Landscape planning and biodiversity conservation of river habitats require vegetation analysis and mapping: the case of Cilento National Park (Italy)

Riparian and freshwater ecosystems are strongly endangered throughout Europe as they suffer the ongoing human pressure, habitat destruction, pollution and eutrophication. Monitoring species and habitats is essential to address conservation efforts and to evaluate the results of restoration actions. In this context we present the main results of a two-year (2010-2011) research project funded by the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, focused on riparian habitat and vegetation mapping. Vegetation Mapping was performed within a 300 m width buffer along the main water bodies of the National Park; it was based on 2005 digital aero- images and GIS assisted; field surveys were stratified on water bodies, environmental unit and vegetation physiognomy and recorded using GPS with 2-5 m precision. We collected 273 relevès and detected 748 taxa of vascular plants (approx.1/3 of the overall regional flora) with several new findings for Cilento and Campania Region. A not negligible amount of these are alien species showing an invasive behavior in riparian habitats. 27 Natura 2000 habitats were identified accounting to 45% of the mapped area. The project results could contribute to assess the reference conditions of Southern Italian Peninsula water bodies to answer to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60 CE). Furthermore they represent a first step of monitoring actions of species and riparian plant communities of the National Park that are essentials to address conservation efforts and to evaluate the results of management and restoration policies, as explicitly requested by art. 11 of Habitats Directive

Dry Grasslands Database of Central Italy

We stored original and published phytosociological relevés of semi-natural dry grasslands sampled in different mountain ranges in central Italy (Apennines and anti-Apennines ranges). A total of 762 relevés were stored in a TURBOVEG database. The data spans from 1982 to present. The database has a geographical special focus on the Tyrrhenian district of central Italy and it has been designed to order improve the synecological and syntaxonomical knowledge of dry grasslands. The surveyed grasslands are pastures, characterized by different substrata (calcareous, marly-calcareous, arenaceous substrata) and macroclimatic types (Mediterranean, Submediterranean and Temperate). In physiognomic terms the majority of relevés are dominated by Bromus erectus, while a few are characterized by the dominance of Brachypodium rupestre. In syntaxonomical terms the relevés represent communities that belong to Festuco-Brometea syntaxa. A reference check-list of taxa was set up mostly following Conti et al. (2005), including several largely adopted synonymous to facilitate the correct input of relevé data. The ecological database is linked to the vascular species list, following Ellenberg indicator values modified for the Italian flora and including life forms or chorotypes. The database contains useful information to test several ecological hypotheses and to perform wide-scale vegetation classification. Furthermore it facilitates the use of vegetation-plot data for biodiversity and habitat monitoring and for land use/cover changes evaluation. This report describes the available content in the Dry Grasslands Database of Central Italy (GIVD ID EU-IT-004)

Landscape planning and biodiversity conservation of river habitats require vegetation analysis and mapping: the case of Cilento National Park (Italy)

Riparian and freshwater ecosystems are strongly endangered throughout Europe as they suffer the ongoing human pressure, habitat destruction, pollution and eutrophication. Monitoring species and habitats is essential to address conservation efforts and to evaluate the results of restoration actions. In this context we present the main results of a two-year (2010-2011) research project funded by the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park, focused on riparian habitat and vegetation mapping. Vegetation Mapping was performed within a 300 m width buffer along the main water bodies of the National Park; it was based on 2005 digital aero- images and GIS assisted; field surveys were stratified on water bodies, environmental unit and vegetation physiognomy and recorded using GPS with 2-5 m precision. We collected 273 relevès and detected 748 taxa of vascular plants (approx.1/3 of the overall regional flora) with several new findings for Cilento and Campania Region. A not negligible amount of these are alien species showing an invasive behavior in riparian habitats. 27 Natura 2000 habitats were identified accounting to 45% of the mapped area. The project results could contribute to assess the reference conditions of Southern Italian Peninsula water bodies to answer to the European Water Framework Directive (WFD 2000/60 CE). Furthermore they represent a first step of monitoring actions of species and riparian plant communities of the National Park that are essentials to address conservation efforts and to evaluate the results of management and restoration policies, as explicitly requested by art. 11 of Habitats Directive

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 12

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

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 11

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

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

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

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

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

GrassPlot - a database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands

GrassPlot is a collaborative vegetation-plot database organised by the Eurasian Dry Grassland Group (EDGG) and listed in the Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases (GIVD ID EU-00-003). GrassPlot collects plot records (releves) from grasslands and other open habitats of the Palaearctic biogeographic realm. It focuses on precisely delimited plots of eight standard grain sizes (0.0001; 0.001;... 1,000 m(2)) and on nested-plot series with at least four different grain sizes. The usage of GrassPlot is regulated through Bylaws that intend to balance the interests of data contributors and data users. The current version (v. 1.00) contains data for approximately 170,000 plots of different sizes and 2,800 nested-plot series. The key components are richness data and metadata. However, most included datasets also encompass compositional data. About 14,000 plots have near-complete records of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in addition to vascular plants. At present, GrassPlot contains data from 36 countries throughout the Palaearctic, spread across elevational gradients and major grassland types. GrassPlot with its multi-scale and multi-taxon focus complements the larger international vegetationplot databases, such as the European Vegetation Archive (EVA) and the global database " sPlot". Its main aim is to facilitate studies on the scale-and taxon-dependency of biodiversity patterns and drivers along macroecological gradients. GrassPlot is a dynamic database and will expand through new data collection coordinated by the elected Governing Board. We invite researchers with suitable data to join GrassPlot. Researchers with project ideas addressable with GrassPlot data are welcome to submit proposals to the Governing Board