Primi dati sul progetto di censimento degli ulivi monumentali della Sicilia.

First record of Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Cav.) Griseb. (Malvaceae) as a casual alien species in the Mediterranean area

Sphaeralcea bonariensis (Cav.) Griseb. is here reported for the first time as alien species in Italy and in the Mediterranean area. It is a perennial shrub native to Southern America, where it is often considered a ruderal species frequent in cultivated areas. It was found in a population of a few individuals within Opuntia ficus-indica groves of Rocca Palumba territory (Western Sicily). Actually, due to short-term observational period and the low number of plants, Sphaeralcea bonariensis should be considered as a casual species in Italy. The ecological characteristics of the growing stand and the consistency of the population, as well as the possible causes of its introduction, are briefly…

Schede 39-48. In: MAZZOLA P. & RAIMONDO F. M. (eds) Schede per la flora ornamentale siciliana 39-48.

The Sicilian Life Project “Conservation in situ and ex situ of Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei”: first results

Moving Toward a Strategy for Addressing Climate Displacement of Marine Resources: A Proof-of-Concept

Realistic predictions of climate change effects on natural resources are central to adaptation policies that try to reduce these impacts. However, most current forecasting approaches do not incorporate species-specific, process-based biological information, which limits their ability to inform actionable strategies. Mechanistic approaches, incorporating quantitative information on functional traits, can potentially predict species- and population-specific responses that result from the cumulative impacts of small-scale processes acting at the organismal level, and can be used to infer population-level dynamics and inform natural resources management. Here we present a proof-of-concept study…

The ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and biological properties of Nigella damascena – A review

This review is a systematic scientific work on medicinal and traditional use, on the chemical composition of specialized metabolites, volatile and non-volatile, on aspects related to toxicology and phytotherapy of Nigella damascena L. The genus Nigella (Ranunculaceae) is distributed throughout the Mediterranean basin, extending to northern India, and has been divided into three sections. Nigella damanscena L. is traditionally used as an ingredient in food, for example, as flavouring agents in bread and cheese, but is also known in folk medicine, used to regulate menstruation; for catarrhal affections and amenorrhea; as a diuretic and sternutatory; as an analgesic, anti-oedematous, and antip…

Archaeogenetics and Landscape Dynamics in Sicily during the Holocene: A Review

The Mediterranean islands and their population history are of considerable importance to the interpretation of the population history of Europe as a whole. In this context, Sicily, because of its geographic position, represents a bridge between Africa, the Near East, and Europe that led to the stratification of settlements and admixture events. The genetic analysis of extant and ancient human samples has tried to reconstruct the population dynamics associated with the cultural and demographic changes that took place during the prehistory and history of Sicily. In turn, genetic, demographic and cultural changes need to be understood in the context of the environmental changes that took place…

Soils, Past Landscapes and Cultural Heritage: Phytoliths as Indicators of Ancient Crops

Soils, Past Landscapes and Cultural Heritage: Phytoliths as Indicators of Ancient Crops

Carta del paesaggio e della biodiversità vegetale dei Monti Sicani Sud-Orientali (Sicilia centro-occidentale)

DETECTING INVASION HOTSPOTS OF AILANTHUS ALTISSIMA WITH REMOTE SENSING

The Inland Water Copepod Fauna of a Traditional Rural Landscape in a Mediterranean Island (Crustacea, Copepoda)

Although the Mediterranean area is a well-known hotspot of biological diversity, the crustacean assemblages inhabiting inland waters of the Mediterranean islands are to date unevenly known, and detailed information is missing for most taxa and areas. In the frame of this paper, we provide a checklist and a characterization of the copepod fauna of the lentic water bodies occurring in a traditional rural landscape of Sicily, where the co-existence of agriculture, woodlands, and pastoral activities lead to the presence of a wide range of different aquatic habitats. Overall, 22 copepod species belonging to the orders Calanoida, Cyclopoida, and Harpacticoida have been found in the 92 surveyed si…

Schede 49-54. In: MAZZOLA P. & RAIMONDO F. M. (eds) Schede per la flora ornamentale siciliana 49-54

Ipotesi progettuale per un giardino pubblico “australiano” ai Danisinni, nella città di Palermo

It is presented a project aimed at achieving a public garden theme “Australia” to Danisinni, in Palermo. The idea is based mainly on the consideration that the image of Palermo, resulting from the urban climate and flora in its main public spaces and within private gardens; on the view that in Palermo has a garden to English G. B. F. Basile, the first and last example of a public garden designed as such from its inception; last but not least, the propulsive action of the Botanical garden, behind the idea of conceiving an urban design, structured by a system of theme parks, in order to affirm the cosmopolitan character of Palermo. The project of urban Danisinni depression shows an area, cove…

Gli habitat naturali di interesse comunitario (Direttiva 92/43/CEE) del pSIC Monte Genuardo e Santa Maria del Bosco (ITA020035)

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #60 to #82

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 8 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 49 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Campania, Calabria, Marche, Piedmont, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria. Relevés and figures are provided as Supplementary material respectively 1 and 2.

Diachronic Analysis of Beech Forest in the Nebrodi Park (Northern Sicily)

A comparison between the current surface of Beech forest in the Nebrodi Park (Northern Sicily) with the measurements performed in the past is here reported. 12.854 hectares of Beech forest were recognized against 10.336 hectares of 1959 with a percentage increase of 24.37%. The increase of forest is mainly due at the change of land use through a better forest management and grazing.

Contributo alla conoscenza della vegetazione delle “Gole Tardara” (Sicilia sud-occidentale)

A phytosociological analysis of the Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris (Mill.) Lehr. forests in Sicily

This paper presents a phytosociological study on the forest vegetation of Olea europaea var. sylvestris of Sicily and of the smaller minor islands. In Sicily, Oleaster formations show considerable climacic potentiality in the bioclimactic belts between the infra- and the thermomediterranean with single edapho-climacic penetrations that are also in the mesomediterranean; however, these were largely destroyed by man in order to make room for crops. Furthermore, the residual expressions of the Oleaster forests are limited, and often exist as regenerated woodland made possible by the abandonment of agricultural land; they are often small forest nuclei–high maquis, woods and micro-woods–with a m…

Micromorphological approach to the systematics of Mediterranean Isoëtes species (Isoëtaceae, Lycopodiophyta): analysis of the megaspore surface

Megaspore ornamentation is one of the few morphological characters used in the taxonomy of the genus Isoëtes. In the present work, we test the application of this character for distinguishing some Isoëtes species occurring in the Mediterranean: Isoëtes sicula, which according to some authors should be included as a variety in I. histrix, and the recently described I. todaroana, whose affinity with other taxa is currently unknown. Two additional species (I. duriei, I. velata) were also included in the analysis. The megaspores were studied using scanning electron microscopy combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and chemical treatment. In all species, the megaspore surface is cove…

Esperienze finalizzate alla produzione di materiale vegetale utile ai fini del recupero ambientale nell’area del Parco regionale dei Nebrodi.

LiDAR-derived DTM for historical landscape evaluation: the case study of the “Harvesting Memories” project (Castro Valley and Mt. Barraù, Corleone – Palermo)

The project “Harvesting Memories” is focused on the analysis of the long-term transformation of the cultural landscape in a rural area of Central-Western Sicily (Castro Valley and Mt. Barraù, Corleone – Palermo). In order to quickly outline the history of the territory with an acceptable precision, our survey aimed at covering and sampling as much surface as possible, according to time and human resources available. To reach this goal, in the research design we opted for qualitative surveys. The choice of the fields to be surveyed was based on GIS analysis — our predictive model took in consideration slope, water sources and presence of points with high visibility in the landscape —, that h…

Biodiversità nelle Maloideae (Rosaceae) della Sicilia

Si riportano i caratteri tassonomici, l’ecologia e la distribuzione di 4 specie legnose afferenti ai generi Pyrus e Malus, recentemente descritte in Sicilia, al fine di favorirne la valorizzazione attraverso l’impiego in selvicoltura oltre che la conservazione in situ ed ex situ.

