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New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 9 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 34 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Calabria, Latium, Lombardy, Marche, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria.

We studied the vascular flora of the isthmus of Feniglia, a Nature Reserve in southern Tuscany stretching between the Italian Peninsula and Mt. Argentario. Since the nineteenth century, the area has undergone significant environmental modifications due to intensive grazing and deforestation. Later, rehabilitation interventions were carried out, including reforestation and planting of dune species, making it an interesting protected area to study for its botanical aspects. Therefore, we aim to compile the floristic inventory of this distinctive Mediterranean area by integrating old and new data. The checklist comprises 502 specific and subspecific taxa of vascular plants. The life-form spectrum shows a predominance of therophytes, followed by hemicryptophytes. The chorological spectrum highlights the dominance of Mediterranean species, followed by Euromediterranean and Eurasian species. The presence of 15 species of regional importance, 3 species of the Italian red list and 3 Italian endemics (Ornithogalum exscapum Ten., Limonium multiforme Pignatti, Linaria purpurea (L.) Mill.) is noteworthy. Despite the environmental changes undergone in this area, our study reports the presence of remarkable species, including rare ones such as Atriplex littoralis L., Ruppia spiralis L. ex Dumort., and species at their distribution margin in the Italian Peninsula, such as Staphisagria macrosperma Spach, Juncus sorrentinoi Parl. and Maresia nana (DC.) Batt. Additionally the presence of 26 alien species, of which 15 are invasive, 9 naturalized and 2 casual, indicates a relatively low presence of alien species. Notwithstanding the significant environmental changes that the Feniglia isthmus has experienced in the last century and the high tourist pressure during the summer, the presence of the protected area suggested the effectiveness and benefits of such a form of protection for plant diversity.

In this contribution, new data concerning algae, bryophytes, fungi and lichens of the Italian flora are presented. It includes new records and confirmations for the algal genera Chara and Nitella, the bryophyte genera Brachythecium, Didymodon, Fissidens, Physcomitrium, and Riccia, the fungal genera Biatoropsis, Cantharellus, Coprinellus, Dacrymyces, Inosperma, Nigropuncta, Urocystis, and Xanthoriicola, and the lichen genera Arthonia, Bellemerea, Circinaria, Lecania, Lecanora, Lecidella, Mycobilimbia, Naetrocymbe, Parmelia, Peltigera, Porpidia, Scytinium, and Usnea.

Effective conservation planning requires identifying priority hotspots to allocate resources. To preserve biodiversity, it is crucial to consider α, β and γ-diversity and protect the irreplaceable sites with high ecological uniqueness, which can host uncommon species assemblages that would be lost if only species-rich sites were protected. Coastal dunes, hosting highly specialized plant communities, are among the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. In this study, we identified conservation priority hotspots to assess the effectiveness of the network of protected areas in coastal dunes of Tuscany (central Italy), using data on plant communities collected in 506 plots. We additively partitioned γ-diversity in its α and β components, observing a significant variation at all spatial levels only for dune species. In terms of α-diversity, we found that Northern protected sites were richer in dune species, while synanthropic and alien species were equally present inside and outside protected areas of the region. By partitioning the total β-diversity into its components (replacement and richness difference), we found a prevalence of replacement for dune species, indicating the most unique sites as the ones to favor for conservation. Unique sites were identified through Local Contributions to Beta Diversity and their conservation value was determined by their species composition and the relationship with landscape variables. Unique sites with high conservation value were only partly protected, while some protected sites were altered and required restoration. Our approach proved effective for identifying the most unique sites, indicating some issues in the existing protected network, while providing valuable information on sites to prioritize for future conservation actions.

