Itineraries of the Working Group for Vegetation Science of the Italian Botanical Society -1 (2022): Excursion to the Egadi Islands, Mount San Giuliano and Mount Cofano (Trapani, western Sicily, Italy (original) (raw)

Botanical Escursions in Central and Western Sicily

A comprehensive guide for botanical excursions in Central and Western Sicily, including 24 itineraries described in every detail and illustrated by maps and photographs of the excursion sites. The book illustrates, as well, the whole flora of Sicily (more than 3000 species of vascular plants) arranged in synoptic tables and provides an up-to date syntaxonomy and bibliography of the phytosociological classification of the Sicilian vegetation. The guide was prepared for the 60th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science, held in Palermo, Italy, on June 20–24, 2017. The symposium saw 393 participants from 56 States across 5 continents.

Contribution to the phytosociological characterization of the forest vegetation of the Sicani Mountains (inland of the nort-western Sicily)

2016

The results of a phytosociological survey on the main forest vegetation aspects of the Sicani Mountains (inland of north-western Sicily), in turn included in the homonymous Regional Park recently established, are presented. This expansive territory (43,687 hectares), located between the Agrigento and Palermo provinces, is mainly composed by carbonate and silico-carbonate formations of the Sicani Units, whose highest peaks are represented by Mount Cammarata (1578 m a.s.l.), Mount delle Rose (1436 m), Pizzo Cangialoso (1420 m) and Mount Pernice (1393 m). Under the bioclimatic aspect, the area falls within the thermoand supramediterranean belts, with ombrotype ranging from upper dry (annual average rainfall of about 550 mm) in the southern and western slopes, to upper subhumid (annual average rainfall of 800-1000 mm) – sometimes tending towards the wet – in the cacuminal part of the aforecited elevations. Many plant communities were identified and surveyed, several of which are describ...

The Querco-Fagetea sylvaticae class in Sicily: an example of boreal-temperate vegetation in the central Mediterranean Region.

a syntaxonomical revision of the class Querco-Fagetea sylvaticae in Sicily, based on literature data and unpublished relevés, is presented. this class groups the mesophilous woods characterized by the dominance of deciduous trees (e.g. Fagus sylvatica, Quercus sp. pl., Acer sp. pl.), and more rarely by conifers (Taxus baccata, Pinus nigra subsp. calabrica), as well as by other broadleaved trees, such as Betula aetnensis, Populus tremula, Castanea sativa. in Sicily, these woody communities are widespread in the northern and north-eastern districts of the island, chiefly on the highest peaks (madonie, nebrodi, peloritani, and etna). this class is represented in Sicily by two, both floristically and ecologically well differentiated orders: Fagetalia sylvaticae, with the sole alliance Geranio versicoloris-Fagion sylvaticae, and Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae, with the endemic alliance Pino calabricae-Quercion congestae. on the whole, 22 associations have been recognized within the class Querco-Fagetea and for each of them nomenclature, floristic assessment, ecology, syndinamic relationships, and chorology are examined.

The flora of Monte Perda 'e Liana, centre-eastern Sardinia

This contribution presents the results of the floristic research carried out on Monte Perda 'e Liana, one of the most characteristic Mesozoic calcareous formations of centre-eastern Sardinia. The found floristic component numbers 247 taxa that can be ascribed to 57 families and 176 genera. The endemic quota is made up of 44 species or 17.81% of the local flora mostly ascribed to the Sardinian sector. The analysis of the biological forms has pointed out a high percentage of hemicryptophytes and therophytes; while the chorological spectrum has shown the dominance of steno and euri Mediterranean elements. Floristic list Aspleniaceae Asplenium trichomanes L.-H ros-Cosmopolitan-rocks Ceterach officinarum Willd.-H ros-Eurasiatic-rupestral ravines Aspidiaceae Dryopteris thyrrhena Fras.-Jenk. et Reichst-G rhiz-Mediterranean-cool spots Polypodiaceae Polypodium cambricum L. subsp. serrulatum (Sch. ex Arcang.) Pic. Ser.-H ros-Euri-Mediterranean-cool spots Cupressaceae Juniperus nana Willd.-NP-Boreal-garrigue exposed to the winds Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. oxycedrus L.-P caesp-Euri-Mediterranean-maquis Salicaceae Salix alba L. subsp. coerulea (Sm.) Rech. fil.-P scap-Paleotemperata-humid ravines Fagaceae Quercus ilex L.-P caesp-Steno-Mediterranean-maquis Urticaceae Urtica atrovirens Requien. ex Loisel.-H scap-Endemic-soils rich in nitrates Parietaria judaica L.-H scap-Euri-Mediterranean-Macaronesic-sunny cliffs Santalaceae Osyris alba L.-NP-Mediterranean-Macaronesic-maquis Flora Mediterranea 14-2004 Genista salzmannii DC.-NP-Mediterranean-garrigue Genista corsica (Loisel.) DC. in Lam. & DC.-NP-Endemic-maquis Vicia tetrasperma (L.) Schreber-T scap-Cosmopolitan-grassland Lathyrus cicera L.-T scap-Euri-Mediterranean-grassy glades, maquis Lathyrus hirsutus L.-T scap-Euri-Mediterranean-garrigue Pisum sativum L. subsp. elatius (Bieb.) Asch. et Gr.-T scap-Mediterranean-Turaniangarrigue. Medicago orbicularis (L.) Bartal.-T scap-Euri-Mediterranean-garrigue Medicago arabica (L.

