Classification and mapping of the woody vegetation of Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

Within the framework of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), the purpose of this study was to produce a classification of the woody vegetation of the Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe, and a map of its potential distribution. Cover-abundance data of woody species were collected in 330 georeferenced relevés across the Park. These data were used to produce two matrices: the first one using the cover-abundance values as collected in five height layers and the second one based on merging the layers into a single cover value for each species. Automatic classifications were produced for both matrices to determine the optimal number of vegetation types. The two classification approaches both produced 14 types belonging to three macro-groups: mopane, miombo and alluvial woodlands. The results of the two classifications were compared looking at the constant, dominant and diagnostic species of each type. The classification based on separate layers was considered more effective and retained. A high-resolution map of the potential distribution of vegetation types for the whole study area was produced using Random Forest. In the model, the relationship between bioclimatic and topographic variables, known to be correlated to vegetation types, and the classified relevés was used. Identified vegetation types were compared with those of other national parks within the GLTFCA, and an evaluation of the main threats and pressures was conducted. Conservation implications: Vegetation classification and mapping are useful tools for multiple purposes including: surveying and monitoring plant and animal populations, communities and their habitats, and development of management and conservation strategies. Filling the knowledge gap for the Gonarezhou National Park provides a basis for standardised and homogeneous vegetation classification and mapping for the entire Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area

Il Museo Orto Botanico di Roma dal medioevo a oggi. Caratteristiche, funzioni e prospettive

The history of the Botanical Garden of Rome has been documented since the Middle Ages, the period to which date back the first records relating to the papal Botanical Gardens that were planted in the Vatican grounds in order to grow and study plants of particular interest for medicine and food. In 1660, Alessandro VII entrusted the care of the papal Botanical Gardens to the University of Rome, which were moved from the Vatican to the Gianicolo area of Rome. After being relocated at various times over the years, in 1883 the Botanical Gardens were planted in the gardens of Villa Corsini, and became famous when Queen Christina of Sweden was resident in the 1600s and as a result of work carried out by Ferdinando Fuga the following century. The Botanical Garden of Rome covers a surface area of approximately 12 hectares, where thousands of plant species are cultivated and laid out according to various scientific criteria in the field of taxonomy, ecology, biogeography, and conservation. The most important collections comprise palms, conifers, roses, bamboo, medicinal plants and succulents. Of great interest are also the Japanese Garden, Rock Garden, the historical greenhouses (Serra Corsini, Serra Francese and Serra Monumentale) and the Tropical Greenhouse. There are many centuries-old trees including four oriental planes and a cork oak. Compared to the Garden that existed in the Middle Ages and later centuries, today's Botanical Garden of Rome has noticeably expanded its functions and is ready to face the stimulating challenges that lie ahead, challenges related to scientific research in support of conservation and sustainable use of plant biodiversity

Alien plant invasions in Mediterranean habitats: an assessment for Sicily

Levels of plant invasions in different habitat types were assessed in several regional studies, but few of them were from the Mediterranean. Here we compare the levels of vascular plant invasion across habitats and plant communities of Sicily. We used a large dataset of plant species presences/ absences in vegetation plots to analyze the invasion patterns across habitats considering biogeography, life form and phenology of alien plants. Vegetation plots were classified based on the EUNIS classification of European habitats. The invasiveness of each species was expressed in terms of its absolute and percentage frequency. Representation of different life forms and phenological patterns was compared between alien and native species. The fidelity of alien species to individual habitats was calculated using the phi coefficient. Our analysis shows that annual and woody species are the most represented life forms in the alien flora of Sicily and that alien species tend to have a longer flowering period than the native species. The investigated habitats differed strongly in their level of invasion by alien species, ranging from 0 to 15.6% of aliens of all species recorded. Most of the habitats were colonized by very few alien species or completely lacked them, except for sandy coasts, naturally-disturbed riverbeds, and synanthropic habitats. It must be noted, however, that the number of alien species occurring in a given habitat does not relate to the severity of the impact of invasion in that habitat. Some habitats are invaded by few (or single) species, which attain a high cover, transforming the whole ecosystem. The habitat-based approach proved to be suitable for evaluating the habitat specificity and frequency of alien species at a regional scale, improving the capacity for risk assessment in different ecological contexts

Phytosociology and taxonomic notes on some endemic-rich associations of the Naples Gulf

