La presente tesi di dottorato ha trattato due diversi aspetti specifici ricollegabili all’ambiente della foresta di querce da sughero ed alla specie arborea Quercus suber L. La prima parte ha riguardato la valutazione pedologica della Sughereta Sperimentale di “Cusseddu – Miali – Parapinta”, situata a Tempio Pausania (OT) in Sardegna, che ha rappresentato il primo esempio di sughereta munita di Certificazione Forestale FSC, a livello mondiale, ed è stata effettuata nell’ambito del Progetto NATO Scienza per la Pace (ESP.MD.SFP 981674)0073. Tale progetto ha coinvolto un consorzio interdisciplinare, composto da gruppi di ricerca provenienti da tre paesi NATO (Portogallo, Inghilterra e Italia) e da due paesi del Dialogo Mediterraneo (Marocco e Tunisia). Lo scopo di questa prima parte ha riguardato la valutazione della qualità del suolo come espressione della capacità di interagire con l’ecosistema in funzione della produttività biologica e della gestione forestale. La seconda parte,invece, ha riguardato la fenologia della fioritura in Quercus suber L., prendendo in esame individui della Sughereta “Quinta da Serra”, Azeitão, Lisbona (Portogallo), con l’obiettivo di approfondire le conoscenze sulla variabilità all’interno della specie Quercus suber L. e il comportamento riproduttivo durante il periodo di fioritura, e di avanzare l’ipotesi di un modello di risposta di adattamento ai cambiamenti climatici. / In this PhD thesis two different aspects that specifically relate to the environment of cork oak forest and the species Quercus suber L. were examined. The first part was focused on the soil’s evaluation of Experimental cork producing area named "Cusseddu–Miali-Parapinta”, located in Tempio Pausania (OT) in Sardinia which represent the first example of cork oak forest certificated (FSC) in the world. This aspect was carried out within the framework “NATO Science for Peace Project (ESP.MD.SFP 981674) 0073”, which involved an interdisciplinary consortium, comprising research teams from three NATO countries(Portugal, England and Italy) and two Mediterranean Dialogue countries (Morocco and Tunisia). The purpose of this first part was focused on the evaluation of soil quality as expression of the ability to interact with the ecosystem as a function of biological productivity and forest management. The second part, involved in the flowering phenology of the Quercus suber L., examining individuals of cork oak in "Quinta da Serra", Azeitão, Lisbon (Portugal), with the final aim of increasing knowledge on the variability within the species Quercus suber L. and the reproductive behavior during the flowering period, and put forward the hypothesis of a model of adaptive response to climate change.

No description available.

This thesis deals with the effects of changing land use, following landscape abandonment, on butterfly communities in the Mediterranean Basin. It consists of three case studies. The first focuses on the effects of forest encroachment on butterflies in the Southern Balkans; the second studies butterfly communities in Portuguese 'montados' and the third explores demography and life histories of three co-occurring Papilionidae butterfly species (Archon apollinus, Zerynthia polyxena and Zerynthia cerisy) in Greek Thrace. The results describe shifts in butterfly communities, detectable even at the level of individual species life history traits, with increasing forest encroachment. The preference of range-restricted Mediterranean endemics for either grasslands or open woodland formations contributes to falsifying the forested Mediterranean hypothesis, favouring a hypothesis of finely grained landscape mosaic instead. This mosaic is currently threatened by land use change and biodiversity homogenisation. Maintaining habitat and landscape heterogeneity is crucial for conserving the Mediterranean biodiversity hot-spot.

