate species in the agaricoid genus Chlorophyllum.

Chlorophyllum accommodates lamellate agaricoid species as well as sequestrate angiocarpic taxa, which do not form a monophyletic lineage within the genus. To clarify phylogenetic affinities and delimit species boundaries among sequestrate representatives of the genus, we analyzed historical and contemporary material from a broad geographic range, encompassing North America, southern Africa, eastern Asia, the Greek and Iberian peninsulas, and the Mediterranean islands of Cyprus and Lesvos. Six sequestrate lineages of Chlorophyllum were identified, which appear to have evolved in at least three independent gasteromycetation events. Multigene analysis of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 (ITS) and portions of the nuc 28S rDNA (28S), RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (rpb2), and translation elongation factor 1-α (tef1) genes revealed the presence of a previously undescribed species, introduced here as Chlorophyllum levantinum, sp. nov. Its sister species C. lusitanicum, previously known only from Spain, is shown to have a wider distribution throughout the Mediterranean basin. A South African collection of Secotium gueinzii, a poorly known taxon described in 1840 and seldom appearing in literature since, was also shown to nest within Chlorophyllum. An epitype for this rare species is designated, Secotium becomes a priority synonym of Chlorophyllum, and nomenclatural implications are discussed. The phylogenetic placement of C. arizonicum is confirmed after successful sequencing of the century-old holotype and an undescribed sister lineage of this species detected. Emended descriptions of sections Chlorophyllum, Endoptychorum, and Sphaerospororum are provided to reflect current results, along with updated descriptions and extensive imagery for all known sequestrate taxa of Chlorophyllum.

Phylogenetic and distributional data on boletoid fungi (Boletaceae) in Cyprus and description of a new sampling methodology.

The data presented here was obtained during a decade-long macromycete inventory on the island of Cyprus and is supplementary to the research article "Present status and future of boletoid fungi (Boletaceae) on the island of Cyprus: cryptic and threatened diversity unravelled by ten-year study" [1]. A new, rainfall-based sampling protocol for documenting fungal diversity in Mediterranean ecosystems, is described in detail.

Persistent marine litter: small plastics and cigarette butts remain on beaches after organized beach cleanups.

Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean whose economy is largely dependent on coastal tourism. It boasts some of the cleanest waters in Europe and has the largest number of Blue Flag awarded beaches per capita in the world. These beaches are managed by local authorities and are regularly cleaned, throughout the year, at least once per day. This paper presents findings from cleanups that were organized over the summers of 2016 and 2017 on nine Blue Flag beaches around the island of Cyprus, after the beaches were cleaned by the responsible authorities. The aim was to answer the following questions: 'Are regular beach cleanups by local authorities efficient?' and 'What is left on a "clean" beach?' The results suggest that local authority cleanup efforts are quite successful at collecting larger pieces of marine litter, leaving the beach seemingly clean. However, small pieces of litter, such as cigarette butts and small pieces of plastic items related to recreational activities, remain on the beach. They likely accumulate or are buried over time, with some items becoming a nuisance to beach goers and a potential source of marine litter.

Diversity of Chroogomphus (Gomphidiaceae, Boletales) in Europe, and typification of C. rutilus.

In this study, eight species of Chroogomphus are recognized from Europe: C. britannicus, C. aff. filiformis 1, C. fulmineus, C. cf. helveticus, C. mediterraneus, C. cf. purpurascens, C. rutilus, and C. subfulmineus. Different candidates for the application of the name C. rutilus are evaluated and the best fit to the description is selected; lecto- and epitypes are chosen to fix the name. Chroogomphus fulmineus and C. mediterraneus are also epitypified and a new species, C. subfulmineus, is described. The infrageneric classification is revised and a new subgenus Siccigomphus and three new sections, Confusi, Filiformes, and Fulminei are introduced. The former sections Chroogomphus and Floccigomphus are elevated to subgeneric level. Comparison of the ITS regions (nuc rDNA ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of all species studied shows that there is a minimum interspecific difference of 1.5 %, with the exception of the two species belonging to sect. Fulminei which differ by a minimum of 0.9 %. Ecological specimen data indicate that species of Chroogomphus form basidiomes under members of Pinaceae, with a general preference for species of Pinus. Five European species have been recorded under Picea, while Abies and Larix have also been recorded as tree associates, although the detailed nutritional relationships of the genus, involving other suilloid fungi in particular, have yet to be fully clarified.

