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Aim. To identify the modern phytocenotic and floristic diversity of the Western Caucasus and to present the specifics of its florocenocomplexes. Material and Methods . The article is written on the basis of many years of expeditionary and stationary research using classical geobotanical methods. Results. According to research the flora of the region comprises about 3,500 species of vascular plants from 178 families and 936 genera, indicating a high level of floristic diversity. The spectrum of the leading families of the Western Caucasus is close to the Mediterranean type. The region’s flora has a high index of endemism. The vegetation cover is characterized by latitudinal and altitudinal zonation. The sozological significance of ceno‐complexes is shown. The principal vegetation types of the region are considered: the ancient flood‐littoral landscapes of the river Kuban delta, the psammophilic littoral vegetation with specific rare species of the Azov Sea and the Black Sea, steppe communities, mountain forests, ecotone zone of crooked and subalpine forests, subalpine and alpine meadows and carpets. A petrophytic flora complex (Petrophyton) is represented in each altitudinal zone. For high mountain petrophytic cenoses, the cenotic structure and endemic species are given. The floristic and cenotic differentiation of the forests of the Western Caucasus is conidered. Conclusions. The Western Caucasus is one of the centres of floristic and cenotic diversity of the Caucasian ecoregion. It is characterized by a high population and species diversity, a large number of endemic species and ceno‐complexes. The Western Caucasus is a refugium of ancient ecosystems with Colchidic and Mediterranean roots.

The geographic range of Piseinotecus soussi Tamsouri, Carmona, Moukrim & Cervera, 2014 is here updated, since it was found in two new localities along the Tyrrhenian coast of the Mediterranean Sea. This species was previously recorded in Mediterranean basin only from the Ionian Sea (Apulia). With this paper, the range of distribution of this aeolid sea slug is considerably extended. Furthermore, to confirm the identity of specimens recorded, a DNA Barcoding approach was carried out using the mitochondrial Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) as it is the mostly used barcoder marker in Nudibranchs.

Phenological relationships among entomophilous species for pollination may play an important role in structuring natural plant communities. The main aim of this work was to test whether in dry grassland communities there is a non-random flowering pattern and if the pattern influences the species richness, and the richness of subordinate and common species. Field sampling was carried out in temperate dry grasslands in NE Italy. Species composition and the flowering phenology were monitored in 45 2 m × 2 m plots randomly placed over dry grasslands. To quantify the degree to which insect-pollinated species overlap in their flowering time we developed a “co-flowering index” (CF-index). The significance of the observed flowering pattern was tested using a null model. A positive correlation was found between the synchronic flowering and the number of subordinate species. Subordinate species showed shorter flowering length than the common species and a mostly specialized pollination system. Our findings suggest that flowering synchrony might be a key characteristic which may contribute to shape dry grassland composition by favouring the long lasting maintenance of rare species populations within the community. The comprehension of such functional relationships between species of different trophic levels is of great importance for the conservation of dry grasslands and the maintenance of the ecosystem services that pollination provides.

In the last decades, a large body of literature has grown to evaluate the impact of forest management on epiphytic lichens in boreal coniferous forests. However, information is still lacking on coniferous forests of the Alps. This study compares lichen diversity between spruce forest stands of four successional stages: (1) young, (2) intermediate, (3) mature forests managed for timber production with a rotation cycle of 120-180 years, and (4) old-growth protected forests. The emphasis was placed on the occurrence of nationally rare and calicioid species (lichens and fungi traditionally referred to as Caliciales, known to be indicative of forest age and continuity). For each forest successional stage, four plots were selected. In each plot, 7 spruce individuals were surveyed for epiphytic lichens according to a standardised sampling method. Species richness increased from young to mature stands, while no difference was detected between mature and old-growth stands. This pattern was also confirmed for rare and calicioid species which are, however, more frequent in old-growth stands. Differences in species composition were also found between the different forest successional stages. Mature and old-growth plots slightly overlap, indicating that to some extent comparable lichen assemblages could be found in these stands. A nested pattern of species assemblages was found, old-growth stands hosting most of the species which were also found in stands belonging to the previous forest successional stages. Our results support the hypothesis that the management regime applied to spruce forests of the Italian Alps renders mature stands managed for timber production somewhat similar to old-growth stands as lichen habitat. However, we found a higher complexity in old-growth forests, and many species of conservation concern clearly preferred old-growth stands. In this perspective, a further prolongation of the normal cycle it is likely to be a most favourable conservation-oriented management to be recommended at least within protected areas and Natura 2000 sites, where conservation purposes should receive a high priority. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

In the last two centuries, native European oak forests have undergone a dramatic decline related to increasing human pressure for agriculture and urbanization. Oak forests were either completely eradicated and transformed into agricultural landscapes or replaced by second-growth formations. Intensive forest management and the replacement of native forests with production forests or arable lands are recognized amongst the main threats to many lichens in Europe. In this study, we used historical information on the epiphytic lichen biota which was hosted in a native oak-dominated forest of Northern Italy to identify shifts of lichen communities due to the changes in land use which occurred during the last two centuries. We also compared the epiphytic lichen communities inhabiting remnant oak forests with those found in the habitats that have replaced native forests: black-locust forests and agrarian landscapes. Almost all the species sampled during the 19th century are now extinct. The loss of native habitat and the subsequent invasion by black locust were probably the most influential factors which affected the composition of lichen communities, causing the local extinction of most of the species historically recorded. Despite the fact that oak remnants host only a few species which were historically recorded, and that they currently are the lichen poorest habitat in the study region, they host lichen assemblages differing from those of black-locust forests and agrarian stands. In these habitats lichen assemblages are mainly composed of species adapted to well-lit, dry conditions and tolerating air pollution and eutrophication. This pattern is likely to be common also in other lowland and hilly regions throughout Northern Italy where oak forests are targeted among the habitats of conservation concern at the European level. For this reason, a national strategy for biodiversity conservation and monitoring of lowlands forests should provide the framework for local restoration projects. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.