The project LIFE+ DEMETRA (DEvelopment of a quick Monitoring index as a tool to assess Environmental impacts of TRAnsgenic crops) arises from the need to analyze standardised numerical data within an informative system in supporting Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) monitoring. In particular, the project is aimed to the creation of a Quick Monitoring Index (QMI) to rapidly assess the potential risk generated by a selected range of transgenic crops in well determined ecosystems. The study area is the San Rossore - Migliarino - Massaciuccoli Regional Park, characterized mainly by wetlands, lowland forests, natural poplar groves and pine forests. For carrying out the experimental field activities, four test areas have been selected within the boundaries of the Regional Park, also taking into account their proximity to cropped (or potentially cropped) surfaces in which Genetically Modified (GM) crops could be used. Different environments have been selected: a) fields adjacent to natural mixed forests; b) abandoned fields; c) wet meadows; d) natural poplar groves. Some marked varieties (GMO free have been used, due both to Italian low restriction and to the sensitive environments selected) have been dislocated in arable surfaces closed to the selected test areas. Some native plants able to hybridize with the selected crops have been genotyped with nuclear molecular markers to evaluate possible hybridization. Analyses are carried out to assess a) local ecosystem biodiversity in relation to the target crops species; b) the interactions among the three levels in trophic chains; c) definition of potential relationships between transgene-environment-plant-animal-food chain in the study plots; d) individuation of species sensitive to GM crops; and e) definition of diversity indexes to monitor biodiversity changes related to crops which could potentially be converted in transgenics. The monitoring of the plant biodiversity in the four test sites should proceed for progressive levels of investigation. In order to better define species density and composition, some sampling plots have been chosen within each of the four selected sites. For evaluating plant biodiversity we used the standardised multi-scale approach proposed by Dengler (2009). For each of the study areas we applied the scheme of Dengler, placing a variable number of permanent plots, based on the extension of the area. The plots are used for both floristic census and for the analysis of plant communities. The floristic census has been carried out with periodical inspection and phenological data have been recorded, for each plant species in each plot. In order to define possible variations of distribution and/or density of plant species, their relative abundance within their environments are evaluated. To do this, an analysis of the plant communities within plot boundaries has been assessed, according to the Braun Blanquet (1964) approach. At present, a list of wild plant species have been sel

The methodological foundations of the recently published Manual for Annex I Habitats monitoring in Italy, edited by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) with the scientific support of the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV), are here presented, discussed and related to the most consolidated and acknowledged scientific advances in the field of Vegetation science. The proposed methodologies aim at offering simple, yet effective, protocols and procedures towards a harmonized data collection, by way of standardized and shared technical tools, resulting in comparable evaluations of the conservation status of Annex I Habitats. The methodological framework was developed by experts including a large team of members of the SISV. Big efforts were deployed to provide indicators and parameters for biodiversity monitoring able to catch its complexity, yet simple enough to be easily measured. Diagnosis and syntaxonomical correspondences of Habitat types, sampling procedure, plot size, distribution mapping, typical species are among the principal issues here examined through a widely shared scientific discussion. The final product is a comprehensive Manual, which offers practical but scientifically sound methodological tools for an efficient and effective monitoring of Annex I Habitats. The importance of bridging across the science-policy interface is emphasized, in a general will to improve the impact of Vegetation science on conservation policy development in Europe.

Odontites sillettii, a new species from central Apulia (Southern Italy), is described and illustrated. This species is morphologically closely related to O. rigidifolius, endemic to Sicily, from which it differs in several features regarding leaves, calyx, corolla, anthers and pistil. The seed testa and pollen micromorphology, ecology, conservation status and its relationships with the hitherto known species of Odontites are examined, as well as an analytical key of the annual species of Odontites characterized by glabrous corolla on the abaxial face is provided.

Habitat mapping is a core element in numerous tasks related to sustainability management, conservation planning and biodiversity monitoring. Land cover classifications, extracted in a timely and area-extensive manner through remote sensing data, can be employed to derive habitat maps, through the use of domain expert knowledge and ancillary information. However, complete information to fully discriminate habitat classes is rarely available, while expert knowledge may suffer from uncertainty and inaccuracies. In this study, a rule-based classification methodology for habitat mapping through the use of a pre-existing land cover map and remote sensing data is proposed to deal with uncertainty, missing information, noise afflicted data and inaccurate rule thresholds. The use of the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence is introduced in land cover to habitat mapping, in combination with fuzzy logic. The framework is able to handle lack of information, by considering composite classes, when necessary data for the discrimination of the constituting single classes is missing, and deal with uncertainty expressed in domain expert knowledge. In addition, a number of fuzzification schemes are proposed to be incorporated in the methodology in order to increase its performance and robustness towards noise afflicted data or inaccurate rule thresholds. Comparison with reference data reveals the improved performance of the methodology and the efficient handling of uncertainty in expert rules. The further scope is to provide a robust methodology readily transferable and applicable to similar sites in different geographic regions and environments. Although developed for habitat mapping, the proposed rule-based methodology is flexible and generic and may be well extended and applied in various classification tasks, aiming at handling uncertainty, missing information and inaccuracies in data or expert rules.

Il Sito di Importanza Comunitaria (SIC IT9140002) "Litorale Brindisino" si estende tra i territori di Ostuni e Fasano (BR) per un totale di 7256 ettari, includendo area terrestre ed area marina. La fascia costiera è caratterizzata da un esteso cordone dunale e da un vasto sistema di aree umide retrostanti. L'entroterra è caratterizzato da oliveti plurisecolari e seminativi, e da incisioni perpendicolari alla linea di costa localmente dette "lame". L'area del SIC "Litorale Brindisino" è stata oggetto di approfonditi studi floristici (Mele et al., 2007) che hanno la presenza di 621 taxa subgenerici, nonché la presenza di numerose specie endemiche, rare o minacciate. Nel periodo compreso tra il 2007 ed il 2013 sono stati effettuati numerosi sopralluoghi in campo e rilievi fitosociologici (georeferiti con gps), per l'identificazione delle associazioni vegetali secondo il metodo di Zurigo-Montpellier. Le indagini hanno permesso di individuare diverse associazioni, molte delle quali ben differenziate sotto il profilo floristico e fisionomico-strutturale e riferibili alle classi: Potametea pectinati, Crithmo maritimi-Staticetea, Sarcocornietea fruticosae, Thero-Suadetea splendentis, Juncetea maritimi, Phragmito australis-Magnocaricetea elatae, Cakiletea maritimae, Euphorbio paraliae-Ammophiletea australis, Quercetea ilicis, Cisto cretici-Micromerietea julianae, Lygeo sparti-Stipetea tenacissimae, Tuberarietea guttatae, Asplenietea trichomanis. Per l'analisi territoriale sono state usate ortofoto georeferite e la Nuova Carta Tecnica Regionale (CTR) 1:5000 della Regione Puglia (SIT-Puglia, http://www.sit.puglia.it/), sulla base delle quali è stato implementato un GIS (con software ArcGis 10.2). I dati raccolti in campo sono stati usati per la definizione e la validazione della carta della vegetazione. Dall'analisi cartografica emerge che le aree coltivate coprono il 50% circa dell'intero territorio del SIC. Per quanto riguarda invece le aree naturali, le formazioni maggiormente estese sono le garighe (5,8%) e le praterie (circa l'11 %). Lungo la fascia costiera si riscontrano numerose associazioni vegetali tipiche di questi ambienti, ma con distribuzione frammentaria e superfici piuttosto ridotte. Infatti l'erosione costiera ha causato un forte rimaneggiamento delle comunità del cordone dunale, con una "compressione" delle fasce di vegetazione tipiche della duna. Anche la parte umida presenta un pattern piuttosto complesso, con numerosi mosaici di vegetazione. Sono stati individuati 13 habitat comunitari che ricoprono circa il 30,5% della superficie complessiva del SIC. Gli habitat più estesi sono: 6220* - "Percorsi sub-steppici di graminacee e piante annue dei Thero-Brachypodietea" (10,76%), 2260 - "Dune con vegetazione di sclerofille dei Cisto-Lavanduletea" (8,62%), 2250* - "Dune costiere con Juniperus spp." (4,68%) e 1420 - "Praterie e fruticeti alofili mediterranei e termo-atlantici (Sarcocornietea fruticosae) (2,8%).

The preliminary results of an INTERREG project (III A Greece-Italy 2000-2006) congerning the monitoringof "Torre Guaceto" State Natural Reserve are here presented. The knowledge on vegetation, communitary habitats anddistribution of threatened species has been updated. The agricultural areas have been monitored, taking a census of eachagrarian cultivation and of the respective surface. The collected data have been organized in a GIS and the following thematicmaps have been produced: land use map (according to the CORINE Land Cover legend), vegetation map, Habitat map(according to the 92/43 EEC directive). The maps of the distribution of the threatened plant species have been implemented

Plant biodiversity analysis and vegetation, habitats and land use mapping of "Le Cesine" State Natural Reserve (Lecce, Apulia). - The results of an INTERREG project (III A Greece-Italy 2000-2006) concerning the biodiversity moni-toring of "Le Cesine" State Natural Reserve are here presented. The knowledge on vegetation, communitary habitats, flora and distribution of threatened species has been updated. The agricultural areas have been monitored, taking a census of each agrarian cultivation. The collected data have been organized in a GIS and the following thematic maps have been produced: land use map (according to the CORINE Land Cover legend), vegetation map, Habitats map (according to the 92/43/EEC Directive). The maps of the distribution of the threatened plant species have been implemented.