Ipotesi progettuale di opere di mitigazione attraverso la vegetazione per il degassificatore di Porto Empedocle (Agrigento)

A “FREUD GARDEN” AT THE UNIVERSITY TOWN OF PALERMO (SICILY)

I grandi alberi dei Nebrodi

In questo libro sono presentati i risultati di una ricerca portata avanti dagli Autori, botanici del Dipartimento di Biologia ambientale e Biodiversità dell’Università di Palermo. L’indagine ha riguardato sia ambienti di tipo forestale sia di tipo agricolo tradizionale ed ha messo in luce un ricco patrimonio arboreo di tipo monumentale. Significative sono le immagini relative ai grandi aceri, ai ragguardevoli individui di due specie endemiche dei Nebrodi (Pyrus vallis-demonis e Malus crescimannoi) e al faggio di Fago scuro che rappresenta il patriarca di tutti i faggi d’Italia. Dopo il 150° dell’Unità d’Italia non poteva mancare il Grande Pino piantato in concomitanza dello sbarco di Giusep…

Osservazioni fitosociologiche su aspetti di vegetazione a Quercus ilex di Monte Sparagio (Trapani)

Phytosociological observation on some aspect of Quercus ilex vegetation located on the Monte Sparagio (Trapani- N-NW Sicily) – The study of some Quercus ilex residual formations occurring on the Monte Sparagio in the Trapani district (NW Sicily) is presented here. These formations testify that in the past thermophilous Quercus ilex woods were widespread along the littoral mountains facing to Tyrrhenian sea. They are assigned to the Rhamno alaterni-Quercetum ilicis pistacietosum terebinthi.

Geobotanical approach to detect land-use change of a Mediterranean landscape: a case study in Central-Western Sicily

A landscape is a palimpsest of the interactions between human activities and ecological dynamics. In an interdisciplinary perspective of dialogue between the ‘Two Cultures’ (Natural Sciences and Humanities), a study of a rural area has been carried out through a reading of plant ecosystems as signs of human impact. The purpose of this paper—as part of the project ‘Harvesting Memories’: Ecology and landscape archaeology of Castro/Giardinallo Valley and Mt. Barrau district (Corleone, Palermo, Sicily)—is to analyse the formative-processes of a Sicilian rural landscape and its changes in the last century. A key element in the reconstruction of the formation of the present landscape is the serie…

Aggiornamento della carta delle conoscenze floristiche della Sicilia

Studi sulla dinamica della vegetazione in relazione alla struttura geomorfologica del territorio basati sull’analisi spaziale

Elementi espressivi della flora vascolare nel Piano di Gestione "Monti Madonie" in Sicilia

Le piante vascolari del litorale trapanese: da Ronciglio a Capo San Vito

Vascular flora of the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily). – The list of the vascular plants observed and collected in the Trapani littoral between Ronciglio and Capo San Vito (NW Sicily) during the last 20 years is presented here and commented. In total, 541 specific and infraspecific taxa were recorded. This flora has marked Mediterranean characteristics as shown by the absolute prevalence of therophytes as well as Mediterranean chorotypes. Among the most interesting taxa belonging to this flora are some halophytes and rare endemics such as Biscutella maritima, Calendula maritima, Cynomorium coccineum, Erica sicula, Galium litorale, Halocnemum strobilaceum, Li…

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #16 to #20

New data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 3120, 3260, 6310, 9180* and 92A0 are reported in this contribution. In detail, 3 new occurrences in Natura 2000 Sites are presented and 5 new cells in the EEA 10 km x 10 km Reference grid are added. The new data refer to Italy and in particular to the Administrative Regions of Liguria, Sardinia, Sicily and Umbria. This issue of the section “Habitat records” includes an Errata corrige referring to the last released issue.

Nuovi dati sull’espansione di Parkinsonia aculeata (Caeasalpinaceae) in Sicilia

New data about the expansion of Parkinsonia aculeata L. (Caesalpinaceae) in Sicily are reported. The species, cultivated as ornamental, has known as a naturalized since 1977. Data on new finding localities, near Menfi, Sciacca, Canicattì (Agrigento), Misilmeri (Palermo) and Catania are given.

BOTANICAL CONTRIBUTION TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAND EVALUATION IN THE FP7 MEMOLA PROJECT

ANALISI DELLA VEGETAZIONE RIPICOLA DELL’ALTO ALCANTARA (NEBRODI, SICILIA)

La vegetazione dei corsi d’acqua della Sicilia è stata analizzata nelle sue linee generali (Brullo & Spampinato, 1990). Alcuni aspetti montani restano tuttavia ancora inesplorati. Con riferimento al Fiume Alcantara, nel corso di indagini condotte nell’omonimo Parco regionale, è stata rilevata la vegetazione del tratto montano. In questo contesto vegetazionale, contribuisce ad imprimere una fisionomia riconoscibile a distanza Salix alba s.l., presente con individui monumentali (Schicchi & Bazan, 2005), che si associa a varie altre specie legnose fra cui Populus nigra L. e Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. Frequente è anche la presenza di Alnus cordata (Loisel.) Duby, specie verosimilmente spont…

Sources of geomaterials in the Sicani Mountains during the Early Middle Ages: A case study of Contrada Castro, central western Sicily

From 2017, an unknown rural settlement in Contrada Castro at Corleone (Palermo Province, western Sicily) was investigated as part of the `Harvesting Memories Project¿. The stratigraphic sequence, supported by radiocarbon dating, has demonstrated a reoccupation of a pre-Roman site during the transition between the Byzantine and Islamic periods. In particular, the main occupation occurred in the late 8th¿9th century when pottery kilns and a probable warehouse were constructed. During the 10th¿11th century, a new structure with different orientations replaced the previous buildings that had already collapsed. Specifically focusing on a perspective of the household production and its relationsh…

NUOVE AREE DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NATURALISTICO NELLA SICILIA CENTRO-OCCIDENTALE: PROPOSTA DI TUTELA

New areas of outstanding natural importance in central-western Sicily: a proposal for their conser- vation. With a view to the expected updating of the Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and the following designation of the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) by the Italian Ministry according to the Council Directive 92/43/EEC, some areas of outstanding natural importance in central-west- ern Sicily, currently not protected, are identified and described. Fifteen areas of various sizes are located in five different provinces (Trapani, Palermo, Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna); here sev- eral habitats of Community interest, including some prioritary ones, and numerous endemic and/or rare s…

Valutazione di fattori caratterizzanti il paesaggio e la biodiversità vegetale di un territorio attraverso metodologie GIS 3D

Contributi alla conoscenza dei parchi e giardini storici siciliani. Villa Maria: ‘la quiete’ di Casteltermini (Agrigento)

The Seedbank database of the Hortus Botanicus Panormitanus

A database for the management of the Seedbank of the Palermo’s Botanical Garden has been set up. Its structure and functioning are illustrated. Since November 2010 about 2000 records relating to 460 taxa have been inputted and are accesible via web. Links with other seedbank databases and with the database of the Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum and of the Palermo’s Botanical Garden are explained.

The 12th “Iter Mediterraneum” in Tunisia, 24 March – 4 April 2014

The organization and logistics of the 12th OPTIMA Iter in Tunisia from 24 March to 4 April 2014 by OPTIMA and ATUTAX is here reported. The material used and the workflow are illustrated as reference for the organization of future similar collaborative botanical excursions.

Land unit definition for potential distribution of endangered species

In Europe several mapping techniques exist to lay out plant distribution. Most of them, however, are focused on actual and not on potential species distribution range. Spatial predictions become more important for rare and endangered taxa because their conservation is related to existing as well as potential biotopes. The large part of detailed distribution models applies advanced statistics on a large data-set of environmental variables. Data-input availability limits the choice of the prediction model for species distribution and application of results in a detailed scale. Distribution pattern accuracy determinates its applicability in environmental management (for tracing edges, defining…

Results of efforts made for in situ and ex situ conservation of Abies nebrodensis (Pinaceae) in Sicily

New distributional data on <em>Haemogregarina stepanowi</em> (Apicomplexa) and <em>Placobdella costata</em> (Hirudinea) parasitising the Sicilian pond turtle <em>Emys trinacris</em> (Testudines)

The host-parasite system “Emys trinacris – Placobdella costata – Haemogregarina stepanowi” is known for Sicily, but scarce information is available to date about the distribution of the two parasites on the island. Therefore, an extensive sampling effort through visual census and collection and analysis of blood smears of the endemic Sicilian pond turtle E. trinacris was carried out in 46 water bodies scattered throughout mainland Sicily. Our findings revealed that the distribution of both parasites is limited to the Nebrodi area, where the infection of H. stepanowi has shown a high incidence on the local turtle populations. Our data suggest no correlation between the current distribution o…

Spatial microbial community structure and biodiversity analysis in "extreme" hypersaline soils of a semiarid Mediterranean area

In recent years specific attention has been paid on the biotechnological potential of microorganisms in extreme soils, in particular in saline soils. Salinity is one of the most widespread soil degradation processes on the Earth, and saline soils can be defined as extreme soils or border line habitats in which several factors, as high salt content, may limit the growth of organisms. In this study, the physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties were investigated in the shallower horizon of natural saltaffected soils in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to evaluate the structure and diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities by terminal-restriction fragment len…

