Simona Casavecchia

Marche Polytechnic University | Università degli Studi di Ancona · Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences

The main purpose of this study was to update the list of tree species monitored in an undisturbed forest at the Santa Lúcia Biological Station (SLBS), in the highlands of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. At this site, trees and palms with a DBH ≥ 6.4 cm have been monitored by surveying permanent plots totaling 1.02 ha. Surveys were carried out...

Onopordum nervosum ssp. platylepis Murb, an endemic plant in Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya, with spiny leaves and distinctive spiny-winged stems from the Asteraceae (Compositae) family, is used as a vegetable rennet in the production of traditional cheese. In Tunisia, the species is threatened and occurs in fragmented small populations isolated from...

The identification, classification and mapping of different plant communities and habitats is of fundamental importance for defining biodiversity monitoring and conservation strategies. Today, the availability of high temporal, spatial and spectral data from remote sensing platforms provides dense time series over different spectral bands. In the c...

Onopordum tauricum Willd., a species distributed in Eastern Europe, has been the subject of various research endeavors aimed at assessing its suitability for extracting vegetable rennet for use in the production of local cheeses as a substitute for animal-derived rennet. In Italy, the species has an extremely fragmented and localized distribution i...

Satellite remote sensing has gained a key role for vegetation mapping distribution. Given the availability of multi-temporal satellite data, seasonal variations in vegetation dynamics can be used trough time series analysis for vegetation distribution mapping. These types of data have a very high variability within them and are subjected by artifac...

The Italian seed bank network (RIBES) aims to improve the quality and safety of the germplasm reserves of native plant species in Italy to ensure the long-term conservation of endangered and/or endemic flora. The strategy includes traditional methods to secure seed conservation. A comprehensive priority list for seed collection is being defined, it...

Caruso, G., Casavecchia, S. & Biondi, E..: The vascular flora of Uria basin (Catanzaro, S-Italy) and its conservation relevance.-Fl. Medit. 32: 99-116. 2022.-ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online. The inventory of the taxa collected during a survey held in 2011-2013 in Uria Basin, Catanzaro Province (Calabria, S-Italy) is here reported. The inv...

The mapping and monitoring of natural and semi-natural habitats are crucial activities and are regulated by European policies and regulations, such as the 92/43/EEC. In the Mediterranean area, which is characterized by high vegetational and environmental diversity, the mapping and monitoring of habitats are particularly difficult and often exclusiv...

The ninth International Symposium Monitoring of Mediterranean Coastal Areas: Problems and Measurements Techniques was organized by CNR-IBE in collaboration with Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, and Natural History Museum of the Mediterranean and under the patronage of University of Florence, Accademia dei Lincei, Accademia dei Ge...

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 1510*, 2130*, 2250*, 3180*, 3260, 5230*, 6410, 7140, 7220*, 9320 are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 14 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 20 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regi...

The main purpose of the 92/43/EEC Habitats Directive is to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity, understood as habitat types and species of the flora and fauna of the European Union. To achieve this goal, natural and semi-natural biodiversity as a whole must be recognized and included in its annexes. As for the conservation of biotopes, n...

The study deals with the finding of new localities of Brassica incana Ten. in the Gargano promontory; B. incana is a species of the European flora occurring in Italy and in the Balkan area, assessed as Data Deficent (DD) according to IUCN criteria. The presence of the species in Apulia was based on old records not recently confirmed. The new Gargan...

In Mediterranean cropping systems, it is important to utilize marginal lands for the cultivation of non-food crops. Spontaneous thistle genera such as Cynara cardunculus L. and Onopordum tauricum Willd. are native to southern Europe. Previous research has focused on their spontaneous growth in the environment or ability to supply biofuel. The aim o...

This study deals with the seed germination for Onopordum tauricum (Asteraceae). The cypselae were collected from two populations in the Marche and Umbria Region (Italy). The highest germination value (93.6%) was obtained after 24 hours of soaking in a 500 ppm GA3 solution and then incubated at a constant temperature of 20°C with a 12/12h light-dark...