In the framework of the LIFE + DEMETRA (LIFE08/NAT/IT/342) project, aimed at defining a methodology to monitor possible collateral effects of genetically modified (GM) crops on natural and semi-natural environments, a survey on plant biodiversity within the "Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli" Regional Park - Tuscany (Italy) was carried out. Activities focused on: a) evaluating how phenological features may be influenced by different environments; b) detecting wild species subject to potential breeding with cultivated oilseed rape (Brassica napus L. var. oleifera D.C.); c) allowing a proper planning of crop plantation. Permanent plots were designed in six selected sites; phenological data were collected from March to October 2010 and then compared with meteorological data provided by three weather stations. Results showed that Sinapis arvensis L. and Cardamine hirsuta L. turned out to have a flowering period overlapping with B. napus var. oleifera. The phenological observations allowed the identification of three phenological groups. Some phenological variations between environments were highlighted, although it wasn't possible to outline a clear relationship with the examined meteorological variables.

Protected areas are continuously subjected to ecological change due to anthropic pressures. Analyses of changes in the extent and intensity of pressures over time are essential for adaptive management, yet such analyses are rarely conceptualized or performed in a well-defined, standardized way, with a frequent lack of clarity in development, definition and measurement. Over-time remote sensing data has great potential for mapping spatial pattern of pressures and their impacts. Some pressures can be mapped directly (e.g. land use dynamics, some invasive species), whereas for others the nature, intensity and spatial pattern of impacts can be used to infer on pressures. This paper develops a framework within which remote sensing datasets in combination with GIS and ecological modeling may be used to identify potential pressure growth through either direct detection or indirect monitoring of impacts on landscapes, land cover/habitat types, communities and species through multi-temporal remote sensing image series. The use of this framework is illustrated through categorization of pressure-derived impacts on protected areas in six countries - Greece, Italy, Portugal, Wales, The Netherlands, and India - located in diverse biogeographic, environmental and social-ecological contexts, and facing a different range of pressures. The framework is conceptually robust, geographically invariant, scalable and spatially-explicit, connecting to the growing data sets from remote sources, and we urge it to be tested over a wide range of pressures and social-ecological settings.

Object of this work was to compare different habitat and land cover classification schemes, applied to a specific coastal wetland landscape, with a defined thematic resolution level.Location and Methods: Study area is the SCI IT9110005, one of the most extensive wetlands of the Italian peninsula and one of the largest components of the Mediterranean wetland system, located in the Northeastern part of the Puglia Region (Southern Italy). The natural vegetation is represented mostly by halophytic scrub, reed thickets and by annual pioneer salt marsh communities. Natural and semi-natural landscape elements were described as phytosociological units and represented on a vegetation map at a 1:5,000 scale. Vegetation units were then reclassified in habitat types according to Annex I of the EEC 92/43 Directive and EUNIS habitat classification schemes and in land cover types according to different land cover schemes. For each scheme a thematic map was produced and, for each map, various landscape metrics were calculated.Results and Conclusions: The selection of a specific class scheme affects the spatial pattern of the derived landscapes and consequently the landscape metrics, especially at class level. The presence of various vegetation types and mosaics increases the complexity of the spatial pattern, which varies greatly according to the classification system considered, based on how the different types are aggregated. Our results confirm that the choice of specific classification schemes produces important effects on the spatial composition of the derived patch-mosaic landscape, and therefore can significantly affect the derived landscape metrics values.

The preliminary results of an INTERREG project (III A Greece-Italy 2000-2006) congerning the monitoring of"Saline di Punta della Contessa" Regional Natural Park are here presented. The knowledge on vegetation, communitary habitatsand distribution of threatened species has been updated. The agricultural areas have been monitored, taking a census ofeach agrarian cultivation and of the respective surface. The collected data have been organized in a GIS and the followingthematic maps have been produced: land use map (according to the CORINE Land Cover legend), vegetation map, Habitatmap (according to the 92/43 EEC directive). The distribution maps of the threatened plant species have been implemented

Obiettivo del progetto "Recupero, caratterizzazione, Salvaguardia e Valorizzazione di leguminose e cereali daGranella e foraggio IN Puglia" - SaVeGraINPuglia (Misura 214 azione 4 sub.a, PSR 2007-2013) sezione cerealicola è la preservazione delle risorse genetiche cerealicole nei luoghi dove da almeno 80 anni sono state tradizionalmentecoltivate e dove sono ancora oggi variamente distribuite negli 11 ambiti di paesaggio inclusi nel Piano PaesaggisticoTerritoriale Regionale (PPTR). A tal fine sono state sinergicamente avviate azioni volte al reperimento di informazionistoriche, raccolta di antiche risorse genetiche vegetali locali, allevamento delle stesse al fine di procedere alla lorocaratterizzazione morfologica e genetica, risanamento, conservazione in situ nei luoghi dove sono state individuate.Le informazioni storiche sono state reperite in biblioteche inserite in ciascuno dei sei poli regionali afferenti alSistema Bibliotecario Nazionale (SBN), in biblioteche regionali, collaborando con i Gruppi di Azione Locale,associazioni culturali, esperti di settore e raccogliendo testimonianze di anziani agricoltori che hanno memoria delletecniche colturali, proverbi, ricette, usi rituali relativi alle risorse.Sono stati raccolti circa 78 campioni ed i siti di reperimento georeferenziati. I campioni sono stati catalogati econservati ex situ a basse temperature o mediante propagazione. Nell'ambito territoriale del Gargano, Monti Dauni, AltaMurgia, Murgia dei Trulli ed Arco Jonico Tarantino sono stati reperiti grani duri (Triticum durum desf.) e grani teneri(Triticum aestivum L.) e tra quest'ultimi in prevalenza la Bianchetta. Nel Tavoliere salentino e Salento delle Serre,prevalentemente orzo (Hordeum vulgare L.) ed avena (Avena sativa L.). In tutta la regione e in particolare nel Salento,prevale come coltura cerealicola di antica tradizione il grano duro Senatore Cappelli. Una sezione dei campioni è statasottoposta a risanamento fitosanitario e caratterizzazione morfologica, genetica, tecnologica, nutrizionale. Lacaratterizzazione morfologica e la propagazione a fini conservativi sono state eseguite in campi catalogoopportunamente predisposti al fine di procedere alle verifiche di alcuni caratteri. Per sei risorse cerealicole è statoinoltre possibile completare l'intero ciclo di azioni previste dal progetto, inclusa la conservazione in situ pressol'azienda detentrice della risorsa. Per tutte sono state predisposte schede di segnalazione, storiche e di caratterizzazionenonché schede digitali seguendo le indicazioni riportate nel Piano Nazionale sulla Biodiversità di interesse Agricolo(PNBA) e nei descrittori dell'International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR).L'integrazione dei dati rilevati nell'ambito di ciascuna attività di reperimento, risanamento, caratterizzazione,conservazione in situ ed ex situ, ha messo in luce un possibile modello di conservazione dinamica dei cereali.

The objectives of this work were the characterization of the spatial genetic diversity in poplar populations at the stand level, and the study of the potential breeding between natural and cultivated populations in Mediterranean environment. To this end, two test areas were selected in the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli Regional Park in Tuscany (Italy): A) a mixed forest stand; B) a scattered Populus population in the wetland area of "lake of Massaciuccoli". Test area A is a naturally-originated mixed forest stand near to poplar plantations. In the forest, the prevailing tree species are Populus alba and P. x canescens. In the test area B, single and clustered trees of Populus spp. are scattered along the lake, and close to poplar plantations. In the test area A an experimental plot 2500 m2 large has been designed inside the forest. All Populus trees within the two test area have been identified and their position have been collected by GPS. The analysis of spatial and genetic structure of the two poplar stands was performed using Geneland. Nuclear microsatellites were used to evaluate genetic diversity of poplar populations and level of breeding between natural and cultivated Populus. The results of Geneland clearly showed that four distinct clusters can be identified in the area A, indicating the presence of gene flow barriers. The same analysis indicates two clusters in area B with a gene flow between clusters higher than in area A. In test area A, we found hybridization between the poplar stand and the Populus plantation. Therefore, the possible cultivation of transgenic poplar close to naturally originated stands might influence their biodiversity. The study has been performed within the framework of the European project LIFE08 NAT/IT/342.