The Gulf of Naples is an important centre of endemism, well known from the floristic point of view, but much less from the phytosociological one. In this paper we investigated the non-forest vegetation focusing on communities rich in endemics. We described two communities as new: Eryngio amethystini-Santolinetum neapolitanae for the garrigues on limestone, Globulario neapolitanae-Loniceretum stabianae for the vegetation on dolomitic rocks, both from the Lattari mountains, and we extend the area of Crithmo maritimi-Limonietum cumani for the vegetation on volcanic rocks and rarely on limestones along the coast, which was known for a few localities. The syntaxonomical position and the phytogeographical context of these communities are discussed. A few taxonomic notes are added on rare or interesting species retrieved in the course of the enquiry

A comparative framework for broad-scale plot-based vegetation classification

Aims: Classification of vegetation is an essential tool to describe, understand, predict and manage biodiversity. Given the multiplicity of approaches to classify vegetation, it is important to develop international consensus around a set of general guidelines and purpose-specific standard protocols. Before these goals can be achieved, however, it is necessary to identify and understand the different choices that are made during the process of classifying vegetation. This paper presents a framework to facilitate comparisons between broad-scale plot-based classification approaches. Results: Our framework is based on the distinction of four structural elements (plot record, vegetation type, consistent classification section and classification system) and two procedural elements (classification protocol and classification approach). For each element we describe essential properties that can be used for comparisons. We also review alternative choices regarding critical decisions of classification approaches; with a special focus on the procedures used to define vegetation types from plot records. We illustrate our comparative framework by applying it to different broad-scale classification approaches. Conclusions: Our framework will be useful for understanding and comparing plot-based vegetation classification approaches, as well as for integrating classification systems and their sections. We present a comparison framework for vegetation classification that distinguishes four structural elements (plot record, vegetation type, consistent classification section and classification system) and two procedural elements (classification protocol and classification approach). The framework will be useful for understanding and comparing plot-based vegetation classification approaches, as well as for integrating classification systems and their sections. © 2015 International Association for Vegetation Science

Phytosociological overview of the Fagus and Corylus forests in Albania

Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze the mesophilous forests of Albania including Fagus sylvatica and submontane Corylus avellana forests. Mesophilous Albanian forests are poorly known and were not included in the recent syntaxonomic revisions at the European scale. Study area: Albania. Methods: We used a dataset of 284 published and unpublished relevés. They were classified using the Ward's minimum variance. NMDS ordination was conducted, with over-laying of climatic and geological variables, to analyze the ecological gradients along which these forests develop and segregate. Random Forest was used to define the potential distribution of the identified forest groups in Albania. Results: The study identified seven groups of forests in Albania: Corylus avellana forests, Ostrya carpinifolia-Fagus sylvatica forests, lower montane mesophytic Fagus sylvatica forests, middle montane mesophytic Fagus sylvatica forests, middle montane basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forests, upper montane basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forests, upper montane acidophytic Fagus sylvatica forests. These can be grouped into four main types: Corylus avellana and Ostrya carpinifolia-Fagus sylvatica forests, thermo-basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forest, meso-basiphytic Fagus sylvatica forest and acidophytic Fagus sylvatica forests. This scheme corresponds to the ecological classification recently proposed in a European revision for Fagus sylvatica forests Conclusion: Our study supports an ecological classification of mesophilous forests of Albania at the level of suballiance. Analysis is still preliminary at the level of association, but it shows a high diversity of forest types. Taxonomic reference: Euro+Med PlantBase (http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/) [accessed 25 Novemeber 2019]. Syntaxonomic references: Mucina et al. (2016) for alliances, orders and classes; Willner et al. (2017) for suballiances

vegetation mapping from high resolution satellite images in the heterogeneous arid environments of socotra island yemen

Socotra Island (Yemen), a global biodiversity hotspot, is characterized by high geo- morphological and biological diversity. In this study, we present a high-resolution vegetation map of the island based on combining vegetation analysis and classification with remote sensing. Two different image classification approaches were tested to assess the most accurate one in mapping the vegetation mosaic of Socotra. Spectral signatures of the vegetation classes were obtained through a Gaussian mixture distribution model, and a sequential maximum a posteriori (SMAP) classification was applied to account for the heterogeneity and the complex spatial pattern of the arid vegetation. This approach was compared to the traditional maximum like- lihood (ML) classification. Satellite data were represented by a RapidEye image with 5 m pixel resolution and five spectral bands. Classified vegetation releves were used to obtain the training and evaluation sets for the main plant communities. Postclassification sorting was performed to adjust the classification through various rule-based operations. Twenty- eight classes were mapped, and SMAP, with an accuracy of 87%, proved to be more effective than ML (accuracy: 66%). The resulting map will represent an important instrument for the elaboration of conservation strategies and the sustainable use of natural resources in the island. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original pub- lication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.7.073527