Les plantes invasives constituent un phénomène très répandu sur la planète qui entraîne des problèmes environnementaux majeurs aboutissant à des perturbations significatives dans les processus régissant la conservation de la diversité végétale et microbienne des sols. Acacia mearnsii (De Wild) est l'une des espèces d'Acacia ayant un potentiel invasif important. Cette légumineuse d'origine australienne a été introduite dans les subéraies du Parc National d'El-Kala (PNEK), au Nord-Est de l'Algérie, où elle induit des dégradations drastiques sur l'écosystème forestier de chêne-liège Quercus suber (L.) et la diversité végétale et microbienne de cette formation forestière. L'objectif de cette étude a été d'évaluer les transformations induites par A. mearnsii sur les caractéristiques et microbienne du sol (particulièrement les communautés de symbiotes microbiens) et d'en déterminer les conséquences sur le développement de chêne-liège. Une série d'expérimentations a été réalisée sur les sols de trois sites dans le PNEK : forêt naturelle de Q. suber (site non envahi), peuplement mixte Q. suber et A. mearnsii (site envahi récemment par A. mearnsii) et peuplement d'A. mearnsii (site anciennement envahi par A. mearnsii). Les analyses de sol, de la diversité fonctionnelle et structurelle des microorganismes telluriques ont révélé l'existence de modifications liées à la présence de l'espèce envahissante. D'autre part, il a été déterminé que A. mearnsii avait un effet inhibiteur sur le développement du chêne-liège et sur son cortège ectomycorhizien associé. De plus, cette essence semble avoir la capacité de s'adapter facilement au milieu d'introduction, du fait de sa forte mycotrophie vis à vis des champignons mycorhiziens arbusculaires, et de sa facilité de nodulation spontanée avec des bactéries symbiotiques principalement du genre Bradyrhizobium. La présence de symbiotes compatibles avec A. mearnsii dans les habitats envahis représente probablement un des facteurs susceptibles de faciliter le processus d'envahissement de l'espèce. Nos résultats suggèrent que la régression du développement du chêne-liège peut être liée aux modifications induites par A. mearnsii sur le fonctionnement du sol et la structure des microorganismes telluriques. Cet effet est probablement lié à d'autres éléments biotiques et abiotiques du milieu envahi influencé par cet arbre. Il sera donc important d'affiner cette étude, et d'analyser plus précisément les paramètres pouvant être à l'origine du succès de l'invasion par A. mearnsii afin de définir un cadre de lutte contre cette espèce invasive et ainsi sauvegarder la subéraie . / Invasive plants are a global phenomenon causing major environmental problems leading to significant disruptions in the processes governing the conservation of plant diversity and soil microbial communities. Acacia mearnsii (De Wild) is one of the Acacia species with a significant invasive potential. This Australian native legume was introduced in the cork forests of the National Park of El Kala (PNEK), North-eastern Algeria, and induced drastic degradation of the cork oak (Quercus suber (L.)) forest ecosystem, on understorey plant species and soil microbial diversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes resulting from the A. mearnsii invasion on chemical characteristics and soil microbiota (especially symbiotic microbial communities) and to determine their impact on cork oak development. Experiments were conducted on soils collected from three sites in the PNEK: Q. suber natural stand (non-invaded site), mixed Q. suber and A. mearnsii stand (recently invaded site) and A. mearnsii stand (fully invaded site). Both chemical and microbiological soil characteristics were affected by the presence of the invasive species. On the other hand, it was determined that A. mearnsii had an inhibitory effect on the development of the cork oak tree and its associated ectomycorrhizal community. In addition, this tree species seems to easily interact with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the introduction area, being abundantly infected. It is also spontaneously nodulated by local symbiotic bacteria, mainly of the genus Bradyrhizobium. The presence of symbionts, compatible with A. mearnsii in invaded habitats are probably one of the factors that facilitate the process of invasion. Our results suggest that the development of the cork oak can be linked to changes induced by A. mearnsii with soil functioning and with the composition of soil microorganism communities. This effect is probably related to other biotic and abiotic components of the environment influenced by this invasive tree species. It seems thus important to analyze more precisely the parameters that cause the success of the invasion by A. mearnsii in order to better control this invasive species and save the cork oak forest in Algeria.

La peridermis és una estructura complexa que protegeix els òrgans vegetals madurs (secundaris) i les zones que han sofert ferides de la pèrdua d'aigua i dels patògens. Aquesta funció barrera és deguda al fel·lema o súber, un teixit format per cèl·lules suberificades. Tant el fel·lema com la suberina són crucials per la vida de les plantes terrestres, però pràcticament no es coneix res dels processos moleculars que regulen la seva formació, probablement degut a la manca de models adequats. En aquesta tesi s'han identificat i caracteritzat gens induïts al fel·lema mitjançant la combinació de dues plantes models. L'escorça d'alzina surera (Quercus suber) s'ha utilitzat per aïllar gens candidats de la formació del fel·lema i per investigar el comportament d'alguns d'aquests gens durant l'estació de creixement, mentre que la pela de la patata (Solanum tuberosum) s'ha utilitzat en estudis de genètica reversa per demostrar la funció d'alguns gens reguladors al fel·lema. / The periderm is a complex structure that protects plant mature (secondary) organs and wounded tissues from water loss, injuries and pathogens. This barrier capacity is accomplished by the cork layer of the periderm, a tissue made of dead cells with suberin deposited into cell walls. Although cork and suberin are critical for the survival of land plants, very few is known about the molecular processes involved in their biosynthesis and differentiation, probably due to the lack of appropriate plant models. Here we developed a strategy to identify and characterize cork candidate genes using a combination of two model plants for periderm studies. The bark of cork oak (Quercus suber) was used to identify candidate genes and to analyze the seasonal behaviour of some of these genes. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) tuber was used to demonstrate the role of some selected candidates in the regulation of cork by reverse genetic analyses.