Cross-taxon congruence, i.e., using certain taxonomic groups as surrogates for others, is receiving growing interest since it may allow decreasing efforts in biodiversity studies. In this work, we investigated the patterns of cross-taxon congruence in species richness and composition between communities of bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants in different biancana grasslands of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) of central Italy. We recorded species presence and abundance in 16 plots of 1 × 1 m size and analyzed the data using Procrustes correlation, co-correspondence analysis, and indicator species analysis. We did not highlight any correlation in species richness and composition between the three taxonomic groups. Conversely, the species composition of bryophyte communities was predictive of the species composition of lichen communities. Moreover, lichen richness was negatively correlated with the total cover of vascular plants. Indicator species analysis evidenced the presence of species from the three biotic communities being particularly related, at least at the local scale, to biancana pediments, like the bryophytes Didymodon acutus and Trichostomum crispulum, the lichens Enchylium tenax, Cladonia foliacea, and Psora decipiens, and the vascular plants Brachypodium distachyon, Parapholis strigosa, and Artemisia caerulescens subsp. cretacea. In the biancana pediments, acrocarp mosses, squamulose lichens, therophyte plants and chamaephyte plants coexisted. In spite of the weak cross-taxon congruence between the three taxonomic groups, this study could highlight a locally unique diversity of bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants related to the extreme environment of biancana pediments, selected by high soil salinity and deposition from the upper eroded slope. Soil erosion and deposition in biancana badlands supports the increase of local multi-taxonomic plant diversity by creating unique ecosystems. Such biodiversity should be considered locally at risk of disappearance, due to the ongoing vanishing of biancana badlands in central Italy.

Abstract Effective monitoring of habitats is crucial for their preservation. As the impact of anthropic activities on natural habitats increases, accurate and up-to-date information on the state of ecosystems has become imperative. This paper presents a new dataset collected from the forests located in the Tuscan Apennines (Italy) using the ANYmal robot. The dataset provides information regarding the structure and composition of the EU priority habitat 9210*. The dataset, which is publicly available through a Zenodo repository, includes photos, videos, and point clouds of the environment. This dataset is a valuable resource for the scientific community working in the field of forest ecology and conservation and has the potential to inform future research and conservation efforts on habitat 9210*. The collaboration between robotic engineers and plant scientists provides a unique perspective on the forest ecosystem and underscores the potential for interdisciplinary work in this field. This dataset constitutes an important contribution to the ongoing effort to monitor and conserve habitats globally, particularly in light of the challenges posed by global changes.

New Italian data on the distribution of 17 Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 11 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 30 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Apulia, Campania, Calabria, Lazio, Sardinia, Sicily and Tuscany.

EU States are mandated by the 92/43/EEC Habitats Directive to generate recurring reports on the conservation status and functionality of habitats at the national level. This assessment is based on their floristic and, especially for forest habitats, structural characterization. Currently, habitat field monitoring efforts are carried out only by trained human operators. The H2020 Project “Natural Intelligence for Robotic Monitoring of Habitats – NI” aims to develop quadrupedal robots able to move autonomously in the unstructured environment of forest habitats. In this work, we tested the locomotion performance, efficiency and the accuracy of a robot performing structural habitat monitoring, comparing it with traditional field survey methods inside selected stands of Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests (9110 Annex I Habitat). We used a quadrupedal robot equipped with a Mobile Laser Scanning system (MLS), implementing for the first time a structural monitoring of EU forest habitats with a Robotically-mounted Mobile Laser Scanning (RMLS) platform. Two different scanning trajectories were used to automatically map individual tree locations and extract tree Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) from point clouds. Results were compared with field human measurements in terms of accuracy and efficiency of the survey. The robot was able to successfully execute both scanning trajectories, for which we obtained a tree detection rate of 100 %. Circular scanning trajectory performed better in terms of battery consumption, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the extracted DBH (2.43 cm or 10.73 %) and prediction power (R2adj = 0.72, p

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records and status changes from casual to naturalized for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as supplementary material.

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 8 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 49 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Campania, Calabria, Marche, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria. Relevés and figures are provided as Supplementary material respectively 1 and 2.

Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for biodiversity conservation. They are among the most threatened habitats in the world. However, the wetlands of southern European mountains still lack fine-scale plant community studies. Here we studied submontane and montane palustrine communities of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines. Data from 123 vegetation plots dominated by palustrine species were analysed by means of cluster analysis. We identified 18 vegetation types that we attributed to five classes (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Montio-Cardaminetea, Iso ëto-Nanojuncetea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, and Epilobietea angustifolii), and to two Natura 2000 habitats (3130 - Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Iso ëto-Nanojuncetea, and 6430 - Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels). According the 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature we corrected the names Phragmition communis Koch 1926 nom. inept. in P. australis Koch 1926 nom. corr., Phragmitetum communis Savič 1926 nom. inept. in P. australis Savič 1926 nom. corr., Glycerietum plicatae Kulczyński 1928 nom. inept. in G. notatae Kulczyński 1928 nom. corr., Beruletum angustifoliae Roll 1938 nom. inept. in Beruletum erectae Roll 1938 nom. corr., and we mutated the name Scirpetum lacustris Chouard 1924 nom. inept. in Schoenoplectetum lacustris Chouard 1924 nom. mut. nov. Our study highlights the diversity of marsh vegetation of montane and submontane areas of Northern Apennines. Most of the palustrine communities, though important from the point of view of conservation, cannot be attributed at present to any habitat type legally protected at the European level.