Biodiversità vegetale degli stagni temporanei della Sicilia

Gli ambienti umidi effimeri ospitano comunità vegetali specializzate e sono sede esclusiva di rare microterofite nonché autentiche stazioni di rifugio per molte specie a ciclo effimero. Per l’interesse bio-ecologico, Braun-Blanquet ha definito queste fitocenosi un gioiello floristico. Anche la Comunità Europea, con la direttiva Habitat 92/43/CEE, riconosce agli stagni temporanei mediterranei una notevole importanza e li individua come habitat prioritario (3170*). Questi ambienti, essendo stagionali, di modesta estensione, spazialmente dispersi e difficilmente cartografabili, spesso vengono trascurati negli studi a scala di paesaggio. Tali habitat, invece, rappresentano veri e propri micro-h…

Shedding light on typical species: Implications for habitat monitoring

Habitat monitoring in Europe is regulated by Article 17 of the Habitats Directive, which suggests the use of typical species to assess habitat conservation status. Yet, the Directive uses the term “typical” species but does not provide a definition, either for its use in reporting or for its use in impact assessments. To address the issue, an online workshop was organized by the Italian Society for Vegetation Science (SISV) to shed light on the diversity of perspectives regarding the different concepts of typical species, and to discuss the possible implications for habitat monitoring. To this aim, we inquired 73 people with a very different degree of expertise in the field of veget…

Osservazioni sulla vegetazione a Quercus ilex dei substrati gessosi di Valle dell’Aquila (Caltanissetta, Sicilia)

The chemical composition of the aerial parts essential oil of Lonas annua (L.) Vines & Druce (Asteraceae)

Lonas annua (L.) Vines & Druce (Asteraceae), commonly known as African Daisy or Yellow Ageratum is a rare therophyte native to northwestern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) and Italy (Sicily and Sardinia). In the present study, the chemical composition of the essential oil from aerial parts of Lonas annua was analyzed by GC-MS. No one report has been previously published on the essential oil of this species. The results showed the presence of large quantity of two unusual metabolites 2,3-dihydrofarnesol (41.64%), and acenaphthene (36.18%). Chemotaxonomic considerations were carried out in order to confirm the phylogenetic reconstructions of Anthemideae.

THE PALERMO BOTANICAL GARDEN’S FICUS GENUS (MORACEAE) COLLECTION

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #13 to #15

New data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 3160, 7210* and 9320 are reported in this contribution. In detail, 24 new occurrences in Natura 2000 Sites are presented and 42 new cells in the EEA 10 km x 10 km Reference grid are added. The new data refer to Italy and in particular to the Administrative Regions Lombardy, Sardinia, and Sicily.

Nuclei di vegetazione forestale a leccio e viburno nei Monti Sicani (Sicilia)

BIOSFERA

Taxonomy and conservation in Higher Plants and Bryophytes in the Mediterranean Area

The Mediterranean Region is among the areas of the world richest in wild and cultivated taxa. Extinctions in the Mediterranean area are bound to have occurred in historical times but they are not documented. The probable and documented cases of plant extinction in specific areas within the Mediterranean are equivalent to 0.25% of total species-by-area records. Species with a large range are more prone to local population size fluctuations and eventual extinction than species with a reduced population. Small islands floras are more prone to extinction than those on large islands and on the mainland. Reliability of our data on Mediterranean plant extinctions is poor. New emphasis on floristic…

Archaeobotanical analysis from the long-term rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo): preliminary data

The project ¿Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani landscapes¿ aims to analyse the long-term relationship of landscape dynamics and settlement patterns in a Mediterranean inland of Central-Western Sicily. The project combined different interdisciplinary approaches of vegetation science, landscape ecology, history and archaeology in order to diachronically understand and reconstruct the human- society-environment interactions. From 2017 to 2019 a new rural settlement has been investigated in Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo). The excavation in Contrada Castro showed a clear case of long-term occupation of an hill-top site during Late Archaic/Classical age (6 th -5 th…

First finding of Linaria vulgaris (Scrophulariaceae)in Sicily

The occurrence of Linaria vulgaris is reported in Sicily. Such species is known in the Italian Peninsula. Populations of this species have been observed respectively on the Nebrodi Mountains (N Sicily) and in proximity to Aidone (C Sicily).

Schede 1-11. In: RAIMONDO F.M. & SCHICCHI R. Piante e loro anomalie vegetative: schede documentarie. 1-26.

La componente floristica dei giardini storici siciliani

Floristic elements of historical Sicilian gardens. – The ornamental flora of historical Sicilian gardens, com- piled on recent literature data and new investigations on representative sites is here analyzed. The catalogue of taxa with their distribution in investigated gardens is presented together with the floristic list alphabetically ordered by family. In total 736 taxa, belonging to 363 genera and 124 families were recorded. Rosaceae, Arecaceae, Cactaceae, Agavaceae, Oleaceae, Liliaceae and Moraceae are the richest families in species. The main part of such flora consists of American and Asiatic taxa. The most recurring species are Phoenix canariensis, Nerium oleander, Pittosporum tobir…

Sistemi integrati di tecnologie GIS e GPS per la gestione delle collezioni vive di orti botanici e arboreti: l’esperienza dell’Orto botanico di Palermo

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #37 to #44

In this contribution, Italian new data concerning the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 3150, 3170*, 3260, 4090, 91L0, 91M0, 9340 are reported. In detail, 20 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 30 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Campania, Lazio, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany, and Umbria.

Natura e campagna coltivata

La consapevolezza della modernità porta a interrogarsi sulla natura morfologica e dimensionale dei nuovi luoghi per comprenderne il senso delle relazioni spaziali e tentarne un'elaborazione estetica. A partire dal concetto di città in estensione, si è voluto elaborare un quadro interpretativo e progettuale nel territorio interno della Sicilia definito dalla strada che congiunge Palermo e Agrigento, il Tirreno e il Mare Africano, contrassegnato da numerose città-paese, dalla campagna agricola, dai luoghi ibridi della città diffusa. In questo paesaggio il progetto di architettura è stato assunto per determinare e proporre strategie e forme per lo sviluppo del territorio.

Analisi del contesto territoriale per l’individuazione di aree suscettibili di recupero ambientale

The Harvesting Memories Project: Historical ecology and landscape changes of the Sicani Mountains in Sicily

The Harvesting Memories project aims to investigate the historical landscape dynamics in an inner area of the Sicani Mountains district in Western Sicily (Contrada Castro, Corleone-Palermo). The interdisciplinary approach of the project allowed us to combine and integrate methods from different disciplines such as historical ecology, landscape archaeology, archaeobotany and GIS-based spatial analysis. In this paper some results have been summarized. The comparison between land mosaic change during the last 60 years, the relationship between site catchment area and land suitability and the correlation between archaeobotanical and phytosociological data. This approach underlined the relevance…

Il Parco “Duca di Cesarò” di Taormina

PRIMI DATI SUL CENSIMENTO DEGLI ALBERI MONUMENTALI DEI MONTI SICANI

Geographical and ecological outline of metal(loid) accumulating plants in Italian vascular flora

The decontamination of heavy metal polluted soils is one of the major challenges that our industrialized world has to face. Remediation technologies are being developed and employed in order to reduce the potential hazards of metal and metalloid contamination. Plants capable of uptaking metals and metalloids in their tissues can be an effective tool to remove such pollutants from contaminated soils. The use of this plant-driven process (Phytoremediation) requires the knowledge of the right phytoextractors to use when facing different types of contamination. The aim of this paper is to provide an inventory of phytoextractors that can be used in Phytoremediation procedures in Italy. The check…

Mapping floristic diversity: a case study in Sicily

This paper presents an operational methodology to map and analyze the floristic richness of “target species” in Natura 2000 sites, making use of G.I.S. tools and procedures. A Floristic diversity map (scale 1:50,000), covering an area of 612 km2, was produced by a team of experts as part of the management plans of “Madonie Mountains” Sites of Community Importance (SCIs), located in Sicily (Italy). The primary grid map represents the richness of “target species”, which include species of Community interests, taxa on the National Red List, endemic and threatened, species protected under International Conventions, taxa of phytogeographic importance. Secondary data frames include a three-dimens…

ASPETTI DI VEGETAZIONE AD EUFORBIA ARBORESCENTE E CILIEGIO CANINO NEI MONTI NEBRODI (SICILIA)

Carta dello stato delle conoscenze floristiche della Sicilia

CONTRIBUTION TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRADITIONAL USES OF NATIVE PLANTS IN SICILY

The Sicilian territory as a whole presents orographic, geopedological, hydrographic characters and climate conditions that determine a wide diversity of environments that host a rich vascular flora consisting of over 3250 specific and intraspecific taxa (subspecies, varieties and forms), belonging to 880 genera of 134 botanical families (1). Of the above mentioned flora, about 500 entities are endemic and in several cases their populations are constituted by a small number of individuals and / or distributed on limited areas. Within this great biodiversity, which places Sicily among the regions with greater floristic diversity of both Italy and the Mediterranean area, it is noteworthy that …

Problematiche relative alla conservazione degli ambienti umidi effimeri nelle aree protette siciliane

Nuovi dati sulla paleoecologia del sito pleistocenico di San Teodoro (Acquedolci, Messina)

La Grotta di San Teodoro (ST) è uno dei siti preistorici più importanti del Mediterraneo cen-trale. Da pochi anni il sito è oggetto di una ripre-sa delle attività di analisi stratigrafica, geologica, geochimica e paleontologia, alla luce di una colla-borazione tra il Parco Archeologico di Tindari e l’Università degli Studi di Palermo.

