Scutellaria rupestris subsp. cephalonica (Rech.f.) Greuter & Burdet (Lamiaceae) is a perennial herb endemic to Mounts Ainos and Roudi on the island of Cephalonia. Until now, information about the taxon’s distribution has been sketchy: two fairly localized populations on Mt. Ainos have been reported, one of them extinct, and two on Mt. Roudi, without specifics. Because we thought that the taxon is much more common, we designed a survey along contours encircling the two peaks totaling 80 km. We recorded 112 locations of the taxon. We found that S. rupestris subsp. cephalonica prefers sunny clearings within fir forest as well as crevices among limestone rock on somewhat flat terrain. On Mt. Roudi, the taxon grows above 800 m, and is rather uncommon. On Mt. Ainos, the taxon is quite common above 1100 m; below that altitude it has not been confirmed. The findings were more abundant on the NE slope of Mt. Ainos which is wetter and possibly cooler than the SW slope due to being shaded and more forested, less eroded, and with a deep organic layer. The main threat to the survival of the taxon is illegal grazing. The proposed Red List assessment according to IUCN is EN B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii).

A floristic survey was implemented during 2021-2022 largely within Natura sites GR1430008 and GR1420004 in the Region of Thessaly, altogether comprising 796 km2. While both Natura sites were explored, the sampling effort was intensified within a narrow study area of 550 km2 encompassing the N part of Mt Pelion and the whole of Mt Mavrovouni. Sampling within the narrow study area was one-third guided by previous findings and two-thirds random. In total, 129 square cells 1 km2 wide were explored, of which 100 yielded orchid findings; 39 orchid taxa (species and subspecies) plus two nothotaxa were recorded. In the narrow study area, 33 orchid taxa and nothotaxa were recorded, of which 13 for the first time: Anacamptis papilionacea, A. pyramidalis, Himantoglossum robertianum, Ophrys × delphinensis, O. sicula, O. speculum, O. sphegodes subsp. sphegodes, O. tenthredinifera, O. tenthredinifera × O. sphegodes subsp. taurica (syn. O. mammosa), O. umbilicata, Orchis italica, O. simia, and Platanthera bifolia. The main threats facing orchids are rooting by feral pigs, overgrazing by ruminants, clearing of road verges, intensive arboriculture, and the encroachment of photovoltaic farms.

Our study was based on the premise that the type of soil tillage and the kind of fertilization significantly affect soil properties, nutrient availability, and uptake by Vitis vinifera L. (cv. ‘Robola’) plants. For this purpose, a two-year field experiment was conducted, in a 2 × 3 factorial (i.e., two types of soil tillage-conventional and reduced and three kinds of fertilization-conventional, controlled N release and organic), with six treatments derived from the combination of the two tillage and the three fertilization methods. The results showed that the organic matter content (%), as well as the exchangeable Mg, were significantly influenced by the type of tillage. The kind of fertilization affected soil nitrate and leaf N (lower values in the organic fertilization) and P concentrations (higher values in the organic fertilization). Regarding the effect of the type of tillage, foliar Mg was significantly higher in the conventional soil tillage. Finally, both the type of tillage and kind of fertilization significantly affected leaf Zn. Overall, these data show the importance of innovative dual co-application of pomace (an organic by-product of the wine industry) with reduced soil tillage on soil properties and plant nutrition. Thus, it is expected to gain environmental, ecological, and economic benefits for wine producers and also to improve vineyards’ sustainability and protected designation of origin (PDO) wine quality under the challenges provoked by climatic and recent energy crises.

Effective ex situ propagation is critical for the conservation and restoration of threatened terrestrial orchids. However, large-scale propagation remains constrained by developmental bottlenecks including the transition from protocorms to plantlets with storage organs. Although cold exposure is often recommended to improve propagation success, the thermal conditions governing survival and post-dormancy performance remain poorly understood. We experimentally exposed protocorms of the Mediterranean terrestrial orchids Anacamptis coriophora, A. laxiflora, Himantoglossum hircinum, and H. robertianum to eight thermal treatments for 8 weeks, including controlled laboratory conditions and outdoor sites along an altitudinal gradient. Survival, shoot growth, and tuber development were quantified before and after summer dormancy, and their relationship with temperature descriptors was analysed using a model selection approach. Plant performance was consistently better explained by cumulative chilling exposure than by mean temperature alone, with different developmental processes responding to distinct thermal thresholds. Exposure to moderately low temperatures (10°C–12°C) determined survival and reserve accumulation before dormancy, while chilling below 6°C–7°C doubled post-dormancy shoot length in responsive species, revealing carry-over effects across growing seasons. Species differed markedly in their thermal responses; increased chilling reduced post-dormancy survival by ∼50% in A. coriophora but increased it two-fold in A. laxiflora, whereas H. robertianum developed leaves only following cold exposure. Winter chilling therefore appears to be a key regulator of seedling development in Mediterranean terrestrial orchids. The identified thermal thresholds provide a basis for improving ex situ propagation and restoration protocols, while highlighting species-specific vulnerabilities and responses to future climate change.