Phytosociological study of beech and beech-mixed woods in Monti Sibillini National Park (central Apennines, Italy)

The results of a phytosociological survey of the woods mainly growing on limestones in the Southern part of the Marches Region (Central Italy), that is part of the Monti Sibillini National Park, are here presented. This area is characterized by a temperate climate (upper mesotemperate and lower/upper supratemperate bioclimatic belts). In order to study the vegetation, 173 phytosociological relevés were carried out through the Braun-Blanquet methodology. All the data obtained were submitted to multivariate analysis. The phytosociological analysis is characterized in nine associations, whereof three are of new description (Lathyro veneti-Fagetum sylvaticae hieracietosum murorum, Cardamino kitaibelii-Fagetum sylvaticae corallorhizetosum trifidae and Cardamino kitaibelii-Fagetum sylvaticae anemonetosum nemorosae)

Effect of long-term abandonment and spring grazing on floristic and functional composition of dry grasslands in a central Apennine farmland

Semi-natural dry grasslands host some of the most valuable habitats in Europe, due to their biodiversity heritage. Nevertheless, a strong decline in their extension, due to the cessation of traditional management, has been observed in the last decades. The aim of the study was to assess plant community changes due to abandonment and the effect of spring grazing in sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands, focusing on the plant functional traits involved in this turnover. The study area is located in the central Apennines (Italy), where grasslands were grazed by sheep in late winter and spring until 1980 and are nowadays abandoned. Relevés sampled (using the Braun-Blanquet method) in different years, namely in 1976–1980 (grazed pasture) and again in 2010 (abandoned pasture) were compared. Results indicated that abandonment leads to the increase of species richness. Traits and strategies indicator sets were: therophyte for the grazed pasture; geophytes, flower palatability, early flowering strategy, clonal ability and presence of storage organs for the abandoned ones. Traits related to low levels of stress (tolerance strategies) are heavily reduced in grazed systems, and thus the functional composition of plant community is mostly characterised by traits promoting avoidance strategies. In abandoned conditions a higher number of species can co-exist thanks to the micro-scale variation of soil features and niche diversification. The research findings also revealed grazing timing as a key factor for understanding changes of plant functional trait patterns and spring grazing as a threat for orchid species

Flowering patterns in sub-Mediterranean grasslands: a functional approach

Background and aims – Temporal phenological segregation among species within a plant community can be viewed as a niche differentiation that promotes species co-existence. Following this hypothesis the functional assessment of the flowering pattern was analysed in sub-Mediterranean mountain grassland. Methods – The study was carried out in two sites at different elevations. Four fenced plots of 50 m2 each were established in both sites. Phenological relevés were carried out in each plot every fifteen days and soil samples were collected in each plot. The functional traits sets of the flowering species were analysed at each considered time interval. Key results – Each phenological phase tends to be linked to a group of functional traits (e.g. bulbs or tuber/rhizome, low height and spring green leaves for the early spring period; rhizome or tuber, hemicryptophyte caespitose, mid height, presence of stolons and persistent green leaves for the late spring period). Dominant species reach their maximum phenological forwardness in the middle of the vegetative season, while nondominant species ‘exploit’ the beginning and end of the vegetative season. Two main sets of strategies allowing non-dominant species to co-exist with the dominant ones were highlighted. The first characterizes the tall graminoids-dominated patches, where a pattern of traits allows subordinate species to differentiate the flowering temporal niche compared to the dominant ones. The second set of strategies is related to some small-sized species, which can co-exist with dominant species by exploiting gaps due to livestock disturbance, or by forming patches given their clonal ability. This strategy allows them to share the optimal temporal niche with dominant species. Conclusions – Flowering pattern promotes species co-existence and is driven by functional differentiation of species that in turn is filtered by environmental stress/disturbance type and intensity

Biometrical approach to evaluate the relationship between roe deer body parameters and winter feeding resources

Introduction: The study is aimed to analyze the biometrical data referred to animals pertaining to class age 0 (0-11 months), in roe deer population of central Italy Apennine, in order to evaluate the relationship between size/shape of body structure/parameters and feeding resources available during the autumn-winter period. Materials and Methods: The analysis of the size was performed on 56 roe deer obtained by selective shooting. For the mandible shape analysis 27 samples were treated with the GeoGebra’s program. To evaluate the relationship between size/shape of body structure/parameters and the feeding resources, an environmental category, derived from the carrying capacity of forest ecosystems relative to the hunting zone, was attributed to each animal. Statistical analysis of size was performed by ANOVA. Shape variables were generated using a Generalized Procustes Analysis program. Results: The analysis of the size showed no significant differences for analyzed parameters between sex, while five parameters showed significant differences among environmental categories. As mandible concerns, it showed an increasing size trend linked to the available feeding resources. This is also supported by the fact that the shape analysis showed a more open mandibular angle (for the mandibular dorsal view) in those animals living in the hunting zone characterized by highest feeding resources, in particular in subjects pertaining to the sub-class 0-8 months. Conclusion: Data analysis suggests that the mandible seems to be the element whose development is mainly affected by the winter feeding resource availability. In the roe deer, the mandible reaches the definitive size during the first living year. So, the food availability during the first winter season could represent a critical factor for the development of this bone. This approach applied to a wider database could be useful to define body marker parameters related to environmental carrying capacity to planning the roe deer selective shooting

