Research Article |
Corresponding author: Gianmaria Bonari ( gianmaria.bonari@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Silvia Del Vecchio
© 2023 Lorenzo Lastrucci, Claudia Angiolini, Gianmaria Bonari, Alessandro Bottacci, Vincenzo Gonnelli, Antonio Zoccola, Michele Mugnai, Daniele Viciani.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Lastrucci L, Angiolini C, Bonari G, Bottacci A, Gonnelli V, Zoccola A, Mugnai M, Viciani D (2023) Contribution to the knowledge of marsh vegetation of montane and submontane areas of Northern Apennines (Italy). Plant Sociology 60(1): 25-36. https://doi.org/10.3897/pls2023601/03
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Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for biodiversity conservation. They are among the most threatened habitats in the world. However, the wetlands of southern European mountains still lack fine-scale plant community studies. Here we studied submontane and montane palustrine communities of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines. Data from 123 vegetation plots dominated by palustrine species were analysed by means of cluster analysis. We identified 18 vegetation types that we attributed to five classes (Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Montio-Cardaminetea, Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, and Epilobietea angustifolii), and to two Natura 2000 habitats (3130 - Oligotrophic to mesotrophic standing waters with vegetation of the Littorelletea uniflorae and/or of the Isoëto-Nanojuncetea, and 6430 - Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels). According the 4th edition of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature we corrected the names Phragmition communis Koch 1926 nom. inept. in P. australis Koch 1926 nom. corr., Phragmitetum communis
Conservation, freshwater ecosystem, palustrine habitat, phytosociology, syntaxonomy, vegetation
Wetlands are crucial for biodiversity conservation as they provide suitable habitats for numerous threatened plant species and communities (
Studies of wetland vegetation at high-elevation areas of the Tuscan Apennines are available (
The study area is located in the northeastern Apennines between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna regions (Central Italy, Fig.
Our dataset is composed of 123 relevés (N = 109 original; N = 14 published;
The dendrogram resulting from the cluster analysis (Fig.
Cluster dendrogram of our data encompassing 123 relevés of palustrine vegetation of montane and submontane areas of Northern Apennines (Italy). Relevés groups: 1, Typhetum angustifoliae; 2, Schoenoplectetum lacustris; 3, Peplis portula community; 4, Glycerietum fluitantis; 5, Eleocharitetum palustris; 6, Caricetum vesicariae; 7, Typhetum latifoliae; 8, Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti; 9, Caltha palustris community; 10, Heracleo ternati-Petasitetum hybridi; 11, Beruletum erectae; 12, Glycerietum notatae; 13, Phragmitetum australis; 14, Equiseto palustris-Juncetum effusi; 15, Caricetum remotae; 16, Cardamine amara community; 17, Carici otrubae-Juncetum inflexi variant with Juncus effusus; 18, Carici otrubae-Juncetum inflexi; 19, Carici otrubae-Juncetum inflexi variant with Equisetum palustre.
PHRAGMITETUM AUSTRALIS
Nomenclatural notes
: The name reported by
Phragmites australis forms dense species-poor stands, along submerged and emergent shores of lakes, swamps, pools, ponds, riverbanks, and channels (
SCHOENOPLECTETUM LACUSTRIS
(Scirpetum lacustris
Nomenclatural notes
: The name reported by
This association, with a strong pioneer feature, is reported for several habitat types such as on shores of mesotrophic to eutrophic lakes, ponds, or channels, usually growing in deeper water than other types of reed vegetation (
TYPHETUM LATIFOLIAE Eggler 1933 (Suppl. Material
Nomenclatural notes
: The name Typhetum latifoliae
This association is very common in Italy and develops in several different habitats, such as ponds, lakeshores, banks of slow-flowing streams, deltas, swamps, and channels (
TYPHETUM ANGUSTIFOLIAE Allorge ex Pignatti 1953 (Suppl. Material
This association is typical of several wetland types on mesotrophic to eutrophic waters, often monospecific or species-poor (
CARICETUM VESICARIAE
Large sedge vegetation is not widespread in the study area. We found only one patch, corresponding to a community attributable to Caricetum vesicariae, typical of mesotrophic to eutrophic habitats, permanently flooded for most of the year (
GLYCERIO-SPARGANIETUM NEGLECTI Koch 1926 (Suppl. Material
According to
In the study area, the association forms dense belts around ponds, developing in habitats with strong fluctuations of water levels, similar to Glycerietum fluitantis or Glycerietum notatae, and less flooded than those occupied by Phragmition communities, justifying our attribution to the alliance Glycerio-Sparganion. At some sites, the association also occurs in trampled and disturbed habitats, hosting species of wet meadows such as Poa trivialis, Ranunculus repens, and Rumex conglomeratus.
