Errol Véla

• Biodiversity Journal, 4 (3): 385-386
  Errol Véla & Daniel Pavon
  Allium commutatum Guss. and the « small islands specialist » plants species of the Western Mediterranean
  Download PDF
• Biodiversity Journal, 3 (4): 343-362

  Errol Véla & Daniel Pavon
  The vascular flora of Algerian and Tunisian small islands: if not biodiversity hotspots, at least biogeographical hotchpotchs?

  ABSTRACT
  Algerian and Tunisian coasts host more than one hundred small islands and islets, but are still poorly known. We have compiled recently published and unpublished data from “PIM initiative” (Mediterranean small island initiative) and other kind of expeditions. For each small island or archipelago we seek to establish the membership to or relationship with the regional hotspots of the Mediterranean basin and the important plant areas (IPA) of Algeria and Tunisia, thanks to species-area relationships and biogeographical analyses. Nowadays, 25 small islands are considered as botanically well-known and can be analysed. Species-area relationship follows a classical linear regression model while some islands are less rich than predicted and other ones are more rich. These richest islands can be assessed as IPA following criterion B. Some of them have been yet assessed as IPA following criterion A, especially because of presence of local or regional endemism. Each main archipelago shows biogeographical links not only with neighbour continental coasts, but also with northern coasts or big islands from the western Mediterranean, especially the Tyrrhenian complex. “Grand Cavallo” and “Petit Cavallo” islands are highlighted here as the 23rd IPA from Algeria. As biodiversity hotchpotch, each small island or archipelago should play a significant role in the conservation programs although some of them are still unexplored and a deeper taxonomical knowledge is necessary in the north-African context.

  Download PDF