Plant Sociology 54 (2) 2017

P. Delbosc^1,2, F. Bioret¹, C. Panaïoti²

¹EA 7462 Géoarchitecture, Université de Bretagne Occidentale,UFR Sciences et Techniques, 6 bd. Victor le Gorgeu, 29 200 Brest, France.
²Conservatoire botanique national de Corse, Office de l’Environnement, 14 avenue Jean Nicoli 20 250 Corte, France.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/01

From 2011 to 2015 symphytosociological investigations were carried out in Corsica in order to typify and map vegetation series and geoseries. This paper proposes a bioevaluation of vegetation series through the identification of natural and semi-natural habitats of Community interest.

G. Silan, S. Del Vecchio, E. Fantinato, G. Buffa

Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/02

Sand dune perennial grasslands are valuable coastal habitats, considered among those with major conservation concerns. The priority EU habitat 2130* has an almost continuous distribution area along the coasts of Northern Europe and the Black Sea. In the Mediterranean basin it is found only along the North Adriatic coast, isolated from the rest of the distribution area, thereby representing a unique aspect of the habitat variability. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the conservation status of the EU habitat 2130* by using the concept of ‘diagnostic species pool’ and a ‘reference state’ approach by comparing extant plant community attributes to the expected condition in the absence of major environmental and anthropogenic disturbances. The second aim was to investigate the effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on EU habitat 2130* conservation status. Our study allowed to evidence an overall bad conservation status of the habitat, with a generalized decrease in the average species richness and modifications of the habitat structure. The concepts of ‘diagnostic species pool’ and ‘reference state’ turned out as the most straightforward tools to assess the conservation status. While geomorphological features, in particular dune width, and human disturbance revealed significant correlation with the conservation status, sedimentological data were not useful to detect community’s quality changes. To preserve the EU 2130* priority habitat, representing a peculiar element of the North Adriatic coast, the entire dune system integrity should be pursued, avoiding direct foredune destruction and other actions preventing dune development. In addition to this, the access to the dune system should be managed in order to protect the sensitive dune vegetation from trampling impacts.

P. Ernandes¹, D. Gigante², L. Beccarisi³, S. Marchiori⁴, R. Venanzoni², V. Zuccarello⁵

¹Via Salvemini 29, I-73020 Cutrofiano (LE), Italy.

²Department of Chemistry, Biology and Biotechnology, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.

³Torre Guaceto State Nature Reserve, Via S. Anna 6, I-72012 Carovigno (BR), Italy.

⁴Via B.Buozzi 21, I-57016 Rosignano M.mo (LI), Italy.

⁵DiSTeBA, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/03

Mediterranean temporary ponds (MTP) are considered among the most interesting habitats in the Mediterranean bioclimatic region due to the range of rare and threatened taxa they host. Their ephemeral vegetation presents a particular floristic composition, adapted to unstable ecological conditions due to the alternation between flood and drought. Indeed, these amphibian plant species are established on soils flooded in winter and dry since early summer. The water depth and inundation period determine the plant communities distribution. The vegetation can be referred to the class Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, that has a wide distribution and is represented in the study area by two orders: Isoëtetalia, Mediterranean and W-European, with spring and early summer bloom, and Nanocyperetalia, C-European, with late summer and autumn bloom. This study describes for the first time the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea plant communities in Puglia Region, in SE-Italy, where the class distribution was unknown up to now. The here adopted syntaxonomical scheme is consistent with numerical analysis, resulting in homogenous floristic and ecological communities that correspond to syntaxa at association level. The phytosociological approach to the interpretation and management of vegetation and biodiversity has been recently revived by the habitat-type classification adopted by the European 92/43/EEC “Habitat” Directive in its Annex I. The here considered plant communities belong to the priority habitat “3170* Mediterranean temporary ponds”. Aiming to typify them, 170 surveys were carried out in temporary pools over a wide area resulting from a detailed survey that took into account the whole Puglia territory. These complexes of vegetation are very sensitive to the environmental and anthropic disturbance, so they might be good bioindicators with high value for habitat monitoring and conservation.

Y. Dallahi¹, D. Chahhou¹, A. El Aboudi², A. Aafi³, Y. Abbas⁴, F. Mounir³, M.M.O. Abidin²

¹Laboratoire de Géographie physique, Département de Géographie, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Université Mohamed V, Rabat, Maroc.

