High altitude grassland vegetation of the Apennines (Italy)

This paper reports a syntaxonomic and nomenclatural revision of the high-altitude acidophilous and chionophilous grasslands of the Apennines based on a statistical analysis of synoptic tables. Location: The upper montane, subalpine and alpine belts of the whole Apennine range and the Sicily mountains. Methods: The data matrix was composed of 61 frequency columns and 659 taxa. The communities included in the dataset were classified using UPGMA with Chord distance. Indicator Species Analysis, performed for each partitioning level of the dendrogram up to the 20th level, was used to prune the resulting dendrogram. The statistical significance of Indicator Values were tested by a Monte Carlo Test with 5000 permutations. The floristic relationships among syntaxa were visualized by means of Nonmetric Multi-Dimensional Scaling with Chord distance. Results: The distribution area of the alliance Ranunculo-Nardion was restricted to the subalpine belt of the southern Apennines. The acidophilous and sub-acidophilous grasslands of the subalpine and alpine belts of the central Apennines were included in the new alliance Festuco italicae-Nardion strictae, which is composed of two sub-alliances: Festuco italicae-Nardenion strictae and Ranunculo apennini-Trifolienion thalii. The Ranunculo-Nardion and the Festuco italicae-Nardion were classified in the new order Gentianello columnae-Festucetalia italicae, class Juncetea trifidi. The Nardion strictae was restricted to the northern Apennines. The acidophilous grasslands of the lower montane belt of the northern and central Apennines and of the upper part of the southern Apennines were included in the alliance Nardo-Agrostion caninae (Nardetea strictae), which is composed of three suballiances: Nardo-Agrostenion caninae, Campanulo micranthae-Nardenion strictae and Violo pseudogracilis-Bromopsenion erecti. The secondary acidophilous grasslands of the siliceous subtrates of central and southern Calabria were included in the alliance Cirsio vallis-demonis-Nardion, which represents the southernmost limit of the Nardetalia strictae in the Italian Peninsula. The meso-acidophilous communities of the Sicilian mountains (Cirsietalia vallis-demonis) remain an open issue; they were provisionally maintained in the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea. Conclusion: The proposal of the new order Gentianello-Festucetalia fills the gap in the sequence of southern European orders proposed for the acidophilous high-altitude vegetation of the Mediterranean mountains. A solution to the issue of the syntaxonomic classification of the high-altitude Nardus stricta grasslands at the class rank is also proposed. This solution is not exclusively based on the count of the diagnostic species but also on epionthological and syndynamical considerations.

According to the "Habitat" European Directive, Stipa austroitalica Martinovsky is a priority species. Its distributional range covers a large part of the south of Italy where the most representative populations occur in Apulia and Basilicata regions. Previous phytosociological studies which have regarded the Stipa austroitalica communities of southern Italy included these latter in Hippocrepido-Stipion austroitalicae (Scorzonero- Chrysopogonetalia, Festuco-Brometea), and, for a minor part, in Hyparrhenion hirtae (Hyparrhenietalia hirtae, Lygeo-Stipetea). In the present paper, new phytosociological data concerning some areas of great biogeographical importance such as Murge Plateau and Subappennino Dauno are presented. The new relevés were included in a larger data-set composed of all the Stipa austroitalica communities relevés published so far. The new matrix was further subjected to multivariate analysis procedures. Differently from the past, where the diagnostic species were chosen through traditional methods, in the present paper the Indicator Species Analysis (Dufrêne & Legendre, 1997) was applied in order to identify by "objective" criteria both community types and relative diagnostic species. The results have shown new groups of character species for the various community types identified. Furthermore a critical analysis of the syntaxonomical relationship between Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia and Hyparrhenietalia hirtae orders was discussed. In particular, the phytosociological comparison amongst the various Stipa austroitalica communities described so far, suggests the possibility to reconsider the syntaxonomical hypothesis proposed by Horvati? (1975) who divided Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia into two new orders where one of these, Koelerietalia splendentis, included the more termophilous Mediterranean types.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest of consumers in traditional dairy products whose origin from defined geographical areas is guaranteed. These products are appreciated for the distinctive sensorial characteristics, derived by the extensive grazing system on natural and artificial pastures and traditional cheese-making techniques. Moreover, a considerable public interest is also attributed to typical dairy products for their role in stimulating the economy of rural areas and in preserving environment and biodiversity. Here we present the results of a survey on the botanical composition of Alta Murgia pastures, together with the analysis of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in milk from ewes reared under a typical farm system in theAlta Murgia National Park (Apulia region, southern Italy). Data from two less ordinary farm systems are also reported as external reference. The botanical composition of pastures was estimated by three modified Whittaker plots placed in the prevailing habitat types. Milk samples were analyzed for VOC compounds by head-space SPME/GC-MS. Consumer acceptance of cheese, made from each milk sample using homogeneous traditional cheese-making techniques, was evaluated.The study provides interesting insights on the floral composition of Alta Murgia pastures and the first characterization of VOC profiles in ewe's raw milk from Alta Murgia.