L'istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR-IBBR) ha coordinatole attività dei venti partner del progetto provvedendo alle verifiche scientifiche ed amministrativesuddivise secondo le differenti macro-tipologie di risorse raccolte ed oggetto del programmaapprovato: leguminose, cereali e foraggere. L'attività di coordinamento scientifico si è avvalsadell'ausilio di tre aziende esterne che hanno agevolato, con i loro servizi, il raggiungimento degliobiettivi definiti nell'ambito delle attività di indagini storiche e bibliografiche, rilievi, raccolta eprima caratterizzazione, caratterizzazione morfologica, raccolta dati relativi agli agricoltori perla conservazione in situ, immissione dati nella banca dati di progetto, supporto agli utenti per laimmissione dati. Per le attività di coordinamento relativa alla gestione amministrativa e alla verificacontabile amministrativa ci si è avvalsi di una società e, per la gestione dati AGEA, di un consulenteesterno che si è occupato della immissione dati sul portale. E' stato infine affidato ad una aziendalocale la gestione dei tre eventi programmati nell'ambito del progetto e che hanno visto convolti tuttii partner.L'organigramma interno è servito a definire, nell'ambito delle due macro-tipologie leguminose ecereali, le aree d'intervento del personale del CNR-IBBR di Bari. Sono stati pertanto creati gruppi adhoc per indagini storiche, esplorazione del territorio, conservazione, caratterizzazione, risanamento,immissione dati, gestione informatica, segreteria e gestione amministrativa.

An overview of the salt-marsh herbland and scrub vegetation belonging to the class Salicornietea fruticosae Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex A. Bol`os y Vayreda 1950 in Apulia is presented. Data available from literature have been supplemented with original relevés performed in different locations of the Apulia region. On the basis of a total of 297 relevés, fifteen communities have been defined, according to the traditional phytosociological system based on dominant and/or diagnostic taxa. For comparison purposes, the salt-marsh vegetation has been classified using numerical methods. The results obtained show that most of the clusters correspond to specific associations, and confirm the division into vegetation alliances and orders. Numerical analysis also allowed us to assign the proper allocation of some associations and plant communities drawn from literature. Five alliances, with plant communities characterized by specific ecological features, have been discriminated: Sarcocornion alpini and Arthrocnemion glauci (lower marshes), Salicornion fruticosae (middle marshes), Inulion crithmoidis and Suaedion brevofoliae (upper marshes). In addition, during the field work, a population of Halocnemum strobilaceum (Arthrocnemo-Halocnemetum strobilacei), new record for the Apulia region, has been found

The aim of this paper is the development of an algorithm, based on expert knowledge, for the Land cover classification of an Italian Grassland Area. To accomplish this task, a dataset composed by 4 Worldiew-2 (WV-2) images, at 2 m of spatial resolution, has been considered. Despite their poor spectral resolution, Very High spatial Resolution (VHR) data allow the identification of individual objects by means of the information in the relationship between adjacent pixels, including texture and shape. For this reason a Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA) approach consisting in a rule set based on the elicitation of expert rules concerning phenology, spatial features and agricultural practices in conjugation with prior spectral knowledge, has been used.The study area, of almost 500 kmq, is located in Southern Italy (Puglia Region) within the Natura 2000 "Alta Murgia" site (SCI/SPA IT9120007, according to Habitat Directive 92/43 and Bird Directive 147/2009), partly designated as a National Park as from 2004. Semi-natural dry grasslands cover almost 24% of the total area of the site which represent one of the most important areas for the conservation of this kind of ecosystems in Europe.

One of the core European Union environmental policies is the creation and monitoring of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. This network has been explicitly established for the preservation of conservation priority habitat types and species. Still the concept of habitat is a key concept for ecologists that remains ill defined and is notoriously hard to quantify and measure. Several classification schemes have been put forward, but their relative strengths and weaknesses remain less well examined. In this study we analyzed 8 different Natura 2000 sites (3 Greek, 2 Italian, 2 Portuguese, 1 British). Our study sites reflect a variety of ecosystems, most of them are Mediterranean (7 of the 8) and most of them are wetlands (6 of the 8). In each site, we classified habitats according to 4 different classification schemes (Annex I of the Habitats Directive, Corine Biotopes, EUNIS and General Habitat categories). Also, we used three other widely used land cover classification schemes (namely Corine Land Cover, FAO Land Cover Classification System and IGBP DIS scheme). We found that the different schemes produced considerably different values of landscape diversity leading even to different ranking of the sites according to their diversity. Furthermore, when comparing the landscape composition among sites according to the different schemes, they led to different inferences. Our results imply that the classification scheme used for estimating habitat composition plays an important role for the monitoring of protected areas, perhaps more important than previously assumed.

The increasing need for high quality Habitat/Land-Cover (H/LC) maps has triggered considerable research into novel machine-learning based classification models. In many cases, H/LC classes follow pre-defined hierarchical classification schemes (e.g., CORINE), in which fine H/LC categories are thematically nested within more general categories. However, none of the existing machine-learning algorithms account for this pre-defined hierarchical structure. Here we introduce a novel Random Forest (RF) based application of hierarchical classification, which fits a separate local classification model in every branching point of the thematic tree, and then integrates all the different local models to a single global prediction. We applied the hierarchal RF approach in a NATURA 2000 site in Italy, using two land-cover (CORINE, FAO-LCCS) and one habitat classification scheme (EUNIS) that differ from one another in the shape of the class hierarchy. For all 3 classification schemes, both the hierarchical model and a flat model alternative provided accurate predictions, with kappa values mostly above 0.9 (despite using only 2.2-3.2% of the study area as training cells). The flat approach slightly outperformed the hierarchical models when the hierarchy was relatively simple, while the hierarchical model worked better under more complex thematic hierarchies. Most misclassifications came from habitat pairs that are thematically distant yet spectrally similar. In 2 out of 3 classification schemes, the additional constraints of the hierarchical model resulted with fewer such serious misclassifications relative to the flat model. The hierarchical model also provided valuable information on variable importance which can shed light into "black-box" based machine learning algorithms like RF. We suggest various ways by which hierarchical classification models can increase the accuracy and interpretability of H/LC classification maps.

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.

The Gargano is one of the richest Mediterranean areas in biodiversity. The work reports an assessment of the presence andconservation status of the habitats according to the 92/43/EEC Directive of Gargano coastal and low hill belts, theirrelationships with plant communities, threatened species, phytoclimatology, threats, and suggestions for managementpurposes. The field surveys revealed 33 habitats of Directive, and 6 of them are priority (1150* Coastal lagoons, 2250*Coastal dunes with Juniperus ssp., 2270* Wooded dunes with Pinus pinea and/or Pinus pinaster, 6220* pseudo-steppe withgrasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea, 7210* Calcareous fens with Cladium mariscus and species of the Cariciondavallianae, 91AA* Eastern white oak woods). The updates of six Special Areas Conservation and three Special ProtectionAreas of Natura 2000 network are provided.

Revisione sintassonomica della vegetazione delle coste rocciose della Puglia

An overview of the coastal vegetation of Site of Community Importance "Zone Umide della Capitanata" (Puglia Region)is here presented. Original relevés were performed in different locations of the site. On the basis of the in-field observations(142 original relevés) and of literature data, 44 plant communities have been defined, belonging to the following classes:Lemnetea minoris, Ruppietea maritimae, Potametea pectinati, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Cakiletea maritimae, Ammophiletea,Helichryso-Crucianelletea maritimae, Juncetea maritimi, Sarcocornietea fruticosae, Saginetea maritimae, Thero-Suaedetea,Tuberarietea guattatae, Nerio-Tamaricetea. For each vegetation unit, the distribution area at local and regional level and therelation to habitat types of the 92/43 EEC Directive are provided.

Habitats are effective indicators of biodiversity. Remote sensing data and techniques are of great utility for their long-term monitoring. Habitat maps can be derived from land cover (LC) maps through rules obtained from expert knowledge and integrated with in situ data. Spatial (vegetation pattern) and temporal (phenology and water seasonality) relationships were explored and documented to infer reliable rules for LC (according to the Food and Agricultural Organization Land Cover Classification System (FAO-LCCS) taxonomy) to habitat (Annex I to the 92/43 EEC Directive and EUNIS) class translation. A coastal site in southern Italy was considered as study site for the definition and validation of such rules. Phenological data of the plant communities were collected on the basis of vegetation plots randomly distributed within the study site. Water seasonality was extracted from periodical observation of the water surface. Vegetation pattern was analyzed by means of vegetation survey along transects. The potentiality of rules, based on this specific expert knowledge, was tested in an experimental setting for habitat mapping. The overall accuracy of the habitat map was 75.1%. Such a result supports the usefulness of prior expert knowledge for habitat mapping from LCCS classes and disambiguation on one-to-many relations between LC/LU and habitat types.