The present work is aimed at presenting the data, methods and criteria that are being used for the assessment of ecosystem collapse risk in Italy. ARTICLE HISTORY

Phytosociology is a reference method to classify vegetation that relies on field data. Its classification in hierarchical vegetation units, from plant associations to class level, hierarchically reflects the floristic similarity between different sites on different spatial scales. The development of remotely sensed multispectral platforms as satell...

The classification of plant associations and their mapping play a key role in defining habitat biodiversity management, monitoring, and conservation strategies. In this work we present a methodological framework to map Mediterranean forest plant associations and habitats that relies on the application of the Functional Principal Component Analysis...

The study of biodiversity is commonly carried out through different approaches, such as those at the level of genetics, species, communities/ecosystems, and landscapes. The group of geneticists, geobotanists and landscape researchers of the Department of agriculture, food and environmental sciences has been dealing with this topic for many years. I...

Contributo alla conoscenza della flora vascolare del Gargano.

The Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System according to Rivas-Martínez (WBCS) is a bioclimatic classification that is widely used in vegetation science, geobotany, and landscape ecology. To date, only one complete WBCS map has been produced for Italy at the national scale. Here, we define two major updates to the WBCS map of Italy: improvement...

This article deals with new contributions to the class Charybdido pancratii-Asphodeletea ramosi, which was recently described in the classification of the edge vegetation of the Mediterranean area. The most important aspect is the description of the new order Bellido sylvestris-Arisaretalia vulgaris, which increases the importance of the class, as...

In this contribution new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented It includes new records, exclusions, and confirmations to the Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Asplenium, Bolboschoenus, Botrychium, Chamaerops, Crocus, Galeopsis, Grafia, Helosciadium Hieracium, Juniperus, Leucanthemum,...

***free article at:**** http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/3acWe5PRI6ChmjjEuPXW/full The Pinus halepensis Mill. forest vegetation of the central-eastern European Mediterranean basin (France, Italy, Croatia, Albania, Greece) is described here. This study was carried out considering published and unpublished phytosociological data, with the organisati...

It is here presented a phytosociological study aimed mainly to describe the dynamic processes of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean perennial secondary grasslands, using the same concepts already tested in similar grasslands in temperate zones. The study was carried out in two different geographic areas: the Gargano peninsula and the central Apenn...

The methodological foundations of the recently published Manual for Annex I Habitats monitoring in Italy, edited by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) with the scientific support of the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV), are here presented, discussed and related to the most consolidated and acknowled...

Il Manuale fornisce strumenti metodologici per l’implementazione di un programma di monitoraggio degli habitat di interesse comunitario in Italia. Il volume contiene 124 schede di monitoraggio, elaborate con il supporto di esperti nazionali e riviste dalle Regioni e Province Autonome italiane.

Salicornia patula Duval-Jouve is a diploid species that usually shows a small bushy growth form. It is an important component of the halophytic annual pioneer vegetation of salt marshes. This hyper-saline vegetation is rare and threatened by a wide variety of pressures (tourist and industrial practices, coast management, invasive species) in the Eu...

The 4th National Report ex Art. 17 of the 92/43/EEC Directive in Italy (period 2013-2018) will try to fill a number of gaps still affecting the former versions of the Italian Reports, where territorial data were still missing for large parts of the country and the assessment was mostly based on the use of the expert opinion. Similar inconsistencies...

A phytosociological study that was mainly aimed at describing the dynamic processes of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean perennial secondary grasslands is presented here, using the concepts tested previously for similar grasslands in temperate zones. The study was carried out in two different geographic areas: the Gargano peninsula, and the centr...

Calicotome villosa (Poiret) Link. is a leguminous deciduous shrub that is often associated with disturbance processes, such as fires. This species is characterised by a primary dormancy imposed by its water-impermeable seed coat. In the present study, the germination rate of untreated seeds was low (10%), whereas high germination rates were achieve...