Revision of the CENTAUREO CUSPIDATAE-PORTENSCHLAGIELLION RAMOSISSIMAE alliance

At a global level, protected sites have been established for the primary purpose of conserving biodiversity, with survey and monitoring of habitats undertaken largely within their boundaries. However, because of increasing human populations with greater access to resources, there is a need to now consider monitoring anthropic activities in the surrounding landscapes as pressures and disturbances are impacting on the functioning and biodiversity values of many protected sites. Earth Observation (EO) data acquired across a range of spatial and temporal scales offer new opportunities for monitoring biodiversity over varying time-scales, either through direct or indirect mapping of species or habitats. However, Land Cover (LC) and/or Land Use (LU), rather than habitat maps are generated in many national and international programs and, whilst the translation from one classification to the other is desirable, differences in definitions and criteria have so far limited the establishment of a unified approach. Focusing on both natural and non-natural environments associated with Natura 2000 sites in the Mediterranean, this paper considers the extent to which three common LC/LU taxonomies (CORINE, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) and the IGBP) can be translated to habitat taxonomies with minimum use of additional environmental attributes and/or in situ data. A qualitative and quantitative analysis based on the Jaccard's index established the FAOLCCS as being the most useful taxonomy for harmonizing LC/LU maps with different legends and dealing with the complexity of habitat description and as a framework for translating EO-derived LC/LU to habitat categories. As demonstration, a habitat map of a wetland site is obtained through translation of the LCCS taxonomy.

Grasslands are an important element of European landscapes and environment. In the lastdecades, several causes have contributed to their decline among which the intensification ofagriculture activities. The National Park of Alta Murgia represents a typical agro-pastoralkarst system where the conversion to arable lands caused a drastic decline of semi-naturalrocky grasslands of high naturalistic value that traditionally were used for sheep grazing. Thischange of land use created much concern about the lack of biodiversity and soil degradation.Thus, the Park Authority promotes reconversions of arable lands into grasslands to safeguardbiodiversity, increase pastoralism and enhance the multi-functionality of farms. This studyevaluates the conservation and pastoral value of plant communities in former arable landsderived from grasslands conversion (by crushing the rocky substrate) and subsequentlyabandoned. We selected seven sites of these abandoned arable lands, no longer ploughed orsown for three to five or twelve to fifteen years. In order to have a comparison with situationsof low anthropic pressures, other five sites were selected in nearby natural rocky grasslands,without evidence of soil disturbance. Further two sites were selected in lands manuallycleared from stones and taken out of crop production for more than fifty years. Vegetationsamples were carried out according to the standard phytosociological method. Shannon andRichness indexes, ecological and phytogeographical quality and pastoral value werecalculated. The ecological quality was calculated through the ratio between cover ofdiagnostic taxa of the higher syntaxonomic units characterizing the undisturbed pastures andtotal cover. The phytogeographical value was evaluated considering the cover of endemic,sub-endemic and rare taxa out of the total cover value of each plant sample. For thecalculation of pastoral value, we referred to Daget and Poissonet (1969), considering thepalatability of taxa on a scale ranging from 0 to 5 according to data found in scientificliterature.From a conservation perspective, sites originated from the conversion of rocky pastures bycrushing of the rocky surface showed marked differences from undisturbed grasslands, evenafter 15 years from abandonment. Lands manually cleared and abandoned for more than fiftyyears, did not show appreciable differences from semi-natural grasslands, conserving manytaxa of high conservation value. On the other hand, fields originated from grasslandsconversion showed higher pastoral value. This paper emphasizes the need for safeguardingthe rocky substrates and their remnant typical grassland communities, even in the so-calledquote. Results are useful for the sustainable management of the agro-pastoral system of AltaMurgia, taking into account the ecological and economic role of those lands whose rockysubstrate had been crushed