Cornucopiae cucullatum L. (Poaceae), a very rare species, is an hygrophyte occurring in the eastern part of the Mediterranean basin. In Italy it occurs only in a few stations. Recently, a new station has been discovered in the Apulia Region, in the Regional Natural Park « Saline di Punta della Contessa », a coastal wetland located in the Adriatic side of southern Apulia. Geographical distribution area and ecological data are here reported. An evaluation of the conservation status is also provided.

In Puglia la raccolta di piante selvati­che è una pratica molto antica e dif­fusa. Nell'area Garganica, situata nel­la parte settentrionale della regione, sono circa 270 le specie raccolte e tra di esse Salicornia patula Duval-Jou­ve (gruppo S. europaea), nota come asparago di mare, è sicuramente de­gna di menzione. Questa specie alo­fila occupa, lungo le lagune costiere, le parti delle distese paludose che in inverno sono inondate dal mare e che si diseccano in estate. Utilizzata sin dall'800 nella medicina popolare per il trattamento di disturbi intestinali e nefropatie oltre che per il suo con­sumo a fini culinari e per l'alimenta­zione del bestiame, tale specie è stata inclusa nella lista di Prodotti Tradi­zionali Regionali pugliesi dal Mini­stero delle politiche agricole alimen­tari e forestali (MiPAAF). Obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato quello di condurre un'indagine preli­minare sulla domesticazione e sulle tecniche di coltivazione di S. patula sul Gargano poiché al momento non è stata riportata alcuna segnalazio­ne inerente alla coltivazione di tale specie in Italia. Dalle testimonianze degli agricoltori, proprietari di piccole aziende conserviere e ristoranti è emerso che tale pianta, raccolta da tempi remoti allo stato selvatico, ha iniziato ad essere domesticata per il consumo familiare circa quarant'an? ni fa nei piccoli fazzoletti di terra pa­ludoso-salmastri situati intorno alla laguna di Lesina. Negli ultimi anni però, la crescente domanda di mer­cato per il suo consumo, sia allo sta­to fresco che trasformato, ha inco­raggiato alcuni agricoltori locali a incrementare la superficie destinata alla S. patula per la sua commercia­lizzazione. Caratteristiche peculiari di questa coltura, rispetto a quelle tradiziona­li, sembrano essere: tolleranza a sa­linità, siccità e alte temperature; re­sistenza a fitopatie; competizione nei confronti delle infestanti; basso fab­bisogno di input energetico. La sua coltivazione si basa solo sull'espe­rienza maturata dal singolo tore e, al momento, non sono ancora state messe a punto tecniche agro­nomiche volte ad ottimizzare la resa della coltura, la qualità del prodotto e la stabilità della produzione. Attual­mente non sono stati selezionati ge­notipi che esprimono caratteristiche qualitative superiori. Concludendo, possiamo suggerire che S. patula, tenendo ben presente le criticità citate, potrebbe costitui­re una nuova coltura da reddito per la valorizzazione delle aree agrico­le marginali. La maggior parte del­la popolazione del Gargano vive di agricoltura e turismo e questo or­taggio potrebbe soddisfare anche la domanda del turismo gastronomico oggi sempre più orientato alla degu­stazione di prodotti tipici e di piatti tradizionali o rivisitati secondo una visione più moderna.

Plant biodiversity studies have been performed in the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli Regional Park in Tuscany (Italy) within the framework of the European project LIFE08 NAT/IT/342.This project aims at developing a quick monitoring index (QMI) to rapidly assess the potential risk generated by transgenic plants in characterized ecosystems or biotopes. For this reason test areas have been selected inside the protected area to evaluate plant (weeds and trees), animal, and soil microoganisms biodiversity. The proximity of the selected test area to cropped surfaces where Genetically Modified Plants (GMPs) might be cultivated has been taken into account. GMPs could spread pollen and contaminate natural populations. To avoid this risk, an efficient monitoring system is required taking into account genetic diversity and breeding study. As far as tree biodiversity concern, Populus species were identified in the test areas. Two populations of Populus present into two different ecosystems (forest and wetland areas) were examined together with two cultivated varieties. The two ecosystems were characterized for the vegetation. Nuclear microsatellites were used to evaluate genetic diversity of poplar populations and level of breeding between natural and cultivated Populus. In addition the insect populations present on male and female poplars during flowering period have been studied.

Plant biodiversity studies have been performed in the Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli Regional Park in Tuscany (Italy) within the frame of the European project LIFE08 NAT/IT/342 DEMETRA. This project aims at developing a quick monitoring index (QMI) to rapidly assess the potential risk generated by transgenic plants in characterized ecosystems or biotopes. For this reason test areas have been selected inside the protected area to evaluate plant (weeds and trees), animal, and soil microoganisms biodiversity. The proximity of the selected test area to cropped surfaces where Genetically Modified Plants (GMPs) might be cultivated has been taken into account. GMPs could spread pollen and hybridize with their wild relatives. To evaluate potential hybridization, Brassica napus L. var. oleifera Del. (oil seed-rape) were cropped. B. napus forms spontaneous hybrids with both of its wild progenitor species, B. rapa (wild turnip) and B. oleracea (wild cabbage) and there has been much interest in the extent of sexual compatibility between Brassica napus (oilseed rape) and wild Brassica species. Some wild plant species belonging to Brassicaceae have been selected in the protected areas, to evaluate possible hybridization and gene flow. The choice of Brassicaceae has been done considering the pollinating fauna and the flowering period. Sinapis arvensis was considered as one possible candidate to hybridize with oilseed rape. If GM oilseed rape is to be grown the possibility of his modified trait being transferred to S. arvensis needs serious consideration as the species are widespread.Due to the close genomic relationship between these taxa, SSR primers designed for different Brassica species were tested to amplify both in Brassica napus and Sinapis arvensis. Therefore we looked for S. arvensis populations and oilseed B. napus cultivars which would hybridize in the field. Analysis are in progress.

This work is part of LIFE08 NAT/IT/342 DEMETRA project with the aim of developing a QuickMonitoring Index (QMI) to rapidly assess the potential risk generated by a selected range oftransgenic crops in well determined ecosystems or biotopes. Therefore, it is important to definepollen dispersal of some species (crops and trees) which could potentially be converted intransgenic in the near future, and cropped (or potentially cropped) in proximity of protectedecosystems. The species included in the project are maize, sunflower, canola and poplarcultivated in selected areas in the Migliarino - San Rossore - Massaciuccoli Regional Park(Tuscany, Italy). Some pollen traps were installed taking into account the distance from croppedarea and the dominant wind during the period of pollen dispersal. The information achieved isneeded in order to collect data concerning the possible distance covered by transgenic pollenthat potentially could impact biodiversity and target species. This will be also necessary toindividuate potential periods and conditions that increase the risk of pollen dispersal.

Monitoring biodiversity at the level of habitats and landscape is becoming widespread in Europe and elsewhere as countries establish international and national habitat conservation policies and monitoring systems. Earth Observation (EO) data offers a potential solution to long-term biodiversity monitoring through direct mapping of habitats or by integrating Land Cover/Use (LC/LU) maps with contextual spatial information and in situ data. Therefore, it appears necessary to develop an automatic/ semi-automatic translation framework of LC/ LU classes to habitat classes, but also challenging due to discrepancies in domain definitions. In the context of the FP7 BIO_SOS (www.biosos.eu) project, the authors demonstrated the feasibility of the Food and Agricultural Organization Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) taxonomy to habitat class translation. They also developed a framework to automatically translate LCCS classes into the recently proposed General Habitat Categories classification system, able to provide an exhaustive typology of habitat types, ranging from natural ecosystems to urban areas around the globe. However discrepancies in terminology, plant height criteria and basic principles between the two mapping domains inducing a number of one-to-many and many-to-many relations were identified, revealing the need of additional ecological expert knowledge to resolve the ambiguities. This paper illustrates how class phenology, class topological arrangement in the landscape, class spectral signature from multi-temporal Very High spatial Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery and plant height measurements can be used to resolve such ambiguities.Concerning plant height, this paper also compares the mapping results obtained by using accurate values extracted from LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) data and by exploiting EO data texture features (i.e. entropy) as a proxy of plant height information, when LIDAR data are not available. An application for two Natura 2000 coastal sites in Southern Italy is discussed.

Focusing on the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) and the recently proposed General Habitat Categories (GHCs) classifycation system, this paper illustrates how expert knowledge concerning class spatial arrangement in the scene at hand class, class phenology and class spectral signature in multitemporal EO images can fill the gaps between the two classification systems and provide LC/LU to habitat translation. An application to a Natura 2000 site in Southern Italy which includes a wetland costal area is discussed.