The Italian Vegetation Prodrome (IVP), implemented on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea (also known as MATTM) on the basis of two agreements entrusted to the Italian Botanical Society, has been drawn up to the lower level of suballiance. In the current paper, the syntaxonomical choices adopted in the descripti...

The revision of the Paliurus spina-christi dominated vegetation of Europe is presented here. The study area includes the north-eastern part of Iberian Peninsula and Provence to the west, and spreads through the Apennine Peninsula to the Balkan Peninsula and up to Eastern Mediterranean areas. The phytosociological releves of Paliurus spina-christi d...

In the course of the project “Syntaxonomic checklist of the Italian classes, orders and alliances (Vegetation Prodrome of Italy)”, promoted in 2012 by the Italian “Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection” in collaboration with the “Italian Society of Botany”, it arises that some syntaxa are not validly published according to the Internatio...

Phleum hirsutum Honck. subsp. ambiguum (Ten.) Tzvelev is an important component of the vegetation of some semi-natural grassland habitats of central and southern Italy and especially of those referring to the 6210* habitat (Directive 92/43/EEC). Seeds of this species are required for the execution of restoration works concerning this habitat. There...

This is a detailed study of the Taxus baccata coenosis and other related woods of the calcareous ridge of Cingoli, as part of the lower peaks of the Umbria-Marche Apennines. This entire calcareous ridge has already undergone phytosociological studies. The aim of this study is to highlight the vegetation diversity of the biotope, as correlated with...

Researches carried out by the authors on the forest vegetation of the Gargano Peninsula, led to the discovery of 10 sites where the wild European grapevine (Vitis vinifera) occurs, for a total amount of 33 specimens that are to be added to the 811 specimens currently known in Italy. The assessment of the presence of the wild European grapevine was...

The vegetation with Daphne sericea Vahl occurring in the eastern sector of the Gargano Promontory (southern Italy) is presented here. Daphne sericea is an evergreen and nano-phanerophyte species occurring in the central and eastern part of the European Mediterranean basin. In Italy, it is present in some Tyrrhenian coastal areas, whereas along the...

The worldwide bioclimatic classification system (WBCS) of Rivas-Martínez was applied to the Italian territory and surrounding areas between latitudes 35°47′–46°60′ N and longitudes 5°92′–21°39′ E. The ‘WorldClim’ precipitation and temperature dataset was used as the source data. Application of the WBCS in a geographic information system allowed the...

The aim of this study is to provide new syntaxa for the Italian vegetation checklist. For the class Rhamno–Prunetea which includes the class Paliuretea the new alliance Rhamno saxatilis–Paliurion spinae-christi is described, that is included in the order Paliuretalia spinae-christi with a central-western Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean distribu...

The Vegetation Prodrome of Italy was promoted in 2012 by the Italian “Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea Protection”, in collaboration with the “Italian Society of Botany”, to provide a comprehensive and systematic catalogue and description of Italian plant communities. The Prodrome that is presented in this paper is the first full organic synth...

The vegetation is presented here for the eastern, Adriatic, slopes of the Alpe della Luna mountain chain of the northern Apennines. For the lithological aspects, the mountain shows relative homogeny, as represented by the marly-arenaceous formation of the Umbro-Marche-Romagna series, along with the slope debris. The bioclimate of the area shows a t...

We drew up a checklist of the Italian vegetation (http://www.prodromo-vegetazione-italia.org/), up to the syntaxonomical rank of alliance. During the compilation of this checklist, we observed that some syntaxa were invalidly published. For this reason, in this article we validated some syntaxa names and, at the same time, described new syntaxa of...

This volume reports the data contained in the 3rd Report of the Habitat Directive, for the period 2007-2012, including all the assessments made on the conservation status of the species and habitats of community interest recorded in Italy. The report is freely accessible at the Central Data Repository (http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/activities/Reportin...

Sex-dispersal differences of four phloem-feeding vectors and their relationship to wild-plant abundance were analyzed over 2 yr in two vineyard agroecosystems. Adults of Euscelis lineolatus Brullè, Neoaliturus fenestratus (Herrich-Schäffer), Psammotettix alienus (Dahlbom), and Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret were sampled by using yellow sticky traps...

