Fitosociologia 48 (1) 2011

A. Lancioni, J. Facchi & F. Taffetani

Department of Environmental Sciences and Vegetal Productions, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy; email: f.taffetani@univpm.it

The aim of this study is a critical analysis of the syntaxonomic classification of the primary grasslands of the central-southern Apennines with a dominance of Sesleria juncifolia ssp. juncifolia and of those with a predominance of Kobresia myosuroides. The hypothesis considered is the coexistence in the Apennines of the classes Kobresio myosuroidis-Seslerietea caeruleae (=Elyno myosuroidis-Seslerietea caeruleae) and Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii.
277 phytosociological relevés were analysed, which relate to seven different plant associations of the central-southern Appenines; 80 of these relevés were unpublished. A syntaxonomic revision is proposed, according to which the coenoses with a dominance of Sesleria juncifolia ssp. juncifolia, attributed to the class Kobresio-Seslerietea, to the order Seslerietalia tenuifoliae, to the suborder Seslerienalia apenninae and to the alliance Seslerion apenninae, are distinct from those with a prevalence of Kobresia myosuroides, ascribed to the class Carici-Kobresietea, to the order Oxytropido-Kobresietalia, to the alliance Oxytropido-Elynion and to the suballiance Leontopodio-Elynenion.
The proposal of Bruno & Furnari (1966) is reconsidered, with regard to the Apennine order Seslerietalia apenninae, which is included as a suborder (Seslerienalia apenninae) in the Balcan-Apennine order Seslerietalia tenuifoliae. The syntaxonomic collocation of the alliance Leontopodio-Elynenion is re-examined, which is assigned to the class Carici-Kobresietea, as a modification of the previous interpretation that assigned it to the class Kobresio-Seslerietea (Blasi et al., 2003). Seven new subassociations are proposed: hieracietosum cymosi and anthylletosum pulchellae, referred to the association Carici humilis-Seslerietum apenninae; festucetosum alfredianae, referred to the association Seslerietum apenninae; polygaletosum alpestris, referred to the association Seslerio apenninae-Dryadetum octopetalae; anthylletosum weldenianae and helianthemetosum grandiflorii, referred to the association Helianthemo alpestris-Festucetum italicae; and saxifragetosum speciosae, referred to the association Galio magellensis-Silenetum acaulis.

M. Allegrezza & E. Biondi

Department of Environmental and Crop Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, I-60131 Ancona, Italy, e-mail: m.allegrezza@univpm.it, e.biondi@univpm.it

A phytosociological study of the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands of central Italy is here presented. These vegetation types can be found from subcoastal to montane areas, and they have an ecology that has aspects that are mesophilous to mesohygrophilous. These grasslands are characterised by high species diversity and they have been maintained by human activities like mowing and fertilising, and sometimes irrigation. An examination of the various aspects of these grasslands that have already been described in Italy was carried out, and a phytosociological table of 45 relevés was constructed, 16 of which were unpublished, and 29 of which come from already published phytosociological tables. The analysis of this table leads to our proposal of the new alliance Ranunculo neapolitani-Arrhenatherion elatioris, for which the new association Ranunculo neapolitani-Arrhenatheretum elatioris is indicated as the type association. This new alliance brings together all of the Arrhenatherum elatius grasslands in central Italy, from the upper mesotemperate to the lower supratemperate bioclimatic belts, with penetration into the mesomediterranean bioclimatic belts, although only under compensatory edaphic conditions. The proposed alliance is the central Italian vicariant of the central European alliance of Arrhenatherion elatioris Koch 1926.

M. Rismondo, A. Lancioni & F. Taffetani

Department of Environmental Sciences and Vegetal Productions, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy; email: f.taffetani@univpm.it

The floristic-vegetational indexes system proposed by Taffetani & Rismondo (2009) is here integrated and improved with some recent practical examples.
The method is based on the integration and the reprocessing of data coming from vegetation studies and information stored inside two databases that have been set-up for this purpose. This method was created for the analysis of the ecological functionality of agro-ecosystems and it allows measurement of the evolutive level and ecological characteristics of the individual phytocoenoses. Moreover, it allows evaluations of the conservation status of specific rural contexts, comparisons of the effects of different land management practices, and quantification of the value of the ecosystem services. This is thus a method for the correct application of the Habitat Directive 92/43/CEE and for the identification of HNV Farmland Areas.
This paper presents updates concerning the databases and some indexes. These modifications arise from the need to make the analysis model more flexible and effective, and to improve the analytical structure of the system. We provide here an overall description of the structure of the two databases and of their relationships, together with all indexes included in the analytical system.
Potential applications of the system, concerning the identification of areas with the best, or the worst, conservation status and of the most appropriate management techniques for the conservation of agro-biodiversity, are showed with practical examples.

S. Tasinazzo

Via Gioberti 6, 36100 Vicenza, Italy; e-mail: stefano.tasinazzo@tin.it

The segetal vegetation of wheat and barley fields in Veneto (NE Italy).
The segetal vegetation of autumn-winter crops in Veneto (NE Italy) was investigated by means of 72 phytosociological relevés treated with multivariate analysis procedures. Original relevés were also compared with published data. Drastic changes in plain agroecosystems induced the disappearing of the coenoses described about 50 yeras ago and its substitution with Papaveretum apuli which is subdivided into two subassociations: typicum subass. nov. and veronicetosum triphylli subass. nov., this latter occurring on sandy soils of fluvioglacial origin. In the foodplain two other association are present: Echinochloo-Setarietum pumilae as result of watered corn crop and Matricario chamomillae-Polypogonetum monspeliensis ass. nov. growing in the coastal belt where soils laying under sea level are influenced by salt water. On calcareous hill belt Euphorbio-Biforetum detected in the ’60 is still the valid association whereas on basaltic substrates a new one is proposed: Anthemido arvensis-Trifolietum arvensis ass. nov. The material collected from acid to neutral soils of Montello is considered insufficient to tipify another cluster of relevés (Persicaria maculosa-Silene gallica community).

D. Viciani, L. Lastrucci*, & A. Bucci

Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica, Laboratorio di Biologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Via G. La Pira 4, I-50121 Firenze; e-mail:daniele.viciani@unifi.it
*present address: Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali “G. Sarfatti”, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Mattioli 4 I-53100 Siena

Distribution of Hippophaë fluviatilis in Tuscany and phytosociological characterization of the communities in which it is a dominant species. In Tuscany, Hippophaë fluviatilis reaches its Italian Peninsula southern limit and is considered of conservation interest because of its rarity. In this region, its distribution was updated and analyzed by means of a literature search, herbarium data, and investigations in the field. The riparian shrub communities where H. fluviatilis is a dominant species, present only in the Alto Mugello (Northern Tuscany), were investigated from a phytosociological point of view, compared with other European and Italian Hippophaë communities and referred to a variant of Spartio juncei-Hippophaetum fluviatilis subass. salicetosum eleagni. Finally, some nomenclatural notes on Salici incanae-Hippophaetum are reported.