GLYCERIETUM NOTATAE
(Glycerietum plicatae
Nomenclatural notes
: The name reported by
This association occurs in several habitat types such as riverbanks, channels in arable lands, natural and artificial ponds, and depressions in wet meadows, where it is often in contact with other communities of alliance Glycerio-Sparganion (
This association is rather common in Italy (
GLYCERIETUM FLUITANTIS Nowinski 1930 nom. inval. (Suppl. Material
Nomenclatural notes
: The name Glycerietum fluitantis Nowinski 1930 although extensively used in recent times and in the past, must be considered invalid according to the ICPN code (
According to
BERULETUM ERECTAE
(Beruletum angustifoliae
Nomenclatural notes
: The name reported by
Berula erecta-dominated stands can be attributed to the association Beruletum erectae, though this species also tends to occur in other communities such as Helosciadietum nodiflori Maire 1924 (
ELEOCHARITETUM PALUSTRIS
This association is dominated by Eleocharis palustris and shows a typical pioneer behavior, often developing in the wet soils emerging during the dry season (
CARICETUM REMOTAE Kästner 1941 (Suppl. Material
This association is typical of flooded depressions with irregular water regimes and gravely beds such as small streams irrigating the forest roads, and forest springs disturbed by animals (
CARDAMINE AMARA community (Suppl. Material
Cardamine amara communities have often been attributed to the class Montio-Cardaminetea, sometimes considering it as C. amara community (e.g.
CALTHA PALUSTRIS community (Suppl. Material
Caltha palustris is a very rare species within the study area. It was found only at two sites, typically along little streams where it forms stands rich in hygrophilous and shade-tolerant species. From a phytosociological and nomenclatural point of view, the syntaxonomic attribution of C. palustris communities is affected by the fact that in the past many infraspecific taxa, currently considered synonyms of C. palustris (e.g., C. laeta Schott, Nyman & Kotschy) were used to define the associations. Our communities show some ecological affinities with those reported by
CARICI OTRUBAE-JUNCETUM INFLEXI Minissale et Spampinato 1985 (Suppl. Material
variant with Juncus effusus (Suppl. Material
variant with Equisetum palustre (Suppl. Material
The rushes with Juncus inflexus represent one of the most common types of plant communities in the study area. From a topological point of view, they generally occupy the outer belts of wet areas, frequently disturbed and trampled by livestock, or the humid depressions and lowlands temporarily flooded in winter at the edge of forest vegetation. From a phytosociological point of view, J. inflexus can rarely form communities in marsh environments such as Galio palustris-Juncetum inflexi described for Umbria by
EQUISETO PALUSTRIS-JUNCETUM EFFUSI Minissale et Spampinato 1990 (Suppl. Material
This association was described for the higher stretches of an artificial channel in Sicily (
HERACLEO TERNATI-PETASITETUM HYBRIDI
We found Petasites hybridus-dominated communities along the main streams of the study area and at the edge of marshes shaded by forest vegetation. In the plain or submontane wetlands of Italy, the association Phalarido-Petasitetum hybridi Schwick 1933 was often reported (
PEPLIS PORTULA community (Suppl. Material
The only surveyed therophytic hygrophilous community is represented by Peplis portula stands, occurring only at two sites. In both cases, this community develops on the edge of pools that are dry up during the summer season. This species acts as a differential or dominant species in various associations of the class Isoëto-Nanjuncetea, in the Mediterranean and in Central European areas (
