The quality and sensory characteristics of wines are influenced by several factors, including grape variety, local climate, soil conditions, viticultural practices, and vintage. This study investigates the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Malvasija Dubrovačka wines, which include various chemical groups such as terpenes, esters, alcohols, acids, and C13-norisoprenoids. The aim was to investigate how vineyard location and vintage influence the VOC profiles of these wines in two consecutive vintages. Using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, 54 individual VOCs were identified and quantified. The results showed remarkable differences in the composition of VOCs, especially C13-norisoprenoids, terpenes, and acids, between the two vintages and the studied locations. Principal component analysis showed a significant influence of vineyard location on the composition of Malvasija Dubrovačka wines, a result that was reinforced by conventional descriptive analysis (CDA) of sensory testing.

The protection of landscape and biological diversity on small Mediterranean islands represents a significant challenge in the context of intensive anthropogenic pressure and land-use change. The aim of this study was to determine the composition of ornamental flora in private gardens on the island of Koločep (IPA, Natura 2000 site), the smallest inhabited island in the Croatian part of the Adriatic, with special emphasis on invasive (IAS) and potentially invasive (PIAS) plant species, and to analyse their relationship with landscape changes and property types. A total of 161 private gardens were analysed, representing all private gardens on the island. In total, 2095 plant records corresponded to 255 unique horticultural taxa from 82 families. Allochthonous species dominate in the gardens (73%). Private gardens represent the primary pathway for the introduction of IAS and PIAS taxa on the island. The taxa with the highest invasion intensity were Ailanthus altissima and Carpobrotus edulis, while among PIAS species, high invasive potential was observed for Mirabilis jalapa and Diospyros virginiana. The study highlights the need for systematic monitoring of ornamental flora and landscape transformation, and the promotion of horticultural practices focused on autochthonous species in gardens, in order to preserve island biological and landscape diversity.

Local citrus germplasm is a valuable resource for biodiversity conservation and the preservation of traditionally maintained plant material. This study characterized 16 deliberately selected citrus accessions from private gardens in southern Croatia, each represented by a single tree, using 99 IPGRI descriptors and a panel of 15 SSR markers. The objectives were to identify the variables with the highest relative discriminating power, evaluate phenotypic relationships among the selected accessions, and determine their molecular correspondence with well-characterized reference cultivars. Phenotypic analyses identified 20 variables with the highest relative discriminating power. Hierarchical clustering and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) revealed phenotypic structuring that broadly reflected the initial field-based horticultural group assignments. Multilocus SSR analysis identified five distinct 15-locus SSR profiles among the 16 Croatian accessions. The Croatian sweet orange, lemon, and sour orange accessions shared their respective 15-locus SSR profiles with the corresponding analyzed reference cultivars. Among the accessions initially assigned to the mandarin group, two distinct multilocus SSR profiles were identified: one was shared with the analyzed Citrus clementina reference cultivars, whereas the other was shared with the analyzed Citrus deliciosa reference cultivars. The observed variation should not be interpreted as an estimate of overall citrus diversity in southern Croatia because the accessions were selected in part for their morphological and pomological distinctiveness. The combined use of phenotypic and molecular characterization provides a basis for documentation, conservation, and further evaluation of local citrus germplasm.