A novel best practices approach: the MARLISCO case.

Research that was undertaken to identify and evaluate best practices that can effectively minimise the amount of marine litter in European Seas is presented. Best practices were approached in a novel way that aimed to maximise the impact and added value of the FP7-funded project MARLISCO. The practices served as a tool to enhance the active participation and build capacity in key actors through the implementation of the innovative, dedicatedly-developed decision support tool, DeCyDe-4-Marlisco. This paper also presents the key 'preference' attributes of successful marine litter management practices and provides a snapshot of the key characteristics of the recorded best practices as a means of helping the reader, and particularly decision makers, recognise what would make their marine litter management efforts more successful.

Effect of temperature and aeration rate on co-composting of olive mill wastewater with olive stone wooden residues.

Co-composting of the solid residues and wastewater from the olive oil production process was examined as a potential bioremediation treatment for these wastes. Experimental results from a semi batch laboratory pilot plant were reported. Composting was performed for 20 days under constant moisture 40% and the temperature ranged from 55 to 72°C and the oxygen partial pressure from 10 to 17%. An operational region of temperature and oxygen partial pressure was defined in order to achieve a ratio of total olive mill wastewater consumption to olive stone wooden residue stabilization equal or greater than 2.5, the typical ratio for an olive mill plant. Another critical parameter for the optimisation of the 20-day co-composting process that was examined was the biological efficiency of the process, as the carbon dioxide produced to the total carbon available to biomass. A strong sigmoid correlation of co-composting efficiency with temperature derived, reaching a maximum plateau of 0.50 at 68°C. The optimum conditions for a 20-day semi batch co-composting proved to be 68°C and 16-17% oxygen partial pressure, indicating that this process could be an integrated treatment scheme for olive mills.

Inhibition kinetics of phenolic compounds in aerobic degradation of organic wastewaters.

This study proposed a kinetic model for the aerobic degradation of high strength organic wastewaters with high concentrations of phenolic compounds. The model was based on the conventional Monod kinetic equation incorporating phenols' inhibition. Furthermore, a methodology for determining biokinetic constants was proposed. Olive-mill wastewater (OMWW) was used for the case study. The model and proposed methodology were fitted on the experimental data and it was proved that the aerobic degradation of OMWW was described satisfactorily. The following kinetic constants were determined: maximum specific substrate removal rate, 1.35 h(-1); minimum microorganisms decay rate, 0.01 h(-1); inhibition coefficient of phenolic compounds, 373 mg L(-1); half-saturation concentration in carbon units, 1004 mg L(-1); and decay acceleration coefficient of phenolic compounds, 231 mg L(-1). Finally, the biomass yield coefficient was found to be equal to 0.36. Thus, it was determined that the proposed methodology would be a useful tool for determining biokinetic constants of similar substrates.

Sources and factors controlling the disposal of biodegradable municipal solid waste in urban and rural areas of Cyprus.

An inventory of sources of biodegradable municipal soil waste (BMSW) was constructed for urban and rural areas in the EU accession region of Cyprus. Composition analysis was performed on source-separated BMSW collected from households in the rural Ergates Community and an urban area within the Agglanjia Municipality. The data were statistically scrutinized to identify the main factors influencing the quantities of BMSW disposed by urban and rural communities in Cyprus. The results were extrapolated to predict the quantities and types of BMSW disposed by the entire communities. Significantly more BMSW was disposed in the urban area compared to the rural community due to lower diversion rates for green waste and the disposal of food waste from commercial sources. The quantity of food waste collected from households was influenced by socio-economic (household size, income, percentage of children) and behavioural (feeding of food waste to domestic animals, consuming processed 'ready' food) factors, whereas garden size, the type of vegetation, the reuse of trimmings and home composting were the main factors controlling the disposal of green waste.