In the ambit of a large phytosociological survey on the vegetation of the Puglia region, for a more complete knowledge of the territory and comprehensive environmental characterization, the Authors have considered to extend the study to the bryophyte vegetation, reporting here the first results. They are some bryophyte associations, for the first time reported for the Puglia region for which to date no bryosociological data is known. The communities are referred to the phytosociological classes Pleurochaeto squarrosae-Abietinelletea abietinae Marstaller 2002, Barbuletea unguiculatae Mohan 1978 and Ctenietea mollusci v. Hübschmann ex Grgi? 1980. In particular, within the class Pleurochaeto squarrosae-Abietinelletea abietinae the association Pleurochaeto squarrosae-Cheilotheletum chloropi Privitera & Puglisi 1996 was detected. It is a terricolous, meso-xerophilous, photo-sciophilous association characterized by Cheilothela chloropus, an oceanic Mediterranean species occurring with a very high cover value, sometimes tending to form monophytic conenoses. The community was found in the Southern part of the Puglia region, in some areas of the so called "Alto-Salento" and precisely at Ostuni (Costone S. Biagio), Grottaglie (Taranto) and Ravines of Fantiano (Taranto), in correspondence of garrigues characterized by Thymbra capitata referable to the Helianthemo jonii-Thymetum capitati Biondi & Guerra 2008 of the class Cisto cretici-Micromerietea julianae Oberdorfer 1954 ex Horvati? 1958. To date the association Pleurochaeto squarrosae-Cheilotheletum chloropi is known only for Sicily; therefore, it is here reported for the first time from the Italian Peninsula. Weissietum controversae Marstaller 1988 is included in the alliance Grimaldion fragrantis ?marda et Hadàc 1944 of the class Barbuletea unguiculatae. It is a terricolous, photo-sciophilous association, found at Ravines of Riggio (Taranto) in correspondence of garrigues of the Helianthemo jonii-Thymetum capitati and in the coastal area next to island La Chianca (Gargano, Foggia) in correspondence of the halotolerant garrigues of the Agropyro-Helichrysetum italici Bartolo, Brullo & Signorello 1989 of the class Helichryso-Crucianelletea maritimae (Sissingh 1974) Géhu, Rivas-Martínez & Tüxen in Géhu 1975 em. Biondi & Géhu in Géhu & Biondi 1994. Known only for Sicily Weissietum controversae, as well as Pleurochaeto squarrosae-Cheilotheletum chloropi, is signaled for the first from the Italian Peninsula.Finally, Encalypto streptocarpae-Fissidentetum cristati Neumayr 1971, referred to the class Ctenidietea mollusci, is reported. It is a chasmophytic and exochomophytic, mesophytic, sciophytic association, found on Mt. S. Angelo (Gargano, Foggia) in correspondence of garrigues characterized by Thymbra capitata and Rosmarinus officinalis of the class Cisto cretici-Micromerietea julianae. Encalypto streptocarpae-Fissidentetum cristati is already known for Trentino Alto Adige and Sicily.This study is a litt

Scorzoneroides muelleri (Sch. Bip.) Greuter & Talavera (Asteraceae), a very rare species, is a hygrophyte occurring in the southern part of the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, the presence of this species is confirmed for Sicily, while in Sardinia and Liguria it has not been recorded any longer. Three new localities, recently found in Apulia (southern Italy), are here reported. The floristic composition of Scorzoneroides muelleri communities in Italy is here analyzed, in order to characterize the diversity of populations in relation to different ecological conditions and assess their conservation status at regional level. A total of 70 plots were surveyed. For each plot, the floristic composition and cover of the species were determined using standard method of releves. Cluster analysis and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) allowed the identification of three vegetation types which correlated with ecological gradients ranging from the coast to inland areas. The first is characterized by the presence of Lythrum hyssopifolia (coastal zone, Sicily), the second by the presence of Trisetaria aurea (inland zone, Sicily) and the third by Sphenopus divaricatus (coastal zone, Apulia). The limited distribution of this taxon is a probably a consequence of the degradation, fragmentation and reduction of its natural habitat.

Monitoring biodiversity at habitat and landscape level is becoming widespread in Europe and elsewhere as countries establish national and international habitat conservation policies and monitoring systems. Long-term habitat mapping and change detection are essential for the management of coastal wetlands as well as for evaluating the impact of conservation policies. Earth observation (EO) data and techniques are a valuable resource for long-term habitat mapping, through direct mapping of habitats or by integrating Land Cover/Use (LC/LU) maps with contextual spatial information and in situ data. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) has been identified as the most effective for translating EO-derived LC/LU classes to habitat types, since it allows a better description of natural habitats in comparison to other classification systems; moreover, LCCS has proven to be a effective tool in change detection, both at the level of conversion and modification (Tomaselli et al., 2013; Adamo et al 2014). As regards the present contribution, vegetation, LC and habitat mapping has been performed on three coastal sites belonging to the Natura 2000 and located in Southern Apulia (Italy), in years 2007 and 2015. Vegetation maps represented the baseline position for natural and semi-natural types, defined as phytosociological units in accordance with the Zurich-Montpellier method. Vegetation units were then reclassified in habitat types (according to the Annex I to the 92/43 EEC Directive and EUNIS) and in LC classes (according to Corine Land Cover and LCCS). The adopted landscape classification procedure refers to a hierarchical model with three different information levels: the vegetation unit, the habitat type, and the LC type. The mapping products were then compared, in the different acquisitions, in order to point out the ability of different taxonomies in detecting changes in vegetation and habitat types. LCCS turned out to be the most effective, highlighting changes such as height, structure and density, which were not evidenced with other classification systems.

Summary1.Long-term habitat mapping and change detection are essential for the management of coastal wetlands as well as for evaluating the impact of conservation policies. Earth Observation (EO) data and techniques are a valuable resource for long-term habitat mapping. Although the use of EO data is well developed for the automatic production of Land Cover (LC) maps this is not the same for habitat maps, which are highly related to biodiversity.2.In a previous paper, we used the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) environmental attributes (e.g. water quality, lithology, soil surface aspect) for LC-to-habitat class translation. However, these environmental attributes are often not openly available, not updated or are missing.3.This paper offers an alternative, knowledge-based solution to automatic habitat mapping. When only expert rules and EO data are used, the final overall map accuracy which is obtained by comparing reference ground-truth patches to the ones depicted in the output map, is lower (75.1%) than the accuracy obtained using environmental attributes alone (97.0%). Some ambiguities that still remain in habitat discrimination are resolved by integrating the use of LCCS environmental attributes (if available), and expert rules. 4.In this paper we use Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite data and LIDAR data. LC classes are labelled according to the LCCS taxonomy, which offers a framework to integrate EO data with in situ and ancillary data. Output habitat classes are labelled according to the European Habitats Directive (92/43 EEC Directive) Annex I habitat types and Eunis habitat classification. Two Natura 2000 coastal wetland sites in southern Italy are considered.5.Synthesis and applications. In this paper we study the exploitation of ecological rules on vegetation pattern, plant phenology and habitat geometric properties for automatic translation of Land Cover (LC) maps to habitat maps in coastal wetlands. The methodology is useful for relatively inaccessible sites (e.g. wetlands) as it does not require in-field campaigns (generally costly) but only the elicitation of ecological expert rules. This can support site (e.g. Natura 2000) managers in long-term automatic habitat mapping. Habitat changes can be automatically detected by comparing map pairs and trends can be quantified. This is particularly useful to satisfy the commitments of the European Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), which requires Member States to take measures to maintain as, or restore to, favourable conservation status those natural habitat types and species of community interest that are listed in the Annexes to the Directive.

Coastal environments are among the most threatened worldwide, undergoing numerous human-induced and natural pressures resulting in habitat loss, alteration and fragmentation. Conservation of coastal environments is one of the major concerns of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, and periodic monitoring of biodiversity changes at different scales constitutes a key issue to adopt adequate conservation policies. Structure, composition and spatial pattern of coastal plant communities may be extensively surveyed by means of in situ methodologies. The integration of in situ data (vegetation) with earth observation (EO) data offer a significant enhancement, through direct or indirect mapping of habitats at different spatial and temporal scales. In the framework of the BIO_SOS project, funded within the European Union FP7-SPACE third call (www.biosos.eu), a pre-operational system for periodic monitoring of changes in land cover and habitats within Natura 2000 sites was developed. The FAO - Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) was considered as the most appropriate Land Cover/Use (LC/LU) taxonomy for habitat mapping, since in situ expert knowledge can be easily embedded in such a framework (Tomaselli et al., 2013). Besides a wide and in depth documentation on omposition, structure and ecology of plant communities, the effectiveness of information related to the vegetation pattern (zonation) has been also explored to enhance the habitat discrimination process. As case study, two coastal Natura 2000 sites located on the Adriatic side of the Puglia region were selected: "Le Cesine" and "Zone umide della Capitanata e Paludi presso il Golfo di Manfredonia". LC/LU maps were produced directly in LCCS taxonomy (scale 1:5000) on the basis of pre-existing information. In order to investigate the application of topological rules based on vegetation pattern for LC/LU to habitats translation, available literature data on ecological gradients and vegetation pattern relationships in Mediterranean coastal environments were examined. Then, in order to validate the feasibility of the rules in the study sites, eight vegetation transects (with regular vegetation plots) were carried out and vegetation composition and structure were surveyed in each plot. Data were analyzed and grouped in plant communities using multivariate analysis. Plant communities were related to syntaxa and then to habitat types according to Annex I (92/43/EEC Directive) and EUNIS taxonomies. The spatial patterns observed are in accordance with the existing literature for Central-Southern Italian peninsula and Puglia region (Biondi,Casavecchia, 2010; Biondi et al., 2006; Sciandrello, Tomaselli, 2014). Adjacency rules based on vegetation pattern turned out to be effective in habitat discrimination, and the products of the habitat mapping process were validated with high rates of overall accuracy. Nevertheless, the whole expected zonation is present only where pressures have none or low