Analisi della naturalità del mosaico territoriale in Sicilia

A new index (NEI - Naturalness Evaluation Index) is applied in order to evaluate the landscape degree of conservation and naturalness. Land mosaic has been classified into four different levels of conservation, taking into account the relative influence of natural processes and anthropic activities. Fitocoenoses structure and floristic composition are used as indicators. As a case study Sicily (Italy) was chosen. The methodology has been applied to reclassify Corine Land Cover data and obtain a Naturalness map. The area of study has been divided into reference units (municipalities) and the index has been calculated for each land unit. The index has proved to be very useful for visualising …

Emergenze floristico-vegetazionali della “Gola della Tardara” (Agrigento, Sicilia).

Diversità nelle Maloidee (Rosaceae) della Sicilia

LE PALME COLPITE DA RHYNCHOPHORUS FERRUGINEUS (OLIVIER) IN SICILIA

Historical Suitability and Sustainability of Sicani Mountains Landscape (Western Sicily): An Integrated Approach of Phytosociology and Archaeobotany

Since 2015, the ongoing project &ldquo

G.I.S. context analysis for environmental recovery suitability evaluation

The attributes of every single patch in a land mosaic constitute the database that landscape ecologists use for processing and analysis. Nonetheless spatial and ecological relationships between adjacent patches can play a key role in understanding the overall functionality of land mosaics. Defining the ecological role of a single tessera within an ecosystem is not possible if that patch is regarded as an insular element; on the other hand global analysis on the entire land mosaic would grant just a small amount of new information on each tessera and none on its functional role. To recognize areas susceptible of improvement through environmental recovery and to define priorities for interven…

Vegetation series as a marker of interactions between rural settlements and landscape: new insights from the archaeological record in Western Sicily

[EN] Plant communities are complex and dynamic elements of the landscape, intertwined with both natural factors and human activities. Vegetation series reflect the environmental characteristics of the landscape, but also the anthropic impact, one of the exogenous forces that most profoundly affects the landscape formation process. This paper aims to investigate the interactions between long-term human settlement catchment areas and vegetation series. The case study area of the Sicani Mountains (Central-Western Sicily) proved to be an ideal place to perform GIS-based spatial analysis in order to compare a data set of rural archaeological sites and land units created through the mapping of ve…

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #21 to #25

New Italian data on the distribution of the Annex I Habitats 3170*, 6110*, 91E0*, 9320, 9330 are reported in this contribution. Specifically, one new occurrence in Natura 2000 sites is presented and six new cells are added in the European Environment Agency 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Sardinia, Sicily and Umbria.

New Data on Native and Alien Vascular Flora of Sicily (Italy): New Findings and Updates

In this paper, based on fieldwork and herbaria surveys, new data concerning the presence of 32 native and alien vascular species for Sicily (Italy) are provided. Among the native species, the occurrence of the following taxa is reported for the first time or confirmed after many decades of non-observation: Aira multiculmis, Arum maculatum, Carex flacca subsp. flacca, Mentha longifolia, Oxybasis chenopodioides, Najas minor and Xiphion junceum. Furthermore, we document the presence of three native species (Cornus mas, Juncus foliosus and Limonium avei) that, despite being repeatedly observed in Sicily and reported in the literature, are inexplicably omitted by the most recent authoritative ch…

Historical Ecology, Archaeology and Biocultural Landscapes: Cross-Disciplinary Approaches to the Long Anthropocene

From the local to the global scale, human impact is the real protagonist of the Anthro- pocene. It is impossible to understand ecosystems and the landscape without considering the long-term processes of anthropic activities. The driving forces in landscape change are strongly related to historical dynamics. Changes in political regimes, social structures, eco- nomic modes of production, cultural and religious influences—which all traditionally fall within the domain of the humanities—are phenomena entangled with many ecological and environmental factors. Thus, understanding landscapes in the Anthropocene is impossible without a cross-disciplinary approach.

Applicazione di GRASS GIS alle dinamiche vegetazionali del complesso evaporitico di “Monte Conca” (Sicilia centrale).

BIOSFERA

Endangered taxa of the Sicilian flora and conservation perspectives

Il metodo fitosociologico per il monitoraggio degli habitat del S.I.C. Biviere e Macconi di Gela (Sicilia meridionale).

Sorbus madoniensis (Rosaceae), a new species from Sicily

Abstract Sorbus madoniensis, a new species of Sorbus sect. Aria, is described, so far known only from two neighbouring localities on Mt. Carbonara (Madonie mountains, Sicily). It is related to S. graeca, which also occurs in the Madonie, and indeed shares with S. madoniensis one of its localities.

Aspetti vegetazionali, distributivi e produttivi dei sughereti siciliani

Archeobotanical study of traditional agroecosystems based on SEM-EDX analysis of buried phytoliths

The FP7 Project "MEditerranean MOntainous LAndscapes: an historical approach to cultural heritage based on traditional agrosystems (MEMOLA)" (http://www.memolaproject.eu/it) is studying past landscapes using ancient soil horizons as archaeological records. The project aims at evaluating the biodiversity of no longer existing environments, in order to reconstruct the past agroecosystems. One of the approach used in the study consisted in the selective sampling of buried paleo-soil horizons for the search of “testimonials” or useful pedo-archaeological "indicators" that can tell something about past environments and peculiar ecosystems no longer present. To this purpose it was decided to star…

Contributo alla conoscenza della flora vascolare del SIC “Complesso Monti di Castellammare del Golfo” (Sicilia sud-occidentale)

New molecular data attest to the absence of cospeciation patterns between Placobdella costata (Fr. Müller, 1846) (Hirudinea) and freshwater turtles (Emys spp.) in Italy

The only Palearctic representative of the leech genus Placobdella Blanchard, 1893 is P. costata, an ectoparasite of freshwater turtles. To date, no conclusive evidence about the possible presence of coevolutionary patterns between this leech and its turtle hosts is available due to the paucity of DNA sequence data available for P. costata; moreover, comparative host data is also mostly lacking, making any inferences more difficult. The discovery of new populations of the species in northern Italy and Sicily allowed us to generate novel mitochondrial DNA sequences and to compare the topology of the resulting phylogenetic trees with the phylogeny of the turtle hosts occurring in the study are…

The Sicilian Countryside in the Early Middle Ages: Human–Environment Interactions at Contrada Castro

Within the project ‘Harvesting Memories: Ecology and Archaeology of Monti Sicani Landscapes’, this paper aims to reconstruct human–environment interactions in the inland areas of Western Sicily during the Early Middle Ages through a comparative analysis of environmental archaeological data. We analyse carpological and anthracological finds and faunal remains originating from different layers of the rural settlement of Contrada Castro (Corleone, Palermo), excavated in 2017–2019. The site was mainly occupied between the Byzantine and Islamic periods (late 8th to 11th c. AD). The examination of wood charcoal enabled the identification of plant species selected and exploited in the landscape of…

Schede 1-10. In: SCHICCHI R. & RAIMONDO F. M. Schede per il censimento degli alberi monumentali di Sicilia. 1-10.

Il geodatabase dell'Herbarium Mediterraneum Panormitanum [PAL] per la mappatura di dati primari sulla biodiversità

Ambienti umidi effimeri e naturalità del paesaggio in Sicilia

I luoghi umidi temporanei sono ambienti acquatici che alternano periodicamente una fase d’invaso ed una fase secca ed ospitano espressive fitocenosi adattate a queste peculiari condizioni. Indagini condotte tra il 2003 ed il 2009 hanno consentito di individuare, in Sicilia, oltre 200 siti, costituiti generalmente da diverse pozze o piccoli stagni. L’estrema fragilità di questi habitat li rende molto vulnerabili a qualunque tipo di alterazione ambientale e pertanto risultano essere indicatori molto sensibili della pressione antropica sul territorio. Infatti, la conservazione di questi biotopi non può prescindere da una corretta gestione del contesto territoriale che li circonda. Il presente …

Fallopia baldschuanica (Polygonaceae, Magnoliophyta) spontaneizzata in Sicilia

The wild taxa utilized as vegetables in Sicily (Italy): a traditional component of the Mediterranean diet