Badlands are peculiar geomorphological formations shaping landscapes of high ecological and cultural value. In the last decades, land reclamation for agricultural purposes and the cessation of traditional land use, such as sheep grazing, led to their decline in extent in many areas. To quantify the changes in badland-related plant communities, we resurveyed badland vegetation in a site of the Crete Senesi (Siena, central Italy) after 16 years (2006–2022), using 48 quasi-permanent vegetation plots and by means of uni- and multivariate analysis of variance. We found an increase in the total vegetation cover of plant communities growing in former bare soil and sparsely vegetated areas, in line with an overall decrease in the extent of bare soil surfaces in the study area, which we highlighted through the analysis of multitemporal satellite images. Pioneer vegetation characterized by the endemic plant Artemisia caerulescens subsp. cretacea changed into ruderal annual grasslands, while former bare soils were colonized by such pioneer vegetation. In contrast, perennial grasslands remained stable. Grasslands with shrubs became more similar to perennial grasslands in species composition. Species richness increased in former bare soils, and using the total vegetation cover as a proxy for successional stages, we found that Shannon diversity and evenness peaked at about 90% of total cover. In all the stages of colonization, short distance dispersal species prevailed, both therophytes (Avena sterilis, Parapholis strigosa) and perennials (Artemisia caerulescens subsp. cretacea, Bromopsis erecta). Long distance dispersal species (Galatella linosyris) started colonizing at about 60% of total vegetation cover, and at high vegetation cover all the functional groups coexisted. Our results confirm that the badland landscapes of southern Tuscany and specialist plant diversity adapted to badlands are vanishing after a diminishing of active land management, suggesting the current ineffectiveness of the Natura 2000 network in their conservation.

In this paper, we first discuss the challenges related to habitat monitoring and review possible robotic solutions. Then, we propose a framework to perform terrestrial habitat monitoring exploiting the mobility of legged robotic systems. The idea is to provide the robot with the Natural Intelligence introduced as the combination of the environment in which it moves, the intelligence embedded in the design of its body, and the algorithms composing its mind. This approach aims to solve the challenges of deploying robots in real natural environments, such as irregular and rough terrains, long-lasting operations, and unexpected collisions, with the final objective of assisting humans in assessing the habitat conservation status. Finally, we present examples of robotic monitoring of habitats in four different environments: forests, grasslands, dunes, and screes.

New Italian data on the distribution of Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 8 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 27 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Apulia, Campania, Calabria, Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, Sardinia, and Sicily.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes to the Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material 1.

Despite the wide amount of scientific contributions published on alien plant species, their diffusion dynamics, and their interactions with native taxa, it is increasingly difficult to slow down their spreading and their negative impact on habitats. Last recent years, in fact, a sharp rise in the number of new alien plant taxa introduced in Italy and Europe has been recorded. The aim of this work is to investigate most of the Italian territory in order to verify whether this alarming trend is still underway. Specimen collections and/or observations of alien plants have been performed in as many as 12 Italian regions. All the collected specimens are stored in public or private herbaria. Taxa have been identified according to the literature from the countries of origin of the investigated taxa, while the nomenclature followed the current international references. Updates on 106 taxa are reported. In particular, among 117 new records, 89 are first records, 27 are changes to status and there is 1 extinction. Seven new taxa for Italian alien flora are reported, two of which are new to Europe. The administrative regions with the highest number of records are Calabria (48), Sardegna (17) and Sicilia (15). Five of the surveyed taxa, for the first time, have been considered invasive aliens to Italian territory. The unfrequent amount of original results provided by this work, over the simple importance of data itself, proves how floristic investigation, still today, represents one of the most effective tools in broadening the current knowledge about alien taxa and their dynamics.

In this contribution, Italian new data concerning the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 3150, 3170*, 3260, 4090, 91L0, 91M0, 9340 are reported. In detail, 20 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 30 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Campania, Lazio, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, and Umbria.

