Plant Sociology 55 (2) 2018
pag. 3-8: Arrhenatherion elatioris Koch 1926 nom. correct.: demonstration of its validity and syntaxonomic implications of its rejection
G. Mercadal, L. Vilar
Herbarium of the University of Girona. Department Environmental Science, Montilivi campus, C/M. Aurèlia Campmany 69, E-17003 Girona, Spain.
doi: 10.7338/pls2018552/01
We demonstrate the validity of the Arrhenatherion elatioris Koch 1926 based on the indirect reference Scherrer (1925), and we choose it as the preferential name to its homonym Arrhenatherion elatioris Luquet 1926 nom. illeg. (art. 31). Our choice is because the nomenclatural type of the Arrhenatherion Koch, Arrhenatheretum elatioris Scherrer 1925, is a association of the Arrhenatherion alliance; while that of Arrhenatherion Luquet, Agrostidetum Luquet 1926, corresponds to an association of the Triseto-Polygonion Br.-Bl. and Tx. ex Marschall 1947 alliance. Therefore, the prioritisation of Luquet’s authorship would include replacing Triseto-Polygonion with Arrhenatherion Luquet, because then that name would become the priority, and a new name would have to be found for the traditional concept of the Arrhenatherion. Ultimately, and if necessary, to avoid unnecessary nomenclatural changes and creating erroneous interpretations, article 52 (nomina conservanda) could also be applied to protect Arrhenatherion and Triseto-Polygonion.
pag. 9-30: Assessing the conservation value of forests: the redefinition of the Forest Status Quality indicator in a multiscale approach and its application in northern Italy (Lombardy)
S. Assini1, M.G. Albanesi2 & M. Barcella1
1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Italy.
2Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Italy.
doi: 10.7338/pls2018552/02
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the Forest Status Quality (FSQ) indicator, which has been recently formulated in literature, using a new multiscale approach. The FSQ indicator combines the floristic composition (derived, in the present manuscript, from 81 phytosociological tables composed of 484 phytosociological relevés, distributed in 278 localities and 10 provinces of the Region Lombardy) and the stratification of the considered forest types in a unique value, also considering the size of the forest patches.We apply the new theoretical framework to a real case study (Lombardy, in the northern part of Italy) with the aim of: (i) assessing the forest conservation value at different territorial levels: Municipality, Province, and Phytogeographical belt, and (ii) exploring the management implications of our results. At the first level of multiscale analysis, we have very detailed information, with a very good differentiation among municipalities, as proved by the statistical analysis of the resulting data. At the intermediate multiscale level, we have too generic information with a very little difference among provinces. At regional phytogeographical level, the highest resolution of the multiscale analysis, we have information expressing a global forest quality for a wide territory, but with still a good differentiation among phytogeographical belts. The proposed indicator allows also to define the forest types obtaining the best evaluation and thus considered of high conservation concern (we call them the Top forests). The resulted Top forests are the 27% of the total number of assessed forest types. In mountain areas, generally, forests are well preserved and the major efforts in the management of protected areas should be directed to the conservation of other ecosystems (grasslands and/or shrublands), while in the plain and low hilly areas, a particular attention should be dedicated to the restoration of woods. Furthermore, we propose detailed policies of habitat restoration and requalification for each one of the five classes of forest quality: in particular, for class 1 and 2, forest restoration is mandatory, for class 3 and 4 the attention is focused on the conservation of existing forests, while for class 5 restoration of other habitats is highly suggested. A further application of the FSQ could be considered in the monitoring of forest habitats (according to the Habitat Directive), particularly in the SCIs of the Natura 2000 network.
pag. 31-44: Disentangling the concept of Junco capitati-Isoëtetum histricis Br.-Bl. 1936
S. Pesaresi1, E. Biondi1 & S. Bagella2
1Deartment of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
2Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy and Research Desertification Center, University of Sassari, Via Piandanna 4, I-07100 Sassari, Italy.
doi: 10.7338/pls2018552/03
The association Junco capitati-Isoëtetum histricis Braun-Blanquet 1936 was described in North-Western Tunisia. During the almost one hundred years after the its typification, the name of this association was applied to plant communities of several different localities in Europe (Portugal, Spain, Italy and Crete Island) and North-Africa. The aim of this research was to verify whether the application of this name have drifted the original idea. We collected 110 phytosociological relevès and processed them basing on semi-supervised fuzzy classification and indirect gradient (chorological) analysis. A clear floristic and chorological pattern, with East-Western variations, emerged from the analysis. We disentangled the concept of Junco capitati-Isoëtetum histricis identifying among the communities referred to this name three new associations, Junco sorrentinii-Isoëtetum histricis, Sileno laetae-Isoëtetum histricis, Isoëtetum siculae-histricis, and different subassociations.
pag. 45-55: The Rhamnetalia fallacis P. Fukarek 1969 in the eastern Alps, the Dinarides and the Apennines
E. Biondi & M. Allegrezza
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Marche Polytechnic University, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
doi: 10.7338/pls2018552/04
The present contribution was designed to deepen the knowledge of the Italian forest vegetation through its connection with the dynamic, pre-forest and mantle aspects relating to Oreoherzogia fallax (=Rhamnus alpina L. subsp. fallax (Boiss.) Maire et Petimg., = Rhamnus fallax Boiss.), a southeastern European orophyte of the south-eastern Alps, the Balkan peninsula and the Apennines. Considering the quality of the historical relationships between the Italian flora and vegetation and that of the Balkan peninsula, the study investigated in detail the vegetation of the order Rhamnetalia fallacis P. Fukarek 1969 indicated for the Balkan peninsula. The results of this study of the pre-forest vegetation of the beech forests of the association Polysticho aculeati-Fagetum sylvaticae subass. taxetosum baccatae of Campo Imperatore plateau allowed the identification of the new association Taxo baccatae-Juniperetum nanae, which is proposed as typus of the new Apennine alliance Junipero nanae-Oreoherzogion fallacis, vicariant for the Apennines of the alliance Lonicero-Rhamnion fallacis of a Balkan distribution. The new alliance Junipero nanae-Oreoherzogion fallacis is referred to the order Rhamnetalia fallacis and the class Rhamno catharticae-Prunetea spinosae.