Background: Wild vegetables in the Mediterranean Basin are still often consumed as a part of the diet and, in particular, there is a great tradition regarding their use in Sicily.In this study, an ethnobotanical field investigation was carried out to (a) identify the wild native taxa traditionally gathered and consumed as vegetables in Sicily, comparing the collected ethnobotanical data with those of other countries that have nominated the Mediterranean diet for inclusion in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and (b) highlight new culinary uses of these plants.Methods: Interviews were carried out in 187 towns and villages in Sicily between 2005 an…

Loci classici siciliani dei taxa di C. Presl

PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY ON PRIVATE PROPERTY: AN EXPERIENCE IN CORLEONE (SICILY)

Bona Furtuna is an organic farm located 8 km far from Corleone closed to Campofiorito (Palermo). The study area includes the slopes of Castro, Giardinello and Valle Fredda which goes up to Barraù Mt. included in the Special Areas of Conservation (ITA020037) according to the Natura 2000 European Birds and Habitat Directives. The high level of biodiversity is supported by over 502 taxa of vascular flora, 38 of which are endemic to Sicily. The study area is quite diversified from a bioclimatic point of view as well, presenting different gradients from the Lower Mesomediterranean (Upper dry) and the Lower Supramediterranean (Lower subhumid). The landscape has been shaped by frequent changes in …

Applicazione dell’analisi tridimensionale negli studi di Ecologia del paesaggio

Topography and terrain morphology play a key role in landscape structure and functionality. Landscape ecology modelling based on patch-corridor-matrix usually analyzes the area of study as a plane surface. However, this assumption could be critically far from reality, especially in mountainous areas, and lead to significant mistakes in calculation. Different areas of study were analyzed using both classical and more recent indices. Calculation was performed using a bi-dimensional terrain model and a three-dimensional model in which length and surface area values were much closer to real world values. Results were confronted to understand the different sensitivity of various analysis tools t…

IL RUOLO DELL’OLEASTRO INVEGES DI SCIACCA NELLA DEFINIZIONE DEL PAESAGGIO FORESTALE STORICO DELLA SICILIA

L’oleastro, Olea europaea var. sylvestris (Mill.) Lehr, è uno delle componenti rappresentative della vegetazione mediterranea. Specie considerata caratteristica della macchia (Oleo-Ceratonion siliquae Br.-Bl. ex Guinoch. e Drouin. 1944) si accompagna con altre sclerofille e specie caducifoglie estive con le quali forma aspetti di vegetazione alto arbustiva o arborescente. Ma l’oleastro in Sicilia è anche un elemento di boschi termofili, di territori che presentano una certa xericità ambientale, potenzialmente diffusi in un’ampia fascia altimetrica che si estende dalla costa fino a 800-1000 m di quota. In tale contesto, l’oleastro si accompagna con querce caducifoglie termofile, quali Quercu…

Qanāts and historical irrigated landscapes in Palermo’s suburban area (Sicily)

La città di Palermo e la sua valle circostante sono un importante paesaggio storico irriguo, caratterizzato da strutture idrauliche sotterranee e da una lunga tradizione di sistemi di irrigazione ereditati dalla presenza islamica in Sicilia nel medioevo (IX-XI secolo). La “rivo- luzione verde” islamica ha radicalmente innovato i sistemi di irrigazione siciliani e questo portò all’introduzione e alla diffusione di nuove specie coltivate. Nell’area suburbana di Pa- lermo sono stati indagati 63 infrastrutture idrauliche e tunnel di scolo, classificati in 4 ca- tegorie: 1) qanāts; 2) qanāts ciechi; 3) pozzi collegati; 4) gallerie di scolo emergenti. Que- ste strutture, nonostante alcuni dubbi c…

Land forms, land-use and landscapes in Sicily

Landscape as we perceive it is the product of many different interacting factors: macro- and topoclimate, lithology, geomorphology, land use and human activities. The evaluation of the relative influence of each one of these factors on vegetation pattern and landscape is strongly dependent from the scale of observation. Hierarchical classification (Blasi et al. 2000) makes scale-related use of these factors as diagnostic attributes: macroclimate (over 1:250,000 scale) defines landscape regions, lithology (1:250,000 scale) defines systems and lithomorphology (1:50,000 scale) defines subsystems. At a finer scale (less than 1:10,000), land forms and land-use are the predominant landscape maker…

Potential impact of genetically modified Lepidoptera-resistant Brassica napus in biodiversity hotspots: Sicily as a theoretical model

The general increase of the cultivation and trade of Bt transgenic plants resistant to Lepidoptera pests raises concerns regarding the conservation of animal and plant biodiversity. Demand for biofuels has increased the cultivation and importation of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.), including transgenic lines. In environmental risk assessments (ERAs) for its potential future cultivation as well as for food and feed uses, the impact on wild Brassicaeae relatives and on non-target Lepidoptera should be assessed. Here we consider the potential exposure of butterflies as results of possible cultivation or naturalization of spilled seed in Sicily (Italy). Diurnal Lepidoptera, which are pollinat…

ANALISI DIACRONICA DEI FAGGETI DEL PARCO DEI NEBRODI IN SICILIA

Unmanned aerial vehicle application for mapping individual plants: the case of the Nebrodi beech forest

The UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are small unmanned aircraft remote controlled electronically, commonly called "drones", which can serve as a vector to carry one or more sensors for georeferenced digital image capture. The development of these platforms is begun in the 50s for military purposes and is today successfully applied in the civil sphere with levels of technology and higher performance. It is a remote sensing technique to the scale of detail that allows for monitoring, measuring and mapping of several environmental data in a short time. The use of NDIR sensors (Non Dispersive Infrared sensor) for the detection of plant cover, allows discriminating plant species, mapping individ…

Taxonomy and conservation ofPancratium maritimum(Amaryllidaceae) and relatives in the Central Mediterranean

Pancratium maritimum L. (Amaryllidaceae) is a geophyte occurring in the Mediterranean region, from the Black Sea to part of the Atlantic coast. This plant is receiving much attention from the international scientific community due to its value as a bioindicator, the potential industrial value of its chemical compounds, and its use as a commercial ornamental plant. Plant morphometry and sequences of three plastid DNA regions (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) were used to assess the phenotypic and genetic variability of this taxon and its closest congeneric species (in particular Pancratium linosae, from the volcanic island of Linosa) in the Central Mediterranean (Sicily, Tunisia and surrounding island…

The Monumental Olive Trees as Biocultural Heritage of Mediterranean Landscapes: The Case Study of Sicily

Monumental olive trees, with their longevity and their remarkable size, represent an important information source for the comprehension of the territory where they grow and the human societies that have kept them through time. Across the centuries, olive trees are the only cultivated plants that tell the story of Mediterranean landscapes. The same as stone monuments, these green monuments represent a real Mediterranean natural and cultural heritage. The aim of this paper is to discuss the value of monumental trees as “biocultural heritage” elements and the role they play in the interpretation of the historical stratification of the landscape. We present the results of a survey of the most s…

La vegetazione della Gola della Tardara (Sicilia sud-occidentale)

Contribution to the flora of Asian and European countries: new national and regional vascular plant records, 7

The paper presents new records for 29 vascular plant species from 12 Eurasian countries. Seven taxa (Agave sisalana, Austrocylindropuntia subulata, Lagurus ovatus subsp. nanus, Opuntia stricta, Orobanche serbica, Oxalis articulata, Vitis × instabilis) are reported from Albania, one (Allium carinatum) from the Europaean part of Russia, six (Dipsacus fullonum, Gagea shmakoviana, Mentha × dalmatica, Thymus indigirkensis, Thymus sergievskajae, Viola × sukaczewii) from the Asian part of Russia, two (Agrostis sozanensis, Poa mustangensis) from China, two (Carex muskingumensis, Sedum rubens) from Poland, two (Crataegus macrocarpa, Dactylorhiza lapponica) from Romania, two (Oxygraphis dela…

CATALOGO DEGLI ALBERI MONUMENTALI DEL PARCO DEI MONTI SICANI

Il progetto di censimento degli alberi monumentali dei Sicani, avviato circa 15 anni fa, ha consentito ad oggi di acquisire dati su 72 alberi che, sulla base dell’art.7 della legge n.10 /2013 e del DECRETO 23 ottobre 2014 del Ministero delle Politiche Agricole Alimentari e Forestali, possono essere considerati monumentali. Alcuni di essi figurano già in pubblicazioni scientifiche e divulgative (Schicchi 2005, Schicchi e Raimondo 2006, 2007, 2010; Amato et al., 2012). Di esse, 56 sono localizzate in provincia di Palermo e 16 in quella di Agrigento. Complessivamente le piante individuate afferiscono ai seguenti taxa: Arbutus unedo L., Celtis australis L., Ceratonia siliqua L., Fraxinus angust…

Geostatistical analisys on the relationship between vegetation pattern and human impact

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the vegetation pattern of a mediterranean landscape, analyzed through the shape of the patches that constitute it, and its relationship with alterations introduced by land use and human impact. As a case of study the territory of the Monti Madonie Regional Park has been chosen, since it is a very heterogeneous area from the ecological point of view and a biodiversity hotspot. Shape Index has been used to evaluate pattern geometry and has been calculated for every single polygon. Resulting data has been grouped by vegetation type. Value is 1 when the patch is maximally compact and increases as patch shape becomes more irregular. Geostatistical analysis…

Valutazione dello stato di conservazione del paesaggio e analisi del contesto territoriale

Aspetti distributivi e fitosociologici di Brassica incana (Brassicaceae, Magnoliophyta) in Sicilia

The authors report two new stations of Brassica incana in Sicily and analyze the relevant synecological issues. This species, subendemic in ex Yugoslavia, Greece and Italy, characterizes a new subassociation in Euphorbietum dendroidis, phytocoenosis belonging to the alliance Oleo sylvestris-Ceratonion siliquae. Brassica incana, in the shrubs formations with Euphorbia dendroides, Rhamnus alaternus, Pistacia terebinthus and Olea europaea var. sylvestris, has high values of abundance-dominance.

