Advancing Knowledge of Wetland Vegetation for Plant Diversity Conservation: The Case of Small Lakes, Ponds, and Pools in Maremma (Southern Tuscany, Central Italy)

Lorenzo Lastrucci, Federico Selvi, Enrico Bajona, Andrea Sforzi, Eugenia Siccardi and Daniele Viciani ()
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Lorenzo Lastrucci: Natural History Museum of the University of Florence, University Museum System, Botanical Collections, Via G. La Pira 4, 50121 Florence, Italy
Federico Selvi: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, PlantDive Lab, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 28, 50144 Florence, Italy
Enrico Bajona: Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Andrea Sforzi: Maremma Natural History Museum, Strada Corsini 5, 58100 Grosseto, Italy
Eugenia Siccardi: Department of Biology, University of Florence, 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 2, 1-22

Abstract: Wetlands are among the world’s valuable ecosystems for biodiversity conservation, but they are also among the most threatened habitats, heavily impacted by human pressures and threats. The Mediterranean basin features numerous small lakes, ponds, and pools, whose number and quality are decreasing at an alarming rate, and whose biodiversity is often little or not at all known. As a better knowledge of the biotic components of these minor water bodies is necessary, with this aim a phytosociological survey campaign was carried out in southern Tuscany (central Italy), an area where little information is available on the vegetation of aquatic and palustrine biotopes. Numerous previously unknown water bodies were located and surveyed in this work, while others already known were resurveyed. These investigations allowed us to identify 28 plant communities which can be classified into seven syntaxonomic classes. A new subassociation ( Ranunculo ophioglossifolii-Callitrichetum stagnalis subass. ranunculetosum peltati ) is described. The identification of the site-associated Natura2000 habitats led to the recognition of five habitats of conservation interest at the national and European level. The results of these investigations will improve the knowledge of the flora and vegetation of these small but valuable natural areas, providing a basis for their conservation.

Keywords: aquatic and palustrine habitats; conservation; freshwater ecosystem; habitats; phytosociology; syntaxonomy; 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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