VegItaly is at present the largest Italian vegetation database. It is the result of a collaborative project aspiring to represent a major reference for the Italian vegetation scientists. The paper emphasizes its benefits for phytosociological data management and describes the solutions adopted to solve several technical problems, like the treatment...

The aim of the article is the syntaxonomic interpretation of hyperhalophilous woody or semi-woody vegetation with Halocnemum M. Bieb. along the coasts of the Mediterranean Basin. For this area, the two species of Halocnemum, H. strobilaceum (Pall.) M. Bieb. and H. cruciatum (Forssk.) Tod. are identified; their morphological characteristics, synonym...

The aim of the present study is the restoration of an environment suitable to the particular ecological requirements of populations of amphibians of Community interest. Ponds, pools, marshes, small standing waters, are hot spots of biodiversity. They contribute significantly to increase the ecological value of agro-ecosystems. The study here presen...

Brachypodium genuense (DC.) Roem. & Schult. and B. rupestre (Host) R. et S. are important components of the vegetation of some widespread semi-natural grassland habitats. Both species play a very important role in the development of vegetation series that characterize these grasslands when they are no longer subjected to grazing or cutting regimes....

Brachypodium genuense (DC.) Roem. & Schult. and B. rupestre (Host) R. et S. are important components of the vegetation of some widespread secondary, semi-natural grassland habitats. Both species play a very important role in the development of vegetation series that characterize these grasslands when they are no longer subjected to grazing or cutti...

European Union Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) encourages the preservation of biodiversity through measures that aim to ensure maintenance or restoration of habitats and wild vegetal and animal species in an acceptable state. Among the Community habitats that are seriously threatened in Italy at the present there are the habitats of semi-natural gras...

In this paper, we validated some syntaxa,the published names of which were regarded as invalid on the basis of the International Code of Phytosociological Nomenclature (ICPN). The validations concern syntaxa of different hierarchical level, belonging to different phytosociological classes. Most validations regard syntaxa that are invalid with respe...

It is presented the vascular flora of Conero Regional Park. The paper starts with a brief presentation of the park territory (geography, geomorphology and bioclimate) that arises in the central Adriatic side of the Italian peninsula. The vegetation is briefly described thanks to the detailed phytosociological analysis carried out in the territory a...

VegItaly is at present the largest Italian vegetation database. It is the result of a collaborative project aspiring to represent a major reference for the Italian vegetation scientists. The paper emphasizes its benefits for hytosociological data management and describes the solutions adopted to solve several technical problems, like the treatment...

Rural activities have led to profound changes over the centuries of natural environment in Italy as in the rest of Europe by helping to define landscape mosaics in some cases very rich in biodiversity and habitats. In recent decades, however, the biodiversity of these ecosystems has been seriously compromise because of many variables, such as the i...

Starting from the recently produced Italian Habitats interpretation Manual (http://vnr.unipg.it/habitat), a thorough diagnosis of the Annex I Habitats recorded in the Italian territory is reported, selecting the alliance level as the most suitable standard phytosociological rank for a detailed nationwide overview. In order to solve a number of well...

The aim of this study is to define a methodological framework that allows the Natura 2000 network to be integrated with the Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN). The proposed methodology is based on phytosociological analyses, as these analyses led to the definition of the habitats of Directive 92/43/EEC and determined the choice of the Natura 20...

The aim of the present study is to demonstrate the value of some nitrophilous plants as bioindicators related to global warming. As a case study, the space-time dynamics of the populations of some nitrophilous and ruderal species have been investigated along the southern-central Adriatic side of the Italian Peninsula. These have been examined accor...

A mapping methodology is presented here that allows the practical implementation of synphytosociological and geosynphytosociological surveys. The proposed methodology consists in carrying out synrelevés from vegetation maps produced through the use of geographic information system (GIS). Such mapping has the great advantage of allowing the overlayi...