The importance of wetlands for biodiversity conservation is widely recognized. Their relevance is crucial in the identification of habitat types included in the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC and in the application of the following conservation measures. Yet, several montane and submontane areas are poorly investigated from the phytosociological point of view. Here we studied aquatic communities of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines in Italy using 52 vegetation plots dominated by hydrophytes collected in wetlands of natural and artificial origin. We analysed our data using a cluster analysis and identified 12 vegetation types that we classified as three vegetation classes Charetea intermediae, Lemnetea and Potamogetonetea, and two habitat types of conservation importance, as the hard oligo-mesotrophic waters with benthic vegetation of Chara spp. (Natura 2000 code 3140) and the natural eutrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition (Natura 2000 code 3150). Our study highlights the diversity of aquatic habitats in montane and submontane areas of the Northern Apennines where water bodies are generally small and scattered. This study further highlights the important role of natural freshwater ecosystems for vegetation, but also the notable role of partly or entirely artificial water bodies in maintaining aquatic communities.

Vascular plants are good environmental indicators. Thus, floristic inventories have a high potential in environmental management since they reflect the current and past status of the environment. In this study, we used the flora of a suburban riverscape in central Italy to test the performance of the Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA) approach, an expert-based evaluation technique. Ten expert botanists assigned coefficients of conservatism (CC) to 382 plant species. We found statistically significant differences between the values assigned to the inventoried flora by botanical experts. In spite of this, the analysis of pseudo multivariate dissimilarity-based standard errors of CC values assigned by the different experts revealed that, in our case, an assessment by a minimum of five botanists allows characterizing the flora with a stable level of precision. We used the distance from agricultural and urban surfaces as a proxy of anthropogenic disturbance to divide the area around the river in four belts of increasing disturbance. The disturbance gradient was mirrored by median CC values and by the Adjusted Floristic Quality Assessment Index (Adjusted FQAI). Conversely, the Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI), which is based on CC values and on the number of native species, showed increasing values with increasing disturbance. Comparing the performance of median CC values to Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIVs), life forms, and chorotypes, we revealed that the last three indicators may be ineffective in highlighting the conservation status of the environment. We suggest that the use of the median CC values may be a simpler and effective alternative to the calculation of indices in FQA, when the adequacy of the number of experts in minimizing the variability of CC values is a posteriori verified.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

This study aims to characterize saline habitats of the Tuscan coast based on the Natura 2000 Habitats Directive 92/43/ECC. These habitats include Atlantic salt meadows (1330), Mediterranean salt meadows (1410) Mediterranean and thermo-Atlantic halophilous scrubs (1420), and Mediterranean salt steppes (1510). We compiled vegetation data from a total of 418 plots carried out during our own fieldwork (N = 157) and published scientific literature (N = 261). We performed a Linear Discriminant Analysis to associate species to habitats and used the phi coefficient of association to identify diagnostic species of each habitat. For each habitat, we provide a regional syntaxonomic framework, constant species, cover coefficients, diagnostic species (phi) and “typical species”. We identified groups of species, that we called “local assembly of typical species”, composed by species with a phi coefficient > 20 and/or a cover coefficient > 50 that can be used to identify the habitats and to monitor their conservation status at the local level. This study revealed differences in the “local assembly of typical species” among habitats, characterized by fewer species in habitats 1420 and 1510, and many species in habitats 1410 and 1310. Our results showed that the habitat 1510 was recognizable only for the high cover value of Limonium narbonense and, at least in Tuscany, its syntaxonomic attribution to the order Limonietalia is uncertain. We tested this approach only for a few habitats, but a broader applicability based on other habitats is desirable.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 1510*, 2130*, 2250*, 3180*, 3260, 5230*, 6410, 7140, 7220*, 9320 are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 14 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 20 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria.

The main purpose of the 92/43/EEC Habitats Directive is to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, understood as habitat types and species of the flora and fauna of the European Union. To achieve this goal, natural and semi-natural biodiversity as a whole must be recognized and included in its annexes. As for the conservation of biotopes, named habitat types, Italy is unfortunately lacking as it the Annex I does not include important ecosystems that are typical of its territory, rare for biogeographical reasons or threatened. Therefore, the opportunity to identify a first list of significant habitats for central Italy is discussed here. For each of the new proposed types (new habitats or new subtypes) a sheet has been prepared to highlight their salient characteristics. The new proposals concern seven habitat types and one subtype: sedge and reeds formations (Freshwater large sedge and reed beds), willow shrublands (Shrubby willow formations of river banks and fens), Apennine garrigues (Apennine hilly and montane garrigues), a new subtype of Annex I Habitat 6130 (Communities of herbaceous and dwarf shrub-suffrutescent plants of Italian ultramafic substrates), ancient olive groves ("Centuries-old olive groves" with evergreen Quercus spp. and arborescent matorral), secondary meadows (Italian submontane and montane pastured meadows dominated by Cynosurus cristatus), badlands (Pioneer halophilous and sub-halophilous communities of “calanchi” and “biancane” badlands) and hop-hornbeam woods (Italian-Balkan hop-hornbeam woods).