Revisione sintassonomica della vegetazione delle coste rocciose della Puglia

Rocky pastures dominated by Stipa austroitalica in the south-east of Italy wereclassified within an endemic alliance, Hippocrepido glaucae-Stipion austroitalicae, originallyassigned to a Balkan order (Scorzoneretalia villosae). Actually, the distribution area of S.austroitalica extends further westwards and large patches are found on the south-east side ofthe Pollino Massif. This study aims to describe and characterise the plant communitiesdominated by S. austroitalica in this area and analyse their floristic and chorologicalrelationships with other associations of Hippocrepido-Stipion. Moreover, their syntaxonomyis discussed in the context of the Italian and south European dry grasslands biogeography. Thegrasslands were studied on the basis of 19 phytosociological relevés. A larger data set,including 185 relevés with S. austroitalica, was used to visualise the relationships among theassociations through nonmetric multi-dimensional scaling ordination. The results allowed thedescription of a new association, Bupleuro gussonei-Stipetum austroitalicae, classified withinHippocrepido-Stipion. As a consequence, the alliance synrange was extended up to thePollino Massif. Hippocrepido-Stipion, together with Cytiso spinescentis-Bromion erecti, wasarranged in Euphorbietalia myrsinitidis, an endemic order of the Italian peninsula. Theproposed scheme upgrades the syntaxonomy and nomenclature of the dry grasslandsvegetation of central and southern Italy.

Description of a new association of the Hippocrepido-Stipion in the Pollino Massif

The study evaluates the conservation and pastoral value of plant communities in ex-arable lands derived from rocky grasslands conversion (by crushing the rocky substrate) and subsequently abandoned, in the agro-pastoral system of the National Park of Alta Murgia (SE-Italy)

The pale green dense Tor-grass (Brachypodium rupestre) tufts are a quite distinctiveaspect of the Italian grassland pattern of the colline and submontane belts. B. rupestreis used to be found in secondary grasslands both in natural environments and in someaspects of the post-coltural environments such as forest clearances, abandoned terraced andextensive pastures. In northern Italy (Alps, Prealps and northern Apennines) B. rupestrehas only sporadically been considered in the grasslands syntaxonomic frameworks.On the contrary it occurs in those regarding the central Italy where several semi-naturaland post-coltural grassland associations (e.g. Polygalo flavescentis-Brachypodietum,Galio lucidi-B. Dorycnio-B. etc.) were described. As far as the southern Italy is concernedonly the Polygalo mediterraneae-Brachypodietum is known whereas two new associationswere recently proposed for Sicily (Gianguzzi et al. 2018 submitted). As regards the syntaxonomical ranks higher than association, the majority of the B. rupestre communities wereclassified in the Festuco-Brometea and a minor part to the Trifolio-Geranietea. In particularDi Pietro et al., (2015) proposed the classification of the Italian Brachypodium rupestregrasslands in the following three alliances: Coronillo-Astragalion Ubaldi 2003 (flyschoideroded substrates); Cytiso-Bromion erecti Bonin 1978 (xerophilous mixed Brachypodiumrupestre and Bromus erectus on limestone) and Polygalo mediterraneae-Bromion erecti(Biondi, Allegrezza et Zuccarello 2005) Di Pietro in Di Pietro et al. 2015 (post-colturalor natural environments on pelithic-arenaceous or marly-clayey colluvial soils). On the otherhand Allegrezza et al. (2016) considered Brachypodium rupestre as a guide-species forthe sub-Mediterranean heliophilous forest edges and proposed a new suborder Dorycnioherbacei-Brachypodienalia (Asphodeletalia macrocarpi, Trifolio-Geranietea) a newalliance, Dorycnio herbacei-Brachypodion, and three new associations (Galio erectiBrachypodietum, Laserpitio siculi-B. and Bituminario-B.). In this presentation a synoptictable including all the B. rupestre communities described for the Italian Peninsula hasbeen statistically analysed and discussed from a floristic and coenological point of view.From this analysis emerged that the B. rupestre communities described so far for theItalian peninsula are all characterized by the prevalence of the Festuco-Brometea speciesregardless of their original classification at the class rank.