We found two additional small communities in the humid soils nearby the tall helophytic vegetation. The first community is a Carex hirta-dominated wet meadow (Suppl. Material
The second community is a stand dominated by Urtica dioica, developing on shaded and deep soil near woody vegetation and reed bed (Suppl. Material
Marsh communities consisting of helophytes that colonize water bodies and rivers subjected to more or less prolonged submersion, provide many fundamental ecological functions. They provide shelter for fauna, act as a buffer zone between aquatic and terrestrial environments, strengthen the stability of the banks, and host an extremely specialized flora (Ostendorp, 1993; Mishra et al. 2015). In recent times, however, this vegetation has undergone a severe reduction of extent due to anthropogenic factors. Despite this, scientific works pointed out the conservation importance of these environments, especially in southern Europe and the Mediterranean (
PHRAGMITO-MAGNOCARICETEA Klika in Klika et Novák 1941
PHRAGMITETALIA AUSTRALIS Koch 1926
Phragmition australis Koch 1926 nom. corr.
Phragmitetum australis
Schoenoplectetum lacustris
Typhetum latifoliae Eggler 1933
Typhetum angustifoliae Allorge ex Pignatti 1953
MAGNOCARICETALIA Pignatti 1953
Magnocaricion gracilis Géhu 1961
Caricetum vesicariae
NASTURTIO-GLYCERIETALIA Pignatti 1953
Glycerio-Sparganion Br.-Bl. et Sissingh in Boer 1942
Glycerio-Sparganietum neglecti Koch 1926
Glycerietum notatae
Glycerietum fluitantis Nowinski 1930 nom. inval.
Beruletum erectae
OENANTHETALIA AQUATICAE Hejný ex Balátová-Tuláčková et al. 1993
Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae Passarge 1964
Eleocharitetum palustris
MONTIO-CARDAMINETEA Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Klika et Hadač 1944
CARDAMINO-CHRYSOSPLENIETALIA Hinterlang 1992
Caricion remotae Kästner 1941
Caricetum remotae Kästner 1941
Cardamine amara community
Caltha palustris community
ISOËTO-NANOJUNCETEA Br.-Bl. et Tx. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952
NANOCYPERETALIA Klika 1935
Peplis portula community
MOLINIO-ARRHENATHERETEA Tx. 1937
POTENTILLO-POLYGONETALIA AVICULARIS Tx. 1947
Potentillion anserinae Tx. 1947
Carici otrubae-Juncetum inflexi Minissale et Spampinato 1985
variant with Juncus effusus
variant with Equisetum palustre
Equiseto palustris-Juncetum effusi Minissale et Spampinato 1990
Carex hirta community
EPILOBIETEA ANGUSTIFOLII Tx. et Preising ex von Rochow 1951
CIRCAEO LUTETIANAE-STACHYETALIA SYLVATICAE Passarge 1967
Urtica dioica community
Aegopodion podagrariae Tx. 1967
Heracleo ternati-Petasitetum hybridi
This work was supported by the Open Access Publishing Fund of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. The authors acknowledge the support of NBFC to University of Florence, funded by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, PNRR, Missione 4 Componente 2, “Dalla ricerca all’impresa”, Investimento 1.4, Project CN00000033.
We are grateful to the staff of the National Park of Foreste Casentinesi, M. Falterona, Campigna and of the Ufficio Territoriale Carabinieri per la Biodiversità di Pratovecchio for supporting the investigations in their territories. We thank Lorella Dell’Olmo for preparing the figure of the study area, and Rosaria D'Oria and Giorgio Kioussis who helped in data collection, Mc Conaghy Charlotte for the English proofreading, and Giacomo Calvia for the proofreading. Finally, we thank two anonymous reviewers and Flavia Landucci for their valuable suggestions, which greatly improved the article.