Vegetation survey and plant landscape mapping of the SCI IT9140002 "Litorale Brindisino" (Puglia, Southern Italy)

2017

A vegetation survey of the SCI IT9140002 "Litorale Brindisino" (Apulia Region, Italy), with a focus on the coastal environments, along with vegetation and habitat maps, are here presented. The SCI is a coastal site characterized by dunes and salt marshes and, landwards, by garrigues, maquis and grasslands. The coastal belt is characterized by a highly fragmented landscape, because of anthropogenic pressures and coastal erosion. The vegetation was studied according to the phytosociological method and the survey led to the identification of 22 plant communities belonging to 11 syntaxonomic classes. Vegetation and habitat maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in combination with topographical maps, at a scale of 1:5,000. The presence of several complex vegetation mosaics was highlighted.

Relevant habitats neglected by the Directive 92/43 EEC: the contribution of Vegetation Science for their reappraisal in Sicily

Plant Sociology, 2021

Field investigation carried out by the Sicilian botanists in the last 20 years enabled them to identify eight habitat types of high biogeographic and conservation interest, neglected by the Directive 92/43, which deserve ad hoc conservation measures. For each of these habitats, a syntaxonomic interpretation of the corresponding plant communities, their main ecological, physiognomic and syndynamic traits and a list of diagnostic species are provided. Their classification into the macrotypes listed in the Annex I of the Directive 92/43 and the respective correspondence in EUNIS habitat classification are proposed. The habitats here described integrate those already proposed by the Italian Botanical Society, with the hope of an adequate recognition at national at supranational level.

A survey of the weedy communities of Sicily.

As Sicily has been a central crossroads of human activity for thousands of years, it offers a major perspective on the Mediterranean weedy plant communities. This syntaxonomical survey of the Sicilian weedy vegetation groups together for the fi rst time 30 plant associations, that have been described from the main and neighboring island in the last three decades. The surveyed vegetation is ascribed to the classes Papaveretea rhoeadis and Stellarietea mediae, whose fl oristic autonomy is here discussed, and to the orders Aperetalia spicae-venti and Papaveretalia rhoeadis for the former, Polygono-Chenopodietalia polispermi, Solano-Polygonetalia convolvuli, Thero-Brometalia and Urtico-Scrophularietalia peregrinae for the latter class. Most of the surveyed associations are linked to hoed cultivations. Major differences are determined by the tillage and watering regimes, on their turn related to the life-cycle of the cultivated plant.

Map of vegetation series of Ponza island (central Italy)

Lazaroa, 2005

Cartography, syntaxonomy and syndynamics of plant communities of Ponza island are discussed. Seventeen plant associations have been identified and their successional position was pointed out. Six potential natural vegetation units were described and the different land cover types for each units were mapped (scale 1:10 000, printed at scale 1:25.000) and evaluated. The originality of taxa combination in the plant communities allowed us to propose two new associations, (Calicotomo villosae-Rubetum ulmifolii (mantle) and Brassico fruticulosae-Brachypodietum retusi (secondary grassland), as well as two new subassociations. Although the residual woods are very fragmented and need a special protection against fires for their survival, the Ponza landscape has an important naturalistic and ecological value due to its high diversity of plant taxa and plant communities.

Preliminary results of floristic and vegetation surveys in three coastal humid areas in the Puglia region (southern Italy)

In this paper the preliminary results of an INTERREG project (III A Italy-Greece 2000-2006) concerning the amelioration and management of common ecosystems is presented. This project includes several humid areas located within the NW regions of Greece and the Italian region of Apulia. Owing to their similar paleogeographical and paleoclimatical vicissitudes these areas exhibits several floristic and coenological peculiarities which are testified by the common inclusion in the “Adriatic Province” of the eastern Mediterranean biogeographical Subregion. The project concerns the constitution of a GIS allowing to acquire, process, analyze, store and to feedback in graphic and alphanumeric form the ecological data collected in three of the most significant coastal humid protected areas of Apulia region, namely “Torre Guaceto”, “Le Cesine”, and “Saline di Punta della Contessa”. The importance of these humid areas can be inferred just observing the high number of Dir. 92/43 EEC habitats occurring in them. It is well-known that there are many negative factors which are currently threatening the Mediterranean retro-dunal ecosystems such as air and water pollution, urbanization, excessive tourism impact, coastal erosion, lowering of the ground water table (etc.). For this reason a constant monitoring urges and, where necessary, restoration ecology actions which require a background of landscape knowledge concerning the small scale vegetation pattern (actual heterogeneity) and the potential vegetation types (potential heterogeneity) as well. The three Apulian areas object of the present study are easily distinguishable each other from a floristic and coenological point of view. In addition to the slight (but probably crucial) differences in their physical environments, the existing vegetational diversity is to be related to minor “unofficial” biogeographical boundaries which run across that portion of the Apulian regional territory and which are related to the variation of the ecological optimum of several diagnostic species (Quercus ilex, Quercus calliprinos, Erica forskalii, Cladium mariscus, Plantago albicans, Limonium apulum....) more than to the effective interruption of their distribution areas.