Le praterie aride del sud-Europa presentano un'elevata biodiversità e in particolare nell'area di transizione tra i bioclimi mediterraneo e temperato la diversità specifica si traduce in un'elevata diversità fitocenotica. Secondo lo schema proposto in Mucina et al. (2009), le praterie xerofitiche e basofile dell'ordine Artemisio albae-Brometalia erecti (classe Festuco-Brometea) comprendono in Italia diverse alleanze (Artemisio albae-Saturejion montanae, Phleo ambigui-Bromion erecti nom. inval., Alyssion bertolonii, Festuco-Bromion e Cytiso-Bromion erecti). Verso est, sia in Italia sia lungo il versante occidentale della penisola balcanica, formazioni similari a carattere submediterraneo vengono ascritte all'ordine Scorzonero villosae-Chrysopogonetalia grylli. I rapporti cenologici e sincorologici tra i due ordini sono stati spesso oggetto d'interpretazioni contrastanti e necessitano ancora di una revisione generale. Anche il ruolo sociologico attribuito a talune specie è spesso poco chiaro. Con l'obiettivo di affrontare tali problematiche e di individuare con criteri oggettivi il ruolo sociologico delle specie, è stata realizzata l'Analisi delle Specie Indicatrici sui raggruppamenti sintassonomici risultanti dalla classificazione gerarchica delle associazioni già ascritte ai due ordini. I risultati permettono di distinguere tre gruppi principali di associazioni, distribuiti in aree differenti: (1) le associazioni della parte occidentale dei Balcani e Italia nord-orientale riferibili a Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia; (2) quelle dell'Italia nord-occidentale ed Europa centrale ad Artemisio-Brometalia; (3) mentre le associazioni dell'Italia peninsulare segregano separatamente. I risultati ottenuti suggeriscono dunque una ridiscussione degli schemi sintassonomici più comunemente utilizzati ed una nuova definizione dei corrispondenti rapporti sinarealici.

GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (relevés) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001; ... 1,000 m²) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetation-plot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database "sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale- and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board.

This paper reports a survey on the weed flora and seed bank in an almond orchard sited in Apulia region (Southern Italy), where the following soil management practices have been compared for over 30 yrs: no-tillage, keeping the soil totally weed-free throughout the year by using pre-emergence herbicides to prevent plant emergence or post-emergence herbicides in case of weeds already emerged; no-tillage, with post-emergence herbicides; no-tillage, with mowing of natural weed flora in spring; cover cropping, with faba bean sown in November and green manured in springtime; conventional soil tillage. The different management techniques influenced significantly the weed flora in experimental plots, both in terms of quantity and quality. The seed bank was clearly impoverished after the long-term applications of pre-emergence herbicides, both in terms of richness and of diversity. During the fall period, the plots of conventional tillage or pre-emergence herbicides had less natural ground-flora than the others. During springtime, prior to the sward control practices, the plots treated by foliar herbicides or mowing had the highest total weed cover. We conclude that post-emergence weed control by mowing or using chemical herbicides or the green manure of the cover crop may be proposed to reduce impact to the soil and to promote the growth of abundant and sufficiently diversified and balanced flora. If appropriately managed, this flora can provide potential ecological services, without competing with the orchard, as suggested by the literature. During the autumn, natural flora can uptake soil nitrogen thus preventing leaching in the rainy season. In springtime, after the sward has been destroyed, natural flora can supply a substantial amount of biomass to the soil. Indicator species analysis was also used to find the species characterizing each treatment and some of their combinations. Weeds belonging to the Poaceae botanical family were significantly associated with post-emergence herbicides and mowing treatments. These species produce a substantial amount of biomass and have bunched roots; consequently, they supply beneficial effects by improving porosity and structure of the soil and reducing erosion hazard.

