Ex-situ conservation of dwarf junipers (Juniperus hemisphaerica Presl, Juniperus nana Willd.) in Pollino National Park (southern Italy).

Dwarf junipers (family Cupressaceae), dioecious and wind-pollinated coniferous shrubs with a low tolerance for shade and a slow growth rate, can be an important biological indicator of climate changes in a mountain environment at a Mediterranean latitude. In the southern Italian mountains they grow at altitudes above 1500 m a.s.l. in wide grazed clearings or over the timberline, and are characteristic of xeric communities, rich in flora and fauna. Nowadays, the conservation of these species is threatened because of the dynamism in the patterns of vegetation and the extremely scarce natural regeneration. This paper presents the initial results of ongoing nursery and laboratory experiments carried out on seed germination and vegetative propagation of autochthonous dwarf junipers (Juniperus hemisphaerica Presl, Juniperus nana Willd.) of the highmountain areas of Pollino National Park (southern Italy) to promote ex situ conservation. Specific protocols were prepared to break seed dormancy and develop best practices for propagation using cuttings.