Telerilevamento e GIS per la valutazione e il monitoraggio delle isole di calore in ambiente urbano

The techniques of spatial analysis and Remote Sensing represent an useful tool for the knowledge and the study of the Urban Heat Island phenomenon (English acronym UHI). In this study, among the different causes that lead to the generation of the event, those regarding physical features of the surface and the presence of different land use/cover such as: the high cover of urban areas and the lack of green areas have been examined. The Remote Sensing techniques allow to create maps of the land use/cover, then, in order to estimate the different in temperature due to the distance to the vegetation, the temperature of the bodies already tested have been compared with a thermal map. In detail t…

SICILY AS THEORETICAL MODEL TO STUDY THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED PLANTS IN A HOTSPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY

In Europe, especially in Italy, different considerations are necessary when potential GMPs are to be grown. In particular high biodiversity areas such as Sicily should have a more detail plans of potential benefits and risks assuring the conservation of biodiversity and endemic species. Sicily is one of the most relevant biodiversity hotspots in the Mediterranean area, with a vascular flora of 3252 species and 321 endemic taxa. Considering the latest IUCN categories and criteria, 401 taxa (12.4% of Sicilian flora) are under threat (categories “CR”, “EN”, “VU”), and 220 more taxa (6.8%) are “Near Threatened”. Sicily is also known to have a rich butterfly and coleopteran fauna including endem…

Una nuova associazione a palma nana della Sicilia sud-occidentale

Le serie di vegetazione della Regione Sicilia

Vengono illustrate le serie di vegetazione della Sicilia, descritte sulla base delle conoscenze fitosociologiche e di un’interessante integrazione di dati climatici e litomorfologici. Il contributo, inserito nel volume “La Vegetazione d’Italia”, è corredato anche dalla Carta delle Serie di Vegetazione in scala 1:500.000. Si tratta del documento cartografico attualmente più aggiornato che meglio evidenzia, a piccola scala, la complessa eterogeneità ambientale del nostro Paese. Questo documento illustra su base fitosociologica le ragioni dell’eccezionale biodiversità floristica e vegetazionale d’Italia.

Traditional agrosystems trajectories analysis using a vegetation science approach: the MEMOLA EU FP7 Project as a case study

The UE FP7 research project MEMOLA (Mediterranean Mountainous Landscapes: an historical approach to cultural heritage based on traditional agrosystems) aims at investigating cultural landscapes through a diachronic study of the relationship between human populations and natural resources. The project analyses from an interdisciplinary perspective the drivers and dynamics that have generated historical landscapes in four areas of Mediterranean Region (Sierra Nevada, in Spain; Colli Euganei, in Northern Italy; Monti di Trapani, in Sicily; Vjosa Valley in Albania), with a research group of ten partners. The syndynamic study of vegetation (series and geoseries) can be used as a marker to better…

Analisi della correlazione tra indici di diversità a scala di paesaggio e diversità floristica

Carta della dinamica del paesaggio dell'area di Monte S. Calogero (Sicilia sud-occidentale)

Schede 55-60 in MAZZOLA P. & RAIMONDO F.M. (ed.): Schede per la flora ornamentale siciliana

Making a rural landscape: ecological and human dynamics in the holm oak forest of Mt. Barraù (Corleone, Palermo, C-W Sicily)

The Harvesting Memories Project (funded by Bona Furtuna LLC) aims to investigate the long-term landscape transformations in the central part of the Alto Belice Corleonese (Central-Western Sicily). The case study area is formed by a sequence of gentle hills (Contrade Castro and Giardinello), rich in water springs that offer an optimal condition for agricultural exploitation, irregularly interrupted by the Mt. Barraù (1420 m a.s.l.) with steep and abrupt slopes in the south-west side. The study of this territory is approached by an holistic perspective to detect and evaluate the relationships and the interactions among human activities and the environment. The holm oak forest that covers part…

Tertiary relict laurophyll vegetation in the Madonie mountains (Sicily)

Laurel woodlands in the Madonie mountains (Sicily) are characterized by the presence of Laurus nobilis, Rhamnus lojaconoi and Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. The results of a phytosociological study are presented, and a new endemic association, Rhamno lojaconoi–Lauretum nobilis, is described. Present Mediterranean laurel communities are the result of an adaptive response by Tertiary laurel forest to the peculiar microclimatic conditions that characterize the refugia where they persist. These refugia have been recently considered as a priority habitat under the Directive 92/43/EEC, and their plant communities are very vulnerable. Protection measures of the studied laurel populations are ne…

Le piante vascolari del litorale trapanese: da Capo Lilibeo a Ronciglio.

Relevant habitats neglected by the Directive 92/43 EEC: the contribution of Vegetation Science for their reappraisal in Sicily

Field investigation carried out by the Sicilian botanists in the last 20 years enabled them to identify eight habitat types of high biogeographic and conservation interest, neglected by the Directive 92/43, which deservead hocconservation measures. For each of these habitats, a syntaxonomic interpretation of the corresponding plant communities, their main ecological, physiognomic and syndynamic traits and a list of diagnostic species are provided. Their classification into the macrotypes listed in the Annex I of the Directive 92/43 and the respective correspondence in EUNIS habitat classification are proposed. The habitats here described integrate those already proposed by the Italian Botan…

Flora e vegetazione della Valle di Castro e di Monte Barraù (Sicilia centro-occidentale)

I paesaggi agricoli tradizionali sono l’espressione più significativa del rapporto tra attività umane e processi naturali. Essi sono il luogo dove, attraverso una gestione consapevole delle risorse, si è conservata nel tempo la biodiversità così come oggi la conosciamo. Nel presente contributo si riportano i risultati di uno studio condotto in un’area rurale dei Monti Sicani settentrionali compresa tra Corleone e Campofiorito (Palermo) di proprietà della società Bona Furtuna LLC che, a partire dall’autunno 2014, ha sostenuto lo studio della flora e della vegetazione finalizzato alla valorizzazione di “piante autoctone” di potenziale interesse aromatico e medicinale.

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: From #26 to #36

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 regions of Abruzzo, Apulia, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Marche, Molise, Sardinia, Sicily, Tuscany and Umbria.

Proposta metodologica per la valutazione degli impatti cumulativi in aree protette della “Rete Natura 2000” della Sicilia

I giardini della memoria ai caduti nei centri delle Madonie e delle aree limitrofe

Il 4 novembre 1921 fu deposta, con tutti gli onori, la salma di un milite ignoto nell’Altare della Patria del Vittoriano di Roma, a perenne memoria per i posteri dell’eroico sacrificio compiuto per la salvezza della Patria. Da quel momento, in ogni piazza italiana sorsero monumenti e lapidi dedicate ai Caduti. Sui luoghi del conflitto, inizia una sistematica opera di bonifica dei numerosi cimiteri di guerra a ridosso delle trincee e nei paesi delle retrovie e, allo scopo di onorare milioni di soldati caduti, furono realizzati in quasi tutte le nazioni coinvolte dal conflitto, diverse forme e luoghi di commemorazione (Cimiteri e Sacrari, Parchi della Rimembranza, Boschi degli Eroi) accomunat…

La cartografia delle serie di vegetazione a grande scala: il caso di una piccola ZSC della Sicilia centrale

La carte delle serie di vegetazione rappresentano un utile strumento applicativo per la pianificazione ambientale e la conservazione della biodiversità. La loro elaborazione a grande/grandissima scala può fornire una dettagliata cbiave di lettura del paesaggio vegetale, della sua eterogeneità ambientale e può consentire di delinearne con estrema precisione le dinamiche evolutive. Sulla scorta delle metodologie esistenti in letteratura, nel presente contributo viene applicato in ambiente GIS un criterio deduttivo che consiste nella predisposizione di tematismi di base a grande scala (carta della vegetazione reale, carta geologica, carta delle pendenze, carta delle esposizioni) e nella compil…

