Relation between climate and vegetation along a Mediterranean‐Temperate boundary in central Italy

Abstract

The relationship between climate and vegetation was investigated along a Mediterranean-Temperate boundary in central Italy. The study area is a transition zone between the Temperate (Eurosiberian) and Mediterranean regions and has an altitudinal range of almost 1750 m. Ordination and cluster analysis were used. The results did not show any sharp boundary but a climate-vegetation mosaic ranging from upper mountain thermotype and lower hyperhumid ombrotype with Fagus sylvatica L. woodlands at higher altitudes, to meso-Mediterranean thermotype and lower subhumid ombrotype with Mediterranean maquis and Quercus ilex L. woods on the coast. Six phytoclimatic groups are distinguished and described in terms of climatic parameters, vegetation types and morphological and chorological traits. These parameters indicate a change without sharp discontinuities between groups. The Mediterranean to Temperate transition in this Tyrrhenian sector is broad and includes most of the study area

Bioclimate of Italy: application of the worldwide bioclimatic classification system

“…From visual comparison, the bioclimatic maps of Italy presented here (Main Map) are in good agreement with those published previously at the regional and national scales for Italy (Attorre, Francesconi, Valenti, Collalti, & Bruno, 2008;Biondi & Baldoni, 1994a, 1994b, 1995Blasi, 1994Blasi, , 1996Blasi & Michetti, 2005;Blasi et al, 1999Blasi et al, , 2007Brullo, Scelsi, Siracusa, & Spampinato, 1996;Casavecchia et al, 2007;Rivas-Martínez et al, 2004a, 2004b. Some of these previous studies focused in particular on the definition of the limits between the mediterranean and the temperate macrobioclimates.…”

“…Over the past 20 years, at the national level, there have been many studies relating to the bioclimatic classification of Italy, with particular attention to the identification of the limits of the # 2014 Simone Pesaresi mediterranean and temperate macrobioclimates (Biondi & Baldoni, 1993, 1994a, 1994b, 1995Blasi, 1994;Blasi, Carranza, Filesi, Tilia, & Acosta, 1999;Blasi & Michetti, 2005).…”

Phytoclimatic map of Calabria (Southern Italy)

“…The relationship between forest vegetation and climatic conditions has long been the focus of attention among researchers (Blasi, Carranza, Filesi, Tilia, & Acosta, 1999;Daget, 1977;De Philippis, 1937;Emberger, 1930). In the Mediterranean Basin, there have been numerous phytogeographical studies based on the analysis of climatic parameters, and many phytoclimatic indices have been formulated (De Philippis, 1937;Emberger 1930).…”

Analysis of the potential fungal biodeteriogen effects in the “Doctorate Library” of the University of Perugia, Italy

“…Normally, in the geographical areas (such as Perugia) with a transitional character from Temperate to Mediterranean climate, the peaks of fungal spore maximum concentration occur in summer and autumn when the relative humidity has the highest values (Rivas-Martinez, 1996;Blasi et al, 1999). The occurrence of the maximum concentration in July corresponds to the results broadly demonstrated by other studies on the subject: the growth of fungal species is favoured by high levels of relative humidity and air temperature range 18-32˚C, parameters which are often observed during the summer season in our region (Herrero et al, 1996;Pelizzari, 1996;Munuera et al, 2001;Pyrri & Kapsanaki-Gotsi, 2007).…”