The Plant Communities of the Class Isoëto-Nanojuncetea in Sicily

Abstract

A syntaxonomical revision of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea class for the Sicilian territory is provided. This syntaxon gathers the ephemeral herbaceous hygrophilous plant communities linked to periodically submerged soils, widely distributed in the European, circum-Mediterranean and Macaronesian territories. Within this class, two orders are recognized, lsoëtetalia, with a prevalently Mediterranean distribution, and Nanocyperetalia chiefly occurring in the central-European and Atlantic territories, with scattered and marginal occurrence in the Mediterranean area. The order Isoëtetalia in Sicily is represented by four alliances, i.e., Isoëtion, Preslion cervinae, Cicendio-Solenopsion laurentiae and Agrostion salmanticae, while within Nanocyperetalia three alliances can be recognized, namely Nanocyperion, Verbenion supinae and Lythrion tribracteati. Overall, 32 plant communities are recognized, 11 of which are described for the first time. Each higher rank syntaxa and related associations are examined from a nomenclatural, floristic, ecological and chorological point of view. In particular, the associations were processed using cluster analysis in order to highlight the correlations between them. Regarding the floristic aspects, a checklist of the species occurring in the phytosociological relevés is provided, as well as a new combination concerning Solenopsis gasparrinii, a critical species of the Sicilian flora, is proposed.

Validation of associations for the temporary ponds of the class Isoeto-Nanojuncetea in Puglia (southern Italy)

“…Plant communities occurring in this environment are rich in ephemeral hydrophytes of exceptional geobotanical value and, for this reason, have always drawn the attention of botanists and especially of phytosociologists (among others: Braun-Blanquet, 1936;Rivas Goday, 1970;Médail et al, 1998;Quézel, 1998;Molina, 2005). The extremely patchy and scattered distribution, as well as the complex ecological and floristic characterization, make this vegetation extremely challenging for syntaxonomical classification; over time, numerous syntaxonomic treatments have been proposed, with often contrasting outcomes (among the most recent: Brullo & Minissale, 1998;Rivas-Martinez et al, 2002;Deil, 2005;Biondi et al, 2014;Mucina et al, 2016;Brullo et al, 2022). The Isoeto-Nanojuncetea class in Puglia (Southern Italy) has been recently subject of increasing interest by numerous authors, especially for the wide variety of different plant communities occurring in this area and for the presence of rare species (Ernandes et al, 2010(Ernandes et al, , 2017Ernandes & Marchiori, 2012a, 2012b, 2013Brullo et al, 2019;Bartolucci et al, 2019).…”

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #37 to #44

“…Tab. A14 inBrullo et al (2022)];Italy, Sicily, Hyblean plateau, Monte Lauro, Coordinates: unknown [Tab. A10 and Tab.…”

“…A13 in Brullo et al (2022)],Italy, Sicily, Carlentini, Cozzo Fico, 364 m a.s.l., Coordinates: 37.235751 N, 15.002701 E [Tab. A9 (Rels 6 to 8) inBrullo et al (2022)]; Italy, Sicily, Madonie massif, Coordinates: unknown [Tab. A11 in Brullo et al (2022)], Italy, Sicily, Castelvetrano, Castello della Pietra, 135 m a.s.l., Coordinates: 37.666873 N, 12.892273 E [Tab.…”

“…^ Reference plant species of the Habitat 3170*, fromBiondi et al (2009).gimusco (Bosco di Malabotta), Coordinates: unknown [Tab. A30 inBrullo et al (2022)];Italy, Sicily, Bosco Pisano (Buccheri), Coordinates: unknown [Sicilia, Lago Fanaco, 690 m a.s.l., Coordinates: 37.661405 N, 13.554113 E [Tab. A26 (Rels 5 to 7) inBrullo et al (2022)]; Italy, Sicily, Castronovo di Sicilia, Lago Pian del Leone, 836 m a.s.l.,Coordinates: 37.667570 N, 13.475648 E [Tab.…”

“…14) inBrullo et al (2022)];Italy, Sicily, Palermo, Lago Prizzi, 655 m a.s.l., Coordinates: 37.730444 N, 13.405263 E [Tab. A26 (Rels 11 to 13) inBrullo et al (2022)];Italy, Sicily, Regalbuto, Lago Pozzillo, 370 m a.s.l., Coordinates: 37.652906 N, 14.594773 E, 37.652906 N [Tab. A26 (Rel.…”