Bioclimatology and Vegetation Series in Sicily: A Geostatistical Approach

Tackling the Sicilian woody vegetation as a case-study, this work aims to verify the correspondence between Rivas-Martínez's bioclimatic units and the main vegetation series in the Mediterranean region. Following this approach, one macrobioclimate and 25 bioclimatic type belts can be recognized in Sicily. By means of a geostatistical analysis based on WorldClim data sets, cartographic models of the distribution range of each single bioclimatic unit were obtained and combined with vegetation data, in order to develop a new regional spatial framework, integrating climatic and vegetation data. Fidelity of each vegetation unit to a given climatic range was then evaluated as percent distribution…

Aspetti residuali di vegetazione psammofila nel litorale tirrenico del Palermitano (Sicilia centro-settentrionale)

HISTORY AND FOREST VEGETATION DYNAMICS OF THE FAVORITA PARK IN THE PALERMO SUBURBS (NW SICILY)

Human footprint into the woodland of Bosco della Foresta (Trapani Mountains, N-W Sicily)

The Bosco della Foresta, currently also called Bosco di Angimbè or Bosco di Calatafimi, covers 210,90 hectares and is located on a complex of hills, referred to Cozzo Terravecchia formation (Miocene), north-east of the village of Calatafimi. The first documentary mention of this woodland dates back to AD 1393 in the municipal Diploma of Graces and Privileges (Diploma di Grazie e Privilegi) granted by the Counts of Peralta to the community of Calatafimi. The Diploma enshrines the civic right to cut trees to make plows and other farming uses, and the license to the poor to fetch twigs, without touching trees if not some dry branches, during Christmas, Carnival and Easter time. Since the eight…

PAESAGGIO VEGETALE, NATURALITÀ E RETE ECOLOGICA DEL COMPRENSORIO DEL PARCO DEI MONTI SICANI (SICILIA)

I Monti Sicani costituiscono un comprensorio montuoso-collinare, a prevalente ossatura carbonatica di era mesozoica, localizzato tra le province di Palermo e Agrigento (Sicilia centro-occidentale). Esteso circa 2.800 km2 si spinge a settentrione fino a Rocca Busambra mentre a meridione fino al complesso di Rocca Ficuzza-Monte Telegrafo; ad occidente i confini sono segnati dalle colline trapanesi di Salaparuta mentre ad oriente dall’Alta Valle del Platani. In tale contesto s’inserisce il Parco dei Monti Sicani istituito con L.R. n. 6 del 14 maggio 2009 e che, in base alle determinazioni dell’ARTA, interesserebbe il territorio di 12 Comuni (Bivona, Burgio, Cammarata, Castronovo di Sicilia, Ch…

Downy oak woods of Italy: phytogeographical remarks on a controversial taxonomic and ecological issue

The importance of downy oak as an integral component of the "submediterranean" woods has been underscored in many studies. Nevertheless, terms like "submediterranean" and "downy oak" are some of the most faintly understood concepts in the European phytogeographical and taxonomical research. Downy oak is well known to be a problematic taxon: the name "Quercus pubescens" (= Q. humilis) piles together populations characterized by an increasing phenotypic and genomic polymorphism along north-south gradients, which is commonly explained as the result of a "founder effect" given by a relatively fast post-glacial re-colonization of the northern stands through rare long-distance dispersal events. O…

THE PALMETUM, A NEW SECTOR IN THE PALERMO BOTANICAL GARDEN

Studio botanico finalizzato al recupero del paesaggio vegetale dell’Area archeologica di Lilibeo presso Marsala (Sicilia occidentale)

Viene presentato uno studio botanico volto al recupero del paesaggio vegetale dell’Area Archeologica di Capo Lilibeo (Marsala). Il progetto prevede l’eradicazione delle specie esotiche ad alto grado di invasività quali Ailanthus altissima e Vachellia karroo, il risanamento fitosanitario dei viali di Palme delle Canarie e la sostituzione degli individui malformati con specie ornamentali altamente decorative e a basso grado di invasività. E’ previsto l’impiego di specie afferenti agli stadi più evoluti dei sigmataxa Chamaeropo humilis- Querceto calliprini sigmetum ed al Pistacio lentisci- Chamaeropo humilis sigmetum al fine di assicurare i migliori risultati contro l’espansione della componen…

Relazioni tra dimensione delle patches di paesaggio e diversità floristica

Lineamenti del Paesaggio vegetale e serie di vegetazione

Rinnovazione di Abies nebrodensis nell’area d’indigenato

An overview of the Italian forest biodiversity and its conservation level, based on the first outcomes of the 4th Habitat Report ex-Art. 17

In 2019 the 4th Report ex-Art. 17 on the conservation status (CS) of Annex I Habitats of the 92/43/EEC Directive was expected by every EU/28 country, with reference to the period 2013-18. In Italy, the process was in charge to the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), on behalf of the Ministry for Environment, Land and Sea Protection (MATTM), with the scientific support of the Italian Botanical Society (SBI). A large group of thematic and territorial experts elaborated the available data concerning the 124 types of terrestrial and inland water Habitats present in Italy, 39 of which are represented by Forest Habitats (Group 9),. The main aim of the work was the…

Vascular flora evolution in the Soqotra Archipelago (Indian Ocean)

The main floristic and vegetational features of the Soqotra Archipelago are outlined. The theories of vicariance and dispersal are commented with the support of examples suggesting the idea that both are complementary in the establishment and evolution of the flora of Soqotra. Finally the relation of alien vs natural elements of the flora is analyzed.

New national and regional Annex I Habitat records: from #45 to #59

New Italian data on the distribution of Annex I Habitats are reported in this contribution. Specifically, 8 new occurrences in Natura 2000 sites are presented and 27 new cells are added in the EEA 10 km × 10 km reference grid. The new data refer to the Italian administrative regions of Apulia, Campania, Calabria, Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, Sardinia, and Sicily.

Una carta del paesaggio e dalla biodiversità vegetale della Sicilia basata sulla rappresentazione e gestione dei dati in ambiente GIS

La sindrome delle aree protette

Al di là di inevitabili specificità legate a singoli contesti, i parchi naturali europei presentano un quadro sintomatico comune, riconducibile all'interazione di tre principali eziologie. Un primo problema è quello della notevole "parcellizzazione", amministrativa e gestionale, di aree sottoposte a vincoli di tutela non sempre omogenei e spesso affidate ad istituti diversi. Un secondo agente eziologico è quello dei "processi in atto", quale conseguenza dei rapidi cambiamenti socio-economici della nostra società. Come spesso accade, quando si devono compiere scelte gestionali, occorre stabilire delle priorità. Il terzo agente eziologico è legato proprio alla disparità di vedute tra chi prop…

ARCHITETTURA E BOTANICA DEL SACRO CALVARIO DI GANGI (SICILIA)

Il Calvario, dal latino Golgota che indica il luogo della Crocifissione di Cristo, è una tipologia di monumento di culto della religione cristiana la cui genesi si fa risalire al Medioevo, epoca dei lunghi pellegrinaggi di fedeli che, per tale ragione, sentivano l’esigenza di creare luoghi sostitutivi che richiamassero le mete Sante, troppo lontane. In Italia e, in particolare, in Piemonte e in Lombardia, l’edificazione di questi complessi prese inizio a seguito del Concilio di Trento soprattutto sotto forma di Sacri Monti che, per l’appunto, ne costituiscono la principale espressione. In Sicilia, la tradizione dei “Calvari” venne introdotta nel XVIII secolo dai Gesuiti che generalmente li …

Le serie di vegetazione di Monte Cammarata (Sicilia)

Adenostyles alpina subsp. nebrodensis (Asteraceae) taxon endemico in via di estinzione

Taxa a rischio nella flora vascolare della Sicilia

Biogeographia vol. XgO( - 2011 (Pubblicato il 23 dicembre 2011) La Biogeografia de/Ia Sicilia Taxa a rischio nella flora vascolare della Sicilia FRANCESCO MARIA RAIMONDO, GIUSEPPE BAZAN, ANGELO TROIA Dzjzartimento di Biologia Ambientale e Biodiversitd, Universird di Palermo via Arc/aimfi 38, 90123 Palermo (Italy) Key words: threatened species, vascular flora, red list, Sicily. SUMMARY An analysis was made to update the regional red list of endangered vascular plants in Sicily which, with 3,252 taxa (including a noteworthy number of endemic species), is one of the richest areas in the Mediterranean region. Considering previous regional and national red lists, recent taxonomic and floristic lite…