Site abbreviation | Site name | Lat (°) | Long (°) | Elevation m a.s.l. | Inclusion in protected areas (PNFC: National Park of Foreste Casentinesi; SAC: Special Area of Conservation, followed by SAC code) | Reference to published data |
A | Asqua | 43.796.280 | 11.788.290 | 823 | PNFC; SAC IT5180002 | |
Be | Beccia | 43.708.990 | 11.916.770 | 951 | ||
Cam | Camarelle | 43.685.020 | 12.107.370 | 954 | ||
F | Fangacci di Campigna | 43.867.267 | 11.735.892 | 1,325 | PNFC; SAC IT4080001 | |
FC | Fonte Sodo dei Conti | 43.880.308 | 11.711.449 | 1,547 | PNFC; SAC IT4080001 | |
Fe | Ferraiolo | 43.684.557 | 12.116.995 | 972 | ||
FG | Fonte del Ghiaccio | 43.687.699 | 12.099.813 | 952 | ||
G | Gorga Nera | 43.877.920 | 11.684.560 | 1,286 | PNFC; SAC IT5180002 | |
IV | Il Vinco palude | 43.716.132 | 11.910.581 | 800 | ||
La | Lama | 43.829.913 | 11.838.356 | 710 | PNFC; SAC IT4080001 | |
LI | Lago degli Idoli | 43.864.070 | 11.691.800 | 1,374 | PNFC; SAC IT5180002 | |
LP | Lago Pianacci | 43.722.410 | 11.903.240 | 628 | ||
LT | La Trappola | 43.664.895 | 12.076.409 | 658 | ||
LV | Lago del Vinco | 43.716.100 | 11.910.390 | 801 | ||
MA | La Maiolica | 43.721.578 | 11.914.147 | 788 | ||
MC | Monte Cavallo | 43.677.850 | 12.105.150 | 834 | ||
MP | Metaleto pantano | 43.791.732 | 11.815.021 | 903 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
MV | Monte Verde | 43.673.010 | 12.126.460 | 1,028 | SAC IT5180010 | |
P | Fonte Porcareccio | 43.836.055 | 11.795.912 | 1,390 | PNFC; SAC IT4080001 | |
PB | Poggio Bonetto | 43.734.896 | 11.973.090 | 996 | SAC IT5180005 | |
PC | Pozza del Cervo | 43.830.055 | 11.816.984 | 1,176 | PNFC; SAC IT4080001 | |
PE | Pantano dell’Eremo | 43.811.217 | 11.809.832 | 1,046 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
PF | Prato al Fiume | 43.812.819 | 11.808.751 | 1,052 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
PG | Passo Gualanciole | 43.736.775 | 11.981.465 | 1,077 | SAC IT5180005 | |
Pi | La Pianca | 43.740.670 | 12.119.170 | 1,030 | Relevés from |
|
Poz | Pozzolo | 43.667.500 | 12.114.140 | 910 | ||
Pr | Pratelle | 43.738.880 | 11.986.410 | 969 | SAC IT5180006 | |
Prt | Pratalino | 43.720.980 | 11.928.450 | 966 | PNFC; SAC IT5180005 | |
PS | Poggio Sambuco | 43.684.190 | 12.117.610 | 1,001 | ||
PStr | Pozza delle Strosce | 43.618.460 | 11.952.540 | 1,345 | ||
PT | Pantano Traversari | 43.807.340 | 11.819.490 | 1,072 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
St | Stammerina | 43.807.650 | 11.858.550 | 1,110 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
T | Laghetto Traversari | 43.807.340 | 11.819.490 | 1,077 | PNFC; SAC IT5180018 | |
To | Il Toro | 43.719.860 | 11.951.320 | 1,032 | SAC IT5180007 |
Tables S1–S6
Data type: tables
Explanation note: Phytosociological tables