Wood distillate (WD) is a bio-based product applied to crop plants for its known action in terms of growth promotion and yield enhancement, but studies are lacking on its effects on the germination of arable plants. To test such effects, we applied WD at six different concentrations on the diaspores of three threatened arable plants: Bromus secalinus, Centaurea cyanus, and Legousia speculum-veneris. For all the studied species, the effect of WD was dose-dependent and species-specific. In B. secalinus, the germination percentage (GP) decreased at 0.125% WD but then remained stable at higher concentrations up to 1%. At 2% WD, almost no germination was observed. Mean germination time (MGT) was not influenced up to 1% WD but significantly increased at 2% WD. The germination rate index (GRI) and germination energy (GE) remained unaffected up to 1% WD but decreased at 2% WD. In C. cyanus, WD had no effects on GP and GE at any concentration. MGT showed no difference with the control up to 1% WD, but significantly increased at 2% WD. GRI increased only at low concentrations (0.125% and 0.25%). The germination performance of L. speculum-veneris was unaffected up to 0.25% WD for all the tested parameters. From 0.5% WD, a reduction in GP, GRI, and GE and an increase in MGT were observed. At 2% WD, germination was totally blocked. Our results suggest that using WD at low concentrations (

Habitat monitoring in Europe is regulated by Article 17 of the Habitats Directive, which suggests the use of typical species to assess habitat conservation status. Yet, the Directive uses the term “typical” species but does not provide a definition, either for its use in reporting or for its use in impact assessments. To address the issue , a n online workshop was organized by the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV) to shed light on the diversity of perspectives regarding the different concepts of typical species, and to discuss the possible implications for habitat monitoring. To this aim, we inquired 73 people with a very different degree of expertise in the field of vegetation science by means of a tailored survey composed of six questions. We analysed the data using Pearson's Chi-squared test to verify that the answers diverged from a random distribution and checked the effect of the degree of experience of the surveyees on the results. We found that most of the surveyees agreed on the use of the phytosociological method for habitat monitoring and of the diagnostic and characteristic species to evaluate the structural and functional conservation status of habitats. With this contribution, we shed light on the meaning of “typical” species in the context of habitat monitoring.

Wetlands are among the most fragile habitats on Earth and have often undergone major environmental changes. As a study case in this context, the present work aims at increasing the floristic knowledge of a reclaimed land now turned into an agricultural lowland with scarce patches of natural habitats. The study area is named Piana di Rosia, and it is located in southern Tuscany (Italy). The compiled checklist consists of 451 specific and subspecific taxa of vascular plants. The life-form spectrum shows a predominance of hemicryptophytes, followed by therophytes. The chorological spectrum highlights a co-dominance of Euri-Mediterranean and Eurasian species along with many widely distributed species. The checklist includes seven species of conservation concern, three Italian endemics (Crocus etruscus Parl., Polygala vulgaris L. subsp. valdarnensis (Fiori) Arrigoni, and Scabiosa uniseta Savi), 41 alien species, 21 segetal species, and 11 aquatic macrophytes of which five helophytes and six hydrophytes. This study suggests that irreversible land-use changes in wetlands can lead towards a simplification of the flora. However, despite the deep transformations that the former wetland has undergone, the presence of some aquatic and protected taxa is interesting. From a conservation point of view, the natural value of this agricultural area could be enhanced and its current management partly reconsidered, thus preserving the remnants of naturalness present.