The Sicilian taxa of Genista sect. Voglera and their phytosociological framework

The phytosociological role of taxa of Genista sect. Voglera in the vegetation context of Sicily is here examined. It was carried out on plant communities characterised by the Sicilian endemics G. aristata, G. madoniensis and G. cupanii. These taxa and their floristic settlement have been examined from the biogeographical point of view. Basing on our results, the popu- lations of G. madoniensis are to be referred to a new association named Cisto salvifolii- Genistetum madoniensis, ascribed to the class Cisto-Lavanduletea. Multivariate analysis shows a clear ecological differentiation of G. madoniensis with respect to the other Sicilian species. Instead, its habitus and ecology are closer to …

Analisi Geostatistica Integrata come Metodo per la Conoscenza del Bioclima della Sicilia

Biocultural diversity and naturalness of rural landscape in Sicily

Rural landscapes are a relevant palimpsest of biocultural diversity, as a tangible example of the symbiosis between natural processes and human activities. Sicilian rural landscape, due to the history of the territory and the resulting social and economic context, are configured in a heterogeneous mosaic rich in residual naturalness, which enhance connectivity of ecological network and support a high diversity of species. The present-day natural traits and biological diversity of Sicilian environment are the legacy of the historical land uses, which has generated a variegated mosaic of rural landscapes. They play an important role in the conservation of endemic, rare and threatened plant sp…

La biodiversità vegetale di Monte Gibliscemi (Mazzarino, Sicilia)

Agricultural landscapes and biodiversity conservation: a case study in Sicily (Italy)

The diversity of life is made up not only of the diversity of plants and animal species, habitats and ecosystems, but also of the diversity of human cultures. These diversities interact with one another in complex ways and express the mutual adaptation between humans and the environment at local level. Sicilian traditional agro-ecosystems, due to the history of the territory and the resulting social and economic context, are configured in a heterogeneous mosaic rich in residual features of environmental value, which enhance the connectivity of the ecological network and support a high proportion of species that are rare or of conservation concern. As a case study we analyzed the characteris…

Downy-oak woods of Italy: phytogeographical remarks on a controversial taxonomic and ecologic issue

The importance of downy oak as an integral component of the "submediterranean" woods has been underscored by many studies. Nevertheless, terms like "submediterranean" and "downy oak" are some of the most poorly understood concepts in European phytogeographic and taxonomic research. Downy oak is well known to be a problematic taxon. The name "Quercus pubescens" (= Q. humilis) combines populations characterized by increasing phenotypic and genomic polymorphisms along north-south gradients, which is explained as the result of a "founder effect" produced by a relatively fast post-glacial re-colonization of the northern areas through rare long-distance dispersal events. On the other hand, polymo…

Analisi del verde urbano della città di Palermo con tecniche di remore sensing

La dendroflora della città di Palermo è stata oggetto d’indagine da circa un trentennio. La maggior parte degli studi scientifici si è occupata principalmente del censimento delle piante dei parchi e dei giardini storici, focalizzando l’attenzione sulla caratterizzazione tassonomica, corologica ed ecologica nonché sugli aspetti storico-architettonici degli impianti. Palermo risulta essere la città siciliana con il maggior numero di parchi e giardini storici. Le prime indagini sul verde storico della città hanno riguardato le ville, originariamente appartenute ai membri della sfarzosa nobiltà e ricca borghesia siciliana, come il Parco di Villa Trabia alle Terre Rosse, il Giardino di Villa Ni…

The vegetation of a historic road system in the suburban area of Monte Pellegrino (Palermo, Sicily)

Knowledge of the processes by which plants colonize old structures is a key element for nature-based design both in urban and suburban contexts. This paper analyses the natural vegetation on walls and in other microhabitats of the roadway structures of Monte Pellegrino (606 m a.s.l.) near Palermo (Sicily), built in the first half of the 1900s. The historical road has particular construction and architectural features, and its characteristics have been maintained to this day. The route, approximately 16 kilometers long, is well integrated within a site of high naturalistic value which has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation (ITA020014) of the Natura 2000 network, and it is also…

“Harvesting memories”: Integrated approaches of human ecology and landscape archaeology in rural Sicily, the case of Castro Valley and Mt. Barraù (Corleone, PA)

The “Harvesting Memories” project focuses on the study of the long-term transformation of the historical landscape in a rural area of Central-Western Sicily (Castro Valley and Mt. Barraù, Corleone – Palermo). In order to achieve a global comprehension of the landscape, which we consider to be a diachronic result of the interaction between humans and their surrounding environment, our main research threads focus on socio-historical and environmental transformation. To this end we are applying an holistic approach, resulting from the cross-pollination of different methodologies: 1) Archaeological research: field survey and pottery studies allow the reconstruction of the historical settlement …

Microscopic findings and soil genetic “indicators” in support of pedoarchaeological studies

Archaeologists use historical artefacts and archaeological records to reconstruct the communities that produced them and the environment in which they lived. Soil protects our buried or damaged heritage of archaeological and historic remains from depletion, damage, and any disturbance. Here are presented some preliminary results obtained in the framework of the FP7 Project "MEditerranean MOntainous LAndscapes: an historical approach to cultural Heritage based on traditional agrosystems (MEMOLA)" where ancient soils horizons are themselves archaeological records. In order to implement the MEMOLA archaeological study and to identify soil genetic "indicators", two integrated approaches were us…

Studio fitosociologico dei cerreti con agrifoglio dei Monti Nebrodi

Studio fitosociologico dei cerreti con agrifoglio della Sicilia

Phytosociology of Quercus cerris and Ilex aquifolium woodlands in Sicily. – A vegetation survey on Quercus cerris and Ilex aquifolium woods occurring on northern side of Nebrodi Mountains, in Sicily, is presented. On phytosociolgical analyses, these fitocoenoses have been attributed to the new association Ilici aquifolii-Quercetum cerridis, within the order Doronico orientalis-Fagion sylvaticae, vicarious of Ilici-Quercetum austrothyrrenicae described from the Madonie Mountains.

Contributo alla caratterizzazione ecologica di Quercus petraea subsp. austrotyrrhenica (Fagaceae)

Contributo alla conoscenza dei lecceti mesofili e basifili della Sicilia.

First record of Temnosewellia minor (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalidae) in Sicily, with a plea for a re-examination of the identity of the publicly available molecular sequences of the genus

Author(s): Vecchioni, Luca; Chirco, Pietro; Bazan, Giuseppe; Marrone, Federico; Arizza, Vincenzo; Arculeo, Marco | Abstract: Ectosymbiotic temnocephalan flatworms belonging to the genus Temnosewellia Damborenea and Cannon, 2001 were collected on Cherax destructor Clark, 1936 in an aquaculture farm in Sicily, Italy. This represents the first record of a temnocephalan species for the fauna of the island. Morphological and molecular identification of the collected specimens proved that they belong to the allochthonous species Temnosewellia minor Haswell, 1888, which was introduced along with crayfishes bred in aquaculture farms. The phylogenetic analyses carried out for the molecular identific…

Tertiary relict laurophyll vegetation in the Madonie mountains (Sicily)

:Laurel woodlands in the Madonie mountains (Sicily) are characterized by the presence of Laurus nobilis, Rhamnus lojaconoi and Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris. The results of a phytosociological study are presented, and a new endemic association, Rhamno lojaconoi–Lauretum nobilis, is described. Present Mediterranean laurel communities are the result of an adaptive response by Tertiary laurel forest to the peculiar microclimatic conditions that characterize the refugia where they persist. These refugia have been recently considered as a priority habitat under the Directive 92/43/EEC, and their plant communities are very vulnerable. Protection measures of the studied laurel populations are n…

Taxonomy and conservation of Pancratium maritimum (Amaryllidaceae) and relatives in the Central Mediterranean

Pancratium maritimum L. (Amaryllidaceae) is a geophyte occurring in the Mediterranean region, from the Black Sea to part of the Atlantic coast. This plant is receiving much attention from the international scientific community due to its value as a bioindicator, the potential industrial value of its chemical compounds, and its use as a commercial ornamental plant. Plant morphometry and sequences of three plastid DNA regions (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) were used to assess the phenotypic and genetic variability of this taxon and its closest congeneric species (in particular Pancratium linosae, from the volcanic island of Linosa) in the Central Mediterranean (Sicily, Tunisia and surrounding island…

A phytosociological analysis of the Olea europaea L. var. sylvestris (Mill.) Lehr. forests in Sicily

This paper presents a phytosociological study on the forest vegetation of Olea europaea var. sylvestris of Sicily and of the smaller minor islands. In Sicily, Oleaster formations show considerable climacic potentiality in the bioclimactic belts between the infra- and the thermomediterranean with single edapho-climacic penetrations that are also in the mesomediterranean; however, these were largely destroyed by man in order to make room for crops. Furthermore, the residual expressions of the Oleaster forests are limited, and often exist as regenerated woodland made possible by the abandonment of agricultural land; they are often small forest nuclei – high maquis, woods and micro-woods – with…

Carta delle Serie di Vegetazione

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