The Festuco-Brometea Grasslands on Sandstone and Marl-Clay-Sandstone Substrata in Tuscany (Northern-Central Italy)

Abstract

The grasslands dominated by Bromus erectus and/or Brachypodium rupestre cover large areas on sandstone and marl-clay-sandstone substrata (limestone is excluded), of the Apennines and pre-Apennines between Pistoia and Arezzo provinces (Tuscany, Central Italy). Our investigation was focused on to 71 unpublished relevés and 45 literature relevés from Tuscany and surrounding areas, reporting the original relevés of Astragalo monspessulani-Brometum erecti, Centaureo bracteatae-Brometum erecti and Ononido masquillerii-Brometum erecti. The relevés were submitted to exploratory multivariate analysis, allowing to detect nine distinct groups. Their consistence was verified by mean of NMDS against Ellenberg/Pignatti indicator values, and CCA constrained against chorotypes and growth forms. Diagnostic species of the definitive groups resulting from the analysis were chosen according to species fidelity, based on the φ coefficient of association. The analysis splits the data set in two main subclusters; the first one (A) includes few relevés of low altitude, thermophilous conenoses, interpreted as a transition between the submediterranean aspects of Festuco-Brometea class and other Mediterranean herbaceous and shrubby classes; the second subcluster (B) includes most of the data set and can be clearly subdivided in pioneering, mesoxerophilous communities (B1 and B2a groups) and mesophilous communities (B2b group). The relevés of clusters B1 and B2a are referred to Coronillo minimae-Astragaletum monspessulanii association and to three other groups: Plantago argentea-Carex caryophyllea communities, Tragopogon samaritani-Bromus erectus communities, Festuco trachyphyllae-Brometum erecti ass. nova. The mesophilous group (B2b) includes the original Centaureo bracteatae-Brometum erecti and Ononido masquillerii-Brometum erecti relevés, together with a slightly differentiated community; due to the non-relevant differences between these grassland types from floristic, ecological and chorological perspectives, we propose herewith to treat them as three subassociations of Centaureo bracteatae-Brometum erecti (typicum, ononidetosum masquillerii and linetosum cathartici). Post-cultural grasslands in human-disturbed areas were also detected. All these communities can be attributed to Polygalo mediterraneae-Bromenion erecti suballiance (Bromion alliance), even if a clear subdivision between the mesoxerophilous pioneer aspects and the more mesophilous and evolved ones can be noted. IzvlečekTravišča v katerih prevladujeta vrsti Bromus erectus in/ali Brachypodium rupestre pokrivajo velike površine na podlagi iz peščenjaka in laporasto-glinastega peščenjaka (apnenec je izključen) na Apeninih in območju pred njimi med provincama Pistoia in Arezzo (Toskana, srednja Italija). Naša raziskava je bila osredotočena na 71 neobjavljenih in 45 objavljenih vegetacijskih popisov iz Toskane in sosednjih območij. Originalni popisi opisujejo asociacije Astragalo monspessulani-Brometum erecti, Centaureo bracteatae-Brometum erecti in Ononido masquillerii-Brometum...

Dry Grasslands of Southern Europe: Syntaxonomy, Management and Conservation

“…This Special Issue further consists of eight contributions from Italy (Foggi et al 2014), Serbia (with comparison to other western Balkan countries: Kabaš et al 2014), Bulgaria (Sopotlieva & Apostolova 2014, velev & vassilev 2014, Greece (Evangelou et al 2014, Fotiadis et al 2014, Pirini et al 2014, as well as russia and Kazakhstan (Demina & Bragina 2014). In the following, we briefly introduce them grouped into three major topics: syntaxonomy (5 articles), management (2) and conservation (1).…”

“…Syntaxonomy Foggi et al (2014) Kabaš et al (2014) deal with grasslands dominated by Sesleria juncifolia agg. in the Balkans, which is both taxonomically and syntaxonomically challenging (see Di Pietro et al 2013, Di Pietro & Wagensommer 2014.…”

An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of the Arezzo administrative province (Tuscany, Italy)

“…: Marcucci 1889;Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Zingarelli 2006− Exs. : 2004 Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Chiosi 1935;Pichi Sermolli 1948;Zangheri 1966b;Siemoni et al 1989Siemoni et al -1998Chiosi 1990;Vos & Stortelder 1992;Lisci 1997;Giacinti Baschetti 1998;Zingarelli 2006;Angiolini et al 2007;Foggi et al 2014 Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Zangheri 1966b;Chiosi 1990;Zingarelli 2006− Exs. : 2005 Ornithogalum divergens Boreau − Cit.…”

“…collina − Ref. : Pichi Sermolli 1948;Zangheri 1966a;Zangheri 1966b;Tassini 1976;De Dominicis et al 2002;Angiolini et al 2007;Frignani et al 2009b;Gonnelli & Bottacci 2012;Foggi et al 2014 Achillea millefolium L. − Cit. sub: Achillea millefolium L. subsp.…”

“…Burnat − Ref. : Marcucci 1889; Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Pichi Sermolli 1948;Zangheri 1966a;Zangheri 1966b;Matteini 1968;Tassini 1976;Siemoni et al 1989Siemoni et al -1998Chiosi 1990;Vos & Stortelder 1992;Cutini et al 1993;Ferrarini 1998;Giacinti Baschetti 1998;Lastrucci 2000;Viciani 2001;Bernardini 2006;Falzea 2006;Lastrucci & Raffaelli 2006;Mazza 2006;Zingarelli 2006;Mazza et al 2008;Frignani et al 2009b;Lastrucci, Paci & Raffaelli 2010;Lastrucci et al 2012 Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Zangheri 1966a;Zangheri 1966b;Vos & Stortelder 1992;Zingarelli 2006; Baroni 1897Baroni -1908Zingarelli 2006;Angiolini et al 2007;Foggi et al 2014;− Exs. : 20012002 (Herb.…”