Alban Ibraliu

Human impact on sandy beach vegetation along the southeastern Adriatic coast

Abstract We compared the zonation of vegetation and connectivity of coastal plant communities between two distinct areas, one in Montenegro and another in Albania, that differ in terms of human impact, mainly through tourism activities. Transect plots were used to gather data about plant cover and communities, their zonation and connectivity. For description of communities multivariate methods were used and for distribution zonation we used gamma connectivity and richness of boundaries. We found that the transects of vegetation zonation from Albania, with better preserved sites, were richer in the number of boundaries, with more varied combinations of boundaries and the pattern of zonation was also more diverse. On the other hand, there were two plant communities found only in Montenegro. The more impacted transects on the disturbed beaches from Montenegro were also more unidirectional from sea to hinterland but with less ideal zonation. Plant communities from Albania were distributed more straightforwardly but contacts between them were in both directions. The less disturbed beach had zonation very similar to potential vegetation, while plant communities of the touristic beach were fragmented or even substituted by replacement communities. Coastal dune systems in Albania are still well preserved, therefore monitoring and protection measures are recommended.

Genetic Diversity and Demographic History of Wild and Cultivated/Naturalised Plant Populations: Evidence from Dalmatian Sage (Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae)

Dalmatian sage (Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae) is a well-known aromatic and medicinal Mediterranean plant that is native in coastal regions of the western Balkan and southern Apennine Peninsulas and is commonly cultivated worldwide. It is widely used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Knowledge of its genetic diversity and spatiotemporal patterns is important for plant breeding programmes and conservation. We used eight microsatellite markers to investigate evolutionary history of indigenous populations as well as genetic diversity and structure within and among indigenous and cultivated/naturalised populations distributed across the Balkan Peninsula. The results showed a clear separation between the indigenous and cultivated/naturalised groups, with the cultivated material originating from one restricted geographical area. Most of the genetic diversity in both groups was attributable to differences among individuals within populations, although spatial genetic analysis of indigenous populations indicated the existence of isolation by distance. Geographical structuring of indigenous populations was found using clustering analysis, with three sub-clusters of indigenous populations. The highest level of gene diversity and the greatest number of private alleles were found in the central part of the eastern Adriatic coast, while decreases in gene diversity and number of private alleles were evident towards the northwestern Adriatic coast and southern and eastern regions of the Balkan Peninsula. The results of Ecological Niche Modelling during Last Glacial Maximum and Approximate Bayesian Computation suggested two plausible evolutionary trajectories: 1) the species survived in the glacial refugium in southern Adriatic coastal region with subsequent colonization events towards northern, eastern and southern Balkan Peninsula; 2) species survived in several refugia exhibiting concurrent divergence into three genetic groups. The insight into genetic diversity and structure also provide the baseline data for conservation of S. officinalis genetic resources valuable for future breeding programmes.

Comparative study of Balkan Sideritis species from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Background: Sideritis scardica and S. raeseri are very popular medicinal plants in Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Objective: Comparison of the phenolic, flavonoid, and diterpene contents and detailed chemical profiles, as well as data on antioxidant activity, comprising plant material from different locations in the Balkan Peninsula. Materials and Methods: Total phenolic and flavonoid contents for the studied Sideritis samples were determined spectrophotometrically. By HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn analysis, 48 individual phenolic constituents were completely or tentatively identified. Chemical profiling of Sideritis major diterpenes and their quantification was performed by HPLC-ESI-MSD TOF analysis. A combination of two methods (ORAC and DPPH) was applied for evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of Sideritis extracts. Results: The results obtained demonstrated that Sideritis samples (S. scardica and S. raeseri) collected from Albania, Bulgaria and Macedonia are similar in their chemical profiles (they all contain phenylethanoid glycosides, flavonoid 7-O-diglycosides and acetylated flavonoid 7-Odiglycosides, and diterpenes: main components siderol and sideridiol); and antioxidant activity. Although some differences exist, they are not essential. Conclusion: This fact is a good basis for the formulation of range for parameters for quality control of Sideritis extracts and plant material. The studied cultivated plant material is similar in its chemical composition, profile and antioxidant activity to the wild growing samples.

Assessment of Irrigation Water Quality of Kosovo Plain

The study aims to assess the quality of irrigation water of the Kosovo Plain. Twelve water samples were collected from sampling points in the peak of dry season in July 2015. Samples were taken from rivers, canals and pumping stations. The contents of the samples have been analyzed. The classification used to assess qualities and the suitability of irrigation water is based on FAO’s and USSL’s classification criteria of irrigation water. The study revealed that important constituents which influence the quality of irrigation water such as: electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, sodium adsorption ratio, soluble sodium percentage, residual sodium bicarbonate, permeability index and Kelly’s ratio, were found within the permissible limits of water for irrigation purposes. Therefore, the surface water of this area is deemed to be of an excellent quality and its use is highly recommended for the irrigation of crops.