Analysis of land cover dynamics in Mozambique (2001–2016)

Land cover change (LCC) is a complex and dynamic process influenced by social, economic, and biophysical factors that can cause significant impacts on ecological processes and biodiversity conservation. The assessment of LCC is particularly relevant in a country like Mozambique where livelihood strongly depends on natural resources. In this study, LCC was assessed using a point-based sampling approach through Open Foris Collect Earth (CE), a free and open-source software for land assessment developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This study aimed to conduct an LCC assessment using CE for the entire Mozambique, and according to three different land classifications: administrative boundaries (provinces), ecoregions, and protected vs unprotected areas. A set of 23,938 randomly selected plots, with an area of 0.5 hectares, placed on a 4 × 4 km regular grid over the entire country, was assessed using CE. The analysis showed that Mozambique has gone through significant loss of forest (− 1.3 Mha) mainly to the conversion to cropland. Deforestation is not occurring evenly throughout the country with some provinces, such as Nampula and Zambezia, characterized by higher rates than others, such as Gaza and Niassa. This result can be explained considering a combination of ecological and socio-economic factors, as well as the conservative role played by the protected areas. Our study confirmed that LCC is a complex phenomenon, and the augmented visual interpretation methodology can effectively complement and integrate the LCC analyses conducted using the traditional wall-to-wall mapping to support national land assessment and forest inventories and provide training data for environmental modeling

Seed Viability and Potential Germination Rate of Nine Endemic Boswellia Taxa (Burseraceae) from Socotra Island (Yemen)

The endemic Boswellia species (Burseraceae) on Socotra Island (Yemen) are of great local significance due to their various local ethnobotanical uses. However, despite the fact that these trees are endangered, little is known about their biology. We tested seed germination rates in controlled experiments (trials of 21 days) for two subsequent years and for nine endemic taxa of Boswellia occurring on Socotra Island. For this, seeds were collected island-wide from a wide range of localities and for several populations per species. We observed differences in germination among Boswellia species, among species and localities and among both years, which indicates that the development of seeds is strongly affected by external ecological factors. Although we noted a large variation in seed germination (relatively high in Boswellia socotrana), and half of the species showed relatively low mean daily germination, our study indicated that all endangered endemic Frankincense Tree taxa of Socotra harbor the potential for in situ conservation through recruitment, given that known impacts can be reduced in local replantation areas (e.g., grazing).O

Finite mixture model-based classification of a complex vegetation system

To propose a Finite Mixture Model (FMM) as an additional approach for classifying large datasets of georeferenced vegetation plots from complex vegetation systems. Study area: The Italian peninsula including the two main islands (Sicily and Sardinia), but excluding the Alps and the Po plain. Methods: We used a database of 5,593 georeferenced plots and 1,586 vascular species of forest vegetation, created in TURBOVEG by storing published and unpublished phytosociological plots collected over the last 30 years. The plots were classified according to species composition and environmental variables using a FMM. Classification results were compared with those obtained by TWINSPAN algorithm. Groups were characterized in terms of ecological parameters, dominant and diagnostic species using the fidelity coefficient. Interpretation of resulting forest vegetation types was supported by a predictive map, produced using discriminant functions on environmental predictors, and by a non\u2010metric multidimensional scaling ordination. Results: FMM clustering obtained 24 groups that were compared with those from TWINSPAN, and similarities were found only at a higher classification level corresponding to the main orders of the Italian broadleaf forest vegetation: Fagetalia sylvaticae, Carpinetalia betuli, Quercetalia pubescenti-petraeae and Quercetalia ilicis. At lower syntaxonomic level, these 24 groups were referred to alliances and sub-alliances. Conclusions: Despite a greater computational complexity, FMM appears to be an effective alternative to the traditional classification methods through the incorporation of modelling in the classificatory process. This allows classification of both the co-occurrence of species and environmental factors so that groups are identified not only on their species composition, as in the case of TWINSPAN, but also on their specific environmental niche