Monitoring land cover and habitat change is a key issue for conservation managers because of its poten-tial negative impact on biodiversity. The Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) and the General HabitatCategories (GHC) System have been proposed by the remote sensing and ecological research community,respectively, for the classification of land covers and habitats across various scales. Linking the two sys-tems can be a major step forward towards biodiversity monitoring using remote sensing. The translationbetween the two systems has proved to be challenging, largely because of differences in definitions andrelated difficulties in creating one-to-one relationships between the two systems. This paper proposesa system of rules for linking the two systems and additionally identifies requirements for site-specificcontextual and environmental information to enable the translation. As an illustration, the LCCS clas-sification of the Le Cesine protected area in Italy is used to show rules for translating the LCCS classesto GHCs. This study demonstrates the benefits of a translation system for biodiversity monitoring usingremote sensing data but also shows that a successful translation is often depending on the degree ofecological knowledge of the habitats and its relationship with land cover and contextual information

It is widely known that thematic resolution affects spatial pattern and landscape metrics performances. In literature, data dealing with this issue usually refer to a specific class scheme with its thematic levels. In this paper, the effects of different land cover (LC) and habitat classification schemes on the spatial pattern of a coastal landscape were compared. One of the largest components of the Mediterranean wetland system was considered as the study site, and different schemes widely used in the EU were selected and harmonized with a common thematic resolution, suitable for habitat discrimination and monitoring. For each scheme, a thematic map was produced and, for each map, 28 landscape metrics were calculated. The landscape composition, already in terms of number of classes, class area, and number of patches, changes significantly among different classification schemes. Landscape complexity varies according to the class scheme considered and its underlying semantics, depending on how the different types aggregate or split when changing class scheme. Results confirm that the selection of a specific class scheme affects the spatial pattern of the derived landscapes and consequently the landscape metrics, especially at class level. Moreover, among the classification schemes considered, EUNIS seems to be the best choice for a comprehensive representation of both natural and anthropogenic classes.

A partire dall'entrata in vigore della Direttiva 92/43/EEC, la sorveglianza dello stato di conservazione degli habitat elencati nell'Allegato I ed il relativo monitoraggio periodico a intervalli di sei anni sono diventati un obbligo per tutti i paesi membri dell'UE, in base a quanto previsto negli Articoli 11 e 17. Nel 2011 è stato pubblicato un documento che fornisce le linee guida di riferimento europee per il monitoraggio di habitat e specie (Evans & Arvela 2011). Su questa base metodologica, la Società Italiana di Scienza della Vegetazione (SISV), avvalendosi di un ampio gruppo di soci esperti, ha avviato un dibattito interno su principi, criteri, parametri e strumenti per il monitoraggio degli habitat di Allegato I e dei tipi di vegetazione in essi rappresentati. Il progetto è stato promosso dal Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare e coordinato dall'Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, e si trova al momento in una fase prossima alla conclusione. A partire dalla documentazione già prodotta a livello nazionale per gli habitat italiani (Biondi et al., 2009, 2012, 2014; Genovesi et al., 2014), diversi aspetti critici sono stati esaminati attraverso una discussione scientifica ampiamente condivisa. In particolare, sono stati affrontati: gli aspetti legati alla scelta di strumenti adeguati per valutare i parametri area, struttura e funzione, prospettive future; il concetto di "specie tipica"; i metodi di campionamento habitat-specifici appropriati. Il protocollo sviluppato si pone come uno strumento pratico ed efficace, scientificamente valido e in linea con gli standard metodologici internazionali. Il suo utilizzo permetterà una raccolta armonizzata di dati su scala nazionale, rendendo possibile una valutazione comparata dello stato di conservazione di ciascun habitat.

L'articolo illustra gli obiettivi ed i risultati più salienti relativi al PSR Regione Puglia progetto SaVeGraINPuglia.

Nell'ambito dell'azione di raccolta di germoplasma del progetto SaVeGraINPuglia (Misura 214 delPSR 2007-2013 della Regione Puglia), sono state effettuate indagini in prossimità o all'interno di areeprotette e rete Natura 2000, dove sono state raccolte testimonianze scritte e verbali oltre a diverseaccessioni (cereali da granella e leguminose). Le indagini hanno riguardato anche diverse aziendeagricole dislocate in vari Siti di Interesse Comunitario (SIC) presenti nel vasto territorio pugliese.Il territorio del Gargano, che comprende il Parco Nazionale del Gargano, al cui interno sono presentinumerosi SIC e ZPS (zone di protezione speciale), è caratterizzato da paesaggi montani brulli maricchi di biodiversità con la presenza di varietà cerealicole e legumi di antica origine. Gli agricoltoriconservano ancora antiche accessioni, tramandate nel corso del tempo, che coltivano per usopersonale. Le aree agricole sono ben integrate nel paesaggio naturale circostante.Il SIC "Zone umide della Capitanata" comprende il vasto territorio delle saline di Margherita di Savoia(Riserva Naturale Statale di popolamento animale) intorno alle quali si sviluppa il paesaggio agrariodove, un tempo, venivano coltivate varietà disparate di cereali oggi del tutto scomparsi. Gli studicondotti nell'area hanno comunque messo in luce come siano ancora presenti coltivazioni significativedi legumi di antica tradizione.Le aree agricole tradizionali si armonizzano con le superfici naturali in un contesto paesaggistico trai più antichi della Puglia (oliveti secolari), all'interno del SIC "Torre Guaceto e Macchia S. Giovanni",nella provincia brindisina, dove insistono valori di tutela del territorio volti alla sana agricolturaecocompatibile. Qui gli agricoltori custodi si sono aggregati in un consorzio che tutela e valorizza iprodotti pugliesi tradizionali tra cui il grano duro Senatore Cappelli.Le indagini sul campo attestano che in alcune aree del territorio pugliese la tutela dell'agrobiodiversitàè resa possibile grazie all'integrazione di pratiche agricole ecosostenibili con la tutela del patrimonionaturale.

Earth Observation (EO) images have been extensively used to provide a synoptic view of land cover/use (LC/LU) patterns and land cover/use changes. Land covers are not as clearly relatable to biodiversity in comparison to habitat classifications which can provide more scope for biodiversity monitoring. The main purpose of the paper is to provide an automatic general framework for translating LC maps (in LCCS taxonomy) into habitat maps (in GHC taxonomy) by means of VHR remote sensing data. © 2013 IEEE.

L'attività svolta dal CNR-IBBR nell'ambito del progetto "Recupero, caratterizzazione, salvaguardia e valorizzazione di leguminose e cereali da granella e foraggio in Puglia" (SaVeGraINPuglia) finanziato dalla regione Puglia (Misura 214 azione 4 sub a, PSR 2007-2013) ha avuto come obiettivo primario il reperimento di semi e informazioni relative alle leguminose da granella tradizionalmente coltivate nella regione. Il monitoraggio del territorio regionale ha consentito la raccolta di oltre 100 campioni appartenenti a 8 diverse specie (Cicer arietinum L., Phaseolus vulgaris L., Vicia faba L., Lens culinaris Medik., Pisum sativum L. , Lathyrus sativus L., Lupinus albus L., Vicia articulata Hornem.). Allo scopo di assicurare la permanenza sul territorio regionale delle varietà a maggiore rischio di erosione genetica, alcune delle aziende presso cui è stato reperito tale materiale sono state coinvolte nell'attività di conservazione in situ

Nel 2008, grazie al programma comunitario LIFE, si è creata l'opportunità di presentare dei progetti per sviluppare ed approfondire il tema della valutazione del rischio ambientale degli OGM, attraverso lo sviluppo di specifici sistemi di monitoraggio ambientale. In Italia, in tale periodo, si stava delineando uno scenario normativo che lasciava presupporre la necessità di definire delle regole di coesistenza per adempiere agli obblighi comunitari e rispettare la normativa nazionale in vigore (legge n.5/2005 sulla coesistenza). Con tale prospettiva, la Regione Toscana ha promosso l'idea di sviluppare un progetto LIFE+ proprio sul tema del monitoraggio degli OGM, per cercare di colmare una lacuna legata all'assenza di strumenti standardizzati per poter svolgere il monitoraggio ambientale degli OGM e, contemporaneamente, rispondere alle esigenze di tutela del proprio territorio dai rischi dalle coltivazioni transgeniche. La recente decisione delle Regioni di accantonare l'ipotesi di una regolamentazione della coesistenza e promuovere una politica di divieto delle colture transgeniche (Conferenza Stato-Regioni del 7 ottobre 2010), non rende meno necessario lo studio proposto nel progetto DEMETRA. Infatti, quest'ultimo contribuisce alla costruzione di una base condivisa a livello comunitario per il monitoraggio degli OGM nell'ambiente, sia che questi siano direttamente coltivati a fini commerciali, sia che essi siano impiegati in un dato luogo a scopi di ricerca.