Mediterranean pine woodlands are one of the most common wooded vegetation types across the Mediterranean Basin and are included in two habitats of European interest as they have great conservation importance. We studied the woodlands of the class Pinetea halepensis dominated by Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster, and P. pinea in Sardinia (Italy) with the aim to clarify their syntaxonomic position. We compiled a dataset of 66 original vegetation relevés, complemented with the holotypes of similar vegetation types formerly described for Italy and Corsica (France). We classified P. halepensis woodlands, native to the Island of San Pietro, to the association Erico arboreae-Pinetum halepensis. We classified P. halepensis woodlands growing on limestones of the south-western coast of Sardinia to the new association Smilaco asperae-Pinetum halepensis and woodlands typical of coastal dunes to the new association Asparago horridi-Pinetum halepensis. We also described the northeastern Sardinia P. pinaster woodlands as the new association Arbuto unedonis-Pinetum pinastri, of which we recognised two new subassociations, typicum and cephalantheretosum longifoliae, ecologically distinguished by the xerophilous and mesophilous conditions, respectively. Furthermore, we classified P. pinea woodlands, putatively native only to stabilised sand dunes of south-western Sardinia, in the new association Querco calliprini-Pinetum pineae. This study represents the first complete survey and classification of Sardinian pine woodlands, allowing a better understanding of their ecology, floristic composition and differences from other Mediterranean pine woodlands.

This study provides a first step toward the knowledge of the alien-dominated and co-dominated plant communities present in Italy. The first ever checklist of the alien phytocoenoses described or reported in literature for the Italian territory has been compiled, produced by data-mining in national and local thematic literature. The resulting vegetation-type draft-list has been checked in the light of the most recent syntaxonomic documentation and updated with regards to syntaxonomy and nomenclature, with special reference to the frame proposed in the Italian Vegetation Prodrome. The list includes 27 vascular and one bryophyte vegetation classes, hosting 194 low rank alien-dominated syntaxa. The different vegetation types detected for each syntaxonomic class and macro-vegetation group, defined by physiognomical and ecological attributes, are discussed.

Coastal dunes are among habitats with the worst conservation status on a global, European and national scale. Monitoring and reporting are of strategic importance to determine the effectiveness of the implementation of Habitats Directive and to preserve the unique biodiversity heritage of the Italian dunes. In this study we show main results of the 4th National Report with specific reference to the macro-habitat “Coastal Sand Dunes and Inland Dunes”, highlighting its updated current conservation status at the national and Biogeographical level. A comprehensive Working Group of territorial experts collected, updated, validated and integrated the data available for 11 Annex I Habitats, distributed in the Alpine, Continental and Mediterranean Biogeographical Regions. The conservation status was evaluated through the following criteria: geographic range, surface area, structure, functions, pressures, threats, conservation measures and prospects. Results highlighted the dramatically bad conservation status of Italian dune Habitats: the overall assessment reported 88% of habitats in bad conservation status and the remaining 12% is in inadequate conditions. Results showed a generalised threat and a worrying conservation status both on herbaceous and wooded communities, in particular in some relevant habitats, such as the shifting dunes. Main pressures and threats were linked to residential, commercial and industrial activities, as well as alien species. Although some of the changes in distribution and trends are probably deriving from more accurate and updated data, the alarming conservation status of Italian sand dunes requires a better knowledge of pressures and threats for further management actions and monitoring plans, inside and outside protected areas.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Furthermore, three new combinations are proposed. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions of taxa in the genera Bunias, Calocedrus, Calycanthus, Celosia, Clerodendrum, Convolvulus, Crassula, Cyclamen, Datura, Dicliptera, Eragrostis, Erigeron, Gamochaeta, Gazania, Impatiens, Kolkwitzia, Leucaena, Ludwigia, Medicago, Muscari, Nigella, Oenothera, Opuntia, Paulownia, Petroselinum, Phyllostachys, Physalis, Pseudosasa, Quercus, Reynoutria, Roldana, Saccharum, Sedum, Semiarundinaria, Senecio, Sisyrinchium, Solanum, Sporobolus, Tulipa, Vachellia, Verbena, and Youngia. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1.

