Profound Transformations of Mediterranean Wetlands Compared to the Past: Changes in the Vegetation of the Fucecchio Marsh (Central Italy)

Lorenzo Lastrucci and Daniele Viciani ()
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Lorenzo Lastrucci: Botanical Collections, Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, University Museum System, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy
Daniele Viciani: Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-30

Abstract: Although wetlands are key habitats for biodiversity conservation, they are also among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. They are mainly affected by human pressures and threats, even when they are included in protected areas. The Padule di Fucecchio area is one of the largest and most significant inland marshes in Italy. It is also a wetland of international importance, as defined by the Ramsar Convention. However, studies of the plant communities it contains are surprisingly scarce and out of date. To address this issue, a phytosociological survey of aquatic and marshy vegetation was conducted. This analysis provided an unparalleled census of the area’s current aquatic and marsh vegetation. Eight different plant community types were reported in the former category and twenty-six in the latter, many of which were previously unknown in this territory. One of these is entirely novel and is described here for the first time. However, a comparison with previous data revealed that significant changes to the vegetation structure have occurred in recent decades. The hydrophyte communities have almost completely disappeared and many of the most sensitive plants in the most sensitive marsh communities have become rarer or disappeared. They have mostly been replaced by more resilient native plants and invasive alien species.

Keywords: aquatic and palustrine habitats; biological invasions; conservation; freshwater ecosystems; phytosociology; syntaxonom; vegetation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:10:p:2096-:d:1776296

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