Effective and timely biodiversity monitoring within protected sites and their surroundings is critical for detecting landscape changes which might impact site’s conservation status, quality and resources and to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation policies in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems from human activities. The most commonly used Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) or habitat classification systems are limited in their ability to read all aspects of the landscape. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) taxonomy (Di Gregorio and Jansen, 2005) was identified as the most appropriate for providing a common language for harmonizing different LC/LU legends. One of the basic principles of this system is that a given land-cover class is defined by a dynamic combination of classifiers, thus allowing the more complex semantics of each land-cover class may be described. FAO/LCCS has been also found to be effective for translating EO-derived LC/LU classes to habitat types (Tomaselli et al., 2013; Adamo et al 2014), since it allows a better description of natural habitats in comparison to other classification systems. Furthermore, LCCS has proven to be a valid tool in change detection, both at the level of conversion and modification. In fact, changes become immediately identifiable by a difference in classifier, or through the use of additional classifiers, although maintaining the same class type. In this contribution LC and habitat mapping have been performed on a site belonging to the Natura 2000 and located in Southern Apulia (Italy), characterized by coastal environments, Mediterranean maquis and extensive pine forests. The mapping was performed by means of photo interpretation and on-site survey, in years 2007 and 2015. Different LC and habitat classification systems were used and results compared. The LCCS turned out to be the most effective in detecting changes in forest types, highlighting changes such as height and density which were not evidenced with other classification systems.

In the Mediterranean Region, habitatloss and fragmentation severely affect coastalwetlands, due to the rapid expansion of anthropogenicactivities that has occurred in the lastdecades. Landscape metrics are commonly usedto define landscape patterns and to evaluate fragmentationprocesses. This investigation focuses onthe performance of a set of landscape patternindices within landscapes characterized by coastalenvironments and extent below 1,000 ha. The aimis to assess the degree of habitat fragmentationfor the monitoring of protected areas and to learnwhether values of landscape metrics can characterizefine-resolution landscape patterns. Thestudy areas are three coastal wetlands belongingto the Natura 2000 network and sited on theAdriatic side of Apulia (Southern Italy). TheHabitat Maps were derived from the Vegeta-tion Maps generated integrating phytosociologicalrelevés and Earth Observation data. In the threesites, a total of 16 habitat types were detected. Aselected set of landscape metrics was applied inorder to investigate their performance in assessingfragmentation and spatial patterns of habitats.The final results showed that the most significantlandscape patterns are related to highly specializedhabitat types closely linked to coastal environments.In interpreting the landscape patternsof these highly specialized habitats, some specificecological factors were taken into account. Theshape indices were the most useful in assessing thedegree of fragmentation of habitat types that usuallyhave elongated morphology along the shorelineor the coastal lagoons. In all the cases, to bemeaningful, data obtained from the application ofthe selected indices were jointly assessed, especiallyat the class level.

Monitoring of ecosystems entails the evaluation of contributing factors by the expert ecologist. The aim of this study is to examine to what extent the quantitative variables, calculated solely by the spectral and textural information of the space-borne image, may reproduce verified habitat maps. 555 spectral and texture attributes are extracted and calculated from the image. Results reached an overall accuracy of 65% per object, 76% per pixel, and 77% in reproducing the original objects with segmentation. Taking into consideration the large number of different habitats queried and the lack of any ancillary information the results suggest the discriminatory power of the finally selected attributes. Potential and limitations are discussed.

Notulae alla checklist della flora vascolare italiana 16: 2018-2019

Segnalazione floristica di Thymus spinulosus, specie nuova in Campania

In this paper the results of a study on the composition and the distribution of the plant communities in three coastal areas of southern Apulia are presented. A total of about 180 vegetation relevés were performed following the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. Vegetation data were analysed using both classification (UPGMA, similarity ratio) and ordination methods (including Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). The relevés are distributed in the following classes: Molinio-Arrhenateretea, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Juncetea maritimi, Sarcocornietea fruticosae, Saginetea maritimae, Thero-Salicornietea, Helianthemetea guttati . Detailed information about structure and zoning of the detected plant communities are here provided. Two new associations, belonging to the Alkanno-Maresion nanae alliance (microphytic ephemeral plant communities growing on sandy soils, Helianthemetea guttati class) have been described here, both in the “Torre Guaceto” site. The area of “Le Cesine” showed the highest total number of plant communities, while the “Saline di Punta della Contessa” site revealed the largest number of Sarcocornietea fruticosae plant communities.

In this work we studied the pollen flow of a selected range of crops which could be genetically transformed in the near future. The study is part of LIFE08 NAT/IT/342 DEMETRA project which aims at developing a quick monitoring index to rapidly assess the influence on ecosystems of transgenic crops.To do this three experimental plots were selected in the Migliarino - San Rossore - Massaciuccoli Regional Park (Tuscany, Italy). The plots were characterized by different cropped areas: maize, sunflower, oilseed rape, Italian stone pine, and poplar. Pollen traps were installed within the plots taking into account the distance from crops and wind direction. A pollen dispersal simulation model was used to assess the potential contamination levels due to maize crops. Our results show that maize pollen covered up to a distance of 160 m from the cultivated area; pollen granules of oilseed rape, sunflower, pine and poplar were detected up to a distance of 34 m, 19 m, 269 m and 380 m, respectively. The pollen dispersal simulation model provided spatial explicit estimations of the contamination levels in term of maize pollen granules concentration.

Revisione sintassonomico-nomenclaturale della vegetazione casmofitica in SE Italia

This is a note about early attempts of Salicornia patula Duval-Jouve cultivation in the northern part of Apulia region (southern Italy). This species, which occupies the driest parts along the edges of coastal lagoons on mudflats or sands that are inundated in winter, has a long history of gathering from the wild as a source of food. At our knowledge, no information has been reported about the domestication of S. patula in Italy. In the Gargano area of Apulia region, this species was domesticated forty years ago as a minor cultivation limited to private gardens. The growing market demand of this vegetable for both fresh consumption and for processing packinghouses is very recently encouraging some farmers to cultivate it for marketing. S. patula might become an attractive new cash crop for marsh marginal lands, but prerequisites to its success are the selection of superior genotypes and the set-up of its right agro-technique.

tProtected areas are experiencing increased levels of human pressure. To enable appropriate conserva-tion action, it is critical to map and monitor changes in the type and extent of land cover/use and habitatclasses, which can be related to human pressures over time. Satellite Earth observation (EO) data andtechniques offer the opportunity to detect such changes. Yet association with field information and expertinterpretation by ecologists is required to interpret, qualify and link these changes to human pressure.There is thus an urgent need to harmonize the technical background of experts in the field of EO dataanalysis with the terminology of ecologists, protected area management authorities and policy makers inorder to provide meaningful, context-specific value-added EO products. This paper builds on the DPSIRframework, providing a terminology to relate the concepts of state, pressures, and drivers with the appli-cation of EO analysis. The type of pressure can be inferred through the detection of changes in state (i.e.changes in land cover and/or habitat type and/or condition). Four broad categories of changes in stateare identified, i.e. land cover/habitat conversion, land cover/habitat modification, habitat fragmentationand changes in landscape connectivity, and changes in plant community structure. These categories ofchange in state can be mapped through EO analyses, with the goal of using expert judgement to relatechanges in state to causal direct anthropogenic pressures. Drawing on expert knowledge, a set of pro-tected areas located in diverse socio-ecological contexts and subject to a variety of pressures are analysedto (a) link the four categories of changes in state of land cover/habitats to the drivers (anthropogenic pres-sure), as relevant to specific target land cover and habitat classes; (b) identify (for pressure mapping) themost appropriate spatial and temporal EO data sources as well as interpretations from ecologists andfield data useful in connection with EO data analysis. We provide detailed examples for two protectedareas, demonstrating the use of EO data for detection of land cover/habitat change, coupled with expertinterpretation to relate such change to specific anthropogenic pressures. We conclude with a discussionof the limitations and feasibility of using EO data and techniques to identify anthropogenic pressures,suggesting additional research efforts required in this direction

Nel passato la Puglia era particolarmente ricca di varietà locali di leguminose e cereali dagranella, coltivate in alternanza seguendo tradizionali tecniche di rotazione delle colture chepermettevano di preservare la fertilità del terreno. Queste antiche varietà, ben adattate allecondizioni pedoclimatiche del territorio regionale, sono da tempo minacciate da fenomeni dierosione conseguenti alla progressiva diffusione di nuove varietà maggiormente produttive.Gli agricoltori, la comunità scientifica ed i rappresentanti politici pugliesi, hanno da qualchetempo sottolineato l'importanza e l'urgenza di recuperare, preservare e custodire in Banchedel Germoplasma l'antico e prezioso patrimonio varietale autoctono. Obiettivo prioritario delprogetto PSR-SaVeGraINPuglia è il recupero, la caratterizzazione, la salvaguardia e lavalorizzazione di leguminose e cereali da granella e foraggio di Puglia. Le varietà locali sonoreperite nei diversi areali ed habitat regionali, caratterizzate e salvaguardate applicandoopportuni protocolli di tutela Regionali ed Internazionali, e conservate sia in ex situ che insitu. Le attività progettuali coordinate dall'Istituto di Bioscienze e BioRisorse del ConsiglioNazionale delle Ricerche (IBBR-CNR), sono svolte in collaborazione con 20 partner operantisul territorio regionale ed appartenenti a Enti pubblici di ricerca, Università, Enti Parco,aziende private ed associazioni.

