Fitosociologia 41 (2) S1 2004

E. Biondi¹, M. Pinzi¹ & L. Gubellini²

¹Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali e delle Produzioni Vegetali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, I–60131 Ancona; e-mail: e.biondi@univpm.it

²Centro Ricerche Floristiche Marche, via Barsanti 18, I-61100 Pesaro; e-mail: crflor@provincia.ps.it

Vegetation and plant landscape of the Mount Cucco Massif (Central Apennines – Umbria-Marche ridge). It is here presented the phytosociological study of vegetation and the geosynphytosociological analysis of the plant landscape of the Mount Cucco Massif. The studied area is localised along the mountain ridge of the central Apennines between Marche and Umbria. It is spread out for 15 Km with a NW-SE direction: from the Scheggia Gorge in the North, to the Fossato pass in the South while the eastern and western borders are represented by the two depressed areas of the Fabriano plain (Camerino synclinorium) and the Costacciaro basin, respectively. Mount Cucco is in the middle of this area. It reaches the altitude of 1566 m a.s.l representing the highest peak of the whole territory. The relieves are made up of limestone belonging to the formations of the Umbria-Marche stratigraphyc series. As regards the bioclimatic classification, the area belongs to the sub-mediterranean variant of the Temperate Macrobioclimate, within which the two mesomediterranean and supratemperate bioclimatic belts are recognised.
The phyosociological typologies found, belonging to 14 classes of vegetation, are here presented in accordance with their structural characteristics. The following new associations have been described: Rusco hypoglossi-Lauretum nobilis, Daphno laureolae-Rhamnetum fallacis, Centaureo triumfettii-Genistetum radiatae, Carici macrolepis-Seslerietum apenninae, Potentillo cinereae-Brometum erecti, Carici macrolepis-Brachypodietum genuensis, Cardaminetum graecae-monteluccii, Geranio lucidi-Cardaminetum graecae, Solenantho apenninii-Smyrnietum perfoliati, Cirsietum tenoreani-morisiani, Campanulo tanfanii-Potentilletum caulescentis, several new syntaxa can be added to these with a sub-specific level and new variants of existing associations. Furthermore, the new Apennines Cardaminion graecae alliance has been described, belonging to the Geranio purpurei-Cardaminetalia hirsutae order and to the Cardamino hirsutae-Geranietea purpurei class.
The interpretation of the dynamic relationships among the plant associations, has allowed to define the vegetation series, while the integration of these series with the morphological, geolithological and bioclimatic characteristics allowed to define the main plant landscape units.
In the mesotemperate belt, on the Maiolica and Scaglia bianca, rossa and variegata lithologies, the Central-eastern Apennines, climatophilous series of Ostrya carpinifolia (Scutellario columnae-Ostryo carpinifoliae sigmetum) has been found. In the lower supratemperate belt, on the lithologies of Maiolica and Scaglia bianca, the geosigmetum is made up of the central-southern Apennines, climatophilous series of Fagus sylvatica (Lathyro veneti-Fago sylvaticae lathyro veneti sigmetosum) and by the central Apennines, edapho-mesophilous series of Fagus sylvatica and Carpinus betulus (Lathyro veneti-Fago sylvaticae carpino betuli sigmetosum).
In the supratemperate belt, on the calcareous formations belonging to the lithotypes of Calcare Massiccio and Corniola, three series have been recognised: the Apennines central-northern, climatophilous series of Fagus sylvatica (Cardamino kitaibelii-Fago sylvaticae sigmetum) to which is connected the Apennines edaphoxerophilous series of Fraxinus excelsior (Fraxino-Acero obtusati polysticho setiferi sigmetosum). At the highest altitudes of the studied territories, on the lithologies of Calcare Massiccio, the central-northern Apennines edaphoxerophilous series of Genista radiata (Centaureo triumfettii-Genisto radiatae sigmetum) were found.
In the rocky gorges which cross the ridge and interrupt the stratigraphical continuity causing the emergence of the oldest geolithological formations of Corniola and Calcare Massiccio, the geosigmeta made up of several durable coenosis connected each other by chain relationships were described.

F. Taffetani, S. Zitti & A. Giannangeli

Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali e delle Produzioni Vegetali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, I–60131 Ancona

Vegetation and plant landscape of Cingoli ridge (Central Apennines, Marche ridge). The results of the study of the calcareous Cingoli ridge vegetation (central Apennines, Adriatic side) are here presented. The analysis carried out on vegetation, allowed the identification of the vegetational typologies present in the territory, while the interpretation of the dynamic relationships between single communities allowed the description of the principal vegetation series. The integration of the most important factors playing an important role in the formation of the plant landscape of the territory (vegetational, geomorphological, pedologic and climate characteristics) has at last highlighted the complexity of the environmental mosaic allowing the identification of the most significant landscape systems.
The territory presents a remarkable diversity of environments in spite of the uniformity of its geological substratum and the modest heights. In fact, the morphology of the ridge and the influence of the Mediterranean bioclimate, particularly in the coldest sides, support particular microclimatic conditions allowing the presence of mesophilous vegetational typologies with an Apennines character close to more clearly Mediterranean vegetation. Several plant associations, already described for the Umbria-Marche Apennines, have been found, presenting here a general impoverishment of the more mesophilous species and an increase of xerophilous ones.
Four new associations have been described: Rubo hirti-Laburnetum anagyroidis, Phillyreo mediae-Ericetum arboreae, Sileno italicae-Hieracetum virgaureae, Fumano procumbentis-Stipetum appenninicolae. In addition, a new subassociation, staphyletosum pinnatae, of the Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae association, has been described.
The study of the dynamic relationships among different vegetational typologies has allowed the identification of the vegetational series into the principal geosigmeta (Geosigmetum of Calcare Massiccio and Maiolica, Geosigmetum of Scaglia Rossa and Bianca, Geosigmetum of Marne a Fucoidi and Geosigmetum of the little valleys with a flat bottom of calcareous substrata) and microgeosigmeta (Microgeosigmetum of limestone gorges and Microgeosigmetum of sandstone dripping cliffs).