Based on field investigations and using the Braun-Blanquet approach, the paper describes thechasmophytic association Portenschlagiello ramosissimae-Campanuletum portenschlagianae, from CroatianMediterranean cliffs.

Description of several new syntaxa, nomenclatural changes, and discussion of nomenclatural issues in some grassland or herb-rich vegetation types of Europe and Macaronesia.

This paper presents a revision of the nomenclature for the Centaureo-Campanuletalia and related syntaxa in order to stabilize this nomenclature at least at alliance level.

The class Festuco-Brometea includes the dry grassland and the steppe vegetation extending overmost of Europe and part of Asia. Many high-rank syntaxa regarding the central and southernEurope grasslands are currently classified under the Festuco-Brometea and several of theseconcern the Italian Peninsula. According to the most recent and influential checklist of the Italianvegetation, the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy by Biondi and colleagues, the Italian Festuco-Brometeagrasslands are to be distributed within five orders, two suborders and eighteen alliances. Thenames of these syntaxa, however, are often cited incorrectly in the phytosociological literature,and some of these errors are to be found in the Vegetation Prodrome of Italy. Therefore, owing tothe importance of using correct names for the stabilization of the syntaxonomic nomenclature,this paper aims to resolve these inconsistencies in following the rules of the International Codeof Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). As a result, 15 names are corrected, a new suborder(Bromenalia erecti) is described and six names are typified (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Stipo capillataePoionxerophilae Braun-Blanquet & Richard 1950, Diplachnion serotinae Braun-Blanquet 1961,Mesobrometum erecti W. Koch 1926, Festuco-Bromion erecti Barbero & Loisel 1972, Xerobromionerecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954). In addition, it is proposed that three namesare to be conserved (Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950,Festucion valesiacae Klika 1931, Mesobromion erecti [Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938] Zoller 1954)and three to be rejected (Festucetalia Soó 1940, Festucetalia valesiacae Soó 1947, Bromion erecti W.Koch 1926). Due to the fact that the revised names are referred to in the literature with differentauthors' citations, their revision is preceded by a discussion about divergent interpretations ofwhat constitutes a 'publication' and the 'date of a publication' in the sense of article 1 of ICPNfor works issued in several parts, often in relationship with a 'sufficient diagnosis' in the sense ofarticle 2b. A proposal is made in this respect.

In this contribution, new data concerning the Italian distribution of alien vascular flora are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Acer, Amaranthus, Araujia, Aubrieta, Avena, Bidens, Calycanthus, Celtis, Elaeagnus, Eragrostis, Euonymus, Fallopia, Ficus, Hedera, Lantana, Ligustrum, Ludwigia, Morus, Oenothera, Opuntia, Oxalis, Parkinsonia, Paspalum, Paulownia, Platycladus, Pleuropterus, Rumex, Salvia, Senecio, Setaria, Syagrus, Tradescantia, Trifolium and Yucca. Furthermore, a new combination in the genus Vicia is proposed.