A comparative analysis of the riparian vegetation dominated by Alnus glutinosa in Italy and Tyrrhenian islands, based on literature data and unpublished relevés, is presented. A total of 456 phytosociological relevés were processed. For the definition of plant communities and alliances, hierarchical clustering was performed by using Bray-Curtis coefficient and Detrended Correspondence Analysis ordination methods. Identification of diagnostic species of the vegetation units was performed by means of the phi fidelity index. Quantum GIS software version 3.6 was used for the interpolation of the bioclimatic variables and A. glutinosa communities. Overall, a total of 18 A. glutinosa-riparian wood communities were distinguished for Italy and Tyrrhenian islands, of which two new associations and one new subassassociation are described. The classification of the relevés showed two main vegetation groups: the first one including the plant communities of the Osmundo-Alnion alliance, and the other including the vegetation of the Ligustro vulgaris-Alnion glutinosae alliance. This latest includes the riparian meso-thermophilous communities of central and northern Italy. Within the Osmundo-Alnion alliance, two subgroups can be recognized: the first one includes the thermophilous communities of the Hyperico hircini-Alnenion glutinosae sub-alliance, mainly spread in the Tyrrhenian islands, while the second group includes the mesophilous communities attributed to the new suballiance Struthioptero-Alnenion glutinosae, widespread in central Italy and the Corsican mountains. The present paper provides the first comprehensive and exhaustive scheme of the A. glutinosa riparian woodlands diversity in Italy and Corsica.

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations and status changes to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Acer, Alchemilla, Andrachne, Bromus, Clinopodium, Colchicum, Damasonium, Erodium, Festuca, Hieracium, Hyparrhenia, Ipomoea, Linaria, Lolium, Narcissus, Ranunculus, Sisymbrium, Stipa, Valerianella, Vicia, and Zannichellia. New combinations in the genus Ziziphora (Z. sardoa and Z. corsica) and the new subspecies Ulmus minor susbp. canescens are proposed. Furthermore, the name Calamintha alpina var. sardoa is here lectotypified. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material 1.

This work aims to increase the floristic knowledge of southern Tuscany by means of a floristic investigation which took place in the Miniera di Murlo (southern Tuscany, Italy). The study area, located in the province of Siena, has an extension of 2.26 km2 and hosts a heterogeneity of habitats like rocky outcrops, woodlands, meadows and riparian formations. The prevalent geological type is an acidic sedimentary rock known as diaspri formation (jasper). The checklist of vascular flora consists of 501 taxa and includes six endemics and 13 alien species, among which Vitis labrusca is a newly-found species for the Province of Siena along with the native Rosa balsamica and Rosa squarrosa. The most interesting species, such as Anthoxanthum aristatum, Gagea bohemica, Paragymnopteris marantae, Saxifraga granulata, and Teesdalia coronopifolia, are found on acidic rocks. Species of the Italian Red List, such as Ruscus aculeatus, and species of Regional conservation interest, such as Centaurea aplolepa subsp. carueliana, Ervilia loiseleurii, and Vicia nigricans, were recorded. The chorological spectrum reveals a dominance of Mediterranean species indicating warm climate conditions and mild winters whereas the life-form spectrum shows a slight dominance of hemicryptophytes followed by therophytes. However, a clear dominance of one life-form type over the other is lacking, since the acidic and dry rocky substrate partially compensates for the humidity provided by the stream. This study highlights the relevant floristic value of the Miniera di Murlo area and supports the possible creation of a protected area or its inclusion in the adjacent one.

Wood distillate (WD) is an environmentally safe bio-based product stimulating plant growth and yield and allowed in Italy in organic farming. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies on the effects of WD on spontaneous plants growing among crops, including their functional traits such as biomass. To test such effects, we carried out a lab experiment on artificially reconstructed arable plant communities composed of five species of conservation interest, which are specialist winter cereal crops: Bromus secalinus L., Centaurea cyanus L., Lathyrus aphaca L., Legousia speculum-veneris (L.) Chaix, and Scandix pecten-veneris L. After sowing 45 pots under controlled conditions, we applied WD at three concentrations (0%, 0.2%, and 0.5%) six times over 7 weeks. The number of emerged plants in each pot was counted every two weeks. Finally, we harvested all plants and measured the fresh and dry above-ground weight of each species in each pot. The resulting data were analyzed by Permutational Analysis of Variance. The application of 0.2% and 0.5% WD modified the community composition after two weeks, but such differences later disappeared. Both 0.2% and 0.5% WD had a positive effect on the dry weight of S. pecten-veneris and a negative effect on that of L. speculum-veneris. Moreover, 0.2% and 0.5% WD increased seedling emergence in L. aphaca, and 0.5% WD increased seedling emergence in S. pecten-veneris. Both 0.2% and 0.5% WD enhanced seedling emergence in the entire community. We suggest that the use of WD at low concentrations in winter cereals may be a sustainable agricultural practice that benefits crops without harming the associated plant diversity.