²Laboratoire de botanique, mycologie et environnement, département de biologie, Faculté des sciences, Université Mohamed V, Rabat B.P 1014 RP, Maroc.

³École Nationale Forestière d’Ingénieurs, Salé. BP 511, Salé – Maroc.

⁴Laboratoire Polyvalent, Faculté Polydisciplinaire de Béni Mellal, Université Sultan Moulay Slimane-Béni Mellal.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/04

This work aims to determine the parameters affecting the natural regeneration of Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Masters, a species endemic to the north of Africa and is of major economic importance in Morocco. This enables to aid decision-making for forest management planning, notably in the Moroccan Central Plateau. The research work carried out was based on the stratified sampling method with rational allocation of plots. One hundred fifty plots were observed and selected on the basis of physiognomic features, height and cover of different Tetraclinis stands. Results show that natural regeneration of T. articulata is frequent in scarce pasture lands as well as in the environments which are characterized by high-altitudes, fresh expositions and relatively deep soils. These results are of high value for forest managers in order to reconcile between land use and human environmental disturbances, particularly with regard to climate change.

I. Prisco, C. Berardi, A.T.R. Acosta

Department of Science, Roma Tre University, Viale G. Marconi 446, I-00146 Roma, Italy.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/05

In Italy there is a long tradition of vegetation survey with hundreds of vegetation relevés widespread throughout the Italian coastline. However, there are still some poorly investigated areas, such as the sandy shores of the Campania Region. Considering this lack of knowledge, the main aim of this study is to describe the coastal habitats within the Natural Reserve “Foce Sele-Tanagro” (central Campania). Through random sampling and multivariate analysis we recognised five dune habitats from the upper beach to a pine forest. We then analysed plant cover and richness of specific ecological guilds (typical, ruderal and alien species) along the coastal dune vegetation zonation. The two habitats closer to the seashore (upper beach and embryo dunes) and the Mediterranean maquis show the highest cover and richness of typical plant species, while the dune grasslands harbour the high total number of species. The pine forest, although artificially planted, retains its psammophilous character thanks to the occurrence of many dune species. We should also note that two important coastal dune habitats were not found in the study area: shifting dune communities with Ammophila arenaria and the semi-stabilized dunes with Crucianella maritima. Overall, in this contribution we highlight the presence of residual natural coastal dune habitats of high conservation value together with a widespread agricultural and artificial landscape matrix.

L. Zivkovic¹, E. Biondi¹, S. Pesaresi¹, C. Lasen², G. Spampinato³, P. Angelini⁴

¹Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences (D3A), Marche Politechnic University, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.

²Via Mutten 27, I-32032 Arson di Feltre (BL), Italy.

³Department of Agriculture, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Località Feo di Vito, I-89124 Reggio Calabria, Italy.

⁴ISPRA, Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, I-00144 Rome, Italy.

doi: 10.7338/pls2017542/06

We present the third report (2007-2012) on the conservation status of habitats in Italy, made according to Art. ex 17 of Directive 92/43/EEC. We describe, analyze and comment the data relating to the distribution and conservation status of terrestrial habitats on the Italian territory and for each biogeographic region. These data are affected by the scale of investigation planned by the European Union and by the lack of consistent and objective information methods; however they allow to obtain a view of biodiversity in Italy, although incomplete, and provide a valuable guidance for developing environment’s protection and management policies. The large amount of information collected is an important source of georeferenced data with information on the distribution and habitat trends. The analysis of the habitats distribution shows that the largest number of habitats is mainly located in mountainous areas. The reporting data offer a snapshot of the Italian territory characterized by a biodiversity of habitats well distributed throughout the country and in particular in the Natura 2000 sites. The conservation status of habitats is not always satisfactory. Additional longterm monitoring programs are needed, at local, regional or sub-regional scales to allow administrators to properly manage the focal points of their territories. We also propose to make changes in the Habitats Directive increasing the number of habitats to be protected and reassigning the priority of the same at national and sub-national level. We also propose to identify, inside the biogeographical regions, subsectors with a major ecological significance which can be more useful to interpret the habitats. Finally we consider the fragility of many habitats subjected to the effects of global warming and of urban and infrastructure development.