Segnalazione floristica di Thymus spinulosus, specie nuova in Campania

In this contribution new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and confirmations to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Asplenium, Bolboschoenus, Botrychium, Chamaerops, Crocus, Galeopsis, Grafia, Helosciadium, Hieracium, Juniperus, Leucanthemum, Lolium, Medicago, Phalaris, Piptatherum, Potamogeton, Salicornia, Salvia, Seseli, Silene, Spiraea, Torilis and Vicia. Rhaponticoides calabrica is proposed as synonym novum of R. centaurium. Furthermore, new combinations in the genera Galatella and Lactuca are proposed.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations and status changes to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Alchemilla, Arundo, Bupleurum, Clematis, Clinopodium, Cota, Crassula, Cytisus, Euphorbia, Hieracium, Isoëtes, Lamium, Leontodon, Linaria, Lychnis, Middendorfia, Ophrys, Philadelphus, Pinus, Sagina, Sedum, Taeniatherum, Tofieldia, Triticum, Veronica, and Vicia. Nomenclature and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as supplementary material.

The Scorzoneretalia villosae (= Scorzonero-Chrysopogonetalia) order was originally defined to describe the sub-Mediterranean grasslands of western Croatia, but its distribution range has since been extended to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Italy, Kosovo, Montenegro, Slovenia and Serbia. Major syntaxonomic revisions of the order have been performed at the regional or national scale and show inconsistencies both for the syntaxonomic schemes and relative diagnostic taxa. This situation presents some difficulties in comparing or transferring findings between regions or when using syntaxonomic information for practical purposes. To tackle these inconsistencies, nearly nine hundred relevés already assigned to the Scorzoneretalia villosae were classified with the goal of establishing syntaxonomic relationships among associations. Diagnostic taxa of the main clusters of relevés were identified via Indicator Species Analysis (ISA). Results of statistical analyses were then interpreted from a syntaxonomic standpoint. Associations were ordinated (non-metric multidimensional scaling) on the basis of taxa frequencies in order to visualise their floristic and chorological relationships. Based on the results, associations were grouped within four alliances: Scorzonerion villosae, Chrysopogono-Saturejion subspicatae, Saturejion subspicatae and Centaureion dichroanthae were assigned to two new suborders, the meso-xerophytic Scorzonerenalia villosae and the xerophytic Koelerienalia splendentis, classified within the Scorzoneretalia villosae of the Festuco-Brometea. The order covers the western part of the Balkan Peninsula and, in the northern part of its range, the southeastern portion of the pre-Alpine sectors. Floristic similarities between the Scorzonerenalia villosae and other eastern meso-xerophytic syntaxa of the class have been highlighted. I review the nomenclature for the order, describing or validating two suborders and four associations for the first time, and lectotypifying three syntaxa.

Syntaxonomy of Mediterranean grasslands and chasmophytic vegetation in the amphi-Adriatic area

Proposal (21): to conserve the name Festucetalia valesiacae Br.-Bl. & Tx. ex Br.-Bl. 1950 against Festucetalia Soó 1940. Festucetalia valesiacae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950 [Braun-Blanquet 1948-1950, part III: 312]. ?Typus: Stipo-Poion xerophilae Braun-Blanquet & Tüxen ex Braun-Blanquet 1950 [Braun-Blanquet 1948-1950, part III: 313], nom. illeg. (art. 31) (holotypus).? (=) Festucetalia Soó 1940: 32. Typus: Festucion sulcatae Soó 1930: 28 (lectotypus Terzi et al. 2016: 311)? (=) Festucetalia valesiacae Soó (1940) 1947: 22, nom. illeg. (art. 29c) [? Festucetalia Soó 1940]

Proposal (22): to conserve the name Mesobromion erecti (Br.-Bl. & Moor 1938) Oberd. 1957 against the name Bromion erecti W. Koch 1926. Mesobromion erecti (Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938) Oberdorfer 1957: 281. ? Basionym: Mesobromenion erecti Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938: 37.? Typus: Mesobrometum erecti Scherrer ex Braun-Blanquet & Moor 1938: 37 (lectotypus, art. 20) (=) Bromion erecti W. Koch 1926: 121.? Typus: Mesobrometum erecti Scherrer ex W. Koch 1926 (holotypus)

