The Natural Vegetation of Residual Wetlands in the Hinterland of Western Sicily (Italy)

Lorenzo Gianguzzi (), Orazio Caldarella and Saverio Sciandrello
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Lorenzo Gianguzzi: Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Orazio Caldarella: Independent Researcher, Via Maria SS. Mediatrice 38, 90129 Palermo, Italy
Saverio Sciandrello: Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Catania, Via A. Longo 19, 95125 Catania, Italy

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-43

Abstract: An overview of the wetland vegetation of the hinterland of western Sicily, between the hills located south of the Palermo Mts. and the Sicani Mts., is presented herein. This study was conducted according to Braun-Blanquet’s phytosociological method, through a survey carried out mainly within six important biotopes: (1) Gorgo Lungo (“Bosco Ficuzza”; municipality of Godrano); (2) Gorgo Marosa (on the southern side of Rocca Busambra; municipality of Godrano); (3) Gorgo di Piano Scala (on the northern side of Mt. Cardellia; municipality of Corleone); (4) and (5) Gorgo Carcaci and Gorgo Carcaciotto (both on the south-eastern slope of Mt. Carcaci; municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia); and (6) Gorgo S. Andrea (municipality of Castronovo di Sicilia). A vegetation analysis was carried out on the basis of 107 field relevés, together with other data taken from scientific literature. A total of 28 plant communities were identified, between hydrophytics of the classes Lemnetea minoris (3 associations) and Potamogetonetea pectinati (6 associations), helophytics of the Phragmito-Magnocaricetea class (14 associations and 1 community), ephemeral of the Isöeto-Nanojuncetea class (2 communities) and perennial herbaceous vegetation of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea class (1 association and 1 community). A new syntaxon is also described ( Callitricho obtusangulae-Glycerietum notatae ass. nova), as an endemic association of the hinterland of western Sicily, referred to as the Alopecuro-Glycerion spicatae alliance. For all surveyed communities, new insights into syntaxonomy and diagnostic taxa are provided, as well as for the floristic composition, synecology, syndynamism and synchorology of the aquatic vegetation of western Sicily.

Keywords: aquatic vegetation; habitat conservation; Hygrophilous plants; plant community classification; Lemnetea minoris; Potamogetonetea; Phragmito-Magnocaricetea; Sicily (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:12:p:2009-:d:1529302

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