Legume, cereal and forage landraces, selected over the time by local farmers and well adaptedto the climatic conditions of the Apulia region, are threatened by genetic erosion resulting from thegradual spread of more productive varieties. In order to collect, preserve and store these landracesin National or Regional gene banks (ex situ conservation) and/or directly in field under the strictlycontrol of local farmers (on farm conservation, a type of in situ conservation) a regional safeguardproject was established within the framework of the European Agricultural Programms for RuralDevelopment. The primary objective of the project, named with the acronym SaVeGraINPuglia, isthe collection, safeguard and preliminary evaluation and valorization of legume, cereal and foragelandraces present in the Apulia region.About 150 landraces were collected in different habitat and areas outside and inside protectedareas where traditional agricultural practices still survive. The collected germplasm was stored andsafeguarded both ex situ and in situ through the application of appropriate, international protocols.A preliminar characterisation is in progress. The project activities, coordinated by the Institute ofBiosciences and Bio-Resources of the National Research Council (IBBR-CNR) was carried out incollaboration with 20 partners operating in the regional territory and belonging to public researchorganizations, universities, parks, private companies and associations.The preliminary results of the project will be presented to enphasize the potential use oflandraces for the promotion of local products and the development of sustainable agricultu

Vengono presentate descrizione, biologia, ecologia, distribuzione in territorio italiano, corologia, minacce, categorie di rischio secondo IUCN ed azioni proposte per la conservazione di Crambe hispanica L.

Preliminary study on two perennial halophytes in some Apulian coastal wetlands - Results on plant communities from natural populations present in three protected areas of Apulia Region were reported, along with pre-liminary studies on three populations of Agropyron elongatum (Host) P. Beauv. and Agropyron junceum (L.) P. Beauv., halophilic species resistant to abiotic stress, present in the same areas. The biochemical characterization of storage proteins from kernels of the same species was carried out by modimensional electrophoretic analyses. Data obtained correlating plant associations to specific protein components could be useful a) to develop plans for the conservation and preserva-tion of habitats and ecosystems and b) to identify classes of genes improving qualitative and quantitative properties of cul-tivated wheats.

The 4th National Report ex Art. 17 of the 92/43/EEC Directive in Italy (period 2013-2018) will try to fill a number of gaps still affecting the former versions of the Italian Reports, where territorial data were still missing for large parts of the country and the assessment was mostly based on the use of the expert opinion. Similar inconsistencies also emerged in other European countries (State of nature in the EU, EEA 2015). In order to reach this aim, a nationally shared protocol for monitoring the vegetation-based Annex I Habitats is currently under development. The most prominent issues addressed by the ongoing project are: i) fixing standardized, updated and scientifically grounded methodological tools, on the basis of the European guidelines (Evans & Arvela 2011, ETC-BD); ii) providing comparable data at national and European level; iii) harmonizing the territorially fragmented knowledge and iv) supporting nationally standardized measures for the conservation of terrestrial, brackish and freshwater Habitats. Promoted by the Italian Ministry for Environment (MATTM) and coordinated by the environmental agency ISPRA, the development of such a tool is being carried out by the Italian Society for Vegetation Science, with the support of a large team of experts. Open issues, such as the favourable reference values and the optimal thresholds for each considered parameter (range, area, structure and function), have to be dealt with, in a condition of large uncertainty. Due to its centrality in the assessment process, especially the concept of "typical species" should be developed with care, trying to combine the need for synthetic indicators with the great floristic diversity of the Italian Habitats. A clear definition of the parameters is crucial for a correct application of the monitoring protocol, to successfully contribute to the whole process of halting biodiversity loss in Europe.

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

Il Parco Regionale di Migliarino-San Rossore-Massaciuccoli in Toscana è stato scelto come sito di studio nell'ambito del progetto europeo LIFE08 NAT/IT/342. Questo progetto è volto allo sviluppo di un indice di monitoraggio rapido (quick monitoring index, QMI) per valutare il rischio potenziale generato da piante transgeniche sugli ecosistemi agroforestali. Per questo scopo sono state selezionate tre aree di studio per determinarne la biodiversità vegetale, animale e dei microrganismi del suolo. Sono state prese particolarmente in considerazione aree vicine a superfici agricole dove potrebbero essere coltivate piante geneticamente modificate (PGM). Per ridurre il rischio di inquinamento genico di aree naturali da parte di polline di PGM, è utile sviluppare un sistema di monitoraggio efficiente che tenga conto della diversità genetica e di possibili incroci tra specie affini. Per quando riguarda la biodiversità arborea, nelle aree di studio sono state studiate specie del genere Populus. Le aree di studio selezionate per il pioppo distano tra loro 8 Km: l'area A è situata nella Tenuta di San Rossore ed è caratterizzata da un bosco misto composto da Populus alba, P. x canescens, Fraxinus angustifolia e Alnus glutinosa.; l'area B è situata presso il Lago di Massaciuccoli ed è costituita da una popolazione frammentata di Populus sp Sono state esaminate le popolazioni di Populus presenti nelle due aree insieme a due varietà coltivate. Le due aree sono state anche caratterizzate per la loro copertura erbacea. Sono stati utilizzati marcatori microsatelliti nucleari per determinare la variabilità genetica delle popolazioni di pioppo e il livello d'incrocio tra le popolazioni spontanee e quelle coltivate. Inoltre sono state studiate le popolazioni d'insetti presenti sui maschi e sulle femmine di pioppo durante il periodo di fioritura. Per determinare la densità e la composizione delle specie erbacee, nelle aree di studio è stato utilizzato l'approccio multiscala standardizzato di Dengler. Le possibili variazioni di distribuzione e/o densità delle specie sono state valutate seguendo l'approccio di Braun Blanquet. Le osservazioni fatte finora sullo strato erbaceo mostrano una certa variabilità nella distribuzione delle specie tra un quadrato e l'altro, dovuta probabilmente alle caratteristiche micro-topologiche del sito di studio. L'analisi della biodiversità degli artropodi presenti sulle infiorescenze del pioppo indica un'evidente differenza tra alberi dei due sessi e un numero piuttosto basso di specie. Nelle infiorescenze maschili predominano le larve di dittero seguite da coleotteri coccinellidi e ragni, nelle infiorescenze femminili, invece, predominano i ragni seguiti dai coleotteri curculionidi e dalle larve di lepidotteri. I dati dei microsatelliti sono stati analizzati con il software Geneland. I risultati di questa analisi mostrano tre gruppi distinti nell'area A. Il primo gruppo è composto da individui con lo stesso genotipo, probabilmente pollon

This article illustrates the vegetation map of the SCI "Zone umide della Capitanata" (IT 9110005) a wetland area of South Italy (Apulia Region). The SCI "Zone Umide della Capitanata" is one of the most important Italian coastal wetlands and it covers about 14.000 ha, part of which is exploited for marine salt production. The site is characterized by a wetlands complex in coastal environment, with highly fragmented landscape because of anthropogenic activities (mainly herbaceous crops). This study aims at assessing presence and distribution of vegetation types that, despite strong human pressure, still maintain good natural habitat conditions. Thematic maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in ombination with topographical maps (1:5.000). In case of fragmented areas, vegetation mosaics were adopted. The extent of complex vegetation mosaics is wider in those areas where anthropogenic activities are stronger.

A vegetation survey of the SCI IT9140002 - "Litorale Brindisino" (Apulia Region, Italy), with a focus on the coastal environments, along with vegetationand habitat maps, are here presented. The SCI is a coastal site characterized by dunes and salt marshes and, landwards, by garrigues, maquis andgrasslands. The coastal belt is characterized by a highly fragmented landscape, because of anthropogenic pressures and coastal erosion. The vegetationwas studied according to the phytosociological method and the survey led to the identification of 22 plant communities belonging to 11 syntaxonomicclasses. Vegetation and habitat maps were digitized in ArcGis 10.2 from recent orthophotos in combination with topographical maps, at a scale of1:5,000. The presence of several complex vegetation mosaics was highlighted.