The Downy Oak (Quercus pubescens s.l.) in Italy is a quite common tree species.Although its occurrence in all the Italian administrative regions, and a potential rolefor forming zonal forest throughout the whole Italian Peninsula it is not easy to findQ. pubescens woods covering wide areas or exhibiting a sufficiently high cover degreeof the dominant tree layer to not be considered a wooded grassland or shrubland.In fact, the Quercus pubescens woods find their coenological optimum within the southfacing slopes of the colline and submontane belts where the millenary traditional agricultural land-use practices were carried out by the Italic populations. From a taxonomicalpoint of view the pubescent-oaks are a still open issue. A wide degree of hybridizationcharacterized all the species of white oaks occurring in Italy and hybrids exist evenbetween those oak species seemingly showing very different ecological features(Q. pubescens, Q. robur, Q. frainetto, Q. petraea). Nonetheless, in addition to Quercuspubescens, the Italian taxonomical and phytosociological literature (especially thatconcerning the southern Italy) reports a wide range of other pubescent-oak names,some of them of still uncertain taxonomical status (e.g. Q. virgiliana, Q. dalechampii,Q. leptobalana, Q. apennina, Q. amplifolia, Q. humilis, Q. congesta, Q. ichnusae) whichwere widely used as guide species for phytosociological associations or even for the higher rank syntaxa. Owing to the wide ecological amplitude of Quercus pubescens s.l., bothin terms of bioclimate and bedrock type, the classification of its woods at the class rankis also a highly debated issue. According to some authors (e.g. Brullo & Marcenò 1985;Brullo et al. 2009), the most of the southern Italy pubescent-oak forests are not to be referred to Quercus pubescens s.s. but to other pubescent-oak taxa (especially Q. virgilianaand Q. dalechampii) having a strictly steno-Mediterranean distribution and ecologicalfeatures pertinent to the Thermo-Mediterranean and Meso-Mediterranean thermotypes. Accordingly their forests were classified within the Quercetea ilicis whereasthe pubescent-oak associations occurring in the temperate zones of the Italian peninsulawere included in the Querco-Fagetea. Other authors (e.g. Blasi et al. 2004) disagreedwith this position and considered all the pubescent-oak s.l. associations as belongingto Quercus-Fagetea by virtue of the deciduous character of the guide-species.The Eurovegchecklist (Mucina et al. 2016) put forth the proposition that all the pubescentoak forests are to be considered as the evolution (or the remnants) of a previous formof steppe-forests coming from the East and therefore to be classified in the Querceteapubescentis.In this contribution we have statistically analysed all the Quercus pubescens s.l.communities described for the Italian Peninsula at present and proposed a syntaxonomicand coenological interpretation on the basis of floristic, ec

Revisione sintassonomico-nomenclaturale della vegetazione casmofitica in SE Italia

Questions: What are the syntaxonomic and synchorological patterns of the xerothermic chasmophytic vegetation in the central part of the Mediterranean Basin? What are the diagnostic species of the high-rank syntaxa of Asplenietalia glandulosi, Onosmetalia frutescentis and Centaureo dalmaticae-Campanuletalia pyramidalis? Location: Mediterranean coastal and subcoastal areas of southern France, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and of mainland Greece. Methods: The data set of 1,261 published relevés was analysed using hierarchical clustering (Flexible Beta method), involving a series of data transformations. Indicator species analysis was used to select the best dendrogram solution and identify diagnostic taxa of the main clusters. The dendrogram was interpreted from a syntaxonomic point of view, using nomenclatural type relevés as a basis. The NMDS ordination was performed in order to visualize the floristic relationships among associations and high-rank syntaxa. MRPP was used to test for differences among alliances. Results: The classification revealed four main clusters of relevés representing the chasmophytic vegetation of southern France, Sardinia and the northwestern part of Italy (Asplenienalia glandulosi/Asplenietalia glandulosi), the southwestern part of Italy and Malta (Tinguarrenalia siculae/Asplenietalia glandulosi), the Adriatic Basin area (Centaureo dalmaticae-Campanuletalia pyramidalis) and the southern Balkans (Onosmetalia frutescentis). The NMDS ordination confirmed the overall pattern, while MRPP showed significant differences among the alliances of the above-mentioned orders and suborders. The lists of diagnostic taxa of the high-rank syntaxa were revised according to a supra-national perspective. Conclusions: The new syntaxonomic scheme provides a comprehensive overview of the chasmophytic vegetation of the central part of the Mediterranean Basin. This scheme mostly matches the recently published EuroVegChecklist, but also exhibits important novelties concerning the syntaxonomic position of some alliances (Dianthion rupicolae, Centaureion pentadactyli, Arenarion bertolonii and Caro-Aurinion), and the floristic and chorological relationships among high-rank syntaxa, with new revised sets of diagnostic taxa. This revision might be useful for further small-scale phytosociological studies.