The tradition of floristic studies in Italy has made it possible to obtain a good knowledge of plant diversity both on a national and regional scale. However, the lack of knowledge for some areas, advances in plant systematics and human activities related to globalization, highlight the need for further studies aimed at improving floristic knowledge. In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria and literature surveys, we update the knowledge on the Italian vascular flora and analyze the floristic similarities between the administrative regions. Four taxa, all exotic, were recorded for the first time in Italy and Europe. In detail, Elaeodendron croceum, Kalanchoë blossfeldiana, and Sedum spathulifolium var. spathulifolium were found as casual aliens, while Oxalis brasiliensis was reported as historical record based on some herbarium specimens. Furthermore, Kalanchoë laxiflora was confirmed as a casual alien species for Italy and Europe. Status changes for some taxa were proposed at both national and regional levels, as well as many taxa were reported as new or confirmed at the regional level. Currently the Italian vascular flora comprises 9150 taxa of which 7547 are native (of which 1598 are Italian endemics) and 1603 are exotic at the national level. The multivariate analysis of updated floristic data on a regional scale showed a clear distribution along the latitudinal gradient, in accordance with the natural geographical location of the regions in Italy. This pattern of plants distribution was not affected by the introduction of alien species. Despite some taxonomic and methodological issues which are still open, the data obtained confirm the important role of floristic investigations in the field and in herbaria, as well as the collaborative approach among botanists, in order to improve the knowledge of the Italian and European vascular flora.

A robust survey method that samples the main characteristics of plant assemblages is needed to assess the conservation status of European habitat in the Natura 2000 network. A measure of variability, called pseudo-multivariate dissimilarity-based standard error (MultSE), was recently proposed for assessing sample-size adequacy in ecological communities. Here, we used it on coastal sand dune systems in three Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Tuscany. Our aim was to assess the minimum number of replicates necessary to adequately characterize sand dune environments in terms of differences between habitats and SACs, after a preliminary baseline assessment of plant diversity. Analysis of α and β diversity indicated that especially between habitats the three SACs protect different plant communities. The study of the MultSE profiles showed that the minimum number of replicates needed to assess differences among habitats varied between 10 and 25 plots. Two-way PERMANOVA and SIMPER analysis on the full and reduced datasets confirmed that SACs and habitats host different plant communities, and that the contribution of the target species remained unchanged even with a reduced sample size. The proposed methodological approach can be used to develop cost-effective monitoring programs and it can be useful for plant ecologists and biodiversity managers for assessing ecosystem health and changes.

The results of multivariate analysis of the syntaxonomic role of Santolina etrusca (Lacaita) Marchi et D'Amato, a species endemic to Tyrrhenian central Italy, are reported. Classification was performed by polythetic divisive analysis using two-way indicator species (TWINSPAN). Ordination analysis was performed by correspondence analysis (CA). Classification and ordination showed that although Santolina etrusca grows prevalently in communities of Rosmarinetalia Br.-Bl. ex Molinier 1934, it is ecologically correlated and associated with entities of unstable nitrophilous communities subject to frequent disturbance belonging to an order, Helichryso-Santolinetalia Peinado and Martinez-Parras 1984, with western eumediterranean distribution. However it does not have a well defined sociological role, as it is constant in all community groups.

Forest communities dominated by noble broad-leaved trees (maple, lime and ash) in Europe are of elevated scientific and con­servation interest for the European Union. In this paper, we first present a synthesis of the maple and ash forests in peninsular Italy. By classifying these forests, we distinguish seven main groups for the territory, which only broadly match the syntaxa proposed in the literature. The variability of the Apennine data is then analysed floristically and phytogeographically (using chorological components) in a central-southern European context, using numerical classification, INSPAN, and direct ordination of several synoptic tables. These analyses allow us to identify six different groups of European Acer-Fraxinus communities. Canonical Vari­ates Analysis (CVA) of the geographical components confirms the existence of distinct phytogeographical groups. In particular, we highlight the clear distinction between central European (including the Alps) and southern European coenoses. Among the latter there was a clear floristic and chorological distinction between Balkan and Apennine groups. These results reflect the biogeographical subdivisions of Europe, but do not support the syntaxonomical schemes proposed by other authors, which are based only on floristic-ecological information or (recently) use a smaller data set of Italian relevés. This study also shows that syntaxonomical schemes above the association level should pay more attention to phytogeographical aspects rather than focus on floristic-ecological information alone, in order to propose models that are of value on a geographical scale.