Plant species diversity and distribution along environmental gradients in a submediterranean forest landscape (central Italy)

A survey of a submediterranean forest landscape in central Italy was carried out to assess floristic diversity and species ecological behaviour in relation to some environmental gradients (altitude, aspect, light intensity on the undergrowth, soil pH, nitrogen content and texture). Diversity indices (species richness, Shannon-Wiener and Evenness) trends, calculated in relation to environmental parameters, showed to be mostly related to stress gradients. The highest diversity, in fact, is linked to the least stressful conditions. Redundancy analysis (RDA) allowed to identify six species sets, related to the environmental parameters, which were tested through bioindication values analysis. Intensity of stress factors and their combination select one or more groups of specieswithdifferentecologicalbehaviour, leading to the local floristic differentiation of plant communities. This approach may be useful to predict floristic variation of forest ecosystems as a consequence of increasing stress levels, such as drought stress due to climatic changes, to the definition of plant diversity conservation guidelines and for biodiversity monitoring

The geosynphytosociological approach as a tool for agriculture innovation: the study case of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) cultivation suitability assessment in the Macerata district (central Italy)

The maintenance of open areas as grasslands and croplands has become a vital issue addressed to biodiversity conservation. For this purpose, innovation in agricultural activities may be a key factor. To achieve this goal, it is essential to identify the agronomic suitability and the most appropriate spatial pattern for the proposed cultivation. Therefore, the definition of land suitability classes and of their boundaries is a key step. For this purpose we used the phytosociological approach since it is based on an ecological definition and hierarchical classification of plant communities and landscapes and can be considered as an indirect way to assess the variation of the environmental conditions. Starting from the Marche Region vegetation geo-database, for each vegetation series a draft of the main ecological factors matching with the ecological needs of Crocus sativus L. was carried out. Afterwards, two intermediate maps were drawn: the “Climatic suitability map” and the “Soil suitability map”. Finally, the “Crocus sativus cultivation suitability map” was drawn by overlapping these two maps. Results were tested by agronomic experimentations. The synphytosociological approach proved to be a very valuable method. In fact, the areas belonging to the highlighted different suitability classes (that is the different vegetation series) showed substantial differences in the saffron productivity. Moreover using the vegetation mapping procedures also the definition of the borders of each suitability class has been easily solved at the landscape scale

Functional differentiation of central Apennine grasslands under mowing and grazing disturbance regimes

This research dealt to two grasslands potentially developing the same vegetation type because sited in the same environmental contest (bioclimate, substratum, soil, slope, altitude) but under diverse management regimes (grazing and mowing) for many decades. The evidenced differentiation between the two pastoral vegetations can be attributed to disturbance type and the statistical functional analysis performed through seven plant traits (prostrate form, early flowering, storage organs, clonal ability, basal meristems, chemical defences and hairs), revealed the distinguishing patterns. Discriminant analysis pointed out typical biological attributes for each disturbance conditions, while from correlation analysis emerged different possible traits combinations which do not follow the previous traits separation. Such outcomes are explainable because both grazing and mowing provoke aboveground phytomass removal, although grazing is a selective pressure, while mowing gives to all the species the same development chances. It is reasonable to conclude that convergent strategies within the two systems are possible and frequent

Distribution of the nurse species Pycnophyllum molle J. Rémy and P. weberbaueri Muschl. in the Andean dry puna (Arequipa district-Southern Peru): role of topographic/soil variability and disturbance regime

The dry Puna is the widest pastoral ecosystem of the tropical alpine Andes, characterized by harsh environmental conditions (long and intense drought stress periods and un-fertile soils) and grazed by wild and domestic camelids. In these conditions, facilitation is of key importance in plant diversity conservation. Indeed, facilitation is a positive plant-plant interaction by which the so called nurse species provide environmental amelioration of harsh conditions and/or refuge to other plants (beneficiary species), which otherwise might fail to establish. The research aims were to understand which ecological variables affect the distribution of the potential nurse cushion species Pycnophyllum molle J. Remy and P. weberbaueri Muschl., and if these species are affected by grazing disturbance. The study area (4000-4900 m a.s.l.) is located in the southern Peruvian Andes. Data of species cover, topographic and soil features, besides type of disturbance were collected along transects. We used canonical redundancy analysis to understand the relations between the cover of the two Pycnophyllum species and the above mentioned constraining variables. Results indicate that both the Pycnophyllum species grow on sandy loam, moderately acid soils, with low organic matter and very poor nitrogen content, and avoid high disturbance intensities. molle is more sensitive than P weberbaueri to disturbance, and grows on relatively more fertile soils, also at higher altitudes and on steeper slopes characterized by greater rockiness