Periodic monitoring of biodiversity changes at a landscape scale constitutes a key issue for conservation managers. Earth Observation (EO) data offers a potential solution, through direct or indirect mapping of species or habitats. Most national and international programs rely on the use of Land Cover (LC) and/or Land Use (LU) classification systems. Yet, these are not as clearly relatable to biodiversity in comparison to habitat classifications, and provide less scope for monitoring. While a conversion from LC/LU classification to habitat classification can be of great utility, differences in definitions and criteria have so far limited the establishment of a unified approach for such translation between these two classification systems. Focusing on five Mediterranean NATURA 2000 sites, this paper considers the scope for three of the most commonly used global LC/LU taxonomies - CORINE Land Cover (CLC), the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP) to be translated to habitat taxonomies. Through both quantitative and expert knowledge based qualitative analysis of selected taxonomies, FAO-LCCS turns out to be the best candidate to cope with the complexity of habitat description and provides a framework for EO and in-situ data integration for habitat mapping, reducing uncertainties and class overlaps and bridging the gap between LC/LU and habitats domains for landscape monitoring - a major issue for conservation. This study also highlights the need to modify the FAO-LCCS hierarchical class description process to permit the addition of attributes based on class-specific expert knowledge to select multi-temporal (seasonal) EO data and improve classification. An application of LC/LU to habitat mapping is provided for a coastal Natura 2000 site with high classification accuracy as a resultKey words: Mapping; land cover; land use; habitat; earth observation; taxonomies; Natura 2000; classification schemes

This paper aims to revise the nomenclature of the Asplenietalia glandulosi and its vicariant orders in the central Mediterranean Basin, up to the association/subassociation level, in order to sort out the inconsistencies found in scientific literature. Study area: Central Mediterranean Basin, from France to Greece. Methods: The nomenclatural revision was based on the 3rd edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature. Results: Altogether, 157 syntaxon names were checked, including one class, five orders, 12 alliances and 139 associations and subassociations. As a result, many syntaxon names and author citations were corrected and one alliance (Brassicion insularis), 11 associations (Anthemido cupanianae-Centaureetum busambarensis, Asperulo chloranthae-Moltkietum petraeae, Asplenio lepidi-Moehringietum tommasinii, Centaureetum ragusinae, Geranio dalmatici-Ramondetum serbicae, Inuletum rotundifoliae, Inulo parnassicae-Ptilostemetum chamaepeuces, Micromerio kerneri-Onosmetum dalmaticae, Micromerio microphyllae-Putorietum calabricae, Moltkio petraeae-Campanuletum lepidae, Teucrio arduinii-Seselietum globiferi) and 20 subassociations were validated. Four neotypifications and 12 lectotypifications were done. Conclusions: The stabilization of the phytosociological nomenclature for the Asplenietalia glandulosi and its vicariant orders in the central Mediterranean Basin represents a first basic stage towards the syntaxonomic revision of chasmophytic vegetation in southern Europe. Moreover, the identification of the precise meaning of each syntaxon name, through its nomenclatural type or original diagnosis, will support actions for safeguarding and